Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1867-06-28
THE POETS SONG,
s9liseellanepns.
THE SALMON HARVEST.


The headquarters of the North American
Boundary Commission, to which the writer
was naturalist, were situated about mile
and a half up stream from this spot, on the
bank Of the Columbia, where its width is
four hundred yards, and the distance from
the sea, in round numbers, about one thou
sand miles.
For twenty miles above our barracks flows
the Columbia smooth and CLASSY as pond;
then, with rapidly increasing velocity rush
ing on, Is split by an island, just prior to its
dashing over a mass Of volcanic rocks, occu-
pying the full breadth of the chasm through
which it passes, and above five hundred
yards wide. At low water this Is an i'm
passable barrier to the salmon, but the rise
of the river enables them to leap it easily.
On one side of the fall there is wide fiat
plateau of rocks, the descent to which is by
a winding trail down an almost vertical clltf.
Very early in May the Indians began to
arrive. Day after day andall day long from
every direction, strange professions, consist
ing of horses laden with lodges, squaws,
children, together with the strangest medley
of the chattels, (eYery atom of property pos
sessed BY the tribe is always carried along
with them. even to the dogs, when migra-
ting to attend the salmon haVest,) wind
down the various trails leading TO the trading
post. Small villages oflodges, the encamp-
ments of the various tribes, rapidly scatter
over the plain, bands of horses scamper, IN
wild confusion, up the green hill-sides, care
| fully guarded by their various herbers; the
smoke of countless lodge fires coil slowly up
in misty wreaths: chiefs and braves lounge
lazily around the trade post; medicine men
in other words, the conjurors, doctors, and
/ invariably the great scoundTels OF the tribes
busy themselves at their incantatiOns,
making salmon medicine TO insure pros
porous harvest; whilesquaws, old young
pitch the lodges, carry wood and water, cook
and quell the perpetual riots going on among
the newly met children and dogs. In about
a week from nine hundred to one thousand
Indians arc camped in readiness Tor fishing
On their arrival, and during the fishing
season, every chief is under the control OF
| one tthe salmon chief who manages and
directs the fishery, settles all disputes, and
sees to the equitable division Of the take.
| When the assembly is completed, camps
| satisfactorily arranged, and all the details OF
/ this novel colony adjusted, preparations are
! commenced at the falls. The drylng-houses,
about fifty in number, are first repaired.
! These are built on the plateau OF rocks pre-
/ viously mentioned, ar consist of sheds
open at the sides, but q 9fed over with rush
mats. A series Of pa 81 poles placed close
4 together like a cellIGg, ION which to hang
/ the FISH, complete each edifice. Then old
and skilfull hands set to work to make the
! fishing traps ] may mention that neither
] nets, spears, nor canoes are ever employed
at this fishery. These traps are huge
wooden affairs, the materials used in their
1 construction being willow, hazel, birch, ma
4 Die, and cedar the diameter is about twelve
! feet, and the depth from eighteen to twenty
/ feet. Numbers Of these are made, the
| young Indians bringing the materials for
the supply of the skilled workmen. As
these baskets are completed, others prepare
to fix them in the places where, from long
! experience, the fishers well know the salmon
! invariably leap. This is both difficult and
a dangerous service, as they have to hang
/ them from trees, one end weighted down IN
| the water with enormous stones and rocks.
| OF course all this is accomplished before the
river begins to rise. Nothing but the
strength of numbers, combined with long
practice, could ever enable these uneivlhzed
men to perform so formidable a piece OF en-.
eineering. Immense pine trees are telled
with rude hatchets, and cleared OF their
branches, dragged down on the rocks, rolled
on other trees across deep chasms, ieYered,
twisted, tugged, and turned about, until
fixed securely and immoyably in the desired
position. When ready for the baskets,
these trees, projecting over the surglng water
look like gibbets for giants
The wicker baskets giants, too, in their
way-being completed, and long ropes,
made from the inner bark of the cypress
tree, woven to suspend them, the next JOB
is to hang them. To manage this final but
ticklish operation all lend a hand and as
each has his say /, young and old jabberr IN
different Indian languages. until one i'm
agines the daYs of Babel returned. By dint
Of mare winning, others bestriding trees,