THE HIGH PRIESTS.
The Talth are born under the highest marriages, and there has been
at no time but very few of them, on account of the scarcity of cheek
(money) to make the marriage. There had to be twelve pieces to make
one string, (caw-ton-a) they count them only as ten pieces, and it
makes twelve strings, so that when it is counted there will be one
hundred and forty-four pieces. The woman that a Talth may marry does
not have to be of a Talth family, but can be born of the middle or
wealthy class. Her people can match back, or nearly so, in valuable
articles for the twelve strings of cheek, that he gives. Under such a
marriage as this there may be several children. Now if the mother and
father are full blooded Klamath Indians, then their children are of
the right birth, yet there may be one, and perhaps two of them, which
is not often the case, that might be of the right disposition, close
of tongue and bright of mind, so as to weigh all matters of whatsoever
kind intelligently, giving a broad minded and liberal decision in any
case. This applies the same, both to man and woman, and if all is
satisfactory, either he or she, under the birth can be admitted to the
Talth lodge, and sometimes they are taken through only one part and
cannot go further, and sometimes they are taken through two parts and
are not taken any further, and but few are taken through the whole and
become a Talth. And no less a number than three can act in the lodge,
and make a fourth to be a Talth. Now all these other children are of
the high birth, and are put to act in many important places to fill at
the festivals and in other ways. Many of them never make an application
to become a Talth, and many of them are rejected, and not allowed to
even make a start if their conduct is not proper. There never has been
one born that is half white, or any part of any other tribe, that was
ever admitted to the lodge. They must be full blooded Klamath, of the
upper or lower division of the tribe, and down the coast from Ah-man
to Trinidad. The upper rivers from the junction of the Trinity speak
a different language, and intermarry very freely, and have the Talth
lodge in which they work together. Up the river they have entirely
lost it all now, and have not one lodge left. At the mouth of the
Klamath the old lodge has tumbled down, but not one of the Talth is
left. At Pec-wan, twenty-five miles from the mouth of the river is the
Talth house, where all of their working tools are kept, and it is yet
in a good state of preservation, the lodge is left but it is old the
dilapidated.
We have in our breast the feeling of love for the present white race,
which love was instilled in us by the cherished remembrance of our
Wa-gas. We loved this race and this is the reason our women are so
willing to marry the white man, and so easy to be deceived by them.