JULY, 1793.
At one in the afternoon we embarked, with our small baggage, in two
canoes, accompanied by seven of the natives, The stream was rapid, and
ran upwards of six miles an hour. We came to a weir, such as I have
already described, where the natives landed us, and shot over it without
taking a drop of water. They then received us on board again, and we
continued our voyage, passing many canoes on the river, some with people
in them, and others empty. We proceeded at a very great rate for about
two hours and a half, when we were informed that we must land, as the
village was only at a short distance. I had imagined that the Canadians
who accompanied me were the most expert canoe-men in the world, but they
are very inferior to these people, as they themselves acknowledged, in
conducting those vessels.
Some of the Indians ran before us, to announce our approach, when we
took our bundles and followed. We had walked along a well-beaten path,
through a kind of coppice, when we were informed of the arrival of our
couriers at the houses, by the loud and confused talking of the
inhabitants. As we approached the edge of the wood, and were almost in
sight of the houses, the Indians who were before me made signs for me to
take the lead, and that they would follow. The noise and confusion of
the natives now seemed to encrease, and when we came in sight of the
village, we saw them running from house to house, some armed with bows
and arrows, others with spears, and many with axes, as if in a state of
great alarm, This very unpleasant and unexpected circumstance, I
attributed to our sudden arrival, and the very short notice of it which
had been given them. At all events, I had but one line of conduct to
pursue, which was to walk resolutely up to them, without manifesting any
signs of apprehension at their hostile appearance. This resolution
produced the desired effect, for as we approached the houses, the
greater part of the people laid down their weapons, and came forward to
meet us. I was, however, soon obliged to stop from the number of them
that surrounded me. I shook hands, as usual with such as were nearest
to me, when an elderly man broke through the crowd, and took me in his
arms; another then came, who turned him away without the least ceremony,
and paid me the same compliment. The latter was followed by a young
man, whom I understood to be his son. These embraces, which at first
rather surprised me, I soon found to be marks of regard and friendship.
The crowd pressed with so much violence and contention to get a view of
us, that we could not move in any direction. An opening was at length
made to allow a person to approach me, whom the old man made me
understand was another of his sons. I instantly stepped forward to meet
him, and presented my hand, whereupon he broke the string of a very
handsome robe of sea otter skin, which he had on, and covered me with
it. This was as flattering a reception as I could possibly receive,
especially as I considered him to be the eldest son of the chief.
Indeed, it appeared to me that we had been detained here for the purpose
of giving him time to bring the robe with which he had presented me.
The chief now made signs for us to follow him, and he conducted us
through a narrow coppice, for several hundred yards, till we came to a
house built on the ground, which was of larger dimensions, and formed of
better materials than any I had hitherto seen; it was his residence. We
were no sooner arrived there, than he directed mats to be spread before
it, on which we were told to take our seats, when the men of the
village, who came to indulge their curiosity, were ordered to keep
behind us. In our front other mats were placed, where the chief and his
counsellors took their seats. In the intervening space, mats, which
were very clean, and of a much neater workmanship than those on which we
sat, were also spread, and a small roasted salmon placed before each of
us. When we had satisfied ourselves with the fish, one of the people
who came with us from the last village approached, with a kind of ladle
in one hand, containing oil, and in the other something that resembled
the inner rind of the cocoa-nut, but of a lighter colour, this he dipped
in the oil, and, having eat it, indicated by his gestures how palatable
he thought it. He then presented me with a small piece of it, which I
chose to taste in its dry state, though the oil was free from any
unpleasant smell. A square cake of this was next produced, when a man
took it to the water near the house, and having thoroughly soaked it, he
returned, and, after he had pulled it to pieces like oakum, put it into
a well-made trough, about three feet long, nine inches wide, and five
deep; he then plentifully sprinkled it with salmon oil, and manifested
by his own example that we were to eat of it. I just tasted it, and
found the oil perfectly sweet, without which the other ingredient would
have been very insipid. The chief partook of it with great avidity,
after it had received an additional quantity of oil. This dish is
considered by these people as a great delicacy, and on examination, I
discovered it to consist of the inner rind of the hemlock tree, taken
off early in summer, and put into a frame, which shapes it into cakes of
fifteen inches long, ten broad, and half an inch thick; and in this form
I should suppose it may be preserved for a great length of time. This
discovery satisfied me respecting the many hemlock trees which I had
observed stripped of their bark.
In this situation we remained for upwards of three hours, and not one of
the curious natives left us during all that time, except a party of ten
or twelve of them, whom the chief ordered to go and catch fish, which
they did in great abundance, with dipping nets, at the foot of the Weir.
At length we were relieved from the gazing crowd, and got a lodge
erected, and covered in for our reception during the night. I now
presented the young chief with a blanket, in return for the robe with
which he had favoured me, and several other articles, that appeared to
be very gratifying to him. I also presented some to his father, and
amongst them was a pair of scissors, whose use I explained to him, for
clipping his beard, which was of great length; and to that purpose he
immediately applied them. My distribution of similar articles was also
extended to others, who had been attentive to us. The communication,
however, between us was awkward and inconvenient, for it was carried on
entirely by signs, as there was not a person with me who was qualified
for the office of an interpreter.
We were all of us very desirous to get some fresh salmon, that we might
dress them in our own way, but could not by any means obtain that
gratification, though there were thousands of that fish strung on cords,
which were fastened to stakes in the river. They were even averse to
our approaching the spot where they clean and prepare them for their own
eating. They had, indeed, taken our kettle from us, lest we should
employ it in getting water from the river; and they assigned as the
reason for this precaution, that the salmon dislike the smell of iron.
At the same time, they supplied us with wooden boxes, which were capable
of holding any fluid. Two of the men who went to fish, in a canoe
capable of containing ten people, returned with a full lading of salmon,
that weighed from six to forty pounds, though the far greater part of
them were under twenty. They immediately strung the whole of them, as I
have already mentioned, in the river.
I now made the tour of the village, which consisted of four elevated
houses, and seven built on the ground, besides a considerable number of
other buildings or sheds, which are used only as kitchens, and places
for curing their fish. The former are constructed by fixing a certain
number of posts in the earth, on some of which are laid, and to others
are fastened, the supporters of the floor, at about twelve feet above
the surface of the ground; their length is from a hundred to a hundred
and twenty feet, and they are about forty in breadth. Along the centre
are built three, four, or five hearths, for the two-fold purpose of
giving warmth, and dressing their fish. The whole length of the
building on either side is divided by cedar planks, into partitions or
apartments of seven feet square, in the front of which there are boards,
about three feet wide, over which, though they are not immovably fixed,
the inmates of these recesses generally pass, when they go to rest. The
greater part of them are intended for that purpose, and such are covered
with boards, at the height of the wall of the house, which is about
seven or eight feet, and rest upon beams that stretch across the
building. On those also are placed the chests which contain their
provisions, utensils, and whatever they possess. The intermediate space
is sufficient for domestic purposes. On poles that run along the beams,
hang roasted fish, and the whole building is well covered with boards
and bark, except within a few inches of the ridge pole; where open
spaces are left on each side to let in light and emit the smoke. At the
end of the house that fronts the river, is a narrow scaffolding, which
is also ascended by a piece of timber, with steps cut in it; and at each
corner of this erection there are openings for the inhabitants to ease
nature. As it does not appear to be a custom among them to remove these
heaps of excremental filth, it may be supposed that the effluvia does
not annoy them.
The houses which rest on the ground are built of the same materials, and
on the same plan. A sloping stage that rises to a cross piece of
timber, supported by two forks, joins also to the main building, for
those purposes which need not be repeated.
When we were surrounded by the natives on our arrival, I counted
sixty-five men, and several of them may be supposed to have been absent;
I cannot, therefore, calculate the inhabitants of this village at less
than two hundred souls.
The people who accompanied us hither, from the other village, had given
the chief a very particular account of everything they knew concerning
us: I was, therefore, requested to produce my astronomical instruments,
nor could I have any objection to afford them this satisfaction, as they
would necessarily add to our importance in their opinion.
Near the house of the chief I observed several oblong squares, of about
twenty feet by eight. They were made of thick cedar boards, which were
joined with so much neatness, that I at first thought they were one
piece. They were painted with hieroglyphics, and figures of different
animals, and with a degree of correctness that was not to be expected
from such an uncultivated people. I could not learn the use of them,
but they appeared to be calculated for occasional acts of devotion or
sacrifice, which all these tribes perform at least twice in the year, at
the spring and fall. I was confirmed in this opinion by a large
building in the middle of the village, which I at first took for the
half finished frame of a house. The groundplot of it was fifty feet by
forty-five; each end is formed by four stout posts, fixed
perpendicularly in the ground. The corner ones are plain, and support a
beam of the whole length, having three intermediate props on each side,
but of a larger size, and eight or nine feet in height. The two centre
posts, at each end, are two feet and a half in diameter, and carved into
human figures, supporting two ridge poles on their heads, at twelve feet
from the ground. The figures at the upper part of this square represent
two persons, with their hands upon their knees, as if they supported the
weight with pain and difficulty; the others opposite to them stand at
their ease, with their hands resting on their hips. In the area of the
building there were the remains of several fires. The posts, poles, and
figures, were painted red and black; but the sculpture of these people
is superior to their painting.
_Friday, 19_--Soon after I retired to rest last night, the chief paid
me a visit to insist on my going to his bed-companion, and taking my
place himself; but, notwithstanding his repeated entreaties, I resisted
this offering of his hospitality.
At an early hour this morning, I was again visited by the chief, in
company with his son. The former complained of a pain in his breast; to
relieve his suffering, I gave him a few drops of Turlington's Balsam on
a piece of sugar; and I was rather surprised to see him take it without
the least hesitation. When he had taken my medicine, he requested me to
follow him, and conducted me to a shed, where several people were
assembled round a sick man, who was another of his sons. They
immediately uncovered him, and showed me a violent ulcer in the small of
his back, in the foulest state that can be imagined. One of his knees
was also afflicted in the same manner. This unhappy man was reduced to
a skeleton, and, from his appearance, was drawing near to an end of his
pains. They requested that I would touch him, and his father was very
urgent with me to administer medicine; but he was in such a dangerous
state, that I thought it prudent to yield no further to the
importunities than to give the sick man a few drops of Turlington's
Balsam in some water. I therefore left them, but was soon called back
by the loud lamentations of the women, and was rather apprehensive that
some inconvenience might result from my compliance with the chief's
request. On my return I found the native physicians busy in practising
their skill and art on the patient. They blew on him, and then
whistled; at times they pressed their extended fingers, with all their
strength, on his stomach; they also put their forefingers doubled into
his mouth, and spouted water from their own with great violence into his
face. To support these operations, the wretched sufferer was held up in
a sitting posture; and when they were concluded, he was laid down and
covered with a new robe made of the skins of the lynx. I had observed
that his belly and breast were covered with scars, and I understood that
they were caused by a custom prevalent among them, of applying pieces of
lighted touch-wood to their flesh, in order to relieve pain or
demonstrate their courage. He was now placed on a broad plank, and
carried by six men into the woods, where I was invited to accompany
them. I could not conjecture what would be the end of this ceremony,
particularly as I saw one man carry fire, another an axe, and a third
dry wood. I was indeed, disposed to suspect that, as it was their
custom to burn the dead, they intended to relieve the poor man from his
pain, and perform the last sad duty of surviving affection. When they
advanced a short distance into the woods, they laid him upon a clear
spot, and kindled a fire against his back, when the physician began to
scarify the ulcer with a very blunt instrument, the cruel pain of which
operation the patient bore with incredible resolution. The scene
afflicted me, and I left it.
On my return to our lodge, I observed before the door of the chief's
residence, four heaps of salmon, each of which consisted of between
three and four hundred fish. Sixteen women were employed in cleaning
and preparing them. They first separate the head from the body, the
former of which they boil; they then cut the latter down the back on
each side of the bone, leaving one third of the fish adhering to it, and
afterwards take out the guts. The bone is roasted for immediate use,
and the other parts are dressed in the same manner, but with more
attention, for future provision. While they are before the fire,
troughs are placed under them to receive the oil. The roes are also
carefully preserved, and form a favourite article of their food.
After I had observed these culinary preparations, I paid a visit to the
chief, who presented me with a roasted salmon; he then opened one of his
chests, and took out of it a garment of blue cloth, decorated with brass
buttons; and another of flowered cotton, which I supposed were Spanish;
it had been trimmed with leather fringe, after the fashion of their own
cloaks. Copper and brass are in great estimation among them, and of the
former they have great plenty: they point their arrows and spears with
it, and work it up into personal ornaments; such as collars, ear-rings,
and bracelets, which they wear on their wrists, arms, and legs. I
presume they find it the most advantageous articles of trade with the
more inland tribes. They also abound in iron. I saw some of their
twisted collars of that metal which weighed upwards of twelve pounds.
It is generally beat in bars of fourteen inches in length, and one inch
three quarters wide. The brass is in thin squares: their copper is in
larger pieces, and some of it appeared to be old stills cut up. They
have various trinkets; but their manufactured iron consists only of
poignards and daggers. Some of the former have very neat handles, with
a silver coin of a quarter or eighth of a dollar fixed on the end of
them.--The blades of the latter are from ten to twelve inches in
length, and about four inches broad at the top, from which they
gradually lessen to a point.
When I produced my instruments to take an altitude, I was desired not to
make use of them. I could not then discover the cause of this request,
but I experienced the good effect of the apprehension, which they
occasioned, as it was very effectual in hastening my departure. I had
applied several times to the chief to prepare canoes and people to take
me and my party to the sea, but very little attention had been paid to
my application till noon; when I was informed that a canoe was properly
equipped for my voyage, and that the young chief would accompany me. I
now discovered that they had entertained no personal fear of the
instruments, but were apprehensive that the operation of them might
frighten the salmon from that part of the river. The observation taken
in this village gave me 52. 25. 52. North latitude.
In compliance with the chief's request I desired my people to take their
bundles, and lay them down on the bank of the river. In the mean time I
went to take the dimensions of his large canoe, in which, it was
signified to me, that about ten winters ago he went a considerable
distance toward the mid-day sun, with forty of his people, when he saw
two large vessels full of such men as myself, by whom he was kindly
received: they were, he said, the first white people he had seen. They
were probably the ships commanded by Captain Cook. This canoe was built
of cedar, was forty-five feet long, four feet wide, and three feet and a
half in depth. It was painted black and decorated with white figures of
fish of different kinds. The gunwale, fore and aft, was inlaid with
the teeth of the sea-otter.[1]
When I returned to the river, the natives who were to accompany us and
my people, were already in the canoe. The latter, however, informed me,
that one of our axes was missing. I immediately applied to the chief,
and requested its restoration; but he would not understand me till I sat
myself down on a stone, with my arms in a state of preparation, and made
it appear to him that I should not depart till the stolen article was
restored. The village was immediately in a state of uproar, and some
danger was apprehended from the confusion that prevailed in it. The
axe, however, which had been hidden under the chief's canoe, was soon
returned. Though this instrument was not, in itself, of sufficient
value to justify a dispute with these people, I apprehended that the
suffering them to keep it, after we had declared its loss, might have
occasioned the loss of every thing we carried with us, and of our lives
also. My people were dissatisfied with me at the moment; but I thought
myself right then, and, I think now, that the circumstances in which we
were involved, justified the measure which I adopted.
[1] As Captain Cook has mentioned, that the people of the sea-coast
adorned their canoes with human teeth, I was more particular in my
inquiries; the result of which was, the most satisfactory proof that he
was mistaken; but his mistake arose from the very great resemblance
there is between human teeth and those of the sea-otter.