On the eve of our departure, presents
were made to us as a token of gratitude, and of course the Indians,
having at the first moment of their confederation, made such a
successful and profitable expedition, accepted it as a good presage for
the future. Their services being no longer required, they turned towards
the north, and started for the settlement under the command of Roche, to
follow up their original intentions of visiting the Shoshones. As for
me, I remained behind at San Francisco.
CHAPTER XVII.
Up to the present portion of my narrative, I have lived and kept company
with Indians and a few white men who had conformed to their manners and
customs. I had seen nothing of civilized life, except during my short
sojourn at Monterey, one of the last places in the world to give you a
true knowledge of mankind. I was as all Indians are, until they have
been deceived and outraged, frank, confiding, and honest. I knew that I
could trust my Shoshones, and I thought that I could put confidence in
those who were Christians and more civilized. But the reader must
recollect that I was but nineteen years of age, and had been brought up
as a Shoshone. My youthful ardour had been much inflamed by our late
successful conflicts. Had I contented myself with cementing the Indian
confederation, I should have done well, but my ideas now went much
farther.
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