MOUNT RAINIER 



seemed to observe but little, and as we were now on 

 our homeward way, their thoughts were set only on 

 our camp on the Mishawl, with its provisions and 

 promise of rest. 



The first day we passed two of the camps we had 

 made coming up, and reached a point where we re- 

 membered to have seen a great quantity of blackber- 

 ries. It was quite dark by the time we reached the 

 little spot of dead timber which seems to be the 

 favorite haunt of the creeping bramble in this coun- 

 try and to gather our supper of berries we built a 

 fire at the foot of a large dead tree. Speedily the 

 flames were climbing to the top of the withered branches, 

 and casting a cheerful light for a hundred yards round. 

 But what we found very convenient for gathering ber- 

 ries proved to be a great annoyance when we wanted to 

 sleep. During the night we were constantly moving our 

 place of rest, at first on account of the falling embers, 

 and finally for fear of the tree itself. 



Blackberries are refreshing so far as the palate is 

 concerned ; but they are not very nourishing. We 

 took our breakfast on them, and continued down the 

 Nesqually from six in the morning until six in the 

 evening, traveling slowly because of the difficult un- 

 dergrowth and our worn-out and exhausted condition. 

 We passed another of our camps, and finally stopped 

 at what evidently had been an Indian camp. The 

 cedar bark, always to be found in such places, we an- 

 ticipated would make a shelter for us in case of rain, 

 which the clouds promised us. 



No rain fell, however, and we resumed our march, 

 continuing down the river five or six miles farther 

 than where we firs-t struck it, to a point where the hills 

 came close up and overhung the water. There we 

 camped, expecting that an easy march on the morrow 

 would enable us to reach our camp on the Mishawl. 

 We ate our last morsel, and the next morning I was 

 awakened by the conversation of the two soldiers. 



90 



