which the Indians said was navigable for
canoes throughout its lower lengths; so, on September 26th, the party
established itself at a point upon the river where a supply of timber
could be had, and began canoe-making. In this they adopted the Indian
method of hollowing large logs into form by means of fire; and in ten
days' time they had made five serviceable boats, and were ready for
departure. Meanwhile, they had relied upon the Indians for a daily
supply of food, and this had made a considerable reduction of their
stock of merchandise for barter. The Nez Perces of that and neighboring
villages kept a large number of dogs, which were used as beasts of
burden and otherwise, but were not eaten. The travelers bought some of
these for food, and found them palatable and nutritious; but this
practice excited the ridicule of the savages, who gave to the whites
the name Dog-Eaters,--an odd reversal of the condition of to-day. The
men were proof against scorn, however, so long as the supply of
dog-meat held out; and when they were ready to embark, they bought as
many dogs as they could carry, to be eaten on the voyage.

There was no reason to complain of the Nez Perces. There was a
noticeable difference, though, between the people of the several
villages. Some were generous and high-minded to a degree rarely equaled
by the members of any race, while others were shrewd tradesmen only.
All seemed worthy of confidence, which was well; for it was necessary
to put confidence in them. The horses that had been bought from the
Shoshones and brought across the mountains had now to be left behind,
and they were surrendered to the care of one of the principal chiefs,
to be kept by him until they should be reclaimed upon the return from
the coast, at some indefinite time in the future. He discharged this
trust with perfect fidelity. Had he failed, the consequences would have
been disastrous.

On October 16th, after a rapid passage of the Kooskooskee, the party
entered the Columbia; and from that point to the Pacific the journey
was without particular adventure, save for the difficulty of passing
numerous rapids and cascades. Indian villages were everywhere upon the
banks; but their people were of a very low order,--very jackals of
humanity; dirty, flea-bitten packs, whose physical and moral
constitutions plainly showed the debilitating effects of unnumbered
generations of fish-eating, purposeless life. Physical and moral
decency usuall