The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1880-08-06
Legend Of Wallawa.

Legends are as common to the Ameri-
can Indians as the witch tales of New
England were common to her people in
Colonial times. There is always some
thing wild and weird about them that
strikes awe to the savage heart and
mind, and appeals to his native credulty
and superstition. Legends are pre-
served by tradition handed down from
one generation to another in the same
manner by which the story of wrong and
suffering is retained in the mind of the
savage. The long lapse of time does not
lessen the influence, or rather the inn
preston, strange, fantastic legend has
upon the Indian mind. 1t may be that
the mind of the savage is dark and unen-
lightened and that his sole desire and
thirst is to lead worthless life, but let
me here remark, however far it may be
from the subject, that the American
Indian is more imaginative than any
other race of human beings. When he
talks he refers to the sun, moon and
stars, the mountains, the valleys, the
rivers, and almost every object in the
natural world to illustrate and impress
his thought. However ignorant the
savage may be, this is the impression 1
have derived from close observation of
many tribes and careful study of their
habits. But to return to the theme. My
readers will remember the long and
bloody struggle the Government had
about two years ago with Joseph's band
of renegades who roamed over Northern
Idaho and Western Washington Terri
tories, and that the struggle on the part
of the Indians was made for the posses
sion of the Wallowa valley. This valley
:,o I'll sc% he,
grandest and most beautiful in the
the world, and is only accessible through
is lake of crystal water, which seems to
have been in the long past the crater of
volcano; this much is known, its depth
has never been ascertained. As Scott has
said:
For rarely human eye has known
A scene SO stern as that dread lake,
With it's dark ledge of barren stone.
sI Hath rent sts p Strange and nd shattered way way
Through the rude bosom OF the hill;
And that each naked precpice,
Sable ravine and dark abyss,
Tells of the outrage still.
When in possession of the valley, the
Indians never entered the water, and
regarded the lake with superstition and
awe. Years and years ago, tradition
runs, an Indian maiden, the chosen
daughter of the chief. and the pride of
the tribe, named Wah-tu-wah, lived
with her parents near the enchanted
lake. An Indian warrior, brave and
true, won the heart and hand of the
dusky maiden; and in the autumn, when
the warpath would be forsaken, he would
return and claim his bride. Time went
on and the warrior returned. The
battles over with the hostile tribes, he
bore with him the bloody trophies of his
triumph. with which to grace his coming
nuptials with Wah-tu-wah. He has al
most reached her secluded hut; the lake
and the bordering crags are in sight.
One moment more and he will be with
Wah-tu-wah But look! see! With
wild shrek the warrior sees his future
bride leap down the mountain side and
run toward the lake, pursued by fierce
monster. With speedy fight, the war
rior runs to her rescue. Alas! he is too
late. The monster seizes the dusky
maiden and disappears beneath the
waters. The legend runs that the war
rior became but sigh, and that his
restless spirit still broods over and
haunts the lake where the maiden disap-
peared. No Indian ever bathes in its
waters, as the lake is considered sacred
to the two Indian spirits. Joseph and
his tribe are far from their native homes,
but. doubtless, they preserve in their
traditions, in sacred awe, the legend of
the Wallawa.