116
THE WEST SHORE.
LAVA BEDS OF BNAKJS RIVER.
AN INDIAN TRADITION.
THE ARORTGTNKR of tit Pacific W, with whom
tho writer is thoroughly acquainted, having beon
born and rearm among thorn, are a people who,
having no means of recording history or event,
posses many strango and interesting traditions, which
have boon handed down from generation to generation
till their origin lina become Itmt in the dim past Many
of thorn are founded ou some phyiticiil peculiarity of the
country in which the Indiana live, and this evidence of
their truth win for them credence, and umpires rever
ence for many objocts hold by those tradition to be sa
cred One of theso traditions, explaining tho origin of
tho lava bods of Hnake River, in Idaho, is quite inter
esting, km told by the HIiohIioiio ami Bimnaek Indians,
Theso two triW, as fur back as the white race has
known them, have iutermarriod and romainod peaceable
with each other, but have engaged in oppressive war
fare with their less ioworfu! neighbors. At times they
carried on aavago and inhuman warfare with the front
iersmen, who wore fust settling up the vast sooio of
country dominated by thorn, and who have now wrested
it from their jxmsoHsion, are tilling tho soil and search
ing for the precious motels in the high and rugged
mountains, from which Idaho, tho "Gem of the Moun
tains," derives her name.
Himko River runs through a continuous lava bed for
nearly six hundred miles, and affords many Btrango and
interesting sights to tho tourist. The stroam is a largo
one, and at one timo a steamer was used alxive what is
known as "The Canyon," at the. west end of the vast
lava field. At ouo place, tnia largo volume of water falls
three hundred and seventy-five feet, in two leaps.
These aro known as "Shoshouo Falls," and are pro
nounoed stierior in grandeur U tho great Niagara by
those who have seen both. North and south of the
river are ranges of high mountains, somo of tho pouks
being white with snow nearly tho year rouud, forming a
grand scene for lover of the work of nature. In the
valley proper, which is ouo vast field of lava rock, the
nudUm iiikh seems to have ooolod suddenly, as in many
place, the haul, Ixisnltio rocks lio in waves, while in
other, there aro large owning, into which good-siml
creeks fiow from the mountains and are lost Atone
point, just Mow tho Shoshone Falls, where the river
run. through a deep gorge, a largo volume of water
flow, from an owning in tho jmrndicular bank, and
fall into the trm. When we oonsider these strange
ly infcrwting freak, of nature, it i. t .uprising that
the imaginative native should have tradition, of thorn
handed down by their forefather. In thi. great field
of lava Ur are no visible crater, and Unlay the point
from which flowed the lava which cover, this vast vl
ley, i unknown. But the Uannack. and Shoshone
have a tradition on the .uhjoct, which U.ey belieTe
with great faith, and a proof thai it U indisputable
point to the lava fields, unable to understand why the
white man remains incredulous in the face of such con
vincing proofs.
The tradition states that away back in the dim past,
tho number of " snows " of which they . do not attempt
to enumerate, tho valley was covered with forests, in
which game of all kinds roamed in abundance, and
where flowed clear streams, the homes of large numbers
of dolicious fish. The red men held full possession and
wore as happy and contented as if in Paradise. But at
last a strange people came in large numbers, who com
menced to usurp the hunting and fishing grounds.
Valloy after valley and forest after forest the tribes
were obliged to yield to tho intruder, who lived in caves
and huts built of stone. They were skilled and brutal
warriors, and soon killed so great , a number of the In
dians that the head chiefs called a council of the two
tribes, to consult as to what course to pursue to got rid
of the usurpers and again come into possession of the
boautiful lands of Snake River. They assembled in
lnrge numbors on the summit of a high mountain, and
the great Medicine Man, who alone could reoeive inspi
ration from tho Great Spirit, carried on incantations
and prayed long and fervently for wisdom, after which
he mode a long and eloquent speech, in which ho ad
vised the braves to be patient, and, not arouse further
troublo. He would go into the deep forest and pray for
more knowledge, and hoped and . expected to receive
such wisdom that he could devise plans for expelling
tne usurpers from the country. All assented to his sug
gestions, and he departed alone on his journey.
For awhile he wended his way through the honvy
forests, occasionally catchins a eliuiose throutrh the
sighing pines of a bright star, toward which he kept
traveling, lue hooting of owls, howling of wolves and
mournful sounds of other animals, with an occasional
cry of a panthor, filled his soul with fear; but he kept
on iiis journey, all tho while praying to the Greot
Spirit to protect him. for the safety and freed om of Ilia
much-wrongod people, who were anxiously waiting for
his return. At lost he entered an opening whore there
was light, and saw a lame number of mountain linnn.
wolves, foxes, panthers, wild cnts and kindred animals.
r a .1 ....
vne 01 uie mountain lions, which was very large, had
hands instead of fore feet and heml lik n Tnrlinn.
The Medicine Man realized that ho was in the land of
spirits, and that this animal was the ruler of them alL
He tremblingly approached, when the linn m-eoted him
kindly, and told him, in the Shoshone language, that he
iiiui ueen apprised of his coming. Then in a loud voice
be summoned all the
the Medicine Man to state to them the nature of his
mission, as they were all good spirits, and ready to hear
what he had to say. The Modicine Man, in tho most
pitwuuig language, told them of the great sufferings of
hi people at tho hands of hul
oiaod their lands and were gradually and surely anuihi-
ilm II.. I L. .i -- '
a " " groat in bee. tie could not toll who tiiey
were nor whence they came, but implored the spirits to
mi