first give a _potlach_ to his tribe, at which he dispenses
among them all his possessions.

This afternoon, as I sat at my window, my attention was attracted by a
little noise. I looked up; and there was a beautiful young Indian girl,
holding up a basket of fruit, of the same color as her lips and cheeks.
It was a delicious wild berry that grows here, known as the red
huckleberry. Mrs. S. knew her, and told me that she was the daughter of
the old chief, lately betrothed to a Cape Flattery Indian.

SEPTEMBER 20, 1865.

Everywhere about Puget Sound and the adjoining waters are little arms of
the sea running up into the land, like the fiords of Northern Europe.
Many of them have large sawmills at the head. We have been travelling
about, stopping here and there at the little settlements around the
mills. We were everywhere most hospitably received. All strangers are
welcomed as guests. Every thing seems so comfortable, and on such a
liberal scale, that we never think of the people as poor, although the
richest here have only bare wooden walls, and a few articles of
furniture, often home-made. It seems, rather, as if we had moved two or
three generations back, when no one had any thing better; or, as if we
might perhaps be living in feudal times, these great mill-owners have
such authority in the settlements. Some of them possess very large
tracts of land, have hundreds of men in their employ, own steamboats and
hotels, and have large stores of general merchandise, in connection with
their mill-business. They sometimes provide amusements for the men,
little dramatic entertainments, etc.,--to keep them from resorting to
drink; and encourage them to send for their families, and to make
gardens around their houses.

The house where we stopped at Port Madison was very attractive. The
maple-trees had been cut down to build it; but life is so vigorous here,
that they grew up under the porch, and then, as they became taller, came
outside, and curved up around it, so that it was a perfect nest. The
maple here is not just like the Eastern tree, but has a larger, darker
leaf. Inside, the rooms were large and low, with great fireplaces filled
with flaming logs, that illuminated them brilliantly.

We began our expedition round the Sound in a plunger,--the most
atrocious little craft ever constructed. Its character is well expressed
by its name. These boats are dangerous enough in steady hands; but, as
they are exceedingly likel