The food of these tribes came largely from the sea. Fish were speared,
trapped, and caught with hook and line. For halibut, queer, large, wooden
hooks were used. When the fish had been drawn to the surface, they were
killed with wooden clubs. Both hooks and clubs were curiously carved.
Flesh of larger fishes, like halibut and salmon, was dried in the sun or
over fire, and packed away. Clams were dried and strung on sticks. Seaweed
was dried and pressed into great, square flat cakes; so were berries and
scraped cedar bark. The people were fond of oil, and got it from many
different fish. The most prized was that of the oolachen or candle-fish.
This fish is so greasy that when put into a frying-pan, there is soon
nothing left but some bones and scales floating about in the grease! To
get this oil, the little fish were thrown into a canoe full of water. This
was heated with stones made very hot in a fire, and then dropped into it.
The heat drove out the oil, which floated on the top and was skimmed off
and put into natural bottles—tubes of hollow seaweed stalk. At all meals a
dish of oil stood in the midst of the party, and bits of dried fish,
seaweed cake, or dried bark were dipped into it before being eaten.