Page:The Columbia river , or, Scenes and adventures during a residence of six years on the western side of the Rocky Mountains among various tribes of Indians hitherto unknown (Volume 1).djvu/64

 assembled an immense concourse of natives of all classes, mingled together without any regard to rank, age, or sex. The two favourite queens were richly dressed: one wore a light-blue satin gown, trimmed with broad gold lace; the other had on a cream-coloured riding-habit of cassimere, ornamented with silver lace, and a profusion of sugar-loaf buttons, &c. These dresses were made for them in England, fitted them admirably, and set off their persons to great advantage. They walked through the crowd along with several chiefs' wives, and seemed in a high degree to enjoy the bustling scene before them. Betting was very spirited on the issue of the race. Money of course was out of the question; but among the lower classes its place was supplied by axes, beads, knives, scissors, handkerchiefs, and various kinds of trinkets; and among the erees of the first and second grades we could distinguish scarlet and blue cloths, silks, Chinese shawls, calicoes, ribbons, &c. Several quarrels occurred among the men, which were settled à l'Anglaise by the fist. One of the natives had a dispute about a bet with an English sailor who had been left here a short time before by his captain for mutiny. The Indian felt he was right, and refused to yield to the chicanery of