ey dropped little green
branches into his grave in the way of the Free Masons. I was surprised
at the delicacy of feeling shown in regard to his desire to remain
unknown, rude curiosity concerning any thing peculiar being everywhere
so common.

MAY 20, 1874.

This afternoon we went out a little farther than usual in our boat, and
saw a herd of whales in the distance,--great free creatures, puffing and
snorting, spouting and frolicking, together. The boatman said that a
flap from one of their tails would send our boat clean out of the water,
and turned hastily about, hallooing in the wildest way, to keep them
off.

On our way back we passed some deserted buildings on a sandy point. We
inquired about them, and were told that they were the commencement of a
city, originally called "New York;" but, having disappointed its
founders, the Indian name of _Alki_ (By and By) was given to it in
derision.

We saw in the woods near here some magnificent rhododendrons, ten or
twelve feet tall, covered with clusters of rose-colored flowers.

One of the boatmen has a pet seal that we sometimes take out in the boat
with us. We put him occasionally into the water, feeling that he must be
longing to go; but he always stays near the boat, and comes back if we
whistle to him, and seems quite companionable. Who would have believed
that one of these cold sea creatures could ever have been enticed into
such intimacy? Our only idea of them, before this experience, had been
of a little dark head here and there in the distance, in the midst of
great wastes of water, where, as Lowell says, they--

"Solemnly lift their faces gray,
Making it yet more lonely."

One of the captains we sailed with told us that he had at one time a
gray eagle he had tamed when young, that often took coasting-voyages
with him, leaving the vessel occasionally, and returning to it, even
when it had sailed many miles; never, by mistake, alighting on another
craft instead of his. Sometimes, when out on a voyage to San Francisco,
it would leave the vessel, and return to his house on Port Discovery
Bay.

OCTOBER 15, 1874.

As we were passing along near the shore to-day, in our boat, we saw an
Indian woman sitting alone on the beach, moaning, and dipping her hands
continually in the water. Her canoe was drawn up beside her. We stopped,
and asked her if any one was dead. She pointed to a square box[2] in the
canoe, and said, "_mika tenas