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Show 68 TEAVELS AND ADVENTUEES IN THE FAE WEST. The bracelets of the princess were of brass; silver ones are considered invaluable, and but few possess them. After I had made the likeness of the princess, I made signs to her to let me have one of her brass bracelets. She very reluctantly gave me one. I wiped it very clean, and touched it with " quicksilver." It instantly became bright and glittering as polished silver. I then presented her with it. Her delight and astonishment knew no bounds. She slipped it over her arm, and danced about in ecstacy. As for me, she thought I was a great " Magician." My extraordinary powers of converting " brass into silver" soon became known in the village, and in an hour's time I was surrounded with squaws entreating' me to make "presto, pass !" with their " armlets and brass finger-rings." Some offered me moccasins, others venison, as payment ; but I had to refuse nearly all of them, as I had only a small quantity of quicksilver for my daguerreotype operations. My " lucifer matches," also, excited their astonishment ; they had never seen them before; and my fire water, " alcohol," which I used, also, to heat my mercury- capped the climax. They wanted me to live with them, and I believe if I had remained, they would have worshipped me as possessing most extraordinary powers of necromancy. I returned to camp with a series of pictures, and about a dozen pairs of moccasins, some elaborately worked with beads ; all of which I stowed away in my boxes, and had the great gratification of supplying my companions with a pair, when they were most required, and when they least expected them. |