found our small party of fifteen surrounded by about eighty of our
implacable enemies, the Crows.

By stratagem, we not only broke through them, but succeeded in
surprising seven of their party. My companions would have put them to
death, but I would not permit it. We secured them on their own horses,
and made all the haste we could, but the Crows had discovered us and
gave chase.

It was fifteen days' travelling to our own country, and we were pursued
by an enemy seven or eight times superior to us In numbers. By various
stratagems, which I shall not dwell upon, aided by the good condition of
our horses, we contrived to escape them, and to bring our prisoners safe
into the settlement. Now, although we had no fighting, yet address is
considered a great qualification. On my return I was therefore admitted
as a chief, with the Indian name Owato Wanisha, or "spirit of the
beaver," as appropriate to my cunning and address. To obtain the rank
of a warrior chief, it was absolutely requisite that I had distinguished
myself on the field of battle.

Before I continue my narration, I must say a little more relative to the
missionaries, who were my instructors. One of them, the youngest,
Polidori, was lost in the Esmeralda, when she sailed for Monterey to
procure cattle. The two others were Padre Marini and Padre Antonio. They
were both highly accomplished and learned. Their knowledge in Asiatic
lore was unbounded, and it was my delight to follow them in their
researches and various theories concerning the early Indian emigration
across the waters of the Pacific.

They were both Italians by birth. They had passed many years of their