4a 
Sometimes in giving the distance from 
one place to another, they say, "if you start 
when sun come up, you catch when he stand 
so," pointing to the sky where they suppose 
the sun will be when the traveler arrives at 
the place, if the journey be made in the 
common time. These examples furnish a 
pretty fair illustration of how clearly, and 
definitely they express ideas as a general 
thing; and yet, some of their forms of speech 
are remarkable for their pertinence and sig- 
nificance. 
If they wish to tell you that a person is 
ignorant ( for in that country as here they 
have their higher and lower classes,— their 
aristocracy and common people), they say, 
44 no light broke upon him yet." II* they 
wish to tell you that a judgment has been 
sent upon a town, they say that town ( tell- 
ing where the place is) "catch one God 
flog." Though these forms of speech are 
awkward, yet who can more clearly convey 
the ideas with the same number of words? 
The English will, doubtless, eventually, 
be the prevailing language among the tribes 
on the West coast. 
