THE BLACK BEAR. 83 



The animal is so common everywhere in the dense forests 

 of the North-west that it seems somewhat odd that large 

 numbers are not killed annually for their flesh alone; for a 

 bear steak, though by no means the tenderest of meat, is 

 still palatable to the most dainty of appetites. One reason 

 for their immunity from attack is due to the fact that they 

 do not trouble the farm-yard much, and that their hide 

 does not bring much of a price in the West, though it is 

 costly enough in the retail market. They commit a raid 

 occasionally, however, on the farm -yard, but it consists 

 principally in stealing a young pig or a lamb, or upsetting 

 an apiary ; but in the majority of cases they pay dearly for 

 such temerity, for no effort, from poison to rifle, is spared 

 to get rid of them. 



The Indians formerly hunted them for their skins, which 

 were sold to the fur companies ; but since the great com- 

 panies have left the country, little attention has been paid 

 to this business south of British America. The red men 

 kill them occasionally now for their flesh and hide, and for 

 their claws, which are highly prized for necklaces. 



A friend and myself, while wandering through Washing- 

 ton Territory, found ourselves one day among a tribe of 

 Indians on the Skagit River; and as they were preparing 

 for a grand potlatch, or distribution of gifts to their friends 

 in other tribes, we concluded to wait and see the ceremony. 

 Not caring to share the cabin or wigwam of any of the 

 sons of the forest, through fear of making the acquaintance 

 of the numerous crawling creatures that live in them with 

 the owners, we pitched our camp under the shelter of a 

 spreading spruce near the middle of the encampment, and 

 made ourselves as comfortable as circumstances would per- 

 mit. Being guests, in an informal way, of the chief, we 

 left all our ictas in camp, except our rifles, revolvers, and 

 knives, and roamed around among the different huts or 

 mat wigwams, paying visits of curiosity and ceremony, as 

 we wished to ingratiate ourselves with the people. 



We were received with the usual stoicism of the Indian 

 nature; and were it not for our efforts to pronounce their 



