ABODE OF A CHIEF. 119 



men chose this valley for their residence, and 

 lived there in great harmony with the Indians. 

 What afterwards became of them is not re- 

 corded. On the north-east was a high mountain 

 thickly covered with fir trees, from amongst 

 which rose dark columns of smoke, giving evi- 

 dence of Indian habitations. Our soldiers said 

 that it was the abode of a chief and his tribe, 

 whose valour had won the respect of the Spa- 

 niards ; that they were of a distinct class from 

 the common race of Indians; had fixed their 

 dwellings on this mountain on account of its 

 supposed inaccessibility ; were distinguished 

 for their courage, and preferred death to the 

 dominion of the Missionaries, into whose power 

 no one of them has ever yet been entrapped. Is 

 it not possible that they may owe their superio- 

 rity to having mingled their race with that of 

 the shipwrecked whites ? 



Our road now lay sometimes across hills and 

 meadows, and sometimes along the sands so near 

 the ocean that we were sprinkled by its spray. 

 We passed Port Roman zow, and soon after 

 forded the bed of another shallow river to which 

 the Russians have given the name of Slavianka. 



