NIGGERS AND SQUAWS. 67 



If I waited later, she added, I might possibly fall 

 in with traders en route from the east to the 

 homes of the Nez-perce's and Fish Indians, living 

 on the Pacific slopes. Although again and again 

 the old lady repeated the name of the fort, I was 

 unable to identify it with any of those whose 

 exact locality I was ignorant of, though I was 

 aware there were several on the tributaries of the 

 Upper Missouri. 



At length I bid my new friend adieu, and 

 returned to my hut. On my way to my dormitory, 

 and after I reached it, I regretted that so worthy 

 and genuine a woman should possess so little 

 regard for cleanliness and knowledge of those con- 

 ventionalities of civilisation that are absolutely 

 necessary to render feminine society attractive to 

 a person of what may possibly be considered my fas- 

 tidious taste. A nigger is generally deemed, and 

 not without justice, a very odorous specimen of 

 the human family ; but the effluvium of a squaw 

 is more peculiar, indescribable, sickening strongly 

 impregnated with the odour produced from bruised 

 limbs or foliage of dwarf cedar. 



In my young days, when wild romantic fancies 

 floated through the brain, I had often imagined 

 what a glorious thing it would be to expatriate 

 myself, become adopted into an Indian tribe, fight 

 my way through untold deeds of prowess to the 

 position of brave or chief, ultimately marry a red 

 princess, and succeed to the throne of her father. 



