I started last night and finished the first three chapters while my daughter was in dance class tonight. Like many bowhunters, I'm intrigued by all things Ishi and especially his influence on Pope & Young, so these chapters are the best part of the book to me. They are first hand observations of Ishi as an Indian, a philosopher, and a bowhunter.
I think it's neat that before deer hunting he would wake early, take a bath in the river and rub himself with aromatic leaves to mask his scent.
This passage also stuck with me all day today...
Quote:
"By degrees I learned to speak his dialect and spent many hours in his company. He told us the folk lore of his tribe. Some forty myths or animal stories of his (Ishi's) have been recorded and preserved."
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Man...wish I knew where to find a copy of those tales.
ishimask.JPG