ACROSS THE ROCKt MOUNTAINS, ETC. 243 



or spear a salmon for her husband's breakfast in the morning, as 

 well as any man-servant he could employ. Added to all this, 

 she has, in several instances, saved his life in skirmishes with 

 Indians, at the imminent risk of her own, so that he has some 

 reason- to be proud of her. 



In the afternoon, we passed the bold, basaltic point, known to 

 the voyageurs by the name of " Cape Horn." The wind here 

 blew a perfect hurricane, and but for the consummate skill of 

 those who managed our boats, we must have had no little 

 difficulty. 



30^/t. — We were engaged almost the whole of this day in 

 making portages, and I had, in consequence, some opportunity of 

 prosecuting my researches on the land. We have now passed 

 the range of vegetation ; there are no trees or even shrubs ; no- 

 thing but huge, jagged rocks of basalt, and interminable sand 

 heaps. I found here a large and beautiful species of marmot, (the 

 Arctomys Richardsonii,) several of which I shot. Encamped 

 in the evening at the village of the Indian chief, Tilki. I had 

 often heard of this man, but I now saw him for the first time. 

 His person is rather below the middle size, but his features are 

 good, with a Roman cast, and his eye is deep black, and unu- 

 sually fine. He appears to be remarkably intelligent, and half a 

 century before the generality of his people in civilization. 



July Sd. — This morning we came to the open prairies, covered 

 with wormwood bushes. The appearance, and strong odor of 

 these, forcibly remind me of my journey across the mou-ntains, 

 when we frequently saw no vegetation for weeks, except this dry 

 and barren looking shrub. 



The Indians here are numerous, and are now enfjajred in 

 catching salmon, lamprey eels, &c. They take thousands of the 

 latter, and they are seen hanging in great numbers in their 

 lodges to dry in the smoke. As soon as the Indians see us 

 approach, they leave their wigwams, and run out towards us, 



