148 NAKRATIVE OF A JOUR>'EY 



Nez Perces, 6jc. They were very friendly towards us, each of 

 the chiefs taking us by the hand with great cordiality, appearing 

 pleased to see us, and anxious to point out to us the easiest and 

 most expeditious route to the lower country. These Indians are, 

 almost universally, fine looking, robust men, with strong aqualine 

 features, and a much more cheerful cast of countenance than is 

 usual amongst the race. Some of the women might almost be 

 called beautiful, and none that I have seen are homely. Their 

 dresses are generally of thin deer or antelope skin, with occa- 

 sionally a boddice of some linen stuffs, purchased from the 

 whites, and their whole appearance is neat and cleanly, forming a 

 very striking contrast to the greasy, filthy, and disgusting Snake 

 females. I observed one young and very pretty looking woman? 

 dressed in a great superabundance of finery, glittering with rings 

 and beads, and flaunting in broad bands of scarlet cloth. She 

 was mounted astride, — Indian fashion, — upon a fine bay horse, 

 whose head and tail were decorated with scarlet and blue ribbons, 

 and the saddle, upon which the fair one sat, was ornamented all 

 over with beads and little hawk's bells. This damsel did not do 

 us the honor to dismount, but seemed to keep warily aloof, as 

 though she feared that some of us might be inordinately fascinated 

 by her fine person and splendid equipments, and her whole de- 

 portment proved to us, pretty satisfactorily, that she was no 

 common beauty, but the favored companion of one high in office, 

 who was jealous of her slightest movement. 



After making a hasty meal, and bidding adieu to the captain, 

 and our friendly Indian visitors, we mounted our horses, and 

 rode off. About half an hour's brisk trotting brought us to the 

 foot of a steep and high mountain, called the Blue. This is 

 said to be the most extensive chain west of the dividing ridge, 

 and, with one exception, perhaps the most difficult of passage^ 

 The whole mountain is densely covered with tall pine trees, with 



