1856, Oregon: “Cumtux” reports on Native-Settler war
Writing from Wascopam (The Dalles area), a correspondent with a Chinuk Wawa pseudonym gives opinionated updates on the war that’s broken out.
Allalimya Takanin, Chief Looking Glass (image credit: Wikipedia)
And he throws in some more Chinook Jargon, which is un-translated in the original newspaper article, because everyone reading it understood it:
Correspondence of The Argus.
WASCOPAM, June 2, ’56.
Ed. of Argus — DEAR SIR : I have some
news worth relating, and hasten to improve
the opportunity of sending it. An express
just reached here from Col. Wright’s en-
campment on the Nachez. Wright has
constructed a rude fort and is now building
a bridge across the Nachez river, in order
to get at the Indians who are encamped on
the north side. Col. Wright is said to have
proffered to treat with Kamaiakin if he
would deliver up all the property hitherto
stolen from the whites, and the murderers
of Bolon and other white men. Kamaiakin
peremptorily refused to enter into negotia-
tions except with a concession on our part,
that, the whole country east of the Cascades
is to be immediately evacuated by the
“Bostons.” Wright of course under his
present instructions from his government,
refused to accept this as a “basis” of peace.
Kamaiakin says that Lookingglass, the
head of the Nez Perces tribe, has, up to
this date, encouraged him to continue hos-
tilities with the assurance of his sympathy,
and of his assistance if absolutely necessary.
This is to be looked upon as extremely
doubtful, but at all events Kamaiakin has
gone as a special envoy, to the dominions
of Lookingglass, to see whether he intends to
renounce his neutrality and become a faith-
ful ally according to the provisions of the
original protocol, now said to be filed away
in Pandozy’s breeches pocket, for safe keep-
ing. Kamaiakin says that if the assurances
he has received from the Spokans and Nez
Perces dignitaries are such as ought to come
from the heads of the departments of such
powers, he shall forthwith notify Wright
of a close of the armistice now existing, and
proceed to drive all the “Bostons” from the
principalities east of the Cascades. He
says, for his part, he would as soon fight
them as to pitch into so many women, and
if Lookingglass will just say the wool, the
word shall fly. [SIC! 😂] He also affirms, that Look-
ingglass had agreed to capture Gov. Stevens,
on his return through his dominions, but
owing to the presence of Col. Kelly’s com-
mand, the tumtum of the great chief be-
came slightly quash, and thinking, like
other great heroes, that “discretion was the
better part of valor,” he dissembled friend-
ship for Stevens.This is all to be set down as clonas.
The miners are here from Colville, (some
of them,) and bring a *right smart” of gold
dust. They are after supplies, and report
that as high as $30 per day were dug out
by some of the excavators last winter.In great haste yours,
CUMTUX.
— from the Oregon City (Oregon Territory) Oregon Argus of June 7, 1856, page 3, column 1
- Bostons = bástən-s = ‘Americans / White people’
- tumtum = tə́mtəm = ‘heart’
- quash = k’was(h) = ‘afraid’
- clonas = t’ɬúnas = ‘doubtful’ (in 1800s English), ‘maybe’ (the way we talk now)
- cumtux = kə́mtəks = ‘understand(s), know(s)’
