FEDERAL INDIAN RELATIONS PACIFIC NORTHWEST 47
the Indians in a large part of the interior had been deter- mined. Along the main ridge of the Rocky Mountains the hostile Indians made the gathering of beaver an extremely dangerous occupation; in the Flathead, Kutenai, Spokane, Okanogan regions, peace was the general rule; the Snake Valley was famous for its dangers ; the Indians at the portages of the Columbia River were at first very bothersome but they were taught to accept the presents given them for their ser- vices, and not to commit robberies; the Wallawalla, Nez Perces, and the Cayuse appear to have been neither so thievish as the "portage" Indians nor so fierce as the Blackfeet and the mountain Snake, nor so friendly as the Indians of the Flat- head and the Spokane country; as for the Indians of the eastern part of Oregon, southwestern Oregon, and the Puget Sound country their attitude toward the traders was little known to the "Northwesters."
Although the North West Company established a number of forts, and conducted "brigades" into the Snake country the organization was not so complete as that of the Hudson's Bay Company in the period between 1824 and 1836. It was during this period that the company developed its trade over the greatest extent of territory west of the Rocky Mountains. Within the Pacific Northwest they came into contact with a number of groups of natives not met by the early com- panies and increased their dealings with those already known. The Snake expeditions met the dangerous Modoc and the mountain Snake. The southern "brigade" passed through southwestern Oregon where the Indians were by reputation hostile. Forts were now established in the Puget Sound country, where the Indians were found to be peaceable. Farther north on Vancouver Island a strong fort was necessary to protect the traders against unfriendly Indians.
The missionary efforts that introduced into the region a group of men whose main purpose in life was to help the Indians to become a civilized, settled people through religion
