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/67

 side; chiefly six and nine pounders. A body guard of handsome athletic young men are stationed close to the house; two of whom are placed as sentinels at the door, and are relieved with as much regularity as at any garrison in England. In the day-time their muskets generally remain piled before the door, but are taken in at night. These gardes-du-corps have no particular dress to distinguish them from civilians; and after the amusements just mentioned had ended, the king ordered them to go through the manual and platoon exercises; which, considering the limited means they have had for learning, they performed with tolerable precision.

Shortly after quitting this noisy and bustling scene of mirth and festivity we were attracted by the sounds of mourning voices to a large house in a retired corner of the village; in front of which sat eight women, in a circle, all in a state of intoxication. At times their voices died away to a low mournful tone; when, suddenly changing, they vented the wildest and most frantic cries, tearing their hair, beating their breasts, and gnawing the ends of their fingers: in the intervals they moistened their parched throats from a bottle which was passed round