AND OTHER HUNTING ADVENTURES. 129 



a leg of goat for use on our way home, and 

 spent the evening cleaning and drying the three 

 skins as best we could by the camp-fire, to lighten 

 their weight as much as possible. 



Meanwhile, I questioned John at considerable 

 length regarding the nature of his language, but 

 could get little information, as he seemed unable to 

 convey his ideas on the subject in our tongue. The 

 language of the Skowlitz tribe, to which he and Sey- 

 mour belong, is a strange medley of gutturals, aspi- 

 rates, coughs, sneezes, throat scrapings, and a few 

 words I said: 



' i Your language don 1 1 seem to have as many 

 words as ours." 



" No; English too much. Make awful tired learn 

 him." 



"Where did you learn it?" 



"O, I work in pack train for Hudson Bay one 

 year, and work on boat one year." 



" Where did the boat run?" 



" She run nort from Victoria," he said. 



" Where :to, Alaska?" 



"O, Idunno." 



" How far north?" 



" O, I dunno. Take seven day. We go to de 

 mout of de river." 



" What river? What was the name of the town?" 

 ' "O, I dunno know what you call 'em." 



And thus I learned, by continued questioning, 

 that he did not know or remember the English 

 names of the places he had visited, but that they 

 were probably in Alaska. He always appealed to 

 Seymour to reply to any of my questions that he 



