Chapter 33

33.

Scenery of the Way-lee-way A substitute for tobacco Sublime

scenery of Snake River The garrulous old chief and his cousin A

Nez Perce meeting A stolen skin The scapegoat dog Mysterious

conferences The little chief His hospitality The captain's

account of the United States His healing skill

IN RESUMING HIS JOURNEY, Captain Bonneville was conducted by the

same Nez Perce guide, whose knowledge of the country was

important in choosing the routes and resting places. He also

continued to be accompanied by the worthy old chief with the hard

name, who seemed bent upon doing the honors of the country, and

introducing him to every branch of his tribe. The Way-lee-way,

down the banks of which Captain Bonneville and his companions

were now travelling, is a considerable stream winding through a

succession of bold and beautiful scenes. Sometimes the landscape

towered into bold and mountainous heights that partook of

sublimity; at other times, it stretched along the water side in

fresh smiling meadows, and graceful undulating valleys.

Frequently in their route they encountered small parties of the

Nez Perces, with whom they invariably stopped to shake hands; and

who, generally, evinced great curiosity concerning them and their

adventures; a curiosity which never failed to be thoroughly

satisfied by the replies of the worthy Yo-mus-ro-y-e-cut, who

kindly took upon himself to be spokesman of the party.

The incessant smoking of pipes incident to the long talks of this

excellent, but somewhat garrulous old chief, at length exhausted

all his stock of tobacco, so that he had no longer a whiff with

which to regale his white companions. In this emergency, he cut

up the stem of his pipe into fine shavings, which he mixed with

certain herbs, and thus manufactured a temporary succedaneum to

enable him to accompany his long colloquies and harangues with

the customary fragrant cloud.

If the scenery of the Way-lee-way had charmed the travellers with

its mingled amenity and grandeur, that which broke upon them on

once more reaching Snake River, filled them with admiration and

astonishment. At times, the river was overhung by dark and

stupendous rocks, rising like gigantic walls and battlements;

these would be rent by wide and yawning chasms, that seemed to

speak of past convulsions of nature. Sometimes the river was of a

glassy smoothness and placidity; at other times it roared along

in impetuous rapids and foaming cascades. Here, the rocks were

piled in the most fantastic crags and precipices; and in another

place,