lips, feeling, however, somewhat doubtful as to the way in which she
might receive such an advance. To my great delight she accepted it in
a friendly spirit, and seemed to consider it my foreign fashion of
showing friendship and respect. She smiled and nodded, and pointed to
my gun, which thus far I had carried in my hand. I smiled and laid
it down. Then she pointed to a seat. I sat down, and then she seated
herself close by me, and we looked at each other in mutual wonder and
mutual inquiry.

I was full of amazement at thus meeting with so exquisite a being,
and lost myself in conjectures as to her race, her office, and her
position here. Who was she, or what? She was unlike the others, and
reminded me of those Oriental beauties whose portraits I had seen in
annuals and illustrated books. Her costume was in keeping with such
a character. She wore a long tunic that reached from the neck to the
ground, secured at the waist with a golden girdle; the sleeves were
long and loose; over this she had a long mantle; on her feet were
light slippers, white and glistening. All about her, in her room and
in her costume, spoke of light and splendor and luxury. To these
others who shrank so from the light she could not be related in any
way. The respect with which she was treated by the chief, the peculiar
splendor of her apartments, seemed to indicate some high rank. Was
she, then, the queen of the land? Was she a princess? I could not
tell. At any rate, whatever she was, she seemed anxious to show me
the utmost attention. Her manner was full of dignity and sweet
graciousness, and she appeared particularly anxious to make herself
understood. At first she spoke in a language that sounded like that of
the chief, and was full of gutturals and broad vowels; afterward she
spoke in another that was far more euphonious. I, on the other hand
spoke in English and in French; but of course I was as unintelligible
to her as she was to me.

Language was, therefore, of no use. It was necessary to go back to
first principles and make use of signs, or try to gain the most
elementary words of her language; so first of all I pointed to her,
and tried to indicate that I wanted to know her name. She caught my
meaning at once, and, pointing to herself, she looked fixedly at me
and said, "Almah, Almah!"

I repeated these words after her, saying, "Almah, Almah!" She smiled
and nodded, and then pointed to me with a look of inquiry that plainly
asked