MOUNT RAINIER 



mass-root : game is very scarce, and the beaver have 

 all disappeared. The cammass-root is pounded and 

 made into a sort of cake, which is not unpleasant, 

 having a sweetish taste, but it is very dry, although 

 some of the party took a fancy to it. 



Tidias had with him an old man almost blind, who 

 claimed much respect, and two young men, whose dress 

 of buckskin, profusely ornamented with beads, was 

 much admired by the party. During the talk, the old 

 chief expressed himself delighted to see the white men, 

 and spoke of his own importance, his immense territory, 

 etc., in a style of boasting, to which the Indians are 

 very much addicted. He said that he was desirous 

 of affording all the accommodation he could to the 

 party. But although he had eight or ten fine horses 

 with him, he would not agree to part with them, as 

 they were ail his favourites. He was presented with 

 a variety of articles, in return for which he gave the 

 party a few dried salmon. 



Towards evening, old Tidias took leave of them, 

 saying that it was not proper for an Indian to encamp 

 in the same place with a white man, and with a promise 

 that he would have horses by ten o'clock the next day ; 

 but he had a game to play by procrastinating, in which 

 he thoroughly succeeded. 



In the morning they reached the Indian camp below, 

 but no horses had arrived. It was far, they said, to 

 Tidias's house ; a man could not go thither and return 

 in the same day ; no horses or salmon could be brought ; 

 no one could be permitted to go. Lieutenant Johnson 

 was then told that the road he had to follow was a 

 "hungry" road. At last the Indian was induced by 

 high offers to exchange good horses for a great number 

 of bad ones, and finally consented to part with two 

 more. On quitting him they became thoroughly 

 aware that all the difficulties were owing, not to any 

 indisposition to sell, but were created for the purpose 

 of inducing high prices to be given. 



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