FIRST ATTEMPTED ASCENT, 1857 



the other members of the party to quench his thirst, 

 and our canteens were speedily empty. The doctor 

 sought relief in whisky, but it only aggravated his 

 thirst, and he poured out the contents of his canteen. 

 The severe exertion required for the ascent brought on 

 painful cramps in his legs, and at one time, about the 

 middle of the day, I concluded that we should be 

 obliged to leave him to find his way back to camp 

 while we went on without him ; but he made an agree- 

 ment with Wah-pow-e-ty to carry his pack for him 

 in addition to his own, for ten dollars, and the doctor 

 was thus enabled to go on. Here was an illustration 

 of the advantage of training. The doctor was large, 

 raw-boned, and at least six feet high, looking as if he 

 could have crushed with a single blow the insignificant 

 old Indian, who was not much over five feet, and did 

 not weigh more than half as much as the doctor ; but, 

 inured to this kind of toil, he carried double the load 

 that any of the party did, while the doctor, who was 

 habituated to a sedentary life, had all he could do, 

 carrying no load whatever, to keep up with the 

 Indian. 



Early in the afternoon we reached the summit of 

 the first ascent, where we enjoyed, in addition to a 

 good rest, a magnificent view of the Puget Sound Val- 

 ley, with Mount Olympus and the Coast Range for a 

 background. Here on this summit, too, munching our 

 biscuit of hard bread and our dried beef, we enjoyed 

 a refreshing breeze as we looked down on the beautiful 

 plains of the Nesqually, with its numerous clear and 

 beautiful little lakes. There was nothing definite 

 except forest of which there was a great excess 

 lakes, and plains of limited area, the sound, and a great 

 background of mountains. No habitations, farms, or 

 villages were to be seen ; not a sign of civilization or 

 human life. 



After a good rest we pushed on, taking an easterly 

 course, and keeping, or trying to keep, on the spur of 



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