37 4 SCENES IN THE PACIFIC. 
Throughout very many nights of incessant mountain rains it 
was my only shelter ; and never, in a single instance, was 
any part of my clothing wet which was covered by it. 
“They make two species of blankets, both equally efficient 
in protecting the wearer from cold and rain. The one, of 
which 1 have a specimen, is made of the native black and 
white wool, woven in alternate stripes of about four inches 
in width, each with a very narrow border of indigo blue. 
This is their common blanket. 
“ The other is the state robe, the blanket of the chiefs, a sort 
of national costume. It is firmly woven of various colors, 
and with a great variety of fantastic figures. The scarlet and 
indigo borders and decorations are made of the threads of 
woollen cloths which they purchase of the traders, unravelled 
and rewoven with other yarns, dyed with indigo. From the 
bark of the “ chimisa” or wild sage (one of the salvia ), they 
procure a deep brilliant yellow dye. These three bright 
colors, with the natural black and white wool, make, in their 
hands, a very superb blanket, and one so highly esteemed by 
them, that they will not part with it on any consideration. 
Besides being costly and gay, they look upon them as na¬ 
tional heirlooms , and appear to be offended when a proposi¬ 
tion is made to purchase them. I offered a Nabajo chief, for 
one of these blankets, different articles which were equivalent 
there to at least $75 ; but he rejected them in a haughty man¬ 
ner, notwithstanding they were scarce and exceedingly valua¬ 
ble to him. They consisted of a good rifle, powder, lead, indigo, 
vermillion (for painting their faces), coral-beads, knives, 
looking-glasses, needles, American tobacco, &c., &c., in a 
word, an assortment of all the articles of Indian trade. 
“ The Timpanigos Yutas are very friendly to the American, 
and are delighted to have him in their camp. Their first and 
constant greeting is, 6 Kahche winay—marakah nay,’ £ very 
good American,’ They manifest the greatest contempt for 
the New Mexicans. I travelled through their country with 
one of their head chiefs, named Wah-cah-rah, who was on 
