Sometimes the landscape towered into bold and mountainous heights that
partook of sublimity; at other times, it stretched along the water side
in fresh smiling meadows, and graceful undulating valleys.
Frequently in their route they encountered small parties of the Nez
Perces, with whom they invariably stopped to shake hands; and who,
generally, evinced great curiosity concerning them and their adventures;
a curiosity which never failed to be thoroughly satisfied by the replies
of the worthy Yo-mus-ro-y-e-cut, who kindly took upon himself to be
spokesman of the party.
The incessant smoking of pipes incident to the long talks of this
excellent, but somewhat garrulous old chief, at length exhausted all his
stock of tobacco, so that he had no longer a whiff with which to regale
his white companions. In this emergency, he cut up the stem of his
pipe into fine shavings, which he mixed with certain herbs, and thus
manufactured a temporary succedaneum to enable him to accompany his long
colloquies and harangues with the customary fragrant cloud.
If the scenery of the Way-lee-way had charmed the travellers with its
mingled amenity and grandeur, that which broke upon them on once more
reaching Snake River, filled them with admiration and astonishment. At
times, the river was overhung by dark and stupendous rocks, rising like
gigantic walls and battlements; these would be rent by wide and yawning
chasms, that seemed to speak of past convulsions of nature.
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