Travels in Alaska 



the chief slowly raised his head and glanced at his 

 visitors, looked down again, and at last said, through 

 our interpreter: 



"I am troubled. It is customary when > strangers 

 visit us to offer them food in case they might be 

 hungry, and I was about to do so, when I remem- 

 bered that the food of you honorable white chiefs is 

 so much better than mine that I am ashamed to offer 



it." 



We, of course, replied that we would consider it a 

 great honor to enjoy the hospitality of so distin- 

 guished a chief as he was. 



Hearing this, he looked up, saying, " I feel relieved" ; 

 or, in John the interpreter's words, "He feels good 

 now, he says he feels good." 



He then ordered one of his family to see that the 

 visitors were fed. The young man who was to act as 

 steward took up his position in a corner of the house 

 commanding a view of all that was going on, and 

 ordered the slaves to make haste to prepare a good 

 meal; one to bring a lot of the best potatoes from the 

 cellar and wash them well; another to go out and pick 

 a basketful of fresh berries; another to broil a salmon; 

 while others made a suitable fire, pouring oil on the 

 wet wood to make it blaze. Speedily the feast was 

 prepared and passed around. The first course was 

 potatoes, the second fish-oil and salmon, next berries 

 and rose-hips; then the steward shouted the impor- 

 tant news, in a loud voice like a herald addressing an 

 army, "That's all!" and left his post. 



Then followed all sorts of questions from the old 



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