forty　to　fifty　canoes　in　a　fair　state　of　preservation。　　According　to
  the　custom　of　all　Indian　tribes　on　the　Pacific　coast；　when　one　of
  their　number　died　all　his　worldly　effects　were　buried　with　him；　so
  that　the　canoes　were　filled　with　old　clothes；　blankets；　pieces　of
  calico　and　the　like；　intended　for　the　use　of　the　departed　in　the
  happy　hunting　grounds。
  I　made　known　to　the　Indians　that　we　would　have　to　take　this　piece　of
  ground　for　the　blockhouse。　　They　demurred　at　first；　for　there　is
  nothing　more　painful　to　an　Indian　than　disturbing　his　dead；　but　they
  finally　consented　to　hold　a　council　next　day　on　the　beach；　and　thus
  come　to　some　definite　conclusion。　　Next　morning　they　all　assembled；
  and　we　talked　in　the　Chinook　language　all　day　long；　until　at　last
  they　gave　in；　consenting；　probably；　as　much　because　they　could　not
  help　themselves；　as　for　any　other　reason。　　It　was　agreed　that　on　the
  following　day　at　12　o'clock；　when　the　tide　was　going　out；　I　should
  take　my　men　and　place　the　canoes　in　the　bay；　and　let　them　float　out
  on　the　tide　across　the　ocean　to　the　happy　hunting…grounds：
  At　that　day　there　existed　in　Oregon　in　vast　numbers　a　species　of
  wood…rat；　and　our　inspection　of　the　graveyard　showed　that　the　canoes
  were　thickly　infested　with　them。　　They　were　a　light　gray　animal；
  larger　than　the　common　gray　squirrel；　with　beautiful　bushy　tails；
  which　made　them　strikingly　resemble　the　squirrel；　but　in　cunning　and
  deviltry　they　were　much　ahead　of　that　quick…witted　rodent。　　I　have
  known　them　to　empty　in　one　night　a　keg　of　spikes　in　the　storehouse　in
  Yamhill；　distributing　them　along　the　stringers　of　the　building；　with
  apparently　no　other　purpose　than　amusement。　　We　anticipated　great　fun
  watching　the　efforts　of　these　rats　to　escape　the　next　day　when　the
  canoes　should　be　launched　on　the　ocean；　and　I　therefore　forbade　any
  of　the　command　to　visit　the　graveyard　in　the　interim；　lest　the　rats
  should　be　alarmed。　　I　well　knew　that　they　would　not　be　disturbed　by
  the　Indians；　who　held　the　sacred　spot　in　awe。　　When　the　work　of
  taking　down　the　canoes　and　carrying　them　to　the　water　began；
  expectation　was　on　tiptoe；　but；　strange　as　it　may　seem；　not　a　rat　was
  to　be　seen。　　This　unexpected　development　was　mystifying。　　They　had
  all　disappeared；　there　was　not　one　in　any　of　the　canoes；　as
  investigation　proved；　for　disappointment　instigated　a　most　thorough
  search。　　The　Indians　said　the　rats　understood　Chinook；　and　that　as
  they　had　no　wish　to　accompany　the　dead　across　the　ocean　to　the　happy
  hunting…grounds；　they　took　to　the　woods　for　safety。　　However　that　may
  be；　I　have　no　doubt　that　the　preceding　visits　to　the　burial…ground；
  and　our　long　talk　of　the　day　before；　with　the　unusual　stir　and
  bustle；　had　so　alarmed　the　rats　that；　impelled；　by　their　suspicious
  instincts；　they　fled　a　danger；　the　nature　of　which　they　could　not
  anticipate；　but　which　they　felt　to　be　none　the　less　real　and
  impending。
  CHAPTER　VII。
  LEARNING　THE　CHINOOK　LANGUAGESTRANGE　INDIAN　CUSTOMSTHEIR　DOCTORS…
  …SAM　PATCHTHE　MURDER　OF　A　WOMANIN　A　TIGHT　PLACESURPRISING　THE
  INDIANSCONFLICTING　REPORTS　OF　THE　BATTLE　OF　BULL　RUNSECESSION
  QUESTION　IN　CALIFORNIAAPPOINTED　A　CAPTAINTRANSFERRED　TO　THE　EAST。
  The　troubles　at　the　Siletz　and　Yaquina　Bay　were　settled　without
  further　excitement　by　the　arrival　in　due　time　of　plenty　of　food；　and
  as　the　buildings；　at　Fort　Haskins　were　so　near　completion　that　my
  services　as　quartermaster　were　no　longer　needed；　I　was　ordered　to
  join　my　own　company　at　Fort　Yamhill；　where　Captain　Russell　was　still
  in　command。　　I　returned　to　that　place　in　May；　1857；　and　at　a　period　a
  little　later；　in　consequence　of　the　close　of　hostilities　in　southern
  Oregon；　the　Klamaths　and　Modocs　were　sent　back　to　their　own　country；
  to　that　section　in　which　occurred；　in　1873；　the　disastrous　war　with
  the　latter　tribe。　　This　reduced　considerably　the　number　of　Indians　at
  the　Grande　Ronde；　but　as　those　remaining　were　still　somewhat　unruly；
  from　the　fact　that　many　questions　requiring　adjustment　were
  constantly　arising　between　the　different　bands；　the　agent　and　the
  officers　at　the　post　were　kept　pretty　well　occupied。　　Captain　Russell
  assigned　to　me　the　special　work　of　keeping　up　the　police　control；　and
  as　I　had　learned　at　an　early　day　to　speak　Chinook　（the　〃court
  language〃　among　the　coast　tribes）　almost　as　well　as　the　Indians
  themselves；　I　was　thereby　enabled　to　steer　my　way　successfully　on
  many　critical　occasions。
  For　some　time　the　most　disturbing　and　most　troublesome　element　we　had
  was　the　Rogue　River　band。　　For　three　or　four　years　they　had　fought
  our　troops　obstinately；　and　surrendered　at　the　bitter　end　in　the
  belief　that　they　were　merely　overpowered；　not　conquered。　　They　openly
  boasted　to　the　other　Indians　that　they　could　whip　the　soldiers；　and
  that　they　did　not　wish　to　follow　the　white　man's　ways；　continuing
  consistently　their　wild　habits；　unmindful　of　all　admonitions。
  Indeed；　they　often　destroyed　their　household　utensils；　tepees　and
  clothing；　and　killed　their　horses　on　the　graves　of　the　dead；　in　the
  fulfillment　of　a　superstitious　custom；　which　demanded　that　they
  should　undergo；　while　mourning　for　their　kindred；　the　deepest
  privation　in　a　property　sense。　　Everything　the　loss　of　which　would
  make　them　poor　was　sacrificed　on　the　graves　of　their　relatives　or
  distinguished　warriors；　and　as　melancholy　because　of　removal　from
  their　old　homes　caused　frequent　deaths；　there　was　no　lack　of　occasion
  for　the　sacrifices。　　The　widows　and　orphans　of　the　dead　warriors　were
  of　course　the　chief　mourners；　and　exhibited　their　grief　in　many
  peculiar　ways。　　I　remember　one　in　particular　which　was　universally
  practiced　by　the　near　kinsfolk。　　They　would　crop　their　hair　very
  close；　and　then　cover　the　head　with　a　sort　of　hood　or　plaster　of
  black　pitch；　the　composition　being　clay；　pulverized　charcoal；　and　the
  resinous　gum　which　exudes　from　the　pine…tree。　　The　hood；　nearly　an
  inch　in　thickness；　was　worn　during　a　period　of　mourning　that　lasted
  through　the　time　it　would　take　nature；　by　the　growth　of　the　hair；
  actually　to　lift　from　the　head　the　heavy　covering　of　pitch　after　it
  had　become　solidified　and　hard　as　stone。　　It　must　be　admitted　that
  they　underwent　considerable　discomfort　in　memory　of　their　relatives。
  It　took　all　the　influence　we　could　bring　to　bear　to　break　up　these
  absurdly　superstitious　practices；　and　it　looked　as　if　no　permanent
  improvement　could　be　effected；　for　as　soon　as　we　got　them　to　discard
  one；　another　would　be　invented。　　When　not　allowed　to　burn　down　their
  tepees　or　houses；　those　poor　souls　who　were　in　a　dying　condition
  would　be　carried　out　to　the　neighboring　hillsides　just　before
  dissolution；　and　there　abandoned　to　their　sufferings；　with　little　or
  no　attention；　unless　the　placing　under　their　heads　of　a　small　stick
  of　woodwith　possibly　some　laudable　object；　but　doubtless　great
  discomfort　to　their　victimmight　be　considered　such。
  To　uproot　these　senseless　and　monstrous　practices　was　indeed　most
  difficult。　　The　most　pernicious　of　all　was　one　which　was　likely　to
  bring　about　tragic　results。　　They　believed　firmly　in　a　class　of
  doctors　among　their　people　who　professed　that　they　could　procure　the
  illness　of　an　individual　at　will；　and　that　by　certain　incantations
  they　could　kill　or　cure　the　sick　person。　　Their　faith　in　this
  superstition　was　so　steadfast　that　there　was　no　doubting　its
  sincerity；　many　indulging　at　times　in　the　most　trying　privations；
  that　their　relatives　might　be　saved　from　death　at　the　hands　of　the
  doctors。　　I　often　talked　with　them　on　the　subject；　and　tried　to
  reason　them　out　of　the　superstitious　belief；　defying　the　doctors　to
  kill　me；　or　even　make　me　ill；　but　my　talks　were　unavailing；　and　they
  always　met　my　arguments　with　the　remark　that　I　was　a　white　man；　of　a
  race　wholly　different　from　the　red　man；　and　that　that　was　the　reason
  the　medicine　of　the　doctors　would　not　affect　me。　　These　villainous
  doctors　might　be　either　men　or　women；　and　any　one　of　them　finding　an
  Indian　ill；　at　once　averred　that　his　influence　was　the　cause；
  offering　at　the　same　time　to　cure　the　invalid　for　a　fee；　which
  generally　amounted　to　about　all　the　ponies　his　family　possessed。　　If
  the　proposition　was　accepted　and　the　fee　paid　over；　the　family；　in
  case　the　man　died；　was　to　have　indemnity　through　the　death　of　the
  doctor；　who　freely　promised　that　they　might　take　his　life　in　such
  event；　relying　on　his　chances　of　getting　protection　from　the　furious
  relatives　by　fleeing　to　the　military　post　till　time　had　so　assuaged
  their　grief　that　matters　could　be　compromised　or　settled　by　a
  restoration　of　a　part　of　the　property；　when　the　rascally　leeches
  could　again　resume　their　practice。　　Of　course　the　services　of　a
  doctor　were　always　accepted　when　an　Indian　fell　ill；　otherwise　the
  invalid's　death　would　surely　ensue；　brought　about　by　the　evil
  influence　that　was　unpropitiated。　　Latterly　it　had　become　quite　the
  thing；　when　a　patient　di