The moon rose at one in the morning. It was arranged that, two hours
before its rising, the garrison of the block-house, which had already
suffered a great deal, during four days of a close siege, were to let
off the fireworks that I had received from the Mexicans at Monterey, and
to watch well the shore on their side of the river; for we were to fall
upon the enemy during their surprise, occasioned by such an unusual
display. All happened as was intended. At the first rocket, the
Bonnaxes, Callapoos, and Umbiquas were on the alert; but astonishment
and admiration very soon succeeded their fear of surprise, which they
knew could not be attempted from their opponents in front. The bombs
burst, the wheels threw their large circles of coloured sparks, and the
savages gazed in silent admiration. But their astonishment was followed
by fear of supernatural agency; confusion spread among them, and their
silence was at last broken by hundreds of loud voices! The moment had
now come; the two Shoshone war-parties rushed upon their terrified
victims, and an hour afterwards, when the moon rose and shone above the
prairie, its mild beams were cast upon four hundred corpses. The whole
of the Bonnax and Umbiqua party were entirely destroyed. The Callapoos
suffered but little, having dispersed, and run towards the sea-shore at
the beginning of the affray.

Thus ended the great league against the Shoshones, which tradition will
speak of in ages yet to come. But these stirring events were followed by
a severe loss to me. My father, aged as he was, had shown a great deal
of activity during the last assault, and he had undergone much privation
and fatigue: his high spirit sustained him to the very last of the
struggle; but when all was over, and the reports of the rifles no
longer whizzed to his ears, his strength gave way, and, ten days after
the last conflict, he died of old age, fatigue, and grief. On the
borders of the Pacific Ocean, a few miles inland, I have raised his