, 1889-03-14
The First White Man.

1"aS d very lOuS LiLne ago. sale
'Cleashun," the Chief, as he folded
his blanket and sat down by my side
-"detah laly," and with retrospec,
tion squint he looked far out ovel
the sunlit waters of the Pacific, thai
swelled in long modulstions like the
breathings Of sleeping giant.
Below Us on a grassy bench, near
the beach, and in front of the INDIAN
village, the women were busy max.
ing mats, drying fish, etc, and the
naked children were rioting in their
wild, unrestrained play, while here
and there the young men were fixing
their seal spears, cleaning guns or
tinkering with their canoes, the old
er men sitting apart in reverie,
doubtless, thinking of the past.
A very long time ago, said the
chief sententiously-then there was
a peuse-I made no remark, for you
can't hurry an Indian. We five
white men were as good as prisoners
in these Indians hands, though they
treated US we'll enough, but they had
longings for our goods which were
part of lot We had been trading to
the natives on the west coast of Van
couver Island.
They kept us there at Barclay
Sound IA days.-Cleashun resumed
1t was a bright summer day like
this, the women were chattering and
making mats, the children were
playing, the men were lounging
about, when. suddenly, a dark Oh.
ject appeared. far out at sea, and ap'
preaching our bay grew rapidly larg-
er. CONSERVATION prevailed, the
quiet village was all commotion, the
women and children were hurried to
the woods, the men ran for their bows
and spears, and IN breathless silence
they watched the large object.
Slowly the big ship famed into
the bay, and letting go an anchor,
swung around with the tide. and soon
the men were aloft furling the sails.
We thought it was the Great Spir-
it. said the chief, in shape of a huge
bird, and taking in sail was folding
its wings. We were awfully fright-
ened (hyas guass) but our very old
man was equal to the occasion, and
he and other old men went at once
to the council house. The aged pa
triot made speeeh-he spoke of his
great age-he had not long to live
anyway, and was willing to sacrifice
himself for his country. But the
sacrifice must be a rich one, so the
best canoe was loaded with sea otter
skins and some stout young slaves,
and bidding his tillicumes a fearful
adieu, the paddles dipped in the
smooth water and soon the canoe,
with its rich sacrifice, was making
slow, wide circles about the ship.
Finding they were not destroyed or
enchanted, they slowly approached
| the ships side-a bucket OF molasses
was lowered, the man licking his nm
gers to show them it was good, and
Imotioning to send us the otter skins.
Then down came a bucket of hard
bread, the sailor eating a piece, and
more otter skins were hauled on
board. and they were motioned to
depart. The old hero and his slaves
padded ashore. and reverently sat
the molssses and biscuit in the yard
IN front of the council house, to
which the wise men now repaired to
decide on what to do with this "great
medicine"
While the different arguments
were adduced, it seems the children
had gradually come from their hid
ling places. and playing around the
two buckets found their contents was
quite pleasant, so that when finally
the wise men had come to an agree
ment as to its disposition, and adj
Ejourned, they were Mortified to find
both buckets empty-not vestige to
be seen, excepting on the dirty lit
tie faces abont- Amazed, they sat
down and awaited developments,
expecting every minute the young
sters would be turned into crows or
toads, or other objects, but as they
were not, and said it was good, trade
at once began, and soon the Indians
had hatehets, blankets, ETC., ETC.. and
this was their first knowledge of
white men and, as the narrator add
ed. it was bad day for the Indians.