Adventures and Sufferings of John R. Jewitt, Captive Among the Nootka, 1803-1805 9780773595408

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CARLETON U N «

The Adventures and Sufferings of John R. Jew itt, / Captive Among the Nootka

1803-1805 (F rom the Edinburgh 1824 edition)

Edited and with an Introduction by D erek G . Smith

The C a rleto n L ib ra r y No. 76 M c C le lla n d a n d S te w a r t L im ite d

l o b g D & z / c t , -3* T H E C A R L E T O N LIB RA RY A series o f C anadian reprints and new collections o f source m aterial relating to C anada, issued under the editorial supervision o f the Institute o f C anadian Studies o f C arleton University, O ttaw a. D IR EC TO R OF TH E INSTITUTE

D avidson D unton

£

GE N E R A L EDITOR

M ichael G narow ski EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Jam es H . M arsh ED ITO R IA L BOARD

B. C arm an Bickerton f H isto ry) D ennis Forcese (S o cio lo g y) J . G eorge Neuspiel (Law ) T hom as K . Rym es (E conom icsI D erek G . Sm ith f A nthropology) M ichael S. W hittington ( P olitical Science)

© M cC lelland a n d S tew a rt L im ited, 1974. ALL R IGHTS RESERVED

0-7710-9776-x The Canadian Publishers M cClelland and Stew art Limited 25 H ollinger R oad, T o ro n to Printed and bound in C anada

Contents

E d ito r’s P reface In tro d u c tio n

v

1

1. B irth , P a ren tag e a n d E arly L ife o f T h e A u th o r 2. V oyage to N o o tk a S ound

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21

3r. In terco u rse W ith th e N a tiv e s - M a q u in a - S eizure o f th e Vessel a n d M u rd e r o f th e C re w 24 4.

R ecep tio n o f Je w itt by th e Savages - E scape o f T h o m p so n A rriv al o f N e ig h b o u rin g T rib e s - an In d ian F e a st 32

5. B urning o f th e Vessel - C o m m e n c em en t o f Je w itt’s Jo u rn a l 4 0 6. D escrip tio n o f N o o tk a S o u n d - M a n n e r o f B uilding H ouses F u rn itu re - D resses 48 7. A p p e a ra n c e o f th e N ativ es - O rn a m e n ts - O tte r-H u n tin g F ish in g - C a n o es 56 8.

M usic - M usical In stru m en ts - Slaves - N e ig h b o u rin g T rib e s T ra d e w ith T h ese - A rm y 64

9. S itu atio n o f th e A u th o r - R e m o v a l to T ash ees - Fishing P arties 72 10. C o n v e rsa tio n s w ith M a q u in a - F ru its - R eligious C e rem o n ies - V isit to U p q u e sta 79 11. R e tu rn to N o o tk a (F rie n d ly C ove) - D e a th o f M a q u in a ’s N e p h ew - In sa n ity o f T o o to o sc h - an Indian M o u n te b an k 88 12. W a r w ith th e A -Y -C h a rts - a N ig h t A ttac k - P roposals to P u rch ase th e A u th o r 96 13. M a rriag e o f th e A u th o r - H is Illness - D ism isses H is W ife R eligion o f th e N ativ es - C lim a te 104

A rrival o f th e Brig “ L y d ia” - stra ta g em o f th e A u th o r Success 1 17 O riginal A p p en d ix

131

E d ito r’s A p p en d ix A

137

E d ito r’s A p p en d ix B

139

E d ito r’s A p p en d ix C

143

Suggestions for F u rth e r R ead in g

145

Editor’s Preface Je w itt’s w ork has long been o n e o f m y favourites a m o n g st the m any delightful bits o f C a n a d ia n a now b ecom ing m o re a n d m ore availab le to th e interested public. H is n a rra tiv e is not all to o easily acq u ired . It seem ed to m e th a t this fascinating w ork should be m ad e m o re available, not sim ply as a re p rin t o f th e text, b u t in an e d itio n w ith an in tro d u c tio n to assist th e re ad e r in placing the w o rk in its context; w ith text a n n o ta tio n s , especially on e th n o ­ g ra p h ic p o in ts less likely to b e g enerally know n o r a p p rec ia ted ; an d w ith a b ib lio g rap h ic list o f m ate ria ls useful in u n d e rstan d in g th e significance o f Je w itt’s sto ry . A list o f o th e r n arratives o f th e type is also p ro v id ed in th e ho p e th a t fu rth e r literary, historical, a n d e th n o g ra p h ic stu d ies o f them m ay be stim u la te d . T h e text given h e re is th a t o f th e 1824 E d in b u rg h e d itio n . Jew itt’s spellings have been preserved th ro u g h o u t, a n d edito rial changes have been m ad e only w here th e re w ere ty p o g rap h ical e rro rs in the basic text. Special th an k s m ust be given to S tu a rt Ja c k so n -H u g h e s, g ra d u ­ a te stu d e n t in th e D e p a rtm e n t o f Sociology a n d A n th ro p o lo g y at C a rle to n U niversity, w ho has assisted in th e b ack g ro u n d research a n d p ro o f re ad in g o f th e finished text.

Introduction “ C ap tiv ity n a rra tiv e s” - a u th e n tic , fictionalized, o r purely fictional acc o u n ts o f th e experiences o f settlers o r travellers c a p tu re d by I n d ia n s - e n jo y e d a c onsiderable p o p u la rity in th e eig h teen th and n in ete en th cen tu ries especially in N o rth A m e ric a. C a n a d a has had a fair sh a re o f th ese n arrativ es. A m o n g th e a u th e n tic C a n a d ia n n a rra tiv e s are so m e re m a rk ab le w o rk s. P ie rre-E sp rit R a d is so n 1 recounts his c a p tu re a b o u t 1652 by th e Iro q u o is o f th e T ro is R ivieres vicinity. T his w ork seem s to have set m any featu res o f th e captivity n arrativ e g e n re . It is follow ed by J o h n G y le s’ a cc o u n t o f his cap tiv e life w ith th e N ew B runsw ick M alecites; by J o h n T a n n e r’s n a rra tio n o f his c a p tu re in K e n tu ck y in 1789 by th e S aulteaux, w ith w hom h e sp e n t sixteen w andering years, c u lm in atin g in his em p lo y m en t by L o rd Selkirk as a g uide a t the R e d R iv er S ettlem ent; by Je w itt’s jo u rn a l a n d n a rra tiv e o f his captivity a m o n g th e N o o tk a o f V ancouver Island betw een 1803 a n d 1805; a n d by tw o acco u n ts o f c ap tu res du rin g th e N o rth W est R ebellion o f 1885: T h ere sa G o w a n lo c k ’s a n d T h eresa D ela­ n e y ’s captivity in Big B ear’s c am p , a n d th a t o f N eil B rodie in the c am p o f P o u n d m a k er. N o ra h S to ry 2 lists th ese a n d o th e r N o rth A m e ric an exam ples, a n d a list is also p ro v id ed in A p p e n d ix E .I o f this volum e. M a u rice H o d g so n 3 rightly recognizes th a t th e captivity n a rra ­ tive closely a p p ro ac h es th e g e n re o f th e novel a n d th a t it can in m an y cases be exam ined in term s o f p ro se fiction. A s a literary g e n re , captivity jo u rn a ls m ay b e clearly d istinguished from o th e r “ e x p lo re r lite ra tu re ” (such as th e ex p lo ra tio n jo u rn a ls o f A lex an ­ d e r M a c k e n z ie , S im o n F r a s e r , D a v id T h o m p s o n , S a m u el H e a m e ), alth o u g h th ere is a n o b v io u s affinity betw een th e tw o types. T h e ir c o m m o n th em e s a n d ch aracteristics a re th o se o f ad v en tu re; suffering; p riv atio n ; q u e st (so m etim es alm ost o b ses­ sive) for th e u n k n o w n place o r experience; a n d in itiatio n in to a radically new w ay o f life d icta te d o r necessitated e ith e r by h ith ­ e rto u n k n o w n g eographical c o n d itio n s and a lack o f th e a m e n ities o f life so ta k e n fo r g ra n te d by o th ers, o r by th e d e m a n d s o f alien 1 Radisson, Pierre-E sprit, The E xplorations o f Pierre Esprit Radisson (M inneapolis: Ross and H aines Inc., 1961). pp. 1-43. - Story, N o rah , “ Captivity narratives,” The O xfo rd C om panion to Canadian H isto ry and L iterature (T oronto: Oxford University Press, 1967), pp . 150-151. •' H odgson, M aurice, “ Initiation and Quest: Early C anadian Jo u r­ nals,” Canadian L iterature, N o. 38 (A utum n 1968), pp. 29-41.

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T H E A D V E N T U R E S A N D S U F F E R I N G S O F J O H N R. J E W I T T

peoples. T hese give a g rip p in g im m ediacy, a fascination so m e ­ tim es horrific, som etim es m o rb id , b u t a b o v e all a n a tm o sp h e re o f u tte r a u th e n tic ity in th e reco g n itio n o f life lived in raw ness and stark n ess b e yond th e confines o f th e “ c iv ilizatio n ” o f th e day. P o litic a l, sc ie n tific , a n d c o m m e rc ia l e x p lo r a ti o n s - o t h e r w i s e poten tially d ra b events in th e exercise o f th e ratio n al values o f the E n lig h ten m en t a n d th e building o f e m p ire - be co m e fertile g ro u n d for th e exercise o f th e R o m a n tic a n d G o th ic consciousnesses. In th e ex p lo rer n arrativ es, w hich H o d g so n 4 has also called “ n a rra ­ tives o f q u e st,” th e literary values becom e seco n d ary to th o se o f th e underlying com m ercial, scientific, o r political interests; in captivity jo u rn a ls, o r “ n a rra tiv e s o f in itia tio n ” in H o d g so n ’s term s, th e literary values often d o m in a te . F o r this reason captivity jo u rn a ls em erge as a g e n re w hich can be ex am in ed a n d u n d e r­ sto o d in term s o f p ro se fiction, especially th e novel, to w hich captivity n arratives have significant c o n n ectio n s. O n e sees a c er­ tain value in this observ atio n , b u t few w ould deny a n intense, indeed literary, fascination on reading even th e g o v ern m en t re p o rts, sh ip s’ w ay-bills, and ro u tin e d o c u m e n ts o f th e exp ed itio n s in search o f S ir Jo h n F ra n k lin . H ere is a tru e epic w hich suffers o r b enefits little from its literary form o r genre. N o t to b e banal a b o u t it, th e h u m a n experience sim ply tran sce n d s all th a t. W e shall see this to o in Je w itt’s n a rra tiv e o f his “ ad v en tu res and su fferin g s.” D esp ite ex aggerated claim s by som e for its literary form a n d m erits, a n d d e sp ite its fast-m oving a n d d ra m a tic action a cc o u n t (a relative rarity o n e feels, in th a t age o f prolixity), there sta n d s behind it a u n iq u e a n d d ra m a tic h u m a n experience. In any case, as w e shall see, the literary form a n d style is n o t th a t o f J e w itt b u t o f his e d ito r, R ich ard A lsop, o n e o f th e C o n n ecticu t W its.

L ite ra ry H isto ry o f th e J e w itt C a p tiv ity A ccount In a n oth erw ise interesting article by H o d g so n 5 on ex ploration and captivity jo u rn a ls, in w hich Je w itt’s n a rra tiv e receives co n sid ­ e rab le a tte n tio n , o n e is a sto u n d ed to read th ese words: In spirit Je w itt is in to u ch w ith th e prevailing R o m an tic m o v em en t, a n d his d e sc rip tio n s o f th e N ew W orld a re not un lik e th o se o f C h a te a u b ria n d w ho w as w riting at th e sam e 4 H odgson, op. c i l esp. p. 35. ' H odgson, op. cil.

IN TRO DU CTION

3

tim e. It is th e early ro m an ticism o f R o u sseau , C h a te a u b ria n d a n d G o ld sm ith : a ch arm in g e ig h te en th -ce n tu ry N a tu re created by G o d for a sim ple, a p p rec ia tiv e h u m a n r a c e .. . . T h e c o n ­ cep t o f a p ro v id en t a n d b en ev o len t N a tu re , essential to the R o m an tic, w as very m u ch a p a rt o f Je w itt’s literary p h ilo so ­ phy. . . . H is desire to e p a te r les bourgeois is obviously not m ean t to d o so th ro u g h h o rrific d escrip tio n , b u t ra th e r as C h a te a u b ria n d did, w ith co n ce p ts novel to th e re ad e r, but pacific in n a tu re . It is th e tra d itio n o f D efoe as w ell.6 Je w itt w ould have been am azed a n d flattered. T h e facts a re these. A fte r his rescue o n the brig L y d ia in 1805, Je w itt established residence in N ew E ngland, a n d in 1807 pu b lish ed th e jo u rn a l w hich he claim ed to have w ritten d u rin g his captivity a m o n g the N o o tk a . T he title page reads A Jo u rn a l, K e p t a t N o o tk a Sound, b y J o h n R. J e w itt. O ne o f th e surviving crew o f the sh ip B oston, o f B oston, J o h n S a lte r, c o m m a n d er, w ho was m a ssa c re d o n 2 2 d o f M a rc h , 1803. In tersp e rse d w ith so m e a cco u n t o f th e natives, th eir m a n n ers a n d custom s. H e rea fter, for convenience, w e shall call this th e Jo u rn a l. It w as a sm all, thin book o f 48 pages, a n d o f little literary m erit. O nly a very few copies, p ro b a b ly no m ore th an a dozen, are know n to have survived. A lim ited e d itio n o f one h u n d red copies o f th e J o u rn a l was pu b lish ed in B oston in 1931. F o r years betw een 1807 a n d 1815 w e know alm ost no th in g o f Je w itt’s life, except th a t he m arrie d on C h ristm a s D ay. 1809. S o m e tim e sh o rtly p rev io u s to 1815, Je w itt a n d his tale c a m e to th e a tte n tio n o f R ich ard A lsop, “ satirist, p o e t , . . . o n e o f th e few m illio n a ire s o f h is g e n e r a tio n ” . 7 A lso p w as a m e rc h a n t o f H a r t­ ford, C o n n e cticu t, a n d o n e o f th e “ H a rtfo rd W its” 8 o r “ C o n n e c t­ icut W its” 9, a w ell-know n g ro u p o f A m e ric an a u th o rs. A lsop's

H H odgson, op. cit., p. 36. 7 Johnson, A. (ed.), “ Alsop, R ich ard ," D ictionary o f A m erican Biog­ raphy, vol. I (N ew York: Scribner's, 1928), pp. 228-229. "H a rrin g to n , K arl P., R ichard A lsop. "A H a rtfo rd W it” (M iddle­ tow n. C onnecticut: M attabesett Press, 1939). (A reprint o f this w ork, with an introduction by A lexander Cow ie, was published in 1969 by W esleyan U niversity Press, M iddletow n, C onnecticut). The D ictionary o f A m erican Biography (note 7 supra) on Alsop also designates him a “ H artford W it." g P arrington, Vernon L., J r., The C onnecticut W'its (N ew York, 1926). (A reprint o f this w ork, w ith a foreword by K enneth Silver­ m an . w as p u b lish ed in 1969 by th e T h o m a s Y. C row ell C o m pany, N ew Y o rk . A sh o rt list o f th c h ie f w orks o f the C o n n e ctic u t W its m ay be found on p. xxi o f this reprint).

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T H E A D V E N T U R E S A N D S U F F E R I N G S O F J O H N R. J E W I T T

nephew , T h e o d o re D w ight, closely associated w ith th e W its, d escribes his uncle as having a “ pecu liar taste o f a d v e n tu re s” 10.' A lsop, a p p are n tly a fte r rep ea te d a n d stre n u o u s interview s, and c o n sid erab le difficulty, m an ag ed to ex tract from Jew itt his story. J e w itt, it is s a id , h a d “ sm a ll c a p a c ity as a n a r r a t o r ” " , and* lacked th e capacities o f a Y a n k ee raconteur. It w as A lsop, w o rk ­ ing w ith th e slim original J o u rn a l a n d his taxing interview s w ith Je w itt, w ho w ro te th e Jew itt a cc o u n t w hich has achieved fam e. It w as pu b lish ed in M id d leto w n , C o n n e cticu t, in 1815 in tw o e d i­ tio n s a n d in a n o th e r e d itio n in N e w Y o rk in th e sam e y e a r. T he title p a g e o f th ese ed itio n s reads: A narrative o f the adventures a n d su fferin g s, o f J o h n R . J e w itt; o n ly survivor o f the crew o f th e ship B o sto n , d u rin g a c a p tiv ity o f n e a rly th ree y e a r s a m o n g the savages o f N o o tk a sound: w ith an a cco u n t o f th e m anners, m o d e o f living, a n d religious opinions o f th e N atives. E m b e llish e d with a p la te, rep resen tin g th e ship in p o ssessio n o f th e savages. H ere­ a fte r, fo r convenience, w e shall call this th e N a rra tiv e , alth o u g h th e vario u s e d itio n s carry titles w hich a re v arian ts o f th e one g iven. It is fro m these 1815 e d itio n s th a t nearly all su b seq u e n t ed itio n s, reprintings, versions, a n d tran sla tio n s o f Je w itt’s story have been m ad e. A lsop d ied a t F la tb u sh , L ong Island, on A ugust 20 o f th e y e ar in w hich th e N a rra tiv e first a p p ea red . A m o n g th e C o n n e cticu t W its, A lsop w as rivalled only by J o h n T ru m b u ll. P a rrin g to n 12 d e scrib es A lsop as having “ an excel­ lent know ledge o f th e classics” a n d “ a g e n ero u s a cq u a in ta n ce w ith E nglish lite ra tu re .” H e tran sla ted c o n sid erab le a m o u n ts o f F re n c h , Italian , S panish a n d S can d in av ian m aterials. A m o n g these his fancy for exotic trav ellers’ acco u n ts is readily seen in his 1808 tran sla tio n from th e S panish a n d F ren ch versions o f th e original Italian w ork The G eographical N a tu ra l a n d C ivil H isto ry o f C hili by A b b e D on J . Ig n a tiu s M olina. It is a w ork in tw o volum es, th e first largely c o n ce rn ed w ith th e n a tu ra l histo ry o f C h ile, th e second largely w ith an a cc o u n t o f th e custom s o f its vario u s a b o rig in al peoples. Special a tte n tio n is given to th e A u racan ian s. A typical o f th e C o n n e cticu t W its, A lso p had a leaning to w a rd th e “ new goth ic s p irit,” aligning him in som e w ays m ore closely w ith c erta in P h iladelphia p o e ts “ w h o follow ed th e g o th ic 10 D w ight, T h eo d o re. Article in The H istorical M agazine, April 1860, p. 91. (Q uotes from this article m ay be found in E dm ond S. M eany, Jr.. “ T he L ater Life o f John R . Je w itt", British C olum bia H istori­ cal Q u arterly, vol. IV (1940), pp. 143-161). 11 D w ight, T h eo d o re, op. cil. 12 P arrington, Vernon Louis, Jr., op. cit., p. xlvi.

INTRODUCTION

5

fashion m o re closely.” 13 T his can readily b e seen in his versifica­ tio n s o f O ssian, th e T w ilig h t o f th e G ods, a n d p e rh a p s to o in his versification o f th e O ld T esta m en t b o o k o f H a b a k k u k . A lso p was: d istinctly a n a m a te u r in letters a n d tu rn ed to w h a tev e r th em e c au g h t his fancy. H e w as a n incorrigible im ita to r o f late eig h te en th c en tu ry English m o d e s___ 14 A perusal o f A lso p ’s w orks c o n firm s th e ju stic e o f this ju d g m e n t. It bears w ith so m e im p o rta n ce o n his h an d lin g o f th e Jew itt m ate ria l. A lso p ’s nephew , T h e o d o re D w ight, refers to his . . . love o f in te restin g novelties, c o m b in ed w ith his p h ila n ­ th ro p y , w hich induced him to w rite “ Je w itt’s sto ry ” , a w ork in w hich he im itated w ith so m e success th e style o f R o b in so n C ru so e and o f w hich he p ro c u re d th e p u b licatio n fo r the p ro fit o f th a t p o o r a n d friendless m an w ith o u t giving his own n a m e .15 A g a in , D w ight says A lso p “ a d o p te d th e style o f R o b in so n C ru so e as his m odel in th e c o m p o s itio n ” 16. C ap tiv ity jo u rn a ls indeed ten d to a p p ro a c h th e novel g e n re. O f course Je w itt’s N a rra tiv e is a classic o f th e ty p e, for it is b o ld y im itativ e o f D aniel D e fo e ’s fictional R o b in so n C rusoe. A n y literary m erits o f c o m p o sitio n o r style in th e N a rra tive a re A lso p ’s w o rk , a n d n o t th a t o f Je w itt. A lso p ’s a u th o rsh ip o f th e N a rra tiv e a p p e a rs to b e explicitly recognized by Je w itt him self. O n M arch 8, 1815 Je w itt applied for co p y rig h t o f th e N arrative. H e did n o t seek co p y rig h t as a u th o r, but as p ro p rie to r, a d istin c tio n w hich has been ju d g e d significant by M e a n y 17. T h e N a rra tive a ttrac ted so m e critical a tte n tio n o n its a p p e a r­ ance. T h e first k n o w n review is to b e found in th e A n a le c tic M a g a zin e o f Ju n e , 1815 IS. H e re A lso p ’s a u th o rs h ip is im plied: “ . . . th e b o o k w as p re p are d fo r th e press by a literary g en tle m a n o f C o n n e c tic u t. . . ” T h e review er th in k s ra th e r highly o f th e b o o k .

13 Parrington, V ernon Louis, J r., op. cil., p. xlvi. 14 P arrington, V ernon Louis, J r., op. cil'., p. xlvi. 15 D w ight, T heodore, Preface to R ichard Alsop’s The Charm s o f Fancy: A Poem in F our C antos (N ew Y ork, 1856). 16 D w ight, T heodore, H istorical M agazine, A pril I860, p. 91. 17 M eany, Edm ond S., Jr., “ T he L ater Life o f John R. Jew itt, British C olum bia H istorical Q uarterly, vol. 4 (1940), pp. 146, 148-149. '* Review o f th e Jew itt/A lso p N arrative in A nalectic M agazine, (P hil­ adelphia: M oses T hom as), vol. 5 (June 1815), pp. 493-496.

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T H E ADVEN TURES AND SUFFERINGS OF JO H N R. JE W IT T

b u t obviously fo u n d it ra th e r sm all by c u rre n t sta n d a rd s. H e refers to it as a n “ unassum ing little v o lu m e” a n d sta te s th a t “ T he form and size o f th e v olum e a ffo rd p retty stro n g p ro o f th a t a rts o f literary m an u fa ctu re are yet in th e ir infancy a m o n g u s.” T h e 1816 editio n o f Ih e N a rra tive w as review ed by th e sam e m ag azin e in F e b ru a ry , 181719. T h e second review er w as m uch less im pressed. H e found it “ a b o o k w hich is very badly w ritte n , and a g re at deal w orse a rra n g e d ” , and found it “ so m e w h a t sin g u lar” th a t the b o o k had been sent into fu rth e r ed itio n s, n o tin g th a t so m e nine th o u sa n d copies h a d a lready been circu lated . H e affirm s a general acceptance o f th e au th e n tic ity o f th e basic facts, a n d keeps his vitriol for th e literary features a n d fo rm at o f th e b o o k . A list o f th e sub seq u en t e d itio n s o f th e N a rra tive m ay be fo u n d at th e e n d o f this v olum e (A p p e n d ix C ). O n e no tes with interest th a t its p rin tin g histo ry reveals a c o n sid erab le N o rth A m e ric an interest. T h ere are only th ree B ritish e d itio n s (L o n d o n 1820, E d in b u rg h 1824, a n d L o n d o n 1896), and o n e G e rm a n tran sla tio n (1928). T h e story does not e n d here, for th e N a rra tive also a p p ea red in a version designed for c h ild re n ’s read in g . It w as, first o f all, a rollicking g o o d sto ry , like D an iel D efoe’s R o b in so n C ru so e; sec­ o n d ly , it c o n ta in e d a b u n d a n t references to b ravery, p iety , and perseverance. U n d e r th e e d ito rsh ip o f “ P eter P arley” (S. G . G o o d ric h ), it ap p ea red in “ P e ter P arley’s L ittle L ib ra ry ,” a series also c o n ta in in g na rra tiv e s by L o rd Selkirk and L a P erouse. T h ro u g h o u t th e tw en ty -fo u r c h a p te rs o f this version, th e first p e rso n o f th e J e w itt/A ls o p N a rra tiv e is changed to th e third pe rso n , a n d c ertain p o rtio n s o f th e text a re d e le ted . Special em phasis is given to the sto ry ’s m oral lessons20. T h e title w as The C a p tiv e o f N o o tk a . O r th e a d v e n tu r e s o f J o h n R . J e w e tt (sic ). T h is e d itio n , for convenience, w e refer to as th e C aptive. T he G e rm a n tra n sla tio n o f 1928 by A . Ja c o b i seem s to in co rp o ra te c ertain featu res o f th e C aptive , a n d its influence can p ro b a b ly be seen, to o , in th e 1954 G e rm a n tra n sla tio n o f F ra n z T e rm e r. A n u m b e r o f co p ie s o f th e English ed itio n s, w ith th e exception o f 1837 P h ilad elp h ia o n e, a re still extan t. D w ig h t21 records th a t his uncle, A lso p “ ...e x p r e s s e d a fear th a t he had d o n e Jew itt m o re harm th an g o o d , for he [Jew itt] becam e unsettled in his h a b its by his w a n d erin g life in selling the 19 A nalectic M agazine, vol. 9 (Feb. 1817). pp. 141-165. Jn A b rief description o f the “ Peter P arley" edition, the Captive, is given in H arrington, op. c h ., pp. 137-138. :i Dw ight, T h eo d o re, H istorical M agazine, 1860, p. 91.

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b o o k .” M e a n y 22, H a rrin g to n 23, a n d o th e rs cite references to Je w ­ itt’s w an d erin g s in N ew E n g lan d b o th w ith a h a n d ca rt a n d a o n e -h o rse w agon haw king his b o o k . H e also had for sale, a p p a r­ ently, “ T h e P o o r A rm o u re r B oy, A S o n g ,” p rin te d as a b ro a d ­ sid e o n a long sh eet o f p a p er. T h e song, w hich is to be fo u n d in A p p en d ix A o f this volum e, is explicitly a n im itatio n o f th e P oor C abin B o y by C h arles D ib d in (o r possibly by his so n T h o m a s), a version o f w hich m ay be fo u n d in D ib d in ’s S o n g s, N aval and N a tio n a l.. . . 24M e a n y 25 leans to th e o p in io n th a t A lsop w as also the a u th o r o f th e so n g , a lth o u g h th e r e is n o d ir e c t e v id e n c e . J e w itt so u g h t c o p y rig h t fo r th e song as “ p ro p rie to r o n th e sam e d a y as his a p p lic atio n fo r copyright as “ p ro p rie to r” o f th e N a rra tiv e 26 The P oor A rm o u r e r B o y w as sung by Je w itt a t th e final c u rta in o f a d ra m a tiz a tio n o f th e N a rra tive w hich had th ree pe rfo rm a n ce s in P hilad elp h ia on M arch 21, 22 a n d 25, 1817 at th e P hilad elp h ia T h ea tre . T h e d ra m a tiz a tio n , by Ja m es N elson B a rk e r27, w as billed several days in a d v an ce as a “ . . . M elo D ra m a , fo u n d ed on th e interesting n a rra tiv e o f M r. J o h n Jew itt, called th e A rm o u re r’s E scape, o r T h re e Y e ars at N o o tk a ” 28. A copy o f th e playbill is p re sen te d in A p p e n d ix B o f this volum e. It p ro v id es th e little o f w h at w e k n o w o f The A rm o u r e r 's E sca p e , b ecause th e script has not survived. It m u st have been a n interesting ev en t, for it staged N o o tk a n w ar dances, an eclipse o f th e m o o n , a N o o tk a n C h ie f s funeral, a tribal w ar, a n d th e N o o tk a n B ear C e rem o n ial. O n e can only sp eculate a b o u t th e stag in g o f these spectacles, b u t box office receipts in d icate th a t it w as h a rd ly th e high p o in t o f th e th e a tr­ ical season. A fte r this b rie f th eatrical foray, Jew itt jo in e d a so rt o f circus a t V auxhall G a rd e n n e ar P h ilad elp h ia, a su m m er a m u sem en t re so rt m o delled on its c o u n te rp a rt in L o n d o n , E ngland. If fea­ tu re d firew orks, recitatio n s by fam ous m en o f th e day, e q u estrian events, a n d th in g s o f the like. Je w itt p erfo rm e d songs d ressed in

:: M eany, E dm ond S., op. c it., esp. pp. 149, 155-156. 23 H arrington, Karl P., op. cit., p. 137. 24 S o n g s. N a va l a n d N a tio n a l, o f th e L a te C harles D ibdin. w ith a M e m o ir a n d A d d en d a . C o llected an d a rra n g e d by T h o m a s D ibdin (C harles’ son) (L ondon, 1842), cf. esp. p. 252. -5 M eany, E dm ond S., op. cit.. p. 148. 36 M eany, Edm ond S., op. cit., p. 146. 27 M eany, Edm ond S., op. cit., p. 152 discusses B arker's work on the Jew itt N arrative. Paul H. M usser, Ja m es N elson B arker. 1784-1858 (Philadelphia, 1929), provides further background. 28 M eany, Edm ond S., op. cit., p. 152.

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T H E A D V E N T U R E S A N D S U F F E R I N G S O F J O H N R. J E W I T T

N o o tk a n c o stu m e 29. A lso p ’s fear th a t h e h a d “ d o n e Je w itt no g o o d ” w as p e rh a p s ju stified ; th e a tre s a n d circuses a n d w anderings in N ew E ngland as a p e rip a te tic h a w k er o f b o o k s a n d b ro a d sid es co u ld h ardly have a m o u n te d to g re a t social respectability. T h e E nglish a rm o u re r, only basically literate by th e evidence o f his letters as cited by M e a n y 30, leaving his fam ily in th e lurch on his b rie f rise to pu b lic a tte n tio n , d ied in relative obscurity a t H a rt­ fo rd , C o n n e cticu t on Ja n u a ry 7, 1821 a t th e age o f 38. So m uch fo r Je w itt th e m an o f letters co n tin u in g in th e m ighty tra d itio n o f C h a te a u b ria n d , G o ld sm ith , R o u ssea u , a n d D efoe. But to estim ate his su p p o sed literary c h ara cte ristics is to m iss th e p o in t. W ith o u t Je w itt’s re m a rk ab le h u m an experience, w ith o u t his sh a rp eye, th e re w ould h av e been no A lso p N a rra tive a n d w e w ould lack a v a lu a b le early e th n o g ra p h ic a cc o u n t o f th e N o o tk a . In J e w itt’s tim e th e N o o tk a had ju st begun th eir tu rb u le n t and trau m atic experience w ith W estern society. H e w as privileged to see N o o tk a society close to its abo rig in al sta te ; we a re privileged to h a v e his a cco u n t o f it. T o e stim a te th a t is to e stim a te Je w itt’s e n d u rin g c o n trib u tio n .

J e w i t t ’s N a r ra tiv e and N o o t k a n E th n o g ra p h y T h e m aritim e fu r tra d e o f th e N o rth w e st C o ast, b eginning w ith a “ ru sh ” in 1785, reached its peak in th e last years o f th e eigh­ tee n th a n d th e early years o f th e n in ete en th centuries. W hile it h a d a n o b v io u s effect o n th e a b o rig in al peoples o f th e area, principally in reo rien tin g tra d itio n a l h u n tin g a n d g a th e rin g p ra c ­ tices to w ard s hun tin g th e sea o tte r, it did n o t have th e m ajor social a n d eco n o m ic im p act o f th e su stain ed c o n ta ct th a t cam e w ith m o re p e rm a n e n t land se ttle m e n t by outsiders. T h e b rief existence o f a S panish g a rriso n a t N o o tk a S ound seem s to have had no m ajo r im p act. T h e general p ractice a m o n g fur tra d e ships was to stand to a t som e d istan c e fro m sh o re. In d ian s w en t o u t to th e ships in th e ir canoes to d o th e ir tra d in g a n d visiting on the decks o f th e sh ip s. S h ip s’ m asters felt th ey had m o re c o n tro l over th e situ atio n this w ay, a n d for fear o f u n to w a rd incidents w ith the In d ian s w ere relu ctan t to v e n tu re a sh o re for m o re th a n b rief visits. T h e a p p e a ra n c e o f fur tra d e ships o ff-shore w as often sp o ra d ic , a n d visits w ere usually very brief. It w as on a visit such as this by th e S hip B oston th a t th e incident involving Je w itt cam e to pass. ’-9 M eany, Edm ond S., op. cil., p. 155. •'° M eany, E dm ond S., op. cit., pp. 156-157.

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T h e p rin cip al effect o f th e early m aritim e fu r tra d e w as n o t to re o rie n t Indian social a n d eco n o m ic system s to w a rd a W estern form , b u t to “ intensify” c erta in features o f th e existing social system s. In d eed , it has been a rg u e d 31. N o rth w e st C o a st Indian cu ltu ral system s cam e to a so rt o f “ c lim ax ” m ad e possible by injection o f su b sta n tia l a m o u n ts o f w ealth into alread y intensely w e alth -o rie n ted social system s. T h e potlatch as w e now k n o w o f it p ro b a b ly achieved its p ro m in e n t place in th ese system s d u rin g this tim e 32. T h e fam o u s classic N o rth w e st C o a st In d ian a rt a n d th e m assive em phasis on to te m poles is m o st p ro b a b ly a n o th e r e x am ­ ple. Je w itt w as m ad e cap tiv e by th e N o o tk a at a tim e w hen th e basic features o f N o o tk a n c u ltu re w ere still intact a n d b eginning to m ove to w ard th e clim ax w e h a v e m en tio n ed . H is w as th e first su sta in ed co n tact w ith th e N o o tk a , and his d escrip tio n s are an invaluable vignette o f th e N o o tk a before th e visible ero sio n o f th e ir cu ltu ral a n d social o rd e r. L ike m an y early d e sc rip tio n s, his is p ro b a b ly stro n g est and m o st su stain ed in its d e lin e atio n o f m aterial c u ltu re and su b sist­ ence. O b serv a tio n s on social o rg a n iz atio n are less d e p en d a b le , but a re aso n a b le fam iliarity w ith su b seq u e n t N o o tk a n eth n o g ra p h y a n d ethnological research confirm s th e a u th e n tic ity o f m an y o f his o b se rv atio n s. B ut Je w itt w as n o t a n e th n o g ra p h e r; h e d id n o t go to th e N o o tk a by c h o ic e in o r d e r to stu d y t h e ir m a n n e rs a n d c u sto m s sy s te m a tic a lly . W e c a n n o t fa u lt h im fo r n o t b e in g a m o d ern e th n o g ra p h er, as som e a re p e rh a p s inclined to d o . His access to N o o tk a n society in som e w ays is enviable; in o th e r w ays it obviously w as n o t. H is o b se rv atio n s, let a lo n e his occasional m oralizing a n d serm onizing, c a n n o t fail to b e colo u red by th e fact th a t h e w as a p riso n e r in th e ir m id st, often bew ildered, alm ost constantly in anxiety. H is a cco u n t is truly o n e o f “ in itia tio n ,” as 31 H ersk o v its, M elville, M a n a n d H is W o rks (N ew Y o rk : K nopf, 1948). pp . 480-481; there is an extensive discussion o f the antiquity o f totem poles in M arius B arbeau, Totem Poles, N ational M useum o f C anada Bulletin 119, vol. 2, A nthropological Series 30 (1950), pp. 801-821; the best elaboration o f the “ cultural intensification” idea is to be found in Joyce W ike. “ Problem s in F u r T rade A naly­ sis: T he N orthw est C o ast,” A m erican A nthropologist, vol. 60, no. 6, p t. 1 (1959), pp . 1086-1101. 32 T h e (so m ew h at) c o n te n tio u s th esis o f C o d e rc is th a t am o n g th e K w ak iu tl, p o tla tc h in g assu m ed such p ro m in e n ce in th e n in eteen th century th at it quite literally “ d om inated” that society, and in its rapid grow th had supplanted such activities as inter-tribal raiding. C f. Helen C o d ere Fighting with P roperty: A S tu d y o f K w akiutl Potlatching a n d W arfare. 1792-1930, M onographs o f the A m erican Ethnological Society no. 18, 1950.

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T H E A D V E N T U R E S A N D S U F F E R I N G S OF J O H N R. J E W I T T

H o d g so n 33 term s it. It is an a cc o u n t o f his g ra d u a l, but never c o m p lete, su rre n d e r to a n acceptance o f N o o tk a n w ays. C learly h e never fully u n d e rsto o d th e N o o tk a n system in th e large sense, a n d his o b serv atio n s o n it m u st inevitably be u n d e rsto o d as “ N o o tk a from Je w itt’s vantage p o in t.” D espite his claim s th a t he cam e to “ speak N o o tk a ,” his fam iliarity w ith th e language w as p ro b ab ly nev er co m p lete. N o o t­ kan term s o c cu r th ro u g h o u t th e text, alth o u g h m any o f them , including a n u m b e r in th e list o f so-called “ N o o tk a n ” w ords given as an a p p en d ix to th e N a rra tive m ay in fact b e “ C h in o o k Ja rg o n .” 34 T h is “ja rg o n ,” a d eriv ativ e tra d e language, indeed in co rp o ra tin g m an y elem ents o f N o o tk a n language b u t nev erth e­ less q u ite distinct from it, w as extensively used alo n g th e N o rth ­ w est C o a st since th e days o f th e m aritim e fur tra d e , a n d m ay still be h eard to d ay as a m eans o f c o m m u n ica tio n betw een In d ian s from diverse linguistic g ro u p s a t cerem o n ial g ath erin g s. Several references a re m a d e to th e fact th a t M a q u in n a a n d a t least one o th e r c h ie f sp o k e a n d u n d e rsto o d a lim ited a m o u n t o f E nglish. Je w itt’s (an d also by im p licatio n A lso p ’s) ren d erin g o f N o o t­ k a n term s, including p erso n al, tribal a n d place n am es, so m etim es is v ery d iffic u lt to u n d e r s ta n d . A p p e n d ix D gives th e m o d e rn accep ted eq u iv alen ts for place nam es a n d tribal g ro u p in g s so th a t th e re ad e r m ay o rien t h im self to m ap s a n d m o re recent e th n o g ra ­ phies. W hen Je w itt uses th e w o rd N o o tk a as a g ro u p label, h e refers specifically to th e “ trib e ” (th e Y u q u o t) c en tere d on N o o tk a S o u n d in th e vicinity o f F rie n d ly C o v e . A n thropologically, N o o tk a now refers to a linguistic g ro u p in g o f trib es a n d tribelets occupying m ost o f th e w est co ast o f V ancouver Island a n d th e tip o f C a p e F la tte ry in th e S ta te o f W ash in g to n . N o o tk a is o n e o f th e tw o m ajo r language g ro u p s (K w ak iu tl th e o th er) con stitu tin g th e W ak a sh a n language g ro u p , o f th e M a c ro -A lg o n k ia n Stock. Je w itt’s o b serv atio n s, th e n , c a n n o t b e g eneralized from w h a t he called N o o tk a to th e N o o tk a as now d efin ed anthropologically. Je w itt m akes a few o b serv atio n s on th e o th e r g ro u p s, for during " H odgson, M aurice, op. cit. 14 O n Chinook Jargon see H oratio H ale, A M anual o f th e Oregon Trade Language, or 'C hinook Jargon' (L ondon, 1890); Melville Jacobs, "N o te s on the S tructure o f C hinook Ja rg o n ,” 'L anguage, vol. 8 (1931). pp. 27-50: Melville Jacobs, "T exts in C hinook J a r­ g o n ," U niversity o f W ashington Publications in A nthropology, vol. 7, no. 1 (1936), pp. 1-32; R ena V. G ra n t. “ C hinook Ja rg o n ," International Journal o f A m erican L inguistics, vol. II (1939). pp. 225-233.

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h is tim e they visited th e N o o tk a sou n d g ro u p for tra d in g and p o tlatch . Principally from Philip D ru c k e r’s w ork on th e N o o tk a , The N o rth e rn a n d C e n tra l N o o tk a n T rib e s35, now a sta n d ard re fe r­ ence, w e kn o w th a t th e v a rious dialect g ro u p s (m any o f them nam ed in passing by Je w itt) c o n stitu te d a type o f confederacy, th e v a rio u s g ro u p s being b o u n d in so m e w h a t loose political alliances; p acts o f m u tu al assistance, d efen ce, and trad e ; a n d arra n g e m e n ts o f political p a ram o u n tc y and vassalage. Jew itt provides only scant d a ta on th e political a rra n g e m e n ts in effect a t his tim e, alth o u g h th e Y u q u o t u n d e r th eir c h ie f M a q u in n a clearly w ere a m o n g th e m ost pow erful w hile they w ere n o t necessarily th e largest in term s o f p o p u latio n . In th e a n th ro p o lo g ical lite ra tu re on th e N o rth w est C o a st o n e finds c o n sid erab le d e b ate on th e n a tu re o f social stra tifica tio n , p a rticu la rly as it bears on th e in stitu tio n o f th e p o tla tc h 36. Jew itt a tte sts, alth o u g h n o t w ith o u t a m b ig u ity , to tw o senses o f stra tifi­ c atio n a m o n g th e N o o tk a . O n th e one h a n d , th e w hole social o rd e r is d ivided into th re e o r m o re hierarchically arra n g e d social “ classes.” Je w itt m akes rep ea te d reference to w h at a p p e a r to be class g ro u p s o r aggregates: slaves, c o m m o n e rs, a n d no b ility . On th e o th e r h a n d , Jew itt indicates th a t a t least th e class o f nobles w as d ivided into a series o f ra n k e d p o sitio n s w hich becam e o p e ra tiv e in th e c ontext o f cere m o n ia l events a n d th e p o tla tch . Y et th e rela tio n sh ip o f class a n d ra n k are n o t fully clear in Jew itt; h e c o n trib u tes to th e d e b a te , b u t does not resolve it. A t least p artly related to th e q u e stio n s o f stra tifica tio n and potlatch is Je w itt’s affirm atio n th a t certain key subsistence resources a re vested in th e chief. O th e r p e o p le in th e g ro u p (“ c o m m o n e rs” a n d “ slaves” ) h a v e rights o f usufruct b u t not ow n ersh ip in th ese resources. A ccordingly, th e c h ie f a n d his deci­ sio n s a b o u t re so u rc e use a n d a llo c a tio n a c c o rd h im a n d th o se closely associated w ith him a key a n d pow erful role in th e politi-

55 D rucker, Philip, The N orthern and C entral N o o tka n Tribes, Bureau o f A m erican Ethnology Bulletin 144 (W ashington: Sm ithsonian Institution, 1951). A readily available source o f readings on the “ rank and class' debate in N orthw est C oast ethnology is T om M cF eat Indians o f the North P acific C oast, C arleton Library no. 25 (T oronto: M cClelland and Stew art, 1966), pp . 134-179; for its bearing on the debate about the n atu re o f the potlatch see Philip D rucker and R obert F. H eizer, To M a k e M v N a m e G ood (Berkeley: University o f California Press, 1967).

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TH E ADVEN TURES AND SUFFERINGS OF JO H N R. JE W IT T

cal a n d eco n o m ic stru ctu re, b o th infra- and in ter-trib ally th ro u g h th e potlatch a n d its su p p o rtiv e in stitu tio n s. W hile J e w itt's d escrip tio n s o f th e p o tla tch a n d o th e r m ajor cerem o n ies h a rd ly lack vividness a n d co lo u r, they g enerally lack th e detail w hich w ould b e m o st satisfying to th e e th n o lo g ist. So b e it. W hile he a p p are n tly d escribes a p o tla tc h a t th e end o f C h a p te r 4 , a n d giv es s o m e d e ta il o f th e B e a r C e re m o n ia l in C h a p te r 10, w e have virtually n o th in g in his a cc o u n t on th e very im p o rta n t ritu a ls o f th e N o o tk a n w in te r c e re m o n ia l se a so n . E x am in atio n o f th e W in te r C e rem o n ies o f o th e r N o rth w e st C oast societies has yielded p ro fo u n d ly im p o rta n t insight into th e w o rk ­ ings o f these so cieties37. Je w itt p ro v id es q u ite extensive o b serv atio n s on basic su b sist­ e nce activities. T h e au th e n tic ity o f these a p p e a rs in light o f later e th n o g ra p h ic w o rk in th e a rea . W hile h e alludes in passing to seasonal shifts in th ese activities, h e does n o t p ro v id e a fully clear view o f th e seasonal changes in subsistence activities a n d dom estic a rra n g e m e n ts. Since th e seasonal cycle has sin ce been sh o w n to have im p o rta n t im plications fo r political a n d eco n o m ic in stitu ­ tio n s, p e rh a p s p articularly th e p o tla tc h 38, w e can only b e ta n ta ­ lized by w h at Je w itt had to say. P ro b ab ly h e knew far m o re than a p p e a rs in e ith e r th e J o u rn a l o r th e ’ N a rra tiv e , but w e can never lose sight o f th e fact th a t th ey w ere n o t e d ited a n d pu b lish ed for a n a u d ien ce o f e th n o g rap h ers. H is o b serv atio n s on m aterial cu ltu re a re now a lm o st fully a u th e n tic ate d by su b seq u e n t m useum collections a n d arch a eo lo g i­ cal a n d e th n o g ra p h ic w ork in th e a rea . O th e r d etails have th e ring o f tru th , a lth o u g h he p ro b a b ly dev o tes d is p ro p o rtio n a te atte n tio n to them a n d clearly does n o t fully g ra sp th e ir N o o tk a n m ean in g . H e frequently notes the N o o tk a n d istaste fo r salty food. O n e can still e n co u n ter this in th e a re a a n d a m o n g o th e r n o rth e rn N o rth A m e ric an In d ian a n d E sk im o g ro u p s. H e no tes th e fre q u e n t use o f w h ite b ird ’s do w n in cerem o n ial dress a n d ritual actio n s. H e sta te s a t o n e p o in t th a t this is “ to re p re se n t snow ” ; ra th e r, the

37 E.g. Boas, Franz, T h e Social O rganization and Secret Societies o f the K w a kiu tl Indians. U .S . N ational M useum R eport for 1895 (W ash­ ington, D .C .: Sm ithsonian Institution, 1897). 38 E .g. S u ttles, W ay n e, “ A ffinal T ies, S u b sisten ce a n d P restige am o n g th e C o a st S aiish ,” A m erica n A n th r o p o lo g is t, vol. 62, no. 2 (1961), pp. 296-305; Suttles, W ayne, “ V ariation in H abitat and C ulture on th e N orthw est C o a st,” Transactions o f the 34th Interna­ tional Congress o f A m ericanists, V ienna, I960, pp. 522-537. For opposing views see Philip D rucker and R obert F . H eizer, op. cit.

INTRODUCTION

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use o f w hite dow n, still to be seen in N o rth w e st C o a st Indian rites, is to in d icate th at th e a sso ciated events a re w h at w e usually call “ sa c re d ” ra th e r th an “ p ro fa n e .” T h is has a p a rtic u la r associa­ tion w ith th e “ sa c re d ” w in ter season a n d its principal events. It can also c o n n o te p eace a n d a m ity . A t m any po in ts. Jew itt refers to w om en, particu larly o f th e no b ility , as being fa ir-sk in n e d . T h e Indian w om an w hom h e “ m a rrie d ” h e describes in this fashion. T h is h a s led H o d g so n 39 to state: T h e girl [Jew itt] chooses [to m arry ] is a princess, a n d by his ow n ad m issio n very beautiful a n d light in c o m plexion. T he la tte r quality m ust have been th e d eciding p o in t, as he had to ju stify his actio n s if he ever re tu rn e d to civilization. T his c u rio u s, m ildly racist m o tiv a tio n im p u ted to Je w itt m ay have a germ o f tru th ; b u t w ho can tell? W e m u st b ew are o f p sy ch o an a­ lyzing th e d e ad . T h e fact is th a t fair skin w as con sid ered a sign o f beauty a n d nobility a m o n g m an y N o rth w e st C o a st g ro u p s, and w om en a p p ro ac h in g m arriag e a b le age w ere o ften secluded for ex ten d ed p e rio d s in d o o rs so th a t they w ould have th e desirable pale com plexion a t th e tim e o f th e ir m arriag e . O th e r details, such a s th e ritual p ro sc rip tio n o f sexual in terco u rse fo r w halers before a w h a le-h u n t, like m an y p o in ts m a d e in passing by Je w itt, are fully c onfirm ed in su b seq u e n t e th n o g ra p h ic w o rk . O n a n u m b er o f occasions Je w itt d escribes events, th e m e a n ­ ing o f w hich he p ro b ab ly never c o m p re h e n d e d . F o r exam ple, he a n d T h o m p so n (his c o m p a n io n from th e sh ip B oston) a re sent out to th e w oods d u rin g a sh a m an istic p e rfo rm a n ce in th e W in ter s e a so n a n d to ld to sta y a w ay fo r se v e n d a y s. T h e y re tu rn e d b efore th e ritual cycle w as c o m p le te in th e village, a n d w ere allow ed to stay a n d observe th e re m a in d e r o f th e perfo rm an ce. P ro b ab ly w h at in fact had h a p p e n e d w as th a t Je w itt a n d T h o m p ­ son, a fte r a form o f ritual seclusion, h a d in effect been in itiated into o n e o f th e W in te r Season ritual societies, “ th o u g h th e tw o did n o t u n d e rsta n d w h at it w as all a b o u t.” 40 A t th is perfo rm an ce, and a t o th ers, Je w itt describes p e rfo rm e rs being c arried a b o u t on b ay o n ets sticking th ro u g h th e ir flesh. H e a p p ea rs to have accepted th is as g en u in e , alth o u g h such scenes w ere a p ro m in e n t featu re o f N o o tk a a n d K w ak iu tl sh a m an istic a n d cere m o n ia l p e r­ form ances, in w hich th eatrical “ tric k e ry ” a n d p re stid ig ita tio n w ere extensively p ra ctic e d 41. '9 H odgson, M aurice, op. cit., p. 32. -10 D rucker, Philip, op. cit., p. 391. 41 Cf. e.g., Boas, F ranz, op. cit.

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F inally, captiv ity jo u rn a ls a n d sim ilar acco u n ts w ere p ro b ab ly very im p o rta n t in sh a p in g o p in io n s a b o u t In d ian s by n o n -In d ia n N o rth A m e ric an society. A stu d y o f captivity jo u rn a ls, etc., in th is light w ould be valuable. B ut Je w itt’s a cc o u n t p ro v id es us in so m e m ea su re w ith a view “ from th e o th e r sid e ” . T h e insensitivi­ ties a n d b ru ta litie s o f early N o rth A m e ric an , B ritish, a n d Spanish explorers, tra d e rs, a n d m ilitary m en em erge clearly a n d som e a p p rec ia tio n o f Indian reactio n s to th em m ay be o b ta in e d in Je w itt’s w o rk . A h istorical stu d y o f “ race re la tio n s” co u ld well be b ased, at least in p a rt, on m a te ria ls o f th is kind. O n e a p p re c ia te s D ru c k e r’s42 c o m m e n t th a t Je w itt’s N arrative is “ a very d etailed descrip tio n o f n a tiv e life, a n d livelier reading th an m an y n ovels.” A m en. D erek G. O ttaw a M a y , 1973

S m it h

j:; D rucker, Philip, Indians o f th e N orthw est Coast (G ard en City, New Y ork: 1963), p. 210.

1. Birth, Parentage and Early Life of The Author I w a s b o m in B oston, a c o n sid era b le b o ro u g h tov/n in L incoln­ s h ire , in G r e a t B rita in , o n th e 2 1 st o f M a y , 1783. M y fa th e r, E dw ard Je w itt, w as by tra d e a b lac k sm ith , a n d esteem ed a m o n g th e first in his line o f business in th a t place. A t th e age o f th ree years I had th e m isfo rtu n e to lose m y m o th e r, a m o st excellent w o m a n , w ho d ied in c h ild b e d , leaving an infant d a u g h te r, w ho, w ith m yself, a n d an e ld e r b ro th e r by a fo rm e r m arriag e o f m y fa th e r, c o n stitu ted th e w hole o f o u r fam ily. M y fa th e r, w ho con sid ered a g o o d ed u ca tio n as th e g reatest blessing h e could bestow on his ch ild ren , w as very p a rtic u la r in p a y in g every a tte n ­ tion to us in th a t respect, alw ays e x h o rtin g us to b eh av e well, and e n d ea v o u rin g to im press on o u r m in d s th e principles o f v irtu e and m o rality , a n d no expense in his po w er w as sp a red to h av e us instructed in w hatever m ight re n d e r us useful a n d respectable in society. M y b ro th e r, w ho w as fo u r years o ld e r th a n m yself a n d o f a m o re h a rd y c o n stitu tio n , h e d e stin e d for his ow n trad e , b u t to m e h e h a d resolved to give an e d u c a tio n su p e rio r to th a t w hich is to b e o b ta in e d in a co m m o n sc h o o l, it bein g his in te n tio n th a t I sho u ld a d o p t o n e o f th e learned professions. A ccordingly, at the age o f tw elve he to o k m e from th e school in w hich I h a d been ta u g h t th e first ru d im e n ts o f learn in g , a n d placed m e u n d e r the care o f M r. M oses, a c eleb rated tea ch e r o f an academ y a t D o n n in g to n , a b o u t eleven m iles from B oston, in o rd e r to be instructed in th e L atin language, a n d in som e o f th e h igher b ran ch es o f th e m ath em atics. I th e re m ad e c o n sid erab le p ro fi­ ciency in w riting, read in g , a n d a rith m e tic , a n d o b tain e d a pretty g o o d know ledge o f n a vigation a n d o f surveying; b u t m y p rogress in L atin w as slow , not only ow in g to th e little in clination I felt for lea rn in g th a t language, but to a n a tu ra l im p e d im e n t in m y speech, w hich ren d ere d it extrem ely difficult for m e to p ro n o u n c e it, so th a t in a sh o rt tim e, w ith m y fa th e r’s c onsent, I w holly relin q u ish ed th e study. T h e p e rio d o f m y stay at this place w as th e m o st h ap p y o f m y life. M y p r e c e p to r , M r. M o s e s , w a s n o t o n ly a le a r n e d , b u t a v irtu o u s, ben ev o len t, a n d am iab le m a n , universally beloved by his p upils, w ho to o k delight in his in stru ctio n , a n d to w h o m he

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allow ed every p ro p e r am u sem en t th a t consisted w ith a tte n tio n to th e ir studies. O n e o f th e p rin cip al p leasu res I enjoyed w as in a tte n d in g the fair, w hich is regularly held tw ice a y e a r a t D o n n in g to n , in the sp rin g a n d in th e fall, th e seco n d day being w holly d ev o ted to selling horses, a p ro d ig io u s n u m b e r o f w hich are b ro u g h t th ith e r for th a t p u rp o se . A s th e scholars on these occasions w ere alw ays indulged w ith a holiday, I c a n n o t express w ith w hat eagerness o f y o u th fu l expectatio n 1 used to a n tic ip a te th ese fairs, n o r w hat delig h t I felt a t th e vario u s show s, exh ib itio n s o f wild beasts, and o th e r e n te rta in m e n ts th a t they p resen ted ; I w as frequently visited by m y father, w ho alw ays discovered m uch jo y on seeing me; praised m e for m y a cq u irem e n ts, a n d usually left m e a sm all sum for m y pock et expenses. A m o n g th e scholars a t th is acad em y , th e re w as o n e nam ed C h a rle s R ice, w ith w hom I fo rm ed a p a rtic u la r intim acy, w hich c o n tin u e d d u rin g th e w hole o f m y stay. H e w as m y class and room m ate , a n d as th e tow n h e cam e from , A shby, w as m ore th an sixty m iles off, instead o f re tu rn in g h o m e, h e used frequently d u rin g th e vacation to g o w ith m e to B oston, w here h e alw ays m et w ith a c o rd ia l w elcom e from m y father, w ho received m e on th ese o ccasions w ith th e g re atest affection, a p p are n tly tak in g m uch p rid e in m e. M y frien d in re tu rn used to ta k e m e w ith him to a n uncle o f his in D o n n in g to n , a very w ealthy m a n , who, h aving no c hildren o f his o w n , w as very fond o f his nephew , and on his account I w as alw ays a w elcom e visitor a t th e house. 1 had a g o o d voice, a n d an e a r for m usic, to w hich I w as alw ays passionately a tta c h e d , tho u g h m y fa th e r en d ea v o u red to d isc o u r­ a ge this p ro p e n sity , considering it (as is to o frequently th e case) but an in tro d u c tio n to a life o f idleness a n d d issip a tio n ; a n d , h aving been rem arked- for m y singing a t ch u rch , w hich w as regu­ larly a tte n d ed on S undays a n d festival days by th e scholars, M r. M o rth ro p , m y friend R ice’s uncle, used frequently to req u est m e to sing; he w as alw ays p leased w ith m y exh ib itio n s o f this kind, a n d it w as n o d o u b t o n e o f th e m eans th a t secured m e so g ra cio u s a recep tio n a t his h o u se . A n u m b e r o f o th e r g entlem en in th e place w ould so m etim es send for m e to sing a t th e ir houses, a n d as I w as n o t a little vain o f m y vocal pow ers, I w as m uch g ra tified on receiving these in v itatio n s, a n d accepted them with th e g re atest pleasure. T h u s passed aw ay th e tw o h a p p ie st y ears o f m y life, w hen my fa th e r, th in k in g th a t i had received a sufficient ed u catio n fo r the p ro fessio n he in te n d e d m e for, to o k m e from school a t D o n n in g ­ to n in o rd e r to a p p ren tic e m e to D o c to r M a so n , a su rg eo n o f

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e m in en ce a t R easby, in th e n e ig h b o u rh o o d o f th e c eleb rated Sir Jo se p h B a n k s.1 W ith regret d id I p a rt from m y school a c q u a in t­ ance, p a rticu la rly m y friend R ice, a n d re tu rn e d h o m e w ith m y fa th e r, o n a sh o rt visit to m y fam ily, p re p a ra to ry to m y in ten d ed ap p ren tic e sh ip . T h e disinclin atio n 1 ever h a d felt for th e pro fes­ sion m y fa th e r w ished m e to p u rsu e , w as still fu rth e r increased on m y re tu rn . W h en a child I w as alw ays fond o f being in th e sh o p , a m o n g th e w o rk m e n , e n d ea v o u rin g to im itate w h a t I saw them do; th is d isp o sitio n so far increased a fte r m y leaving th e acad em y , th a t I could n o t b e ar to hear th e least m en tio n m a d e o f m y being ap p ren tic e d to a su rg eo n , a n d I used so m any e n tre aties w ith m y fa th e r to p e rsu ad e him to give up this plan a n d learn m e his own tra d e , th a t h e a t last con sen ted . M o re fo rtu n a te w ould it p ro b a b ly have been for m e, h a d I g r a tifie d th e w ish e s o f th is a f fe c tio n a te p a re n t, in a d o p tin g th e profession h e h a d ch o sen for m e, th a n th u s to have induced him to sacrifice them to m in e. H ow ever it m ight h a v e b een , I w as at length in tro d u c ed into th e sh o p , a n d m y n a tu ra l tu rn o f m ind co rre sp o n d in g w ith th e e m p lo y m en t, I b e ca m e in a sh o rt tim e unco m m o n ly e x p ert a t th e w o rk to w hich I w as se t. I now felt m yself well c o n te n te d , pleased w ith m y o c c u p a tio n , a n d trea te d w ith m uch affection by m y fa th e r, a n d kin d n ess by m y ste p ­ m o th e r, m y fa th e r h aving o n c e m o re en tered th e sta te o f m a tri­ m o n y , w ith a w idow m u ch y o u n g e r th an him self, w ho h a d been b ro u g h t up in a su p e rio r m a n n e r, a n d w as a n a m ia b le and sensible w om an. A b o u t a y e ar after I had co m m en ced th is a p p ren tic e sh ip , m y fa th e r, finding th a t he could carry on his business to m o re a d v a n ­ tage in H ull, rem oved th ith e r w ith his fam ily. A n event o f no little im p o rta n c e to m e, as it in a g re at m ea su re influenced m y fu tu re destiny. H ull being o n e o f th e best p o rts in E ngland, a n d a place o f g re a t tra d e , m y fath er h a d th e re full e m p lo y m en t for his n u m ero u s w o rk m e n , particu larly in vessel w o rk . T h is n atu rally leading m e to a n a cq u a in ta n ce w ith th e sailors on b o a rd so m e o f the ships: th e m an y re m a rk a b le sto ries they told m e o f th eir voyages a n d ad v en tu res, and o f th e m an n e rs a n d custom s o f the n a tio n s they h a d seen, excited a stro n g wish in m e to visit foreign co u n tries, w hich w as increased by m y re ad in g th e voyages o f C a p ta in C o o k , a n d som e o th e r c eleb ra ted n a vigators. 1 Sir Joseph Banks, for m any years President o f the Royal Society, was a close com panion o f C aptain Jam es Cook on several voyages. Banks had an especial interest in botany and related scientific m at­ ters.

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T h u s passed th e fo u r y e ars th a t I lived at H ull, w here my fa th e r w as esteem ed by all w ho knew h im , as a w o rth y , indus­ trio u s, and th riv in g m an . A t this p e rio d a circu m stan ce occurred w hich a fforded m e the o p p o rtu n ity I had for som e tim e w ished, o f gratifying m y inclination o f g o in g a b ro a d . A m o n g o u r principal cu sto m e rs a t Hull w ere th e A m ericans w h o fre q u e n te d th a t p o r t, a n d from w h o se c o n v e rs a tio n m y fa th e r as well as m yself form ed th e m o st favourable o p in io n o f th a t c o u n try , as affording a n excellent field for th e ex ertio n s o f in d u stry , a n d a flattering p ro sp e ct for th e estab lish m en t o f a y o u n g m an in life. In th e su m m e r o f th e y e ar 1802, d u rin g the peace betw een E ngland a n d F ra n c e , th e sh ip B o sto n , b elonging to B oston, in M assachusetts, a n d c o m m a n d e d by C a p ta in J o h n Sal­ te r, arrived at H ull, w h ith er she cam e to ta k e on b o a rd a carg o o f such goo d s as w ere w anted for th e tra d e w ith th e In d ian s, o n the N o rth -W e st co ast o f A m erica, fro m w hence, a fte r h aving tak e n in a lading o f furs a n d skins, sh e w as to p ro ceed to C h in a, a n d from th e n c e h o m e to A m e ric a . T h e s h ip h a v in g o c c a sio n fo r m an y re p airs a n d alte ra tio n s, necessary fo r so long a voyage, th e c ap tain a pplied to m y fa th e r to do th e sm ith ’s w o rk , w hich w as very co n sid erab le. T h a t g e n tle m a n , w ho w as o f a social tu rn , used often to call a t m y fa th e r’s h o u se , w h ere h e passed m an y o f his evenings, w ith his c h ie f a n d seco n d m ates, M r. B. D elouisa and M r. W illiam In g rah a m , th e la tte r a fine yo u n g m an o f a b o u t tw enty, o f a m o st a m ia b le te m p e r, and o f such affable m anners, as g ained him th e love a n d a tta c h m e n t o f th e w hole crew . T hese gen tlem en used occasionally to ta k e m e w ith them to th e th ea tre , an am u sem en t w hich I w as very fond of, a n d w hich m y father ra th e r e n co u ra g ed th an objected to, as h e th o u g h t it a good m ea n s o f p re v en tin g yo u n g m en, w ho a re naturally inclined to seek for so m e th in g to a m u se th e m , from freq u e n tin g taverns, ale-houses, a n d places o f b a d reso rt, equally d estru ctiv e o f the health a n d m o rals, w hile th e stag e frequently furnishes excellent lessons o f m o rality and g o o d c onduct. In th e evenings th a t he passed at m y fa th e r’s. C a p ta in Salter, w ho had for a g re at n u m b er o f years been a t sea, a n d seen alm ost all p a rts o f th e w orld, used so m e tim es to speak o f his voyages, a n d , observing m e listen w ith m uch a tte n tio n to his re la tio n s, he o n e day, w hen I had b ro u g h t him som e w o rk , said to m e in ra th e r a jo c o se m an n e r, “ Jo h n , h o w should you like to go with m e? " I answ ered, th at it w ould give m e g re at pleasure, th a t I had for a long tim e w ished to visit foreign c o u n tries, particu larly A m erica, w hich I had been told so m an y fine sto ries of, a n d th at if m y fath er w ould give his c o n se n t, a n d h e w as w illing to tak e m e w ith h im , I w ould go.

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“ I shall be very glad to d o it,” said he, “ if y o u r fa th e r can be p revailed on to let you go; a n d as 1 w an t an e x p ert sm ith for an a rm o u re r, th e o n e I have sh ip p e d for th a t p u rp o se n o t being sufficiently m aste r o f his tra d e , I have no d o u b t th a t y o u will answ er m y tu rn well, as I perceive you a re b o th active and ingenious, a n d on m y re tu rn to A m e ric a I shall p ro b a b ly be ab le to d o som eth in g m uch b e tte r for y o u in B oston. I will ta k e the first o p p o rtu n ity o f speaking to y o u r fath er a b o u t it, a n d try to p e rsu ad e him to c o n se n t.” H e accordingly, th e next evening th a t h e called a t o u r house, in tro d u c e d th e subject: m y fath er a t first w ould n o t listen to th e p ro p o sa l. T h a t best o f p a re n ts, tho u g h a n x io u s for m y a d v an tag e o u s e stab lish m en t in life, could n o t bear to th in k o f p a rtin g w ith m e, b u t on C a p ta in S alter’s telling him o f w h a t benefit it w ould b e to m e to go th e voyage w ith h im , and th a t it w as a p ity to k e ep a p ro m isin g a n d in g en io u s yo u n g fellow like m yself con fin ed to a sm all sh o p in E ngland, w hen if I had to le rab le success I m ight d o so m u ch b e tte r in A m erica, w here w ages w ere m uch h igher a n d living c h eap er, h e a t length g a v e up his objectio n s, a n d consented th a t I sho u ld sh ip on b o a rd the B o sto n as an a rm o u re r, at th e ra te o f th irty d o lla rs p e r m o n th , w ith a n a g ree m e n t th a t th e a m o u n t due to m e, to g e th e r w ith a c ertain sum o f m o n ey , w hich m y fath er gave C a p ta in S alter for th a t p u rp o se , sh o u ld be laid o u t by him o n th e N o rth -W e st coast in th e p u rch ase o f furs for m y a cc o u n t, to be d isposed o f in C h in a for such goo d s as w ould yield a p rofit on th e re tu rn o f th e ship; m y fath er being solicitous to give m e every ad v an tag e in his p o w e r o f well establishing m yself in m y tra d e in B oston, o r som e o th e r m aritim e tow n o f A m erica. Such w ere th e flattering expec­ ta tio n s w hich this g o o d m an indulged respecting m e. A las! the fatal d isa ster th a t befell us, n o t only b lasted all these h opes, but involved m e in ex trem e distress a n d w retchedness for a long pe rio d after. T h e ship, h aving u n d e rg o n e a th o ro u g h re p a ir a n d b e en well co p p ere d , p ro ceed ed to ta k e on b o a rd h e r carg o , w hich consisted o f English cloths, D u tc h b lan k e ts, looking-glasses, beads, knives, razo rs, etc., w hich w ere received from H olland, som e su g a r and m olasses, a b o u t tw enty hogsheads o f ru m , including stores for the ship, a g re at q u a n tity o f a m m u n itio n , cutlasses, pistols, a n d th ree th o u sa n d m uskets a n d fow ling-pieces. T h e sh ip being load ed and ready for sea, as I w as p re p a rin g for m y d e p a rtu re , m y fath er cam e to m e, a n d , tak in g m e a sid e, said to m e w ith m uch e m o ­ tio n , “ Jo h n , I am now g oing to p a rt w ith y o u , a n d H eaven only know s if w e shall ever again m ee t. But in w h a tev e r p a rt o f the w orld y o u are, alw ays b e a r it in m in d , th a t on y o u r ow n co n d u ct will d e p en d y o u r success in life. Be hon est, in dustrious, frugal.

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a n d tem p e ra te , a n d you will n o t fail, in w h atso ev er c o u n try it m ay be y o u r lot to b e placed , to gain y o u rse lf friends. Let th e B ible b e y o u r g u id e, and y o u r reliance in any fo rtu n e th a t m ay befall y o u , th a t A lm ighty B eing, w ho k n o w s how to b rin g forth g o o d from evil, a n d w ho never d eserts th o se w ho p u t th e ir trust in H im .” H e re p ea te d his e x h o rta tio n s to m e to lead an honest a n d C h ristia n life, a n d to recollect th a t I h a d a father, a m o th er, a b ro th e r, a n d sister, w ho co u ld n o t but feel a stro n g in te rest in my w elfare, e n jo in in g m e to w rite him by th e first o p p o rtu n ity th a t sho u ld offer to E ngland, from w hatever p a rt o f th e w orld I m ig h t b e in, m o re particu larly o n m y arrival in B oston. T h is I p ro m ised to d o , b u t long u n h a p p ily w as it before I w as ab le to fulfil th is p ro m ise. I then to o k a n affectio n ate leave o f m y w orthy p a re n t, w hose feelings w ould h ardly p e rm it him to sp e a k , and, b id d in g an affe c tio n a te farew ell to m y b ro th e r, sister, a n d ste p ­ m o th e r, w ho expressed th e g re atest solicitu d e for m y fu tu re for­ tu n e , w en t on b o a rd th e ship, w hich p ro c ee d ed to th e D o w n s, to b e read y fo r th e first fav o u rab le w ind. I found m yself well accom ­ m o d a te d on b o a rd as reg ard e d m y w o rk , a n iron forge having been erected on deck; this m y fa th e r h a d m a d e for th e sh ip on a new plan, for w hich h e a fte rw a rd s o b ta in e d a p a te n t; w hile a c o rn e r o f th e steerag e w as a p p ro p ria te d to m y vice-bench, so th a t in b a d w eath er I could w o rk below .

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2

Voyage to Nootka Sound O n th e th ird day o f S e p tem b e r, 1802, w e sailed from th e D ow ns w ith a fair w ind, in c o m p an y w ith tw e n ty -fo u r sail o f A m erican vessels, m o st o f w hich w ere b o u n d hom e. I w as sea-sick for a few o f th e first days, but it w as o f sh o rt co n tin u a n ce , a n d on m y recovery I found m yself in unco m m o n ly fine health a n d spirits, a n d w e n t to w o rk w ith alacrity a t m y forge, in p u ttin g in o rd e r so m e o f th e m u sk ets, and m aking daggers, knives, a n d sm all h a tc h ets fo r th e In d ian tra d e , w hile in w et a n d sto rm y w e ath e r I w as occu p ied below in filing and polishing th em . T h is w as m y e m p lo y m en t, h aving b u t little to do w ith sailing th e vessel, th o u g h I used occasionally to lend a han d in assisting th e se a m e n in tak in g in a n d m ak in g sail. A s I h a d never b efore b e en o u t o f sight o f lan d , I c a n n o t describ e m y sen satio n s, a fte r I h a d recovered from th e distressing effects o f sea-sickness, on view ing th e m ighty o cean by w hich I w as su rro u n d e d , b o u n d only by th e sky, w hile its w aves, rising in m o u n ta in s, seem ed every m o m e n t to th re a te n o u r ru in . M anifest as is th e h a n d o f Providence in preserving its c rea tu re s from d e stru ctio n , in n o instance is it m o re so th a n on th e g re at deep; for w h e th er w e consider in its tu m u ltu a ry m o tio n s th e w atery deluge th a t each m o m e n t m enaces to overw helm us, th e im m ense violence o f its shocks, th e little th a t in terp o ses betw een us and d e ath , a single plan k fo rm in g o u r only security, w hich, sho u ld it u n fo rtu n ately be lo o sen ed , w ould p lu n g e us at o n ce in to th e abyss, o u r g ra titu d e o u g h t strongly to be excited to w ard s th at su p e rin te n d in g D eity w ho in so w o n d erfu l a m an n e r su stain s o u r lives a m id th e w aves. W e h a d a p leasan t a n d fav o u ra b le passage o f tw enty-nine days to th e Island o f S t. C a th e rin e ,1 on th e co ast o f Brazils, w here th e c ap tain had d e te rm in e d to sto p for a few days to w ood and w ater. T his place belongs to th e P ortuguese. O n e n te rin g the h a rb o u r, w e w ere saluted by th e fo rt, w hich w e re tu rn e d . T he next day th e g o v e rn o r o f th e island c am e on b o a rd o f us w ith his suite; C a p ta in Salter received him w ith m uch respect, a n d invited him to d in e w ith h im , w hich h e accepted. T h e sh ip rem ain ed at St. C a th e rin e ’s fo u r days, d u rin g w hich tim e w e w ere busily em ployed in tak in g in w ood, w a ter, a n d fresh p rovisions, C a p ta in 1 i.e. th e Isla Santa C atharina.

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S alter th in k in g it best to furnish h im self here w ith a full supply for his voyage to th e N o rth -W e st co ast, so as n o t to be o b lig ed to sto p a t th e S andw ich Islands. St. C a th e rin e ’s is a very c o m m o ­ d io u s place fo r vessels to sto p a t th a t a re bo u n d ro u n d C ap e H o rn , as it a b o u n d s w ith sp rin g s o f fine w a ter, w ith excellent oranges, p lan ta in s, a n d b a n an as. H aving co m p leted o u r sto re s, w e p u t to sea, a n d o n the tw enty-fifth o f D ecem b er, at length passed C a p e H o rn , w hich we had m ade no less th an thirty-six days before, but w ere repeatedly forced back by c o n tra ry w inds, experiencing very ro u g h a n d te m ­ p e stu o u s w e ath e r in d oubling it. Im m ed iately a fte r passing C a p e H o rn , all o u r d a n g e rs and difficulties seem ed to b e at an end; th e w e ath e r b ecam e fine, and so little la b o u r w as necessary on b o a rd th e sh ip , th a t th e m en so o n recovered from th eir fatigue a n d w ere in excellent sp irits. A few days a fte r w e fell in w ith a n E nglish S o u th S ea w haling ship h om ew ard b o u n d , w hich w as th e only vessel we sp o k e w ith on o u r voyage. W e now to o k th e tra d e w ind o r m o n so o n , during w hich we enjoyed th e finest w e ath e r possible, so th a t fo r the space o f a fo rtn ig h t we w ere n o t obliged to reeve a topsail o r to m ak e a tac k , a n d so light w as th e d u ty a n d easy th e life o f the sailors du rin g this tim e, th a t th ey a p p e a re d th e hap p iest o f any p e o p le in th e w orld. C a p ta in S alter, w ho h a d been for m an y y ears in th e East In d ia tra d e , w as a m o st excellent se a m a n , a n d preserv ed th e strictest o rd e r a n d discipline on b o a rd his ship, th o u g h h e w as a m an o f m ild te m p e r a n d con ciliatin g m an n e rs, a n d d isposed to allow every indulgence to his m en , n o t inconsistent w ith their d u ty . W e h a d on b o a rd a fine b a n d o f m usic, w ith w hich on S atu rd ay nights, w hen th e w e ath e r w as p leasan t, w e w ere accus­ to m e d to b e regaled, th e c ap tain o rd e rin g them to play fo r several h o u rs for th e am u sem en t o f th e crew . T h is to m e w as m ost delightful, especially du rin g th e se ren e evenings we experienced in traversing th e S o u th ern O cean. As for m yself, du rin g th e day I w as co n stan tly o ccu p ied a t m y forge, in refitting o r rep airin g som e o f th e iro n w o rk o f th e vessel, b u t principally in m aking to m a h a w k s, daggers, etc., fo r th e N o rth -W e st coast. D u rin g th e first p a rt o f o u r voyage w e saw scarcely any fish, excepting som e w hales, a few sh a rk s, a n d flying fish; b u t a fter w eath erin g C a p e H o rn w e m et w ith n u m ero u s shoals o f sea po rp o ises, several o f w h o m w e c au g h t, a n d as w e h a d been for som e tim e w ith o u t fresh p rovisions, I fo u n d it not only a p a la ta ­ ble, b u t really a very excellent food. T o o n e w ho has never before

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seen th em , a shoal o f these fish 2 presents a very strik in g a n d sin g u lar a p p ea ran c e; beheld a t a d istan c e com ing to w ard s a vessel, they look not unlik e a g re at n u m b e r o f sm all black w aves rolling o v er o n e a n o th e r in a confused m a n n e r, a n d a p p ro ac h in g with g re a t sw iftness. A s soon as a shoal is seen, all is bustle a n d activity on b o a rd th e sh ip , th e g ra in s a n d th e h a rp o o n s are im m ediately g o t ready, a n d th o se w ho a re best skilled in throw ing th em ta k e th e ir stand a t th e b o w a n d alo n g th e gunw ale, a n x ­ iously aw aitin g th e w elcom e tro o p as they co m e, g am bolling and blow ing a ro u n d th e vessel, in search o f food. W h en pierced w ith th e h a rp o o n a n d d ra w n o n b o a rd , u n less th e fish is in sta n tly killed by th e stro k e , w hich rarely h a p p en s, it u tte rs m ost pitiful cries, greatly resem bling th o se o f a n infant. T h e flesh, cu t into ste ak s a n d bro iled , is not unlik e very coarse beef, and th e harslet in a p p e a ra n c e a n d taste is so m u ch like th a t o f a h og, th a t it w o u ld b e no easy m a tte r to d istin g u ish th e o n e from th e other; fro m this circu m stan ce th e sailors have given th e n a m e o f the h e rrin g h o g 3 to this fish. I w as to ld by so m e o f th e crew , th a t if o n e o f them h a p p en s to free itself from th e g ra in s o r h a rp o o n s, w hen stru c k , all th e oth ers, a ttra c te d by th e blo o d , im m ediately q u it th e sh ip a n d give chase to th e w o u n d e d o n e , and as so o n as they o v e rta k e it, im m ediately te a r it in pieces. W e also c au g h t a large sh a rk , w hich h a d follow ed th e sh ip for several days, w ith a ho o k w hich I m ad e for th e p u rp o se , and a lth o u g h th e flesh w as by no m eans equal to th at o f th e h errin g hog, yet to those de stitu te as we w ere o f anyth in g fresh, I fo u n d it e at very well. A fte r passing th e C a p e, w hen th e sea h a d b e co m e calm , w e saw g re a t n u m b ers o f albatrosses, a large brow n a n d w hite b ird o f the g o o se k in d , o n e o f w hich C a p ta in S alter sh o t, w hose w ings m e a ­ su re d from th e ir ex trem ities fifteen feet. O n e thin g , how ever, 1 m ust n o t om it m entio n in g , as it stru ck m e in a m o st sin g u lar and e x tra o rd in a ry m a n n e r. T h is w as, th a t on passing C ap e H o rn in D e ce m b er, w hich w as m id su m m e r in th a t c lim ate, th e nights w ere so light, w ith o u t any m o o n , th a t w e fo u n d no difficulty w hatever in read in g sm all p rin t, w hich w e frequently did d u rin g o u r w atches.

: porpoises are. o f course, not llsh, but m am m als. 1the English w ord porpoise is derived from the French nam e for this anim al, p o re poisson (i.e. pig fish). The nam e “ herring h o g " as given by Jew itt is obviously closely parallel.

3. Intercourse With the Natives Maquina - Seizure of the Vessel and Murder o f the Crew I n this m a n n e r, w ith a fair w ind a n d easy w e ath e r from th e 28th o f D ecem b er, th e p eriod o f o u r passing C a p e H o rn , w e pursued o u r voyage to th e n o rth w a rd until th e 12th o f M a rch , 1803, w hen w e m a d e W o o d y P oint in N o o tk a S o u n d , on th e N o rth -W e st co ast o f A m e ric a. W e im m ed iately sto o d up th e S o u n d for N o o tk a ,1 w h ere C a p ta in S alter h a d d e te rm in e d to sto p , in o rd e r to supply th e sh ip w ith w ood a n d w a ter b e fo re pro ceed in g up the co ast to tra d e . B ut in o rd e r to av o id th e risk o f an y m o lestatio n o r in te rru p tio n to his m en from th e In d ian s w hile th u s em p lo y ed , he p ro ceed ed w ith th e sh ip a b o u t five m iles to th e n o rth w a rd o f the village, w hich is situ ate d on F rie n d ly C o v e , a n d sent o u t his chief m ate w ith several o f th e crew in th e b o a t to find a g o o d place for an ch o rin g her. A fte r so u n d in g for so m e tim e, they re tu rn e d with in fo rm a tio n th a t th ey h a d disco v ered a secure place fo r a n c h o r­ age, on th e w estern side o f a n in let o r sm all bay, at a b o u t h a lf a m ile from th e co ast, n e ar a sm all island w hich p ro tec te d it from th e sea, and w h ere th ere w as p len ty o f w o o d a n d excellent w ater. T h e sh ip accordingly cam e to a n c h o r in this p lace, a t twelve o ’clock a t n ight, in tw elve fa th o m w ater, m u d d y b o tto m , a n d so n e ar th e sh o re th a t to p rev en t th e ship from w inding w e secured h e r by a haw ser to th e trees. O n th e m o rn in g o f th e next d ay , th e 13th, several o f the natives cam e o n b o a rd in a c a n o e from th e village o f N o o tk a , w ith th e ir k in g ,2 called M a q u in a , w ho a p p e a re d m uch p leased on

1 “ N o o tk a” is not an aboriginal nam e. It denotes variously the village o f Y uquot, th e trib e centred there (also know n as the Y uquot), and the region occupied by them on Friendly Cove. It was also used to denote the M oachat tribe. In later tim es the nam e N ootka has been generalized to the w hole group o f tribes and tribelets speaking dialects o f a com m on language, now also called N ootka. The prom ­ inence o f the nam e N o otka derives from the days o f th e m aritim e fur-trade. Y uquot and Friendly C ove were an im portant area o f contact between Indians an d traders. : the w ord “ kin g ,” often used in older accounts to denote political leaders o r prom inent m en am ong aboriginal peoples is not appropri-

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seeing us, a n d w ith g re a t seem ing c o rd iality w elcom ed C a p ta in Salter a n d his officers to his c o u n try . A s I h a d never before beheld a savage o f any n a tio n , it m ay readily b e su p p o sed th a t th e novelty o f th e ir a p p ea ran c e, so different from any peo p le th a t I had h ith e rto seen, excited in m e stro n g feelings o f su rp rise and curiosity. I w as, how ever, p a rticu la rly struck w ith th e looks o f th eir king, w ho w as a m an o f a dignified aspect, a b o u t six feet in height a n d extrem ely stra ig h t a n d well p ro p o rtio n e d ; his features w ere in general g o o d , a n d his face w as ren d ere d re m a rk a b le by a large R o m an nose, a very u n c o m m o n form o f featu re am ong these p eople; his com plexion w as o f a d a rk c o p p e r hue, tho u g h his face, legs, and a rm s w ere, on this occasion, so covered w ith red p a in t, th a t th eir n a tu ra l c o lo u r co u ld scarcely b e perceived; his e yebrow s w ere p a in te d black in tw o b ro a d strip es like a new m o o n , a n d his long black h a ir, w hich sh o n e w ith oil, w as fastened in a bunch on th e to p o f his h e a d a n d stew ed o r p o w d e red all over w ith w h ite d o w n , w hich gave him a m o st c u rio u s a n d e x tr a o r d in a r y a p p e a ra n c e . H e w as d re sse d in a la rg e m a n tle o r cloak o f th e black se a -o tte r skin, w hich reached to his knees, and was fastened a ro u n d his m id d le by a b ro a d b elt o f th e cloth o f th e c o u n try , w ro u g h t o r p a in te d w ith figures o f several c olours; this dress w as by no m eans u n b e co m in g , b u t, on th e c o n tra ry , h a d an a ir o f savage m agnificence. H is m en w ere h a b ite d in m antles o f th e sa m e clo th , w hich is m ad e fro m th e b ark o f a tre e ,3 a n d has som e resem b lan ce to stra w m attin g ; th ese a re nearly sq u a re , and have tw o holes in th e u p p e r p a rt large e n ough to a d m it th e arm s; they reach as low as th e knees, a n d are fastened ro u n d their b o d ies w ith a belt a b o u t fo u r inches b ro a d o f th e sa m e cloth. F ro m his having frequently visited th e E nglish a n d A m erican ships th a t trad e d to th e coast, M a q u in a had lea rn ed th e significa­ tio n o f a n u m b e r o f English w o rd s, a n d in general could m ak e him self p re tty well u n d e rsto o d by us in o u r ow n language. H e w as alw ays th e first to go on b o a rd such sh ip s as c am e to N o o tk a , w hich h e w as m uch p leased in visiting; even w hen he had no tra d e to offer, as h e alw ays received som e sm all p re sen t, and w as in general extrem ely well tre a te d by th e c o m m a n d ers. H e

ate, n o r are the related term s “ qu een ,” “ prince” and “ princess.” All o f th ese n am es m ay d e n o te n o th in g m o re th an a m em b er o f the upper class. “ K ing” is probably best approxim ated (but only approx­ im ated) by the w ord “ chief.” 3 probably bark o f the red cedar (Thuja gigantea); although the bark o f yellow cedar (T h u ja p lica ta ) and w hite pine (Pinus sp.) w ere also used, red cedar is alm ost certainly the on e alluded to here.

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rem ain ed on b o a rd o f us for som e tim e, d u rin g w hich th e c ap tain to o k him into th e cabin a n d tre a te d him w ith a glass o f rum th ese p eople bein g very fond o f distilled s p i r i t s - a n d so m e biscuit a n d m olasses, w hich they p re fe r to any k in d o f food th a t w e can offer them . A s th ere a re seldom m an y furs to be purch ased a t th is place, a n d it w as not fully th e se a so n , C a p ta in S alter had put in here n o t so m uch w ith an e x p ec ta tio n o f trad in g , as to p ro c u re an a m p le stock o f w o o d a n d w a ter fo r th e sup p ly o f th e sh ip on th e c o ast, th in k in g it m o re p ru d e n t to ta k e it on b o a rd a t N o o tk a , from th e g enerally friendly d isp o sitio n o f th e p e o p le , th an to e n d an g e r th e safety o f his m en in sending them on sh o re for th at p u rp o se a m o n g th e m o re ferocious natives o f th e n o rth . W ith th is view , we im m ediately set a b o u t gettin g o u r w atercasks in readiness, and th e next a n d tw o succeeding days, p a rt o f th e crew w ere se n t on sh o re to cut p in e tim b e r, a n d assist the c a rp e n te r in m ak in g it into y a rd s a n d spars for th e sh ip , while th o se on b o a rd w ere em ployed in refittin g th e rigging, rep airin g th e sails, etc., w hen w e p ro ceed ed to ta k e in o u r w ood a n d w ater as expeditiously as possible, du rin g w hich tim e I k e p t m yself b u sily e m p lo y e d in re p a irin g th e m u sk e ts , m a k in g k n iv es, to m a x e s,4 etc., a n d d oing such ironw ork as w as w an ted fo r th e ship. M e a n tim e m o re o r less o f th e natives cam e on b o a rd o f us daily, b ringing w ith them fresh sa lm o n , w ith w hich they supplied us in g reat p lenty, receiving in re tu rn so m e trilling articles. C a p ­ ta in S alter w as alw ays very p a rtic u la r, before a d m ittin g these p e o p le on b o a rd , to see th a t they had no arm s a b o u t th em , by obliging them indiscrim inately to th ro w o ff th eir g a rm e n ts, so th at h e felt perfectly secure from any a tta c k . O n th e 15th the king c am e on b o a rd w ith several o f his chiefs; h e w as dressed as b e fo re in his m agnificent o tte r-sk in robe, having his face highly p a in te d , a n d his h a ir tossed w ith th e w hite d o w n , w hich lo o k ed like snow . H is chiefs w ere dressed in m antles o f th e c o u n try cloth o f its natu ral co lo u r, w hich is a pale yellow; these w ere o rn a m e n te d w ith a b ro a d b o rd e r, p a in te d o r w rought in figures o f several colours, rep resen tin g m e n 's h ead s, various anim als, etc., a n d secured a ro u n d them by a belt like th a t o f the k ing, from w hich it w as d istinguished only by being narro w er; th e dress o f th e co m m o n p eople is o f th e sam e fashion, a n d differs from th at o f th e chiefs in being o f a c o arse r tex tu re, a n d p ainted re d , o f o n e u n ifo rm colour. 4 i.e. the small hatchets, a com m on item in the fur-trade, m ore com ­ m only know n as tom ahaw ks.

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C a p ta in S a ite r in v ite d M a q u in a a n d h is c h ie fs to d in e w ith h im , a n d it w as c u rio u s to see how these p e o p le (w hen they eat) seat them selves (in th eir co u n try fashion, u p o n o u r c h airs) w ith th eir feet u n d e r th em crossed like T u rk s. T h ey c a n n o t e n d u re th e taste o f salt, a n d th e only th in g th ey w ould e at w ith us w as th e ship b re a d , w hich they w ere very fond of, especially w hen dipped in m olasses; they h a d also a g re at liking for tea a n d coffee w hen well sw eetened. A s iron w eap o n s a n d to o ls o f alm ost every kind are in m u ch req u est a m o n g th e m , w henever they cam e on b o a rd they w ere alw ays very a tte n tiv e to m e, c row ding a ro u n d m e a t th e forge, as if to see in w h at m a n n e r I d id m y w o rk , a n d in th is way becam e q u ite fam iliar, a c ircu m stan ce, as will be seen in th e en d , o f g re at im p o rta n ce to m e. T h e salm o n w hich they b ro u g h t us furnished a m ost d elicious tre a t to m en w ho for a long tim e had lived w holly on salt provisions, excepting such few .sea fish as we h a d th e g o o d fo rtu n e occasionally to take. W e indeed feasted m ost luxuriously, a n d flattered ourselves th a t w e should n o t w an t w hile on th e co ast for plenty o f fresh p rovisions, little im agining th e fate th a t aw aited us, a n d th a t this d a in ty food w as to prove th e u n fo rtu n a te lure to o u r d estru ctio n ! O n th e 19th th e king cam e a g ain on b o a rd , a n d w as invited by th e c ap tain to dine w ith him . H e h a d m uch co n v ersatio n w ith C a p ta in Salter, a n d inform ed him th a t th ere w ere plenty o f wild ducks a n d geese n e a r F riendly C ove, on w hich th e cap tain m ad e him a p resen t o f a d o u b le-b a rrelled fow ling-piece, w ith w hich he a p p e a re d to be greatly pleased, a n d so o n after w ent o n shore. O n th e 20th w e w ere nearly read y for o u r d e p a rtu re having tak e n in w h at w ood a n d w ater w e w ere in w an t of. T h e next day M a q u in a cam e on b o a rd w ith n in e p a ir o f wild ducks, as a p resen t; a t th e sam e tim e he b ro u g h t w ith him the g un, o n e o f th e locks o f w hich he h a d b ro k e n , telling th e c ap tain th a t it w as p e s h a k , 5 th a t is, b a d . C a p ta in S a lte r w as v ery m u ch o ffended a t this o b se rv atio n , a n d , c onsidering it as a m ark o f c o n te m p t for his presen t, he called th e king a liar, a d d in g o th e r o p p ro b rio u s term s, a n d , tak in g th e g u n from h im , tossed it in d ig ­ nantly into th e cab in , a n d , calling m e to him , said , “ Jo h n , this fellow has b ro k e n this beautiful fow ling-piece, see if y o u can m end it.” O n e xam ining it, I told him th a t it co u ld be d o n e . A s I have alread y o bserved, M a q u in a knew a n u m b e r o f English w o rd s, a n d unfo rtu n ately u n d e rsto o d b u t to o well th e m ean in g o f th e re proachful term s th a t th e c a p ta in a d d ressed to him . H e said n o t a w ord in reply, b u t his c o u n te n a n c e sufficiently expressed the 5 peshak is not a Nootkan word, but belongs to the Chinook Jargon trade language.

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rage h e felt, th o u g h h e ex erted h im self to suppress it, a n d I o bserved h im , w hile the c ap tain w as sp e a k in g , repeatedly p u t his han d to his th ro a t, and rub it u p o n his b o so m , w hich he a fte r­ w ard s told m e w as to keep dow n his h e art, w hich w as rising into his th ro a t a n d cho k in g him . H e so o n a fte r w ent on sh o re w ith his m en evidently m u ch d iscom posed. O n th e m o rn in g o f th e 22nd th e natives cam e o ff to us as usual w ith sa lm o n , and re m a in e d on b o a rd ; w hen a b o u t noon M a q u in a c am e alongside, w ith a c o n sid erab le n u m b e r o f his chiefs a n d m en in th eir can o es, w ho, a fte r going th ro u g h the c u sto m a ry e x am in atio n , w ere a d m itte d into th e ship. H e had a w histle in his h a n d , and o v er his face a very ugly m ask o f w ood, rep resen tin g th e h e ad o f som e w ild beast, a p p e a re d to b e re m a rk ­ ably g o o d -h u m o u re d a n d gay, a n d w hilst his p eople sang and c ap e re d a b o u t th e d eck , e n te rta in in g us w ith a variety o f an tic trick a n d gestures, he blew his w histle to a k in d o f tu n e w hich seem ed to re g u la te th eir m o tio n s. A s C a p ta in S alter w as w alking on th e q u a rte r-d ec k , a m using h im self w ith th e ir d ancing, th e king c am e up to him a n d in q u ire d w h e n h e in ten d ed to go to sea? H e answ ered, “ T o -m o rro w .” M a q u in a th en said , “ Y ou love salm on - m u c h in F rie n d ly C ove, w hy n o t go th e re a n d catch som e?” T h e c a p ta in th o u g h t th a t it w o u ld b e v ery d e s ira b le to h a v e a g o o d supply o f th ese fish for th e voyage, a n d , on con su ltin g w ith M r. D elo u isa, it w as agreed to send p a rt o f th e crew on shore a fte r d in n e r w ith th e seine, in o rd e r to p ro c u re a quan tity . M a q u in a a n d his chiefs stayed and d in ed on b o a rd , a n d after d in n e r th e c h ie f m ate w en t o ff w ith n in e m en in th e jo lly -b o a t a n d yawl, to fish a t F rie n d ly C ove, h aving set th e stew ard on sh o re at o u r w aterin g place, to w ash th e c a p ta in ’s clothes. Shortly a fte r th e d e p a rtu re o f th e b o a ts, I w ent do w n to m y vice-bench in th e steerage, w h ere 1 w as em ployed in cleaning m uskets. I h a d n o t been th e re m o re th an a n h o u r, w hen I heard th e m en hoistin g in th e lo n g b o at, w hich, in a few m in u tes after, w as succeeded by a g re at bustle a n d c onfusion o n d eck . 1 im m e­ d iately ra n u p th e steerage sta irs, but scarcely w as m y h e ad above d eck , w hen I w as cau g h t by th e h air by o n e o f th e savages, and lifted from m y feet; fo rtu n ately for m e, m y h a ir being sh o rt, and th e rib b o n w ith w hich it w as tied slipping, I fell from his hold into th e steerage. As I w as falling h e struck at m e w ith a n axe, w hich cu t a d e ep gash in m y fo reh e a d , a n d p e n etrate d th e skull, b u t in co n seq u en ce o f his losing his hold I luckily escaped th e full force o f th e blow , w hich o th erw ise w ould have cleft m y head in tw o. I fell, stu n n e d a n d senseless, u p o n th e floor; how long I c o n tin u e d in this situ atio n I kn o w n o t, but o n recovering m y

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senses, th e first th in g th a t I d id w as to try to g et u p , but so w eak was I, from th e loss o f b lo o d , th a t I fain ted a n d fell. I was, how ever, soon recalled to m y recollection by th re e loud sh o u ts o r yells fro m th e savages, w hich c onvinced m e th a t they had got possession o f th e ship. It is im possible for m e to d escrib e m y feelings a t this terrific so u n d . S o m e fain t idea m ay be fo rm ed o f them by those w ho have know n w h at is it to h a lf w aken fro m a h ideous dream a n d still th in k it real. N ev er, n o , nev er shall I lose from m y m ind th e im pression o f th a t dread fu l m o m e n t. I expected every instan t to share th e w retched fate o f m y u n fo rtu n ­ a te c o m p a n io n s, a n d w hen I h e ard th e song o f triu m p h , by w hich these infernal yells w as succeeded, m y b lood ran cold in m y veins. H aving a t length sufficiently recovered m y senses to look a ro u n d m e, a fte r w iping th e b lo o d from m y eyes, I saw th a t the hatch o f th e steerage w as sh u t. T h is w as d o n e , as I afte rw a rd s discovered, by o rd e r o f M a q u in a, w ho, on seeing th e savage strik e a t m e w ith th e axe, told h im n o t to h u rt m e, fo r th a t I was th e a rm o u re r, a n d w ould be useful to them in re p airin g th eir arm s; w hile a t th e sam e tim e , to p revent any o f his m en from injuring m e, h e had th e hatch closed. B ut to m e this circu m stan ce w ore a very differen t a p p ea ran c e, for I th o u g h t th a t these b a rb a ri­ an s h a d only prolo n g ed m y life in o rd e r to d ep riv e m e o f it by th e m o st cruel to rtu re s. I rem ain ed in this h o rrid sta te o f suspense for a very long tim e, w hen a t length th e hatch w as o p e n ed , a n d M a q u in a , calling m e by n a m e , o rd e re d m e to c o m e u p . I g ro p e d m y w ay up as well as I w as able, being a lm o st b linded w ith th e b lood th a t flowed from m y w o u n d , and so w eak as w ith difficulty to w alk. T he king, on perceiving m y situ a tio n , o rd e re d o n e o f his m en to b ring a p o t o f w ater to w ash th e b lood from m y face, w hich having d o n e , I w as ab le to see d istinctly w ith o n e o f m y eyes, but th e o th e r w as so sw ollen from m y w o u n d , th a t it w as closed. But w hat a terrific spectacle m et m y eyes: six nak ed savages, sta n d in g in a circle a ro u n d m e, covered w ith th e blood o f m y m u rd ered co m rad es, w ith th e ir daggers uplifted in th e ir h a n d s, p re p are d to strike. I now th o u g h t m y last m o m e n t had co m e, a n d re co m ­ m ended m y soul to m y M ak er. T h e king, w ho, as I have a lre ad y o bserved, knew e nough o f English to m ak e h im self u n d e rsto o d , e n te red th e circle, a n d , placing h im self before m e, a ddressed m e nearly in th e follow ing w o rd s: “ J o h n - I sp e a k - y o u n o sa y n o ; Y o u sa y n o - d a g g e r s c o m e !” H e then asked m e if I w o u ld b e his slave d u rin g m y life — if I w ould fight for him in his battles, if I w ould re p air his m uskets and m ak e daggers a n d knives for h i m - w i t h several

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o th e r questions, to all o f w hich I w as careful to answ er, yes. H e then told m e th a t h e w ould spare m y life, a n d o rd e re d m e to kiss his h an d s a n d feet to show m y subm ission to him , w hich I d id . In th e m ean tim e his p eople w ere very c la m o ro u s to have m e put to d e a th , so th a t th e re should be n o n e o f us left to tell o u r story to o u r c o u n try m en , a n d p rev en t th em from com ing to tra d e w ith them ; but th e king in th e m o st d e te rm in e d m an n e r o p p o se d th eir w ishes, and to his favour am I w holly in d eb ted for m y being yet a m o n g th e living. A s I w as busy a t w ork a t th e tim e o f th e a tta c k , I was w ith o u t m y c o at, and w h at w ith th e coldness o f th e w e ath e r, m y feebleness from loss o f blo o d , th e pain o f m y w o u n d , a n d th e ex trem e a g ita tio n and te rro r th a t I still felt, I sho o k like a leaf, w hich th e king observing, w ent in to th e c ab in , a n d , b ringing up a g re atco a t th a t belonged to th e c a p ta in , th rew it o v er m y sh o u l­ d ers, telling m e to d rin k som e ru m from a b o ttle w hich he h a n d ed m e, a t th e sam e tim e giving m e to u n d e rstan d th at it w ould be g o o d for m e, and k e ep m e tro m trem b lin g as I did. I to o k a d ra u g h t o f it, a fte r w hich, tak in g m e by th e h a n d , he led m e to th e q u a rte r-d ec k , w here th e m o st h o rrid sight presented itself th a t ever m y eyes w itnessed. T h e heads o f o u r u n fo rtu n a te c ap tain a n d his crew , to th e n u m b e r o f tw enty-five, w ere all a rra n g e d in a lin e , a n d M a q u in a , o rd e rin g o n e o f h is p e o p le to b ring a h ead , asked m e w hose it w as: I answ ered, th e c a p ta in ’s. In like m a n n e r th e o th e rs w ere show ed m e, a n d I told him the n am es, excepting a few th a t w ere so ho rrib ly m angled th a t I was n o t able to recognise th em . I now discovered th a t all o u r u n fo rtu n a te crew h a d been m assacred, a n d learned th at, after g e ttin g possession o f th e ship, th e savages h a d b ro k e op en th e a rm -ch est and m ag azin e, and, supplying them selves w ith a m m u n itio n a n d arm s, sent a p arty on sh o re to a tta ck o u r m en, w ho had g o n e th ith e r to fish, a n d , being jo in e d by n u m b ers from th e village, w ith o u t difficulty ov erp o w ­ e red and m u rd e re d th em , a n d , c u ttin g o ff th eir h ead s, b ro u g h t them on b o a rd , a fte r th ro w in g th eir bodies into th e sea. On looking u p o n th e deck, I saw it entirely covered w ith th e blood o f m y p o o r c o m ra d es, w hose th ro a ts h a d been cut w ith th e ir ow n jack -k n iv es, th e savages having seized th e o p p o rtu n ity , w hile they w ere busy in hoisting in th e b o a t, to g ra p p le w ith th em , and o v e rp o w er them by th eir nu m b ers; in th e scuffle th e cap tain was th ro w n o v e rb o a rd , a n d d esp atch ed by those in th e can o es, who im m ediately cu t o ff his h e ad . W h at I felt on this occasion, m ay be m o re readily conceived th a n expressed. A fte r I h a d a n sw e re d his q u e s tio n s , M a q u in a to o k m y silk

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h a n d k erc h ie f from m y neck a n d b o u n d it a ro u n d m y h e ad , plac­ ing o v er th e w o u n d a le a f o f to b ac co , o f w hich w e had a q u an tity o n b o a rd . T h is w as d o n e at m y d e sire, as I had often fo u n d , from p erso nal experience, th e benefit o f this ap p lic atio n to cuts. M a q u in a then o rd e re d m e to g et th e sh ip u n d e r w eigh for F riendly C ove. T h is I did by c u ttin g th e cables, a n d se n d in g som e o f th e natives alo ft to loose th e sails, w hich they p e rfo rm e d in a very bungling m an n e r. But th ey succeeded so far in loosing th e jib a n d top-sails, th a t, w ith th e a d v an tag e o f fair w ind, I suc­ ceeded in gettin g th e sh ip into th e C ove, w here, by o rd e r o f th e king, I ran h e r a sh o re on a san d y beach, at eight o ’clock at night.

4 Reception of Jewitt by the Savages - Escape of Thompson Arrival of Neighbouring T ribesan Indian Feast. W e w ere received by th e in h a b ita n ts o f th e village, m en , w om en, a n d ch ild ren , w ith loud sh o u ts o f jo y , a n d a m o st h o rrib le d ru m ­ m ing w ith sticks upon th e roofs a n d sides o f th e ir houses, in w hich they h a d also stuck a g re at n u m b e r o f lighted p in e torches, to w elcom e th e ir k in g ’s re tu rn , a n d c o n g ratu la te him o n the success o f his en terp rise. M a q u in a th en took m e on sh o re to his h ouse, w hich w as very large, a n d filled w ith p e o p le - w h e r e I w as received w ith m uch kindness by th e w om en, p a rticu la rly th o se belonging to th e king, w ho had no less th an n in e w ives, all o f w h o m cam e a ro u n d m e, expressing m u ch sym pathy for m y m isfo rtu n e, gently stro k in g and p a ttin g m y h e ad in a n e n co u rag in g a n d so o th in g m a n n e r, w ith w o rd s expressive o f cond o len ce. H ow sw eet is co m p assio n even from savages! T h o se w ho h a v e been in a sim ilar situ a tio n , can a lo n e truly a p p re c ia te its value. In th e m e a n tim e all th e w a rrio rs o f th e trib e , to th e n u m b er o f five h u n d re d , h a d assem bled a t th e k in g ’s h ouse, to rejoice for th e ir success. T h ey exulted greatly in h aving tak e n o u r sh ip , and each o n e b o a sted o f his ow n p a rtic u la r ex p o its in killing o u r m en, b u t they w ere in general m uch dissatisfied w ith m y h aving been suffered to live, a n d w ere very u rg e n t w ith M a q u in a to deliv er m e to th em , to be p u t to d e ath , w hich h e o b stin ately refused to do, telling th em th a t he h a d pro m ised m e m y life, and w ould not b re ak his w o rd ; a n d th a t, besides, I knew how to re p air and to m ak e arm s, a n d should be o f g re at use to them . T h e k in g th en seated m e by him , a n d o rd e re d his w om en to b ring him so m e th in g to e a t, w hen they set before him so m e dried clam s a n d tra in -o il,1 o f w hich he a te very heartily, a n d e ncour-' 1 train-oil is a generic nam e for fish o r sea m am m al oil used as a relish in which to dip food. In m any areas o f the N orthw est Coast eulachon oil was th e m ost com m on, although the oil o f o ther fishes and seals was also used. T he basic source o f oil for the N ootka was

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aged m e to follow his exam ple, telling m e to eat m uch, a n d ta k e a g re a t deal o f oil, w hich w o u ld m ak e m e stro n g and fat. N o t­ w ith stan d in g his praise o f this new kind o f food, I felt no d isp o si­ tion to indulge in it, b o th th e sm ell and taste being lo ath so m e to m e; a n d had it been o therw ise, such w as th e pain I e n d u re d , th e a g ita tio n o f m y m in d , a n d th e g loom iness o f m y reflections, th a t I sho u ld have felt very little in clin atio n for eating. N o t satisfied w ith his first refusal to deliver m e up to them , th e p e o p le again b ecam e cla m o ro u s th at M a q u in a should con sen t to m y being killed, saying th a t n o t o n e o f us o u g h t to b e left alive to give in fo rm a tio n to o th e rs o f o u r c o u n try m en , a n d p revent them from c o m in g to trad e , o r induce th em to revenge th e d e stru ctio n o f o u r ship, and they a t length b e ca m e so bo istero u s, th a t h e caught up a large club in a passio n , a n d d ro v e th em all o u t o f th e house. D u rin g this scene, a son o f th e king, a b o u t eleven y ears o ld , a ttrac ted n o ' d o u b t by th e sin g u larity o f m y a p p e a ra n c e , c am e up to m e: I caressed him ; h e re tu rn e d m y a tte n tio n s w ith m uch a p p a re n t pleasure, a n d considering this as a fo rtu n ate o p p o rtu n ity to gain th e g o o d will o f th e father, 1 to o k th e child on m y k n ee, a n d , c u ttin g th e m etal b u tto n s from o ff the c o a t I had o n , I tied them a ro u n d his neck. A t this he w as highly d e lig h ted , and b ecam e so m uch a tta c h e d to m e, th a t he w ould not q u it m e. T h e king a p p e a re d m uch p leased w ith m y a tte n tio n to his son, a n d , telling m e th a t it w as tim e to go to sleep, d irec te d m e to lie w ith his son next to him , as h e w as afraid lest som e o f his p e o p le w o u ld c o m e w h ile he w a s a sle e p a n d kill m e w ith th e ir daggers. I lay do w n as he o rd e re d m e, b u t n e ith e r th e sta te o f m y m in d n o r th e p a in I felt w ould allow m e to sleep. A b o u t m id n ig h t 1 w as greatly ala rm e d by th e a p p ro ac h o f one o f th e natives, w ho cam e to give in fo rm a tio n to th e king th a t th ere w as o n e o f th e w hite m en alive, w ho had k n o c k ed him d o w n as he w ent on b o a rd th e sh ip a t n ig h t. T h is M a q u in a c o m m u n icated to m e, giving m e to u n d e rstan d th a t as soon as th e su n ro se he should kill him . I en d ea v o u red to p e rsu ad e him to sp a re his life, b ut h e b a d e m e b e silent a n d go to sleep. I said no th in g m ore, b u t lay revolving in m y m ind w h a t m eth o d I could devise to save th e life o f this m an . W h a t a c o n so latio n , th o u g h t I, w as a h a ppiness w ould it p ro v e to m e in m y forlorn sta te a m o n g these h eath en s, to have a C hristian a n d o n e o f m y ow n c o u n try m en for harp o o n ed o r beached whales. M uch o f this oil was used in a ferm ented state, in which it has a very strong od o u r and taste. This is why Jew itt was disgusted by it.

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a c o m p a n io n , a n d how greatly w ould it alleviate and lighten the b u rd e n o f m y slavery. A s I w as th in k in g o f som e p lan for his p re serv a tio n ; it all at o n c e c am e into m y m ind th a t th is m an w as p ro b ab ly th e sailm a k e r o f th e sh ip , n a m e d T h o m p s o n , as I h a d not seen h is head a m o n g th o se on d eck , a n d knew th a t he w as below at w o rk upon sa ils n o t lo n g b e fo re th e a tta c k . T h e m o re I th o u g h t o f it, th e m o re p ro b a b le it a p p e a re d to m e, a n d as T h o m p so n w as a m an nearly forty y ears o f age, a n d h a d an old look, I conceived it w ould be easy to m a k e him pass for m y fa th e r, a n d by th is m eans prevail on M a q u in a to sp a re his life. T o w a rd s m o rn in g I fell into a dose, but w as aw ak en ed w ith th e first beam s o f th e su n by the k ing, w ho to ld m e h e w as g o in g to kill th e m an w ho w as on b o a rd th e sh ip , a n d o rd e re d m e to acc o m p a n y him . I rose and follow ed him , leading w ith m e th e you n g prince, his son. O n com ing to th e beach, I fo u n d all th e m en o f th e tribe assem bled. T h e k in g a ddressed th e m , saying th a t o n e o f th e w hite m en h a d been fo u n d alive on b o a rd th e sh ip , a n d re q u este d their o p in io n as to saving his life o r p u ttin g him to d e ath . T h ey w ere u n a n im o u sly for th e latter. T h is d e te rm in a tio n h e m a d e k n o w n to m e. H aving a rra n g e d m y p lan , I asked him , p o in tin g to th e boy, w hom I still held by th e h a n d , if h e loved his son. H e answ ered th a t he d id . I th en asked th e child if he loved his fa th e r, a n d on his replying in th e affirm ative, I said , “ A n d I also love m in e .” I th en th rew m yself on m y knees a t M a q u in a ’s feet, a n d im plored h im , w ith te a rs in m y eyes, to sp a re m y fa th e r’s life, if th e m an o n b o a rd sho u ld prove to b e h im , telling him th a t if h e killed my fa th e r, it w as m y w ish th a t h e sh o u ld kill m e to o , a n d th a t if he d id n o t, I w o u ld kill m y s e lf - a n d th a t h e w ould th u s lose my services; w h ereas, by sparing m y fa th e r’s life, h e w ould preserve m ine, w hich w o u ld be o f g re a t a d v an tag e to h im , by m y rep airin g a n d m ak in g a rm s for him . M a q u in a a p p e a re d m oved by m y e n tre aties, a n d p rom ised not to p u t th e m an to d e a th if he sho u ld b e m y father. H e then ex p lain ed to his peo p le w hat I h a d said , a n d o rd e re d m e to go on b o a rd and tell th e m an to c o m e on sh o re . T o m y u n sp eak ab le jo y , on going in to th e hold, 1 fo u n d th a t m y co n je ctu re w as true. T h o m p so n w as th ere . H e had escaped w ith o u t any injury, except­ ing a slight w o u n d in th e nose, given him by o n e o f th e savages w ith a knife, as h e a tte m p te d to c o m e on d eck , d u rin g th e scuffle. F in d in g the savages in possession o f th e ship, as he a fterw ards inform ed m e, he secreted h im self in th e h o ld , hop in g for som e ch an ce to m a k e his escape; b u t th a t, th e Indian w ho c am e on b o a rd in th e nig h t a p p ro ac h in g th e place w h ere he w as, he

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su p p o sed h im self discovered, a n d , being d e te rm in e d to sell his life as dearly as possible, as soon as h e c am e w ithin his reach , he k n o c k ed him d o w n , b u t th e In d ia n , im m ed iately sp ringing up, ran o ff a t full speed. I inform ed h im , in a few w o rd s, th a t all o u r m en h a d been killed; th a t th e king h a d preserved m y life, a n d h a d c o n se n te d to sp a re his on th e su p position th a t h e w as m y fa th e r, an o p in io n w hich h e m u st b e careful not to undeceive th em in, as it w as his only safety. A fte r giving him his c u e, 1 w ent o n sh o re w ith him , a n d p resen ted him to M a q u in a , w h o im m ediately knew him to be th e sa il-m a k er, and w as m u ch pleased , o b serv in g th a t h e could m a k e sails for his canoe. H e th e n to o k us to his h ouse, and o rd e re d so m e th in g for us to eat. O n th e 24th a n d 25th, th e natives w ere busily e m p lo y ed in tak in g th e carg o o u t o f th e sh ip , strip p in g her o f her sails and rigging, c u ttin g aw ay th e spars a n d m asts, a n d in sh o rt, ren d erin g h e r as c o m p lete a w reck as possible, th e m u sk ets, a m m u n itio n , clo th , a n d all th e p rin cip al articles ta k e n fro m her, being d e p o s­ ited in th e k in g ’s house. W hile they w ere th u s o c cu p ied , each o n e tak in g w h a t he lik ed , m y c o m p a n io n a n d m yself being obliged to a id th e m , I th o u g h t it best to secure the acco u n ts a n d p a p e rs o f th e sh ip , in h o p es th a t on som e future day I m ig h t h av e it in m y p o w e r to re sto re them to th e ow ners. W ith this view I to o k possession o f th e c a p ta in ’s w riting-desk, w hich c o n ta in e d th e m ost o f th em , to g e th e r w ith so m e p a p e r a n d im plem ents for w riting. I h a d also th e good fo rtu n e to find a blan k a c c o u n t-b o o k , in w hich I resolved, should it be p e rm itte d m e, to w rite a n a cc o u n t o f o u r c a p tu re , a n d th e m ost re m a rk a b le occu rren ces th a t I sho u ld m eet w ith d u rin g m y stay a m o n g th ese p eople, fondly in dulging the h o p e th a t it w ould not be long b e fo re so m e vessel w ould a rriv e to release us. I likew ise found in th e cabin a sm all v olum e o f serm ons, a B ible, a n d a C o m m o n P ra y e rb o o k o f th e C h u rc h o f E ngland, w hich fu rnished m e a n d m y c o m ra d e g re at c onsolation in th e m idst o f o u r m ournful se rv itu d e , a n d e nabled m e, u n d e r th e fav o u r o f D ivine P rovidence, to su p p o rt w ith firm ness th e m iseries o f a life w hich I m ight o th erw ise h a v e fo u n d b e yond my stren g th to en d u re. A s th ese p eople set no value u p o n things o f this kind, 1 found no difficulty in a p p ro p ria tin g th e m to m yself, by p u ttin g th em in m y chest, w hich, th o u g h it h a d b e en b ro k e n op en and rifled by th e savages, as 1 still had th e key, I w ith o u t m uch difficulty secured. In this I also p u t som e sm all tools b elonging to th e ship, w ith se v e ra l o th e r a rtic le s , p a rtic u la r ly a j o u r n a l k e p t by th e

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seco n d m ate, M r. In g rah am , a n d a collection o f draw ings and views o f places tak e n by him , w hich I had th e g o o d fo rtu n e to p reserve, a n d o n m y arriv al a t B oston, I gave th em to a c o n n ec ­ tion o f his, th e H o n o u ra b le Ju d g e D aw es, w ho sent th em to his fam ily in N ew Y o rk . O n th e 26th, tw o ships w ere seen sta n d in g in for F riendly C o v e . A t th e ir first a p p e a ra n c e th e in h ab itan ts w ere th ro w n into g re a t co n fu sio n , b u t, soon collecting a n u m b e r o f m u sk ets and blu n d erb u sses, ran to th e sh o re , from w hence they k e p t up so brisk a fire a t th em , th a t they w ere evidently afraid to a p p ro ac h n e are r, an d , a fte r firing a few ro u n d s o f g ra p e-sh o t, w hich d id no h a rm to any o n e, they w ore sh ip and sto o d o u t to sea. These ships, as I afte rw a rd s learned, w ere th e M a r y a n d J u n o o f Bos­ to n . T h ey w ere scarcely o u t o f sight w hen M a q u in a expressed m uch regret th a t h e had p e rm itte d his p eople to fire a t th em , b ein g a p p reh e n siv e th at they w ould give in fo rm a tio n to o th e rs in w h at m an n e r they had been received, a n d p revent th em from com ing to tra d e w ith him . A few days a fte r h earin g o f th e c a p tu re o f th e sh ip , there arriv e d at N o o tk a a g re a t n u m b e r o f canoes filled w ith savages from n o less th an tw enty trib e s to th e n o rth and so u th . A m ong th o s e fro m th e n o rth w e re th e A i- tiz -z a r ts ,2 S c h o o -m a d -its ,3 N e u - w it-tie s ,4 S a v in n a r s ,5 A h -o w z -a rts ,6 M o -w a tc h -its ,7 S u th se tts,8 N e u c h a d -lits,9 M ic h -la -its,10 and C a y -u -q u e ts,11 th e m o st o f w h o m w ere con sid ered as trib u ta ry to N o o tk a . F ro m th e south, th e A y tc h -a rts,12 a n d E sq u i-a te s ,13 also trib u ta ry , w ith th e K la2 i.e. Ehetisat. 3 it is n o t p o ssib le to trace th is as a trib a l n am e. It m ay be a g eo g rap h ic place n am e, a village n am e, o r th e n am e o f a c h ief o r prom inent m em ber o f the g roup alluded to. 4 i.e. Newhittie. 5 probably a geographic place, village, o r personal nam e; it cannot be traced as a tribal nam e. 6 i.e. A housat. 7 i.e. M oachat. 8 i.e. Seshat; while Jew itt says they are a northern group, they were in fact from the southern part o f N ootka territory around Barclay Sound and the Alberni Canal. , i.e. N uchatlet. 10 i.e. M uchlat. 11 i.e. K ayoquot. 12 possibly Echachats. 13 i.e. H esquiat.

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o o -q u a te s,u a n d th e W ic k a n n ish ,15 a large a n d pow erful trib e a b o u t tw o h u n d re d m iles d istan t. T hese last w ere b e tte r clad th a n m ost o f th e o th ers, a n d their canoes w ro u g h t w ith m uch g re a te r skill; they a re fu rnished with sails as well as paddles, a n d , w ith th e ad v an tag e s o f a fair breeze, a re usually b u t tw e n ty -fo u r h o u rs on th eir passage. M a q u in a, w ho w as very p ro u d o f his new acq u isitio n , w as desiro u s o f w elcom ing these visito rs in th e E u ro p ean m a n n e r. H e accordingly o rd e re d his m en, as th e canoes a p p ro a c h e d , to assem ­ ble on th e beach w ith loaded m u sk e ts a n d blun d erb u sses, placing T h o m p so n a t th e c a n n o n , w hich h a d been b ro u g h t from th e ship a n d laid u p o n tw o long sticks o f tim b e r in fro n t o f th e village; th en , tak in g a sp eak in g tru m p e t in his h a n d , h e ascended w ith m e th e r o o f o f his house, a n d beg an d ru m m in g o r beating u p o n the b o a rd s w ith a stick m o st violently. N o th in g co u ld b e m o re lu d icro u s th an th e a p p e a ra n c e o f this m otley g ro u p o f savages collected on th e sh o re , dressed as they w ere w ith th e ir ill-gotten finery in th e m o st fantastic m a n n e r, som e in w o m e n ’s sm ocks, tak e n from o u r cargo, o th e rs in K o ts a c k s , 16 (or cloaks) o f blue, re d , o r yellow b ro a d clo th , w ith stockings draw n over th e ir h ead s, a n d th e ir necks hung ro u n d w ith n u m b ers o f pow d erh orns, sh o t-b ag s, a n d c arto u ch -b o x es, som e o f th em h aving no less th an ten m uskets apiece on th e ir sh o u ld ers, a n d five o r six d aggers in th e ir girdles. D iverting indeed w as it to see th em all sq u a tte d upon th e b e a c h , h o ld in g th e ir m u s k e ts p e r p e n d ic u la rly w ith th e b u tt pressed upon th e sa n d , instead o f against th e ir sh o u ld ers, a n d in this p o sitio n aw aitin g th e o rd e r to fire. M a q u in a , a t last, called to th em w ith his tru m p e t to fire, w h ic h th e y d id in th e m o st a w k w a rd a n d tim id m a n n e r, w ith th e ir m uskets h a rd pressed u p o n th e g ro u n d as a b o v e-m en tio n ed . A t th e sam e m o m e n t th e c a n n o n w as fired by T h o m p so n , im m e­ d iate ly on w hich they threw them selves b a ck a n d began to roll a n d tu m b le o v er th e sand as if they h a d been sh o t, w h en , s u d ­ 14 i.e. Clayoquot. 15 W ickannish, also given by Jew itt as W ickanninish, cannot be traced as a tribal nam e. However, it was a com m on personal nam e, and so probably identifies a village or tribelet by th e nam e o f its chief. 16 i.e. an “ Indian blanket” throw n over the shoulders and pinned in front; the longer form s were w orn over the left shoulder and passed u n d er the right arm p it in o rd er to leave the right hand free for work. Even in Jew itt's tim e the ko tsa c k (or several variant spellings) was usually o f trade cloth, although the traditional cedar bark cloth blankets (som ew hat m ore w aterproof than trad e cloth) w ere also extensively used and were know n by the sam e word.

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d e n ly s p rin g in g u p , th e y b e g a n a so n g o f tr iu m p h , a n d , ru n n in g back w ard and forw ard u p o n th e sh o re , w ith th e w ildest g esticu la­ tions, bo asted o f th eir exploits, a n d exhibited as tro p h ie s w hat they h a d taken from us. N o tw ith stan d in g th e unp leasan tn ess o f m y situ a tio n , a n d th e feelings th a t this display o f o u r spoils excited, I could not avoid laughing a t th e stra n g e a p p e a ra n c e o f these savages, th eir aw kw ard m o v em en ts, a n d th e sin g u lar c o n ­ trast o f th e ir dress a n d arm s. W hen th e c erem ony w as co n clu d ed , M a q u in a invited th e stran g ers to a feast a t his h ouse, consisting o f w hale-b lu b b er, sm oked h errin g sp aw n , a n d d rie d fish and train -o il, o f w hich they a te m o st plentifully. T h e feast being o ver, th e tray s o u t o f w hich they a te, a n d o th e r things, w ere im m ed iately rem o v ed to m ak e room for th e d a n ce , w hich w as to close th e e n te rta in m e n t. T his w as p e rfo rm e d by M a q u in a ’s s o n , th e y o u n g p rin c e S a tsat-sok-sis, w hom I have a lre ad y spoken of, in th e follow ing m an n er: T h re e o f th e principal chiefs, d re st in th eir o tte r-sk in m antles, w hich they w ear only on e x tra o rd in a ry o ccasions a n d a t festivals, having th eir h e ad s covered o v er w ith w h ite do w n a n d th e ir faces highly p a in te d , c am e forw ard into th e m iddle o f th e ro o m , each fu rnished w ith a bag filled w ith w hite d o w n , w hich they scattered a ro u n d in such a m an n e r as to rep resen t a fall o f sn o w .17 T hese w ere follow ed by th e you n g p rin ce , w ho w as dressed in a long piece o f yellow c lo th , w rap p ed loosely a ro u n d him , a n d d e co ra te d w ith sm all bells, w ith a cap on his head to w hich w as fasten ed a c u rio u s m ask in im itatio n o f a w o lfs h e ad , w hile th e re a r was b ro u g h t up by th e king h im self in his ro b e o f se a -o tte r sk in , with a sm all w histle in his m o u th a n d a rattle in his h a n d , w ith w hich he k e p t tim e to a so rt o f tu n e on his w histle. A fter passing very rapidly in th is o rd e r a ro u n d th e h ouse, each o f th em seated him self, except th e prince, w ho im m ediately began his dance, w hich principally consisted in sp ringing up into th e a ir in a squat p o stu re , and constantly tu rn in g a ro u n d on his heels w ith g re a t sw ift­ ness in a very n a rro w circle. T h is d a n ce , w ith a few intervals o f rest, w as c o n tin u e d for a b o u t tw o h o u rs, d u rin g w hich th e chiefs k e p t up a c o n stan t d ru m m in g w ith sticks o f a b o u t a foot in length on a long hollow p la n k , w hich w as, tho u g h a very noisy, a m o st doleful k in d o f m usic. T his th ey a cc o m p a n ied w ith songs, th e king h im self acting 17 W hite eagle dow n plays a prom inent role in N orthw est Coast Indian rites and cerem onies. It connotes peace, harm ony, gentleness, and “ sacredness” .

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a s ch o rister, w hile th e w om en a p p la u d e d each feat o f activity in th e d a n c e r, by re p e a tin g th e w o rd s , W o c a sh ! W o c a sh T y e e !'*. th a t is. G o o d ! very g o o d , Prince! A s soon as th e d an ce w as finished, M a q u in a began to give p re sen ts to th e strangers, in th e n a m e o f his so n Sat-sat-sok-sis. T hese w ere pieces o f E u ro p ean clo th , g enerally o f a fa th o m 19 in' length, m uskets, po w d er, sh o t, etc. W h en ev er he gave them any­ thin g , they h a d a pecu liar m a n n e r o f sn atch in g it from him w ith a very stern a n d surly look, re p ea tin g each tim e th e w ords, W ocash T y e e. T h is I u n d e rsto o d to b e th e ir cu sto m , a n d w as con sid ered as a co m p lim e n t, w hich, if o m itte d , w ould be supposed as a m ark o f d isreg ard for th e presen t. O n th is occasion M a q u in a gave away no less th an o n e h u n d red m u sk ets, th e sam e n u m b er o f lookingglasses, four h u n d re d y a rd s o f c lo th , and tw enty casks o f pow der, besides o th e r things. A fte r receiving these presents, th e stra n g ers re tired on board th e ir can o es, fo r so n u m ero u s w ere they th a t M a q u in a w ould not suffer any but th e chiefs to sleep in the houses; an d , in o rd e r to p rev en t th e p ro p e rty from being pillaged by th em , he o rd ered T h o m p so n a n d m yself to keep g u a rd d u rin g th e n ight, arm ed w ith cutlasses a n d pistols. In this m a n n e r tribes o f savages from vario u s p a rts o f the co ast c o n tin u e d com ing for several days, bringing w ith them b lu b b er, oil, h e rrin g spaw n , d rie d fish, a n d clam s, for w hich they received in re tu rn presents o f clo th , etc., a fte r w hich they in general im m ediately retu rn ed h o m e .20 I o b serv ed th a t very few, if, a n y , o f th e m , except th e chiefs, had a rm s, w hich, I a fterw ards lea rn ed , is th e custom w ith th ese p eople, w henever they com e up o n a friendly visit o r to tra d e , in o rd e r to show , o n their a p p ro a c h , th at th eir in tentions a re pacific.

1^ Tyee is not a N o o tk an . but a Chinook Jargon w ord. It can mean " c h i e f , “ no b le", "m an o f the upper class." 19 “ fathom " here is not the standard six feet o f nautical usage, b ut a variable fur-trade cloth o r line m easure o f three to four and on e half to five feet. :o W hat Jew itt has described here in the last two pages or so m ay have been a potlatch o r som ething closely related to it. The “ prince’s" dance was undoubtedly the display o f a crest o r privilege. If the event was indeed a potlatch, then Jew itt's account is on e o f the earliest known o f this institution.

5. Burning of the Vessel Commencement of Jew itt’s Journal E a r l y o n the m o rn in g o f th e 19th th e sh ip w as discovered to be on fire. T his w as ow ing to o n e o f th e savages h aving g o n e on b o a rd w ith a fireb ra n d at night fo r th e p u rp o se o f p lu n d er, som e sp a rk s from w hich fell into th e hold, a n d , c o m m u n ica tin g w ith som e com bustibles, soon e n v elo p ed th e w hole in flam es. T he natives reg retted th e loss o f th e sh ip th e m o re as a g re a t p a rt o f her carg o still re m a in e d on b o a rd . T o m y co m p a n io n a n d m yself it w as a m ost m elancholy sight, for w ith h e r d isa p p ea red fro m o u r eyes every trace o f a civilised c o u n try ; but th e d isa p p o in tm e n t we e x p erienced w as still m o re severely felt, for w e h a d calculated on h aving th e provision to ourselves, w hich w ould h av e fu rnished us w ith a stock for years, as w h a tev e r is cu red w ith s a lt,1 to g eth e r w ith m ost o f o u r o th e r articles o f food, a re n ev er eaten by these p eople. I had luckily saved all m y tools, excepting th e anvil and th e bellow s, w hich w as a tta ch e d to th e forge, and from th eir w eight had n o t been b ro u g h t on sh o re . W e have also th e good fo rtu n e , in loo k in g over w h at h a d been tak e n from th e sh ip , to discover a box o f c hocolate a n d a case o f p o rt w ine, w hich, as the In d ian s w ere n o t fond o f it, p ro v e d a g re at co m fo rt to us for so m e tim e; a n d from o n e o f th e natives I o b tain e d a N a u tic al A lm an ack w hich h a d belonged to th e c a p ta in , a n d w hich w as o f g re at use to m e in determ in in g th e tim e. A b o u t tw o days after, on exam ining th eir booty, th e savages fo u n d a tierce o f ru m , w ith w hich they w ere highly delig h ted , as they have b e co m e very fond o f sp iritu o u s liq u o rs since th eir in terco u rse w ith th e w hites. T h is w as to w ard s evening, and M a q u in a , having assem bled all th e m en a t his house, gave a feast, a t w hich they d ra n k so freely o f th e rum , th a t in a sh o rt tim e they b e ca m e so extrem ely wild a n d fran tic th a t T h o m p so n a n d myself, a p p reh e n siv e for o u r safety, th o u g h t it p ru d e n t to retire privately into th e w oods, w here w e c o n tin u e d till p a st m idnight. O n o u r re tu rn w e found th e w om en g o n e , w ho are alw ays

' the N ootka, and several other northern N orth A m erican groups had a distaste for salt.

BU R NIN G OF THE VESSEL

4 1

very tem p e ra te , d rin k in g n o th in g b u t w a ter, having q u itte d the h o u se a n d g one to th e o th e r h u ts to sleep, so terrified w ere they a t th e co n d u ct o f th e m en, w ho lay all stretch ed o u t on th e floor in a sta te o f c o m p lete in to x ic atio n . H ow easy in this situ atio n w ould it have been for us to h a v e d isp a tc h ed o r m a d e ourselves m asters o f o u r enem ies had th e re been any sh ip n e ar to w hich we could have escaped, b u t as w e w ere situ ate d th e a tte m p t w ould h a v e been m adness. T h e w ish o f revenge w as, how ever, less strongly im pressed on m y m in d th a n w h at a p p e a re d to b e so e v id e n t a n in te rp o sitio n o f D ivine Providence in o u r favour. H ow little can m an p e n e tra te its designs, and how frequently is th a t in te n d e d as a blessing w hich he view s as a curse. T h e b u rn in g o f o u r sh ip , w hich w e h a d lam ented so m uch, as d epriving us o f so m an y com forts, now a p p e a re d to us in a very different light, for, h a d th e savages g o t possession o f th e ru m , o f w hich th e re w ere nearly tw enty p u n c h eo n s on b o a rd ,2 w e m u st inevitably h a v e' fallen a sacrifice to th eir fury in som e o f th e ir m o m en ts o f into x icatio n . T h is cask, fo rtu n ately , a n d a case o f gin, w as all the spirits they o b ta in e d from th e sh ip . T o p rev en t th e recurrence o f sim ilar dan g er, 1 ex am in ed th e c ask , a n d , finding still a c o n sid e ra ­ ble q u a n tity rem aining, I bored a sm all hole in th e b o tto m w ith a g im b le t, w hich before m o rn in g , to m y g re at jo y , co m pletely e m p ­ tie d it. By th is tim e th e w o u n d in m y h e ad began to b e m uch b etter, so th a t I could enjoy som e sleep, w hich 1 h a d been alm ost d e prived o f by th e p ain , and th o u g h I w as still feeble from the loss o f blood a n d m y sufferings, I fo u n d m yself sufficiently well to go to w ork at m y tra d e , in m ak in g for th e king and his wives b racelets a n d o th e r sm all o rn a m e n ts o f c o p p e r o r steel, a n d in rep airin g th e a rm s, m ak in g use o f a large sq u a re sto n e for th e anvil, a n d h e atin g m y m etal in a co m m o n w o o d fire. T h is was very gratifying to M a q u in a , a n d his w om en p articu larly , and secured m e th eir goodw ill. In th e m ea n tim e, g re at n u m b e rs from th e o th e r trib e s kept c ontinually flocking to N o o tk a , b ringing w ith th em , in exchange for s h ip 's p lu n d er, such q u a n titie s o f p ro v isio n , th a t, n o t­ w ith stan d in g the little success th a t M a q u in a m et w ith in w haling this season, and th e ir g lu tto n o u s w aste, alw ays eating to excess w hen they have it, regardless o f th e m o rrow , seldom d id the natives experience any w ant o f fo o d d u rin g th e su m m er. A s to m yself a n d c o m p a n io n , w e fared as they d id , nev er w an tin g for 2 tw enty puncheons o f rum is a large am ount; w ithout doubt m uch of this was intended for use in trading for furs.

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THE ADV ENTURES AND SUFFERINGS OF JO H N R. JEW IT T

such p rovision as they h ad , th o u g h w e w ere obliged to e at it c o o k ed in th e ir m an n e r, a n d w ith train-oil as a sauce, a c irc u m ­ sta n ce not a little unp leasan t, b o th from th eir uncleanly m o d e o f co o k in g a n d m an y o f th e a rticles o f th eir food, w hich to a E u ro p ean are very disgusting; b u t, as th e saying is, h u n g e r will break th ro u g h sto n e walls, a n d we fo und, a t tim es, in th e blu b b er o f sea a nim als a n d th e flesh o f th e d o g -fish ,3 lo ath so m e as it generally w as, a very acc ep ta b le repast. B ut m uch o ften e r w o u ld p o o r T h o m p so n , w ho w as no fa v o u rite w ith th em , have suffered from h u n g e r had it n o t been for m y furnishing him w ith p ro v isio n . T h is I w as enabled to do from m y w o rk , M a q u in a allow ing m e th e privilege, w hen not em ployed fo r him , to w ork fo r m yself in m ak in g bracelets and o th e r o rn a m e n ts o f c o p p er, fish-hooks, daggers, etc., e ith e r to sell to th e tribes w h o visited us o r for o u r ow n chiefs, w ho on these occasions, besides supplying m e w ith as m uch as I w ished to eat, an d a sufficiency for T h o m p s o n , alm ost alw ays m ad e m e a p re ­ sent o f a E u ro p e a n g a rm e n t, ta k e n from th e ship, o r som e fath o m s o f c lo th , w hich w ere m ad e up by m y c o m ra d e, and en ab led us to go co m fo rtab ly clad for so m e tim e; o r sm all bundles o f penknives, razo rs, scissors, etc., for o n e o f w hich w e could alm o st alw ays p ro c u re from th e natives tw o o r th ree fresh salm on, co d , o r halib u t; o r d ried fish, clam s, a n d h e rrin g spaw n from the stra n g e r trib es; a n d had w e only been p e rm itte d to co o k them a fte r o u r ow n w ay, as we h a d po ts a n d o th e r utensils b elonging to th e ship, w e sh o u ld not h av e had m uch cause o f c o m p la in t in this respect; b u t so ten acio u s are these p e o p le o f th e ir custom s, p a rtic ­ ularly in th e article o f food a n d cooking, th a t th e king alw ays o bliged m e to give w hatever p rovision I b o u g h t to th e w om en to co o k . A nd o n e d ay , finding T h o m p so n a n d m yself on th e sh o re em ployed in boiling dow n se a -w ate r into salt, on being told w hat it w as he w as very m uch displeased, a n d , tak in g th e little w e had p ro c u re d , th rew it into th e sea. In o n e instance alo n e, as a p a rtic u la r fav o u r, h e allow ed m e to boil so m e salm o n in m y own w ay, w hen I invited him a n d his queen to e at w ith m e; they tasted it, b u t d id not like it, a n d m ad e th eir m eal o f so m e o f it th a t I had c o o k ed in th e ir c o u n try fashion. In M ay th e w e ath e r b ecam e unco m m o n ly m ild a n d pleasant, a n d so forw ard w as vegetation, th a t I picked plenty o f stra w b e r­ ries by th e m id d le o f th e m o n th . O f this fruit th e re a re g reat q u a n titie s o n this co ast, a n d I fo u n d them a m o st d elicious treat. M y health now had b ecom e a lm o st re-established, m y w ound being so far h ealed th a t it gave m e no fu rth e r tro u b le . I had never 1 i.e. the m ud-shark (Squatus sp.), the flesh o f which is very oily.

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failed to w ash it regularly once a day in sea w ater, a n d to d ress it w ith a fresh le a f o f to b acco , w hich I o b ta in e d from th e natives, w ho h a d tak e n it from th e sh ip , b u t m ad e n o use o f it. T h is was all th e dressing I gave it. except applying to it tw o o r th re e tim es a little loaf su g ar, w hich M a q u in a gave m e, in o rd e r to rem ove som e p ro u d flesh, w hich p revented it from closing. M y cure w ould dou b tless have been m uch so o n e r effected had I h a d been in a civilised c o u n try , w here 1 could h av e had it dressed by a su rg eo n a n d p ro p e rly a tte n d e d to . B ut alas! 1 h a d no go o d S a m aritan , w ith oil a n d w ine, to b in d up m y w o u n d s, and fo rtu n a te m ight I even esteem m yself th a t I w as p e rm itte d to dress it myself, for th e utm o st th a t I could expect from th e natives w as co m p assio n for m y m isfortunes, w hich I indeed experienced from th e w o m e n , particu larly th e q u e en , o r fav o u rite wife o f M a q u in a , th e m o th e r o f S atsat-sok-sis, w ho used frequently to p o in t to m y h e ad , a n d m anifest m u ch k indness a n d solicitu d e for m e. I m ust do M a q u in a th e ju s tic e to acknow ledge, th a t he alw ays a p p e a re d desiro u s o f sp a rin g m e any la b o u r w hich he believed m ig h t b e hurtful to m e, frequently in q u irin g in an affec­ tio n a te m an n e r if m y head p a in e d m e. A s fo r th e oth ers, so m e o f th e chiefs excepted, th ey c are d little w h at b ecam e o f m e, and p ro b a b ly w ould h a v e been g ra tified w ith m y death . M y health being a t length re-established a n d m y w ound h ealed , T h o m p s o n becam e very im p o rtu n a te for m e to begin m y jo u rn a l, a n d as 1 h a d no ink, p ro p o se d to cu t his finger to supply m e w ith blood for th e p u rp o se w h en ev er I sho u ld w ant it. O n the 1st o f J u n e I accordingly co m m en ced a regular diary, but had no occasion to m a k e use o f th e e x p e d ie n t suggested by m y c o m ra d e, hav ing found a m uch b e tte r su b stitu te in th e expressed ju ic e o f a c ertain p lan t, w hich furnished m e w ith a bright g reen c o lo u r, and, a fte r m ak in g a n u m b e r o f trials, I a t length succeeded in o b ta in ­ ing a v ery to le ra b le in k , by b o ilin g th e ju ic e o f th e b la c k b e rry w ith a m ix tu re o f finely p o w d e red c h arco al, and filtering it th ro u g h a cloth. T his I afte rw a rd s preserved in b ottles, a n d found it an sw e r very well, so tru e is it th a t “ necessity is th e m o th e r o f in v e n tio n .” As for quills, I found no difficulty in p ro c u rin g them w h en ev er I w a n ted , from th e cro w s a n d ravens w ith w hich the beach w as alm o st alw ays c overed, a ttrac ted by th e offal o f w hales, seals, etc., a n d w hich w ere so ta m e th at I could easily kill them w ith stones, w hile a large clam -shell furnished m e w ith an in k ­ sta n d .4 T h e ex trem e solicitu d e o f T h o m p so n th a t I should begin m y 4 Jew itt's inventiveness here is rem iniscent o f Robinson U ndoubtedly A lsop’s editing accented such events.

C rusoe.

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T H E A D V E N T U R E S A N D S U F F E R I N G S O F J O H N R. J E W I T T

jo u rn a l m ight b e c onsidered as sin g u lar in a m an w ho n e ith e r knew how to re ad o r w rite, a circu m stan ce, by th e w ay, very u n co m m o n in a n A m erican , w ere w e less a c q u a in te d w ith th e force o f h ab it, he having been for m any y ears a t sea, a n d accus­ to m e d to c o n sid er th e k eep in g o f a jo u rn a l as a th in g in d isp en s­ able. T h is m an w as b o rn in P h ilad elp h ia, and a t eight y ears old ran aw ay from his friends a n d e n te red as a c ab in boy on b o a rd a sh ip b o u n d to L o n d o n . O n his arrival th ere, finding h im self in distress, he engaged as an a p p re n tic e to th e c ap tain o f a collier, from w hence h e w as im pressed o n b o a rd an E nglish m an -o f-w ar, a n d c o n tin u e d in th e B ritish naval service a b o u t tw enty-seven years, du rin g w hich he w as p re se n t at th e en g agem ent u n d e r L ord H ow e w ith th e F ren ch fleet in J u n e 1794, a n d w hen p e ac e w as m a d e betw een E ngland an d F ra n c e , w as discharged. H e w as a very stro n g a n d pow erful m a n , a n ex p ert boxer, a n d perfectly fearless; indeed, so little w as his d re a d o f d a n g er, th a t w hen irrita te d h e w as w holly regardless o f his life. O f this th e follow ing will furnish a sufficient proof: O n e evening a b o u t th e m id d le o f A pril, as I w as a t th e house o f o n e o f th e chiefs, w here I h a d been e m p lo y ed on so m e w ork for h im , w o rd w as b ro u g h t m e th a t M a q u in a w as going to kill T h o m p so n . I im m ediately h u rried h o m e, w here I fo u n d th e king in th e act o f presen tin g a loaded m u sk et a t T h o m p so n , w ho w as sta n d in g before him w ith his b re a st b a red a n d called o n him to fire. I instantly step p ed up to M a q u in a , w ho w as fo am in g w ith rage, a n d , ad d ressin g him in so o th in g w o rd s, begged him for m y sak e n o t to kill m y father, a n d a t length succeeded in tak in g the m u sk et from him a n d p ersu ad in g him to sit dow n. O n in q u irin g into th e cause o f his anger, I learned th a t, while T h o m p so n w as lighting th e lam p s in th e k in g ’s ro o m , M a q u in a having su b stitu te d o u rs fo r th e ir pine to rch es, so m e o f th e boys beg an to tease h im , running a ro u n d him a n d pulling him by the tro u se rs, a m o n g th e m ost fo rw ard o f w hom w as th e y o u n g prince. T h is caused T h o m p so n to spill th e oil, w hich th rew him in to such a p a ssio n , th a t, w ith o u t carin g w h a t h e d id , h e struck th e prin ce so violent a blow in his face w ith his fist as to k n o c k him d o w n . T he sen satio n excited a m o n g th e savages by a n act w hich w as consid­ ered as a highest indignity, a n d a p ro fa n a tio n o f th e sacred person o f m ajesty, m ay b e easily conceived. T h e king w as im m e­ diately a c q u a in te d w ith it, w h o , o n com ing in a n d seeing his s o n ’s face covered w ith b lo o d , seized a m u sk et a n d began to lo ad it, d e te rm in e d to ta k e in stan t revenge o f th e a u d ac io u s o ffen d e r, and h a d 1 arrived a few m o m en ts la te r th a n I d id , m y com p an io n w ould certain ly h a v e p a id w ith his life for his rash a n d violent

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co n d u ct. I fo u n d th e u tm o st difficulty in pacifying M a q u in a , w ho for a long tim e a fte r could not forgive T h o m p so n , b u t w ould repeatedly say, “ Jo h n , y o u d ie - T h o m p s o n kill.” But to a p p ease th e king w as not all th a t w as necessary. In co n seq u en ce o f th e insult offered to th eir prince, th e w hole tribe held a council, in w hich it w as unan im o u sly resolved th a t T h o m p ­ so n should b e p u t to d e ath in th e m ost cruel m a n n e r. I how ever interceded so strenuously w ith M a q u in a for his life, telling him th a t if m y fath er w as killed, I w as d e te rm in e d not to survive him , th a t h e refused to deliver him up to th e vengeance o f his people, saying, th a t for J o h n ’s sak e they m u st con sen t to let him live. T he p rin ce , w ho, a fte r I had succeeded in calm ing his father, gave m e a n a cc o u n t o f w h at h a d h a p p en e d , told m e th a t it w as w holly out o f re g ard to m e, as T h o m p so n w as m y father, th a t his life had been sp a re d , for th a t if any o n e o f th e trib e sho u ld d a re to lift a h and ag ain st him in an g er, he w ould m ost certain ly b e p u t to d e ath . Y et even th is n a rro w escape p ro d u c ed n o t m uch effect on T h o m p so n , o r induced him to restrain th e violence o f his tem p e r. F o r, n o t m an y w eeks a fte r, he w as g u ilty o f a sim ilar indiscretion, in strik in g th e eldest son o f a chief, w h o w as a b o u t eighteen years o ld, a n d , a ccording to th e ir c u sto m , w as con sid ered as a T y ee, o r chief, him self, in consequence o f his having p ro v o k e d him by calling him a w hite slave. T his a ffa ir caused g re a t c o m m o tio n in th e village, a n d th e trib e w as very cla m o ro u s for his d e a th , but M a q u in a w ould n o t consent. I used frequently to re m o n stra te w ith him on th e im p ru d en ce o f his co n d u ct, a n d beg him to g o v e rn his te m p e r b etter, telling him th a t it w as o u r d u ty , since o u r lives w ere in th e p o w e r o f these savages, to d o n o th in g to e x asp era te th em . B ut all I could say o n this p o in t availed little, fo r so b itte r w as th e h ate h e felt for th e m , w hich h e w as n o w ay b ack w a rd in m anifesting b o th by h is looks a n d actio n s, th a t he d eclare d h e never w ould su b m it to th eir insults, a n d th a t h e h a d m uch ra th e r b e killed th a n be obliged to live a m o n g th em ; a d d in g th a t h e only w ished h e h a d a g o o d vessel a n d som e g u n s, a n d h e w ould d e stro y th e w hole o f th e cu rsed race; for to a b ra v e sa ilo r like h im , w ho h a d fought the F re n c h a n d S p a n iard s w ith glory, it w as a p u n ish m en t w orse th an d e a th to be a slave to such a p o o r, ig n o ran t, despicable set o f beings. A s for m yself, I th o u g h t very differently. A fte r re turning th an k s to th a t m erciful Being w ho h a d in so w onderful a m an n e r softened th e h e arts o f th e savages in m y fav o u r, I h a d d e term in ed from th e first o f m y cap tu re to a d o p t a con ciliatin g co n d u ct

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to w ard s th em , a n d c o n fo rm m yself, as far as w as in m y p o w e r, to th eir custom s a n d m ode o f th in k in g , tru stin g th a t th e sam e divine g o o d n ess th a t h a d rescued m e fro m d e a th , w ould n o t alw ays suffer m e to languish in captiv ity a m o n g th ese heathens. W ith this view , I so u g h t to gain th e ir good-w ill by alw ays e n d e a v o u rin g to a ssu m e a c h e e rfu l c o u n te n a n c e , a p p e a r in g pleased w ith th e ir sp o rts a n d bu ffo o n tric k s, m aking little o rn a ­ m en ts for th e w ives and c hildren o f th eir chiefs, by w hich m eans 1 b ecam e q u ite a fav o u rite w ith th em , a n d fish-hooks, daggers, etc., for them selves. A s a fu rth e r re co m m e n d a tio n to th eir fav o u r, a n d w hat m ight eventually p ro v e o f the utm o st im p o rta n c e to us, 1 resolved to learn th eir lan g u a g e 5 w hich in th e course o f a few m o n th s’ resi-‘ d e n ce I so far succeeded in acq u irin g as to b e able in g e n era l to m ak e m yself well u n d ersto o d . 1 likew ise trie d to p e rsu ad e T h o m p so n to learn it, as w hat m ight prove necessary to h im . But he refused, saying th a t he ha te d b o th th em a n d th e ir c u rsed lingo, a n d w ould have noth in g to d o w ith it. By pursu in g this con ciliato ry p lan , so far d id I g a in the good-w ill o f th ese savages, p a rticu la rly th e chiefs, th a t I scarcely ever failed experiencing k in d tre a tm e n t from th em , a n d w as received w ith a sm ile o f w elcom e at th eir houses, w here 1 was alw ays su re o f having so m e th in g given m e to e at, w h en ev er they had it, and m an y a good m eal h a v e I had from th em , w hen they them selves w ere sh o rt o f pro v isio n s a n d suffering fo r th e w ant o f them . A nd it w as a co m m o n p ractice w ith m e, w hen w e had n o th in g to eat a t hom e, w hich h a p p e n e d n o t un freq u en tly du rin g m y stay a m o n g th em , to g o a ro u n d th e village, a n d on n oticing a sm o k e from a n y o f th e h o u ses, w hich d e n o te d th a t th ey w ere c o o k in g , e n te r in w ith o u t c erem o n y , a n d ask them for som ething, w hich I w as nev er refused. Few n a tio n s, indeed, a re th ere so very ru d e a n d unfeeling, 5 Jew itt certainly acquired som e o f the N ootka language, but m any o f the w ords and expressions he says are N ootkan are in fact Chinook Jargon. Jew itt’s decision to learn the language m arks the beginning o f his “ initiatio n ,” his progressive but never com plete'assim ilation to N oo tk an society. T his elem ent o f “ in itiatio n " is recurrent in captiv­ ity narratives, and is one o f the principle elem ents o f interest to the reader: it allows m uch m ore o f a literary treatm ent than the more dispassionate “ narrative o f quest” so typical o f explorer journals (cf. M aurice H odgson, “ Initiation and Q uest: Earlv C anadian Jo u rn als," Canadian Literature, no. 38 (A utum n 1968)..pp. 29-40).

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w hom c o n stan t m ild tre a tm e n t, a n d an a tte n tio n to please, will n o t m ollify a n d o b tain from so m e re tu rn o f k in d a tte n tio n . T his th e tre a tm e n t I received from th ese p e o p le m ay exem plify, fo r not n u m ero u s, even a m o n g th o se calling them selves civilised, are th e re instances to be found o f p erso n s d ep riv in g them selves o f food to give it to a stra n g er, w h a tev e r m ay b e his m erits. It m ay p e rh a p s be as well in th is place to give a d esc rip tio n o f N o o tk a ; som e acco u n ts o f th e trib e s w ho w ere accu sto m ed to visit us; a n d th e m an n e rs a n d c u sto m s o f th e people, as fa r as I h ith e rto h a d a n o p p o rtu n ity o f o b serv in g them .

6 Description of Nootka Sound Manner of Building Houses Furniture - Dresses T h e village o f N o o tk a is situ ate d in betw een 49 and 50 d eg . N . la t.,1 at th e b o tto m o f F riendly C ove, on th e w est o r north-w estside. It consists o f a b o u t tw e n ty houses o r h u ts, on a sm all hill, w hich rises w ith a gentle ascen t from th e sh o re. F riendly C ove, w hich affords g o o d a n d secure a n ch o ra g e for ships close in with th e sh o re , is a sm all h a rb o u r o f n o t m o re th a n a q u a rte r o r h a lf a m ile in length, a n d a b o u t h a lf a m ile o r th re e -q u a rte rs b ro ad , form ed by th e line o f co ast on th e east a n d a long p o in t o r h e ad lan d , w hich extends as m u ch as th ree leagues into th e S ound, in nearly a w esterly d irec tio n . T h is, as well as I can ju d g e from w h at I have seen o f it, is in general from o n e to tw o m iles in b re a d th , a n d m ostly a rocky a n d u n p ro d u c tiv e soil, w ith b u t few trees. T h e easte rn a n d w estern shores o f this h a rb o u r a re steep a n d in m any p a rts rocky, th e tree s gro w in g q u ite to th e w a te r’s edge, b u t th e b o tto m to th e n o rth and no rth -w est is a fine sandy beach o f h a lf a m ile o r m o re in extent. F ro m th e village to th e n o rth a n d n o rth -e a st extends a plain, th e soil o f w hich is very excellent, a n d w ith p ro p e r cu ltivation m ay be m ad e to p ro d u c e a lm o st any o f o u r E u ro p ea n vegetables; this is but little m o re th an h a lf a m ile in b re a d th , a n d is te rm i­ n a te d by the seacoast, w hich in th is place is lined w ith rocks and reefs, and c a n n o t be a p p ro a c h e d by ships. T h e co ast in the n e ig h b o u rh o o d o f N o o tk a is in general low , a n d b u t little bro k en into hills a n d valleys. T h e soil is g o o d , well covered w ith fine forests o f p in e, sp ru c e, beech, a n d o th e r trees, a n d a b o u n d s with stream s o f th e finest w ater, th e general a p p e a ra n c e being th e sam e fo r m any m iles a ro u n d . T h e village is situ ate d on th e g ro u n d occupied by th e S p a n ­ iards, w hen they kept a g a rriso n here; th e fo u n d a tio n s o f the church and th e g o v e rn o r’s h o u se are y et visible, a n d a few E u ro ­ p e an p lan ts a re still to be fo u n d , w hich c o n tin u e to b e selfp ro p a g a te d , such as o n io n s, peas, and tu rn ip s, but th e tw o last 1 “ The village of Nootka” is Yuquot, located at approximately 49° 35’ N. lat., 126° 37’ W. long.

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a re q u ite sm all, particu larly th e tu rn ip s, w hich a ffo rd e d us n o th in g b u t th e to p s for eatin g . T h e ir fo rm er village sto o d on the sam e sp o t, b u t th e S p a n iard s, finding it a c o m m o d io u s situ atio n , d e m o lish e d th e houses, and forced th e in h a b ita n ts to retire five o r six m iles into th e c o u n try .2 W ith g re a t so rro w , as M a q u in a told m e, did they find them selves co m p elled to q u it th e ir a n cien t place o f residence, b u t w ith equal jo y did they repossess them selves o f it w hen th e S panish g arrison w as expelled by th e English. T h e houses, as I have o b se rv ed , a re a b o u t tw enty in n u m b er, b uilt nearly in a line. T hese are o f different sizes, a ccording to the ra n k o r quality o f th e T y e e , o r chief, w ho lives in th em , each h aving o n e, o f w hich he is c o n sid ere d as th e lo rd . T h ey vary not m uch in w id th , being usually from thirty-six to forty feet w ide, b u t a re o f very differen t lengths, th a t o f th e king, w hich is m uch th e longest, being a b o u t one h u n d re d a n d fifty feet, w hile the sm allest, w hich co n ta in only tw o fam ilies, d o n o t exceed forty feet in length; th e h o u se o f th e king is also d istin g u ish ed from the o th e rs by being higher. T h e ir m eth o d o f building is as follows: they erect in the g ro u n d tw o very large posts, a t such a d istan ce a p a rt as is in ten d ed fo r th e length o f th e h o u se . O n th ese, w hich are o f equ al height, a n d hollow ed o u t at th e u p p e r en d , they lay a large sp ar for th e rid g e-p o le o f th e b uilding, or, if th e length o f th e house re q u ire s it, tw o o r m o re, su p p o rtin g th eir ends by sim ilar up rig h t posts; these sp ars a re so m etim es o f an a lm o st in credible size, h aving m yself m easu red o n e in M a q u in a ’s h ouse, w hich I found to b e o n e h u n d re d feet long a n d eight feet four inches in c irc u m ­ ference. A t equal distances from th ese tw o po sts, tw o o th e rs are placed on each sid e, to form th e w idth o f th e building; th ese are ra th e r sh o rte r th a n th e first, a n d on them are laid in like m an n e r spars, but o f a sm aller size, h a v in g th e u p p e r p a r t hew ed fiat, w ith a n a rro w ridge o n th e o u te r sid e to su p p o rt th e ends o f the planks. T h e ro o f is form ed o f p in e 3 p la n k s w ith a b ro a d fe ath er edge, so as to lap well o v er each o th e r, w hich a re laid lengthw ise from th e ridge-pole in th e c en tre, to th e beam s a t th e sides, a fte r which the to p is covered w ith p lan k s o f eight feet b ro a d , w hich form a kind o f coving pro jectin g so far o v e r th e ends o f th e p lan k s th at form th e roof, as co m pletely to exclude th e ra in . O n th ese they 2 i .e . f u r th e r u p

N o o tk a

S o u n d ; s m a ll v illa g e s a r e

kno w n to

have

e x is te d in th is re g io n . 3 J e w itt o f te n r e f e r s t o w o o d e n ite m s m a d e b y th e N o o t k a a s b e in g ol “ p i n e ” ; a l m o s t c e r ta in ly in n e a r l y a ll c a s e s th i s w a s in fa c t c e d a r .

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lay large sto n e s to p revent th e ir being displaced by th e w ind. T he ends o f th e p lan k s are not secu red to th e beam s on w hich they are laid by any fastening, so th a t in a high storm I have often know n all th e m en obliged to tu rn o u t a n d go upon th e ro o f to p rev en t them from being blow n off, carrying large sto n es and pieces o f rock w ith them to secure th e b o a rd s, alw ays stripping them selves n a k ed on these occasions, w h a tev e r m ay be th e sever­ ity o f the w e ath e r, to p re v en t th e ir g a rm e n ts from being w et and m u d d ied , as th ese storm s a re a lm o st alw ays a cc o m p a n ied w ith heav y rains. T h e sides o f th eir houses a re m uch m o re op en and exposed to th e w eather; th is p ro ceed s from th e ir not being so easily m ad e close as the roof, b ein g bu ilt w ith planks o f a b o u t ten feet long a n d fo u r o r five w ide, w hich they place betw een stanch eo n s o r sm all p o sts o f th e heig h t o f th e roof; o f th ese th ere are fo u r to each range o f b o a rd s, tw o at each en d , and so n e a r each o th e r as to leave space en o u g h fo r a d m ittin g a p lank. T h e planks o r b o a rd s w hich they m ak e use o f for building th e ir houses, and for o th e r uses, they p ro c u re o f different lengths as occasion re q u ire s, by sp littin g them o u t w ith h a rd w o o d en w edges from p in e lo g s, a n d a fte rw a rd s d u b b in g th e m d o w n w ith th e ir c h is e l,4 w ith m uch p a tie n ce , to th e thickness w a n ted , ren d erin g them q u ite sm o o th . T h ere is b u t o n e e n tra n ce ; th is is placed usually a t th e end, th o u g h so m etim es in th e m iddle, as w as th a t o f M a q u in a ’s. T h ro u g h th e m id d le o f th e b uilding, from o n e end to th e oth er, ru n s a passage o f a b o u t eight o r nine feet b ro a d , on each sid e o f w hich th e several fam ilies th a t occupy it live, each h a v in g its p a rticu la r fireplace, but w ith o u t a n y k in d o f wall o r se p a ra tio n to m ark th eir respective lim its; th e c h ie f having his a p a rtm e n t at the u p p e r end, a n d th e next in ran k o p p o site on th e o th e r sid e. T hey h a v e no o th e r flo o r th an th e g ro u n d ; th e fireplace o r hearth co nsists o f a n u m b e r o f sto n es loosely p u t to g eth e r, b u t th ey are w holly w ith o u t a ch im n ey , n o r is th ere a n y open in g left in the roof, b u t w h en ev er a fire is m a d e , th e p lan k im m ediately o v er it is th ru st asid e, by m eans o f a p o le, to give vent to th e sm oke. T h e height o f th e houses in g e n era l, from th e g ro u n d to the cen tre o f th e roof, does not exceed ten feet, th at o f M a q u in a ’s was n o t far from fo u rteen ; th e s p a r fo rm in g th e ridge-pole o f the la tte r w as p a in te d in red and black circles a ltern ately , by w ay o f o rn a m e n t, a n d th e large posts th a t su p p o rte d it had th e ir tops curiously w ro u g h t o r carved, so as to re p re se n t h u m an h e ad s o f a m o n stro u s size, w hich w ere p a in te d in th eir m an n e r. T h ese were 4 i.e . s to n e a d z e s .

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5 1

n o t, how ever, c o n sid ere d as o bjects o f a d o ra tio n , b u t m erely as o rn a m e n ts .5 T h e fu rn itu re o f these p eople is very sim ple, a n d consists only o f boxes, in w hich they p u t th e ir clothes, furs, a n d such things as they hold m o st valuable; tu b s for keeping th eir pro v isio n s o f spaw n a n d b lu b b er in; trays from w hich they eat; bask ets fo r th eir d rie d fish a n d o th e r p u rp o ses, a n d bags m ad e o f b a rk m attin g , o f w hich they also m ak e th e ir beds, sp re ad in g a piece o f it u p o n th e g ro u n d w hen they lie d ow n, a n d using no o th e r bed covering than th eir g arm en ts. T h e boxes are o f p in e ,6 w ith a to p th a t sh u ts over, and instead o f nails o r pegs, a re fastened w ith flexible tw ings; they are extrem ely sm ooth a n d high polished, a n d som etim es o rn a m e n te d w ith row s o f very sm all w hite sh ells.7 T h e tu b s are o f a sq u a re form , secured in th e like m an n e r, a n d o f v a rio u s sizes, som e being ex trem ely large, h aving seen them th a t w ere six feet long by fo u r b ro a d a n d five d e ep . T h e trays a re hollow ed out w ith th e ir chisels from a solid block o f w ood, a n d th e bask ets and m ats a re m ad e from th e bark o f trees. F ro m b ark they likewise m ak e th e cloth for th eir g a rm e n ts, in th e follow ing m anner: - A q u a n tity o f this b ark is tak e n a n d put into fresh w a ter, w here it is k e p t fo r a fo rtn ig h t, to give it tim e to c o m pletely soften; it is then tak e n o u t a n d b eaten upon a plank, w ith an in stru m e n t m a d e o f b o n e , o r so m e very h ard w ood, having grooves o r hollow s on o n e sid e o f it, care being ta k e n to keep th e m ass c o n stan tly m oistened w ith w a ter, in o rd e r to se p a ­ ra te , w ith m o re ease, th e h ard a n d w o o d y from th e so ft and fibrous p a rts, w hich, w hen c o m p leted , they parcel o u t into skeins, like th re a d . T hese they lay in th e a ir to bleach, a n d afte rw a rd s dye them black o r red, as suits th eir fancies, th eir n a tu ra l co lo u r being a pale yellow . In o rd e r to form th e cloth, th e w o m en , by w hom th e w hole o f this process is p e rfo rm e d , ta k e a c ertain n u m b e r o f these skeins and tw ist them to g e th e r, by rolling them w ith th eir h an d s u p o n th eir knees into h a rd rolls, w hich a re a fterw ards con n ected by m eans o f a stro n g th re a d , m ad e for th e p u rpose. T h e ir dress usually consists o f b u t a single g a rm e n t, w hich is a loose cloak o r m an tle (called k u ts a c k ) in o n e piece, reaching nearly to th e feet. T h is is tied loosely o v er th e right o r left sh o u ld e r, so as to leave th e a rm s a t full liberty. 5 th e s e c a r v e d h o u s e p o le s a r e n o t t o b e c o n f u s e d w ith f r e e s ta n d in g to t e m p o le s . 6 i.e . c e d a r . 7 t h e “ w h ite s h e lls ” r e p e a te d ly m e n tio n e d b y J e w itt a r c a l m o s t c e r ­ ta in ly s n a il o p e r c u l a , a s c a n b e s e e n in m a n y m u s e u m s p e c im e n s .

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T h o se o f th e c om m on p e o p le are p a in te d red w ith o c h re the b e tte r to k e ep o u t th e ra in , b u t th e chiefs w ear th em o f their native co lo u r, w hich is a pale yellow , o rn a m e n tin g them with b o rd e rs o f th e se a -o tter skin, a k in d o f g rey cloth m ad e o f the h a ir o f som e a n im a l8 w hich they p ro c u re from th e trib es to the so u th , o r th e ir ow n cloth w ro u g h t o r p a in te d w ith v a rio u s figures in red o r b lack , representing m e n ’s h ead s, th e sun a n d m o o n , fish a n d anim als, w hich are frequently executed w ith m uch skill. T hey have also a g ird le o f th e sam e k in d for securing this m an tle o r k u ts a c k a ro u n d th em , w hich is in general still m o re highly o r n a ­ m en ted , a n d serves them to w ear th eir d aggers and knives in. In w in ter, how ever, they so m etim es m ak e use o f a n a d d itio n a l g a r­ m en t, w hich is a k in d o f h o o d , w ith a hole in it for th e p u rp o se o f a d m ittin g th e h ead , a n d falls o v er th e breast a n d b ack , as low as th e shoulders; th is is b o rd e re d b o th a t to p and b o tto m w ith fur, a n d is n e v er w orn except w h e n they go o u t. T h e g a rm e n ts o f th e w om en vary not essentially fro m th o se o f th e m en, th e m an tle having holes in it for th e p u rp o se o f a d m it­ ting th e a rm s, a n d being tie d close u n d e r th e chin instead o f over th e sho u ld er. T h e chiefs have also m antles o f th e se a -o tte r skin, b u t these are only p u t on u p o n e x tra o rd in a ry occasions; a n d one th a t is m ad e from th e sk in o f a c ertain large a n im a l, w hich is b ro u g h t fro m th e so u th by th e W ic k an n in ish a n d K la-iz-zarts. T h is they p re p a re by dressing it in w arm w ater, scraping o ff th e h a ir a n d w h at flesh a d h ere s to it carefully w ith sh a rp m usselshells,9 and sp re a d in g it o u t in th e sun to d ry on a w o o d en fram e so as to p re serv e th e sh ap e. W h en d ressed in th is m a n n e r it becom es perfectly w hite, a n d as p liab le as th e best d e e r’s leath er, but alm o st as thick again. T h ey th en p a in t it in differen t figures w ith such p a in ts as they usually em p lo y e in d e c o ra tin g th eir perso n s; th ese figures m ostly re p re se n t h u m a n heads, canoes em ployed in c atch in g w hales, etc. T h is sk in is called m e ta m e lth ,10 a n d is p ro b ab ly g o t from an * probably th e hair o f dogs dom esticated by the Salish for their wool. “ T he tribes to the S o u th " m ay m ean o th er N ootkan groups, who had in turn acquired the dog wool in trad e from Southern V ancou­ ver Island Salish groups. Dog wool was often m ixed w ith m ountain goat w ool by the Salish. 9 i.e. th e very heavy large shells-of M ytilu s californianus o r California m ussel, extensively used for m aking scrapers in aboriginal times. M any have been recovered in N orthw est C oast archaeological sites. M ost scrapers o f this m aterial were ground unifacially in order to produce a sharp working edge. 10 possibly the anim al alluded to is the w apiti, Cervus canadensis.

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an im al o f th e m o o se kind; it is highly prized by these p e o p le , is th eir g re a t w ar dress, a n d only w o rn w hen they w ish to m a k e the best p ossible display o f them selves. S trips o r b an d s o f it, p ainted a s a b o v e, a re also som etim es used by them for g irdles o r the b o rd e rin g o f th e ir cloaks, and also fo r bracelets a n d a n k le o rn a ­ m en ts by som e o f th e in ferio r class. O n th e ir h ead s, w hen they go o u t upon any excursion, p a rtic ­ ularly w haling o r fishing, they w e a r a k in d o f c a p o r b o n n e t in form n o t unlik e a large su g a r lo a f w ith th e to p c u t off. T h is is m a d e o f th e sam e m aterials w ith th e ir clo th , but is in general o f a closer tex tu re, a n d by w ay o f tassel h a s a long strip o f th e skin o f th e m eta m e lth a tta c h e d to it, co v ered w ith row s o f sm all w hite shells o r b ead s. T h o se w orn by th e co m m o n p e o p le a re p ainted entirely red, the chiefs having th eirs o f differen t colours. T h e one w o rn by th e king, a n d w hich serves to designate him from all the o th e rs, is longer a n d b ro a d e r a t th e b o tto m ; th e to p , instead o f being flat, having u p o n it a n o rn a m e n t in th e figure o f a sm all u rn . It is also o f a m uch finer te x tu re th an th e o th ers, a n d plaited o r w ro u g h t in black a n d w hite strip es, w ith th e re p re se n tatio n in fro n t o f a c an o e in p u rsu it o f a w hale, w ith th e h a rp o o n e r sta n d in g in th e p ro w p re p are d to strik e. T h is b o n n e t is called

Seeya-poks.11 T h e ir m o d e o f living is very s i m p le - t h e i r food consisting alm o st w holly o f fish, o r fish sp a w n fresh o r d ried , th e b lu b b er o f th e w hale, seal, o r sea-cow , m ussels, clam s, a n d b erries o f various kinds; all o f w hich a re eaten w ith a p ro fu sio n o f train -o il for sauce, n o t excepting even th e m o st delicate fru it, as straw b erries a n d raspberries. W ith so little variety in th e ir fo o d , no g re at secret can be expected in th e ir c o o k ery . O f th is, indeed, they m ay b e said to know b u t tw o m eth o d s, viz. by b oiling a n d steam ing, a n d even th e la tte r is not very frequently p ra ctised by th e m . T h e ir m o d e o f boiling is as follows: - In to o n e o f th e ir tu b s 12 th ey p o u r w ater sufficient to cook th e q u a n tity o f p rovision w a n ted . A n u m b e r o f h e ated sto n es a re then p u t in to m ak e it boil, w hen th e salm o n o r o th e r fish a re p u t in w ith o u t a n y o th e r p re p a ra tio n th an so m e ­ tim es c u ttin g o ff th e heads, tails, a n d fins, th e boiling in the 11 S e e y a -p o k s is p ro b ab ly n o t a N o o tk a n w o rd , b u t C h in o o k Ja rg o n . T he D ictionary o f the Cltonook Jargon, or Indian Trade Language, o f the N orth Pacific C oast, T . H ibben and C o ., V ictoria, 1899, gives two glosses for “ h at” : seahpo' and seahpult, obviously closely related to Jew itt’s gloss. 12 m ost likely a kerfed and sewn cedar box.

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m ea n tim e being k e p t up by th e ap p lic atio n o f th e h o t stones, a fte r w hich it is left to co o k until th e w hole is nearly red u ced to o n e m ass. It is th en tak e n o u t a n d d istrib u te d in th e tray s. In a sim ilar m an n e r they co o k th e ir b lu b b er a n d spaw n, sm o k e d or d rie d fish, a n d , in fine, a lm o st e verything th ey e at, n o th in g going do w n w ith th em lik e b ro th . W h en th ey co o k th eir fish by ste am , w hich are usually the h eads, tails, a n d fins o f th e sa lm o n , co d , a n d h a lib u t, a large fire is k in d le d , u p o n w h ich th e y p la c e a b e d o f s to n e s , w h ic h , w hen th e w o o d is b u r n t d o w n , b e c o m e s p e rfe c tly h e a te d . L a y e rs o f green leaves o r p in e boughs a re th en placed u p o n th e stones, and th e fish, clam s, etc., being laid u p o n th em , w ater is p o u re d over th em , and th e w hole closely covered w ith m ats to k e ep in the steam . T h is is m u ch th e best m o d e o f c o o k in g , a n d clam s and m ussels d o n e in this m an n e r a re really excellent. T hese, as I have said , m ay b e con sid ered as th e ir only kinds o f cookery; th o u g h I h av e, in a very few instances, know n them dress th e roe o r spaw n o f th e salm on a n d th e h e rrin g , w hen first tak e n , in a different m an n e r; this w as by ro a stin g th em , th e fo rm er being su p p o rte d betw een tw o split pieces o f p in e, and th e o th e r h aving a sharp stick run th ro u g h it, w ith o n e e n d fixed in th e g ro u n d ; sp ra ts are also roasted by th em in th is w ay, a n u m b e r being sp itte d upon o n e stick; a n d this kind o f food, w ith a little salt, w ould b e found n o c o n te m p tib le eating even to an E u ro p ean . A t th eir m eals they seat them selves u p o n th e g ro u n d , w ith th e ir feet cu rled up u n d e r th e m , a ro u n d th eir trays, w hich are g enerally a b o u t th ree feet long by o n e b ro a d , a n d from six to eight inches d e ep . In e atin g they m ak e use o f noth in g b u t their fingers, except for the so u p o r oil, w hich they lade o u t w ith clam -shells. A ro u n d o n e o f these tray s from fo u r to six p erso n s will seat them selves, co nstantly d ip p in g in th eir fingers o r clam -shells one a fter th e o th e r. T h e king a n d chiefs a lo n e have se p a ra te trays, from w hich no o n e is p e rm itte d to e at w ith them except th e q u e e n , o r p rin cip al w ife13 o f th e chief; a n d w henever th e king o r o n e o f th e chiefs wishes to distinguish any o f his p e o p le w ith a special m ark o f favour on these occasions, h e calls him a n d gives him som e o f th e choice bits from his tray. T h e slaves eat a t th e sam e tim e, a n d o f th e sam e p rovisions, faring in this respect as well as th e ir m asters, being seated w ith th e fam ily, a n d only feeding from se p a ra te trays. u polygyny was probably n ot extensive, but confined to wealthy m em ­ bers o f the upper class.

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W h en ev er a feast is given by th e king o r any o f th e chiefs, th e re is a perso n w ho acts as a m a s te r o f cerem o n ies, a n d w hose business it is to receive th e gu ests as they e n te r th e h ouse, a n d p o in t o u t to th em th e ir respective seats, w hich is regulated with g re a t punctiliousness as regards ran k ; th e kin0 occupying th e hig h est o r th e se a t o f h o n o u r, his son o r b ro th e r sittin g next him , a n d so on w ith th e chiefs a cc o rd in g to th e ir quality; th e priv ate perso n s b elonging to th e sam e fam ily bein g alw ays placed to g eth e r, to p re v en t any co n fu sio n . T h e w om en a re seldom invited to th eir feasts, a n d only a t th o se tim e s w hen a general in v itatio n is given to th e village. A s, w h en ev er they co o k , they alw ays calculate to h a v e an a b u n d a n c e for all th e guests, a p rofusion in th is respect being c o n sid ere d as th e highest luxury, m u ch m o re is usually set before th em th an they can e at. T h a t w hich is left in th e k in g ’s tra y , he sends to his h o u se for his fam ily by one o f his slaves, as d o th e chiefs th eirs; w hile those w ho e at from th e sam e tray , a n d w ho gen erally belong to th e sam e fam ily, ta k e it h o m e as c o m m o n sto c k , o r each o n e receives his p o rtio n , w hich is d istrib u te d on th e sp o t. T h is cu sto m a p p e a re d very sin g u lar to m y c o m p a n io n a n d m yself, a n d it w as a m ost a w k w ard th in g for us, a t first, to h av e to lug h o m e w ith us, in o u r h an d s o r a rm s, th e b lu b b er o f fish th a t w e received a t these tim es, b u t w e so o n b ecam e re co n ­ ciled to it, and w ere very glad o f a n o p p o rtu n ity to d o it.

7. Appearance of the Natives Ornaments - Otter-Hunting Fishing - Canoes I n p o in t o f p e rso n al a p p e a ra n c e th e p e o p le o f N o o tk a a re am ong th e best-lo o k in g o f any o f th e trib e s th a t I have seen. T h e m en a re in general from a b o u t five feet six to five feet eight inches in height: re m a rk ab ly stra ig h t, o f a g o o d form , ro b u st a n d strong, w ith th eir lim bs in general well tu rn e d a n d p ro p o rtio n e d , except­ ing th e legs a n d feet, w hich a re clum sy a n d ill fo rm ed , ow ing, no d o u b t, to th e ir p ractice o f sittin g on th e m , tho u g h I have seen instances in w hich they w ere very well sh a p e d ; this defect is m ore p a rticu la rly a p p a re n t in th e w o m en , w ho are for th e m o st p a rt o f th e tim e w ithin d o o rs, a n d c o n stan tly sittin g w hile em ployed in th e ir coo k in g a n d o th e r o c cu p a tio n s. T h e only in stance o f d efo rm ity th a t I saw a m o n g st them w as a m an o f dw arfish sta tu re ; he w as th irty y ears old, a n d b u t th ree feet th ree inches high; h e h a d , how ever, no o th e r defect th an his d im in u tiv e size, b ein g well m ad e , a n d as stro n g a n d a b le to b e a r fatigue as w hat they w ere in general. T h e ir c o m plexion, w hen freed from th e p a in t a n d oil with w hich th eir skins are g enerally co v ered , is a brow n, so m ew h at inclining to a c o p p e r cast. T h e sh a p e o f th e face is oval; the featu res are to lerab ly regular, th e lips being thin a n d th e teeth very w hite a n d even; th eir eyes a re black but ra th e r sm all, a n d the nose pretty well form ed, being n e ith e r fiat n o r very p ro m in e n t; th e ir h a ir is black, long, and coarse, b u t they have no beard, co m pletely e x tirp atin g it, as well as th e h a ir from th e ir bodies, M a q u in a bein g th e only e x ce p tio n , w ho suffered his b e a rd to g ro w on his u p p e r lip in th e m a n n e r o f m u stach io s, w hich was c onsidered as a m ark o f dignity. A s to th e w om en, they a re m uch w h iter, m an y o f them not being d a rk e r th an those in so m e o f th e so u th e rn p a rts o f E urope. T h ey are in general very w ell-looking, a n d som e q u ite h an d so m e. M a q u in a 's fa v o u rite wife in p a rticu la r, w ho w as a W ickinninish princess, w ould be c onsidered as a beautiful w om an in any c o u n ­ try. She w as u n c o m m o n ly well fo rm ed , tall, and o f a m ajestic a p p ea ran c e; h e r skin re m a rk ab ly fair for o n e o f these p e o p le , with c o n sid erab le c o lo u r, her features h a n d so m e, a n d h e r eyes black,

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soft, a n d languishing; her h a ir w as very long, th ic k , a n d black , as is th a t o f th e fem ales in general, w hich is m uch softer th a n th a t o f th e m en ; in th is they ta k e m u ch pride, frequently oiling and plaitin g it carefully in to tw o b ro a d plaits, ty in g th e e n d s w ith a strip o f th e cloth o f th e c o u n try , a n d letting it han g do w n b efore on each side o f th e face. T h e w om en keep th eir g a rm e n ts m u ch n e a te r a n d c lean er th an th e m en , a n d are extrem ely m o d est in th e ir d e p o rtm e n t and dress; th e ir m an tle, o r k u ts a c k , w hich is lo n g er th an th a t o f th e m en, reaching q u ite to th eir feet a n d com pletely enveloping th em , being tied close u n d e r th e c h in , a n d b o u n d w ith a g ird le o f th e sam e cloth o r o f se a -o tte r sk in a ro u n d th e ir w aists; it h a s also loose sleeves, w hich reach to th e elbow s. T h o u g h fond o f o rn a ­ m en tin g th e ir persons, they a re by n o m eans so p a rtial to p a in t as th e m en , m erely co lo u rin g th e ir eyebrow s black a n d d raw in g a b rig h t red strip e from each c o rn e r o f th e m o u th to w a rd s th e ear. T h e ir o rn a m e n ts consist chiefly o f ear-rings, necklaces, bracelets, rings for th e fingers a n d ankles, a n d sm all nose-jew els (th e latter are , how ever, w holly c o nfined to th e w ives o f th e king o r chiefs); th ese are principally m a d e o u t o f c o p p e r o r brass, highly polished a n d o f vario u s form s a n d sizes; th e nose-jew el is usually a sm all w hite sh e ll1 o r b e ad su sp en d ed to a th rea d . T h e w ives o f th e co m m o n p e o p le frequently w ear for b ra c e ­ lets a n d a n k le rings strip s o f th e c o u n try cloth o r sk in o f the m eta m e lth p a in te d in figures, a n d th o se o f th e king o r principal chiefs, bracelets a n d necklaces consisting o f a n u m b e r o f strings o f Ife -w a w ,2 an article m uch prized by th em , a n d w hich m ak e s a very h a n d so m e a p p ea ran c e. T h is Ife -w a w , as th ey term it, is a k in d o f shell o f a dazzling w hiteness a n d as sm o o th as ivory; it is o f a cylindrical form , in a slight d e g ree cu rv ed , a b o u t th e size o f a g o o se quill, hollow , th ree inches in length a n d grad u ally tap erin g to a p o in t, w hich is bro k en o ff by th e natives as it is ta k e n from th e w ater; this th ey afte rw a rd s strin g u p o n th rea d s o f b a rk and sell it by th e fath o m ; it fo rm s a k in d o f circulating m ed ium 1 N ose pendants often consisted o f a disc o f polished abalone shell (H a lio iis k a m isch a ika n a ) perforated to accept a loop o f thread for fastening into the pierced nasal septum . : i.e. the tooth-shell o r dentalium shell ( Dentalium pretiosum ), which played such a prom inent role in N orthw est C oast cultures as units of value o r w ealth. Its principal source was in trad e with the groups resident on C ape Flattery an d the southern coast o f Juan de Fuca Strait. It was also to be found in deep w ater o ff the west coast o f V ancouver Island. Jew itt is inconsistent in his spelling o f the nam e for dentalia.

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a m o n g th ese n a tio n s, five fa th o m s being c o n sid ere d as th e price o f a slave, th e ir m o st valuable species o f p ro p e rty . It is principally o b ta in e d from th e A itizzarts, a p e o p le living a b o u t th irty o r forty m iles to th e n o rth w a rd , w ho collect it from th e reefs a n d sunken rocks w ith w hich th e ir coast a b o u n d s, th o u g h it is also b ro u g h t in c o n sid erab le q u a n tity from th e so u th . T h e ir m o d e o f tak in g it has been th u s described to m e : - T o o n e end o f a pole is fastened a piece o f p lan k , in w hich a c o n sid era b le n u m b e r o f p in e pegs a re inserted, m ad e sh a rp a t the ends; above th e p lan k , in o rd e r to sink it, a sto n e o r so m e w eight is tied, and th e o th e r end o f th e pole su sp en d ed to a long rope; this is let do w n perp en d icu larly by the Ife -w a w fishers in those places w here th a t su b stan ce is fo u n d , w hich are usually from fifty to sixty fa th o m s d eep . O n finding th e b o tto m , they raise th e pole u p a few feet a n d let it fall; this th ey rep eat a n u m b er o f tim es, as if so u n d in g , w hen they d ra w it up a n d ta k e o ff th e Ife -w a w w hich is fo u n d ad h erin g to th e p o in ts. T h is m eth o d o f p ro c u rin g it is very lab o rio u s a n d fatiguing, especially as th ey seldom ta k e m ore th an tw o o r th re e o f these shells a t a tim e , a n d frequently none. T h o u g h th e w om en, as I h av e said , m ak e but little use o f p a in t, th e very reverse is th e case w ith th e m en. In d e co ra tin g th e ir heads a n d faces they place th eir p rin cip al p rid e, a n d n o n e o f o u r m ost fashionable beaus w hen p re p arin g for a g ra n d ball can b e m o re p a rticu la r; for I have k n o w n M a q u in a , a fte r h aving been em ployed m o re th an an h o u r in p a in tin g his face, ru b th e w hole off, a n d reco m m en ce th e o p e ra tio n anew , w hen it did n o t entirely please him . T h e m a n n e r in w hich they p a in t them selves frequently varies, according to th e occasion, b u t it o fte n e r is th e m ere d ic ta te o f w h im . T h e m o st usual m eth o d is to p a in t th e eyebrow s black in form o f a h alf-m o o n and th e face red in sm all sq u ares, w ith the arm s a n d legs a n d p a rt o f th e b o d y red; so m etim es o n e h a lf o f the face is p a in te d red in sq u a res a n d th e o th e r black; at others d o tte d w ith sp o ts o f red a n d black instead o f sq u a res, w ith a variety o f o th e r devices, such as p a in tin g o n e h a lf o f th e face and bo d y red a n d th e o th e r black. B ut a m eth o d o f p a in tin g w hich they so m etim es em ployed, an d w hich they w ere m uch m o re p a rticu la r in, w as by laying on th e face a q u a n tity o f b e a r’s g re ase o f a b o u t o n e-eig h th o f an inch thick; this they raised up in to ridges resem bling a sm all b e ad in jo in e r ’s w ork w ith a stick p re p are d for th e p u rp o se , a n d then p a in te d them re d , w hich gave th e face a very sin g u lar a p p ea ran c e. O n e x tra o rd in a ry occasions th e king a n d principal chiefs used to strew o v er th e ir faces, a fte r p a in tin g , a fine black shining

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p o w d e r p ro c u re d from som e m in e ral, as M a q u in a told m e it w as g ot from th e rocks. T h is they call p e lp e h h 3 a n d value it highly, as, in th e ir o p in io n , it serves to set o ff th eir looks to g re at a d v an tag e, g litte rin g e sp e c ia lly in th e su n lik e silv e r. T h is a rtic le is b ro u g h t them in bags by th e N e w ch e m a ss,4 a very savage n a tio n w h o live1 a long w ay to th e n o rth , from w h o m they likew ise receive a su p e rio r k in d o f red p a in t, a species o f very fine and rich ochre, w hich they hold in m uch e stim a tio n . N o tw ith sta n d in g this custom o f p a in tin g them selves, they m a k e it a n in v a ria b le p ra c tic e , b o th in s u m m e r a n d w in te r, to b a th e o n c e a day, a n d so m etim es o ftener; but as th e p a in t is put o n w ith o il, it is n o t m u ch d is c o m p o s e d th e re b y , a n d w h e n e v e r th ey w ish to w ash it off, they re p a ir to som e piece o f fresh w ater a n d sc o u r them selves w ith sand o r rushes. In dressing th e ir h e ad s on occasion o f a festival o r a visit, they a re full as p a rtic u la r a n d a lm o st as long as in p a in tin g . T h e h a ir, a fte r b ein g well oiled, is carefully g a th e re d u p o n th e to p o f th e h e ad a n d secu red by a piece o f p in e o r sp ru ce bough w ith the green leaves u p o n it. A fte r having it p roperly fixed in this m a n ­ n e r, th e king a n d principal chiefs used to strew all o v er it th e w hite dow n o b ta in e d from a species o f large b row n eagle w hich a b o u n d s o n this co ast, and w hich they a re very p a rtic u la r in a rra n g in g so as not to have a single feath er o u t o f place, occa­ sionally w etting th e h a ir to m ak e it a d h ere . T h is, to g eth e r w ith th e b o u g h , w hich is som etim es o f c o n sid era b le size a n d stuck over w ith feathers by m eans o f tu rp e n tin e , gives them a very sin g u lar a n d g ro tesq u e a p p ea ran c e, w hich they, how ever, th in k very b ecom ing, a n d th e first thing th ey d o , on learn in g th e arriv al o f stra n g ers, is to g o a n d d e co ra te them selves in this m an n er. T h e m en also w ear bracelets o f p a in te d lea th e r o r c o p p e r and large earrin g s o f th e latter, b u t th e o rn a m e n t on w hich they a p p e a r to set th e m ost value is th e nose-jew el, if such an a p p ella ­ tio n m ay be given to th e w o o d e n stick w hich som e o f them em ploy for this p u rp o se . T h e k in g and chiefs, ho w ev er, w ear them o f a differen t form , being e ith e r sm all pieces o f polished c o p p e r o r brass, o f w hich I m ad e m an y for them in th e sh a p e o f h e arts a n d d ia m o n d s, o f a tw isted conical shell a b o u t h a lf a n inch in le n g th , o f a b lu ish c o lo u r a n d v ery b rig h t, w h ich is b ro u g h t from th e s o u th .5 T hese a re su sp en d e d by a sm all w ire o r strin g toth e hole in th e gristle o f th e nose, w hich is fo rm ed in infancy by 1i.e. black mica. 4 possibly the N im pkish. 5 probably olivella shells (Olive/la biplicala).

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b o rin g it w ith a p in , th e hole bein g afte rw a rd s enlarged by the re p ea te d insertion o f w o o d en pegs o f a n increased size, until it b eco m es a b o u t th e d iam e te r o f a pip e-stem , th o u g h so m e have them o f a size nearly sufficient to a d m it th e little finger. T h e co m m o n class, w ho c a n n o t read ily p ro c u re th e m ore expensive jew els th a t I have m e n tio n e d , su b stitu te fo r them , usually, a sm o o th , ro u n d stick , so m e o f w hich a re o f a n alm o st in credible length, fo r I h av e seen them projecting n o t less than e ig h t o r n in e inches b e yond th e face on each side; this is m ade fast o r secured in its place by little w edges on each side o f it. T h e se “ sp rit-sail-y ard fellow s,” as m y m essm ate used to call th em , w hen rigged out in th is m a n n e r, m a d e q u ite a stran g e show , and it w as his d elight, w h en ev er h e saw o n e o f them com ing to w ard s us w ith an a ir o f co n seq u en ce p ro p o rtio n e d the length o f his stick, to put up his h a n d sud d en ly as h e w as passing h im , so as to strik e th e stick , in o rd e r, as he said, to b ra ce him u p sh a rp to th e w ind; this used to m ak e them very an g ry , but n o th in g w as m o re re m o te fro m T h o m p s o n ’s ideas th an a w ish to cu ltiv ate th eir favour. T h e natives o f N o o tk a a p p e a r to have b u t little in clin atio n for th e chase, th o u g h som e o f them w ere ex p ert m ark sm en , a n d used so m etim es to sh o o t d u ck s a n d geese; b u t th e seal a n d th e seao tte r form th e principal o bjects o f th eir h u n tin g , p a rticu la rly th e latter. O f this a n im a l, so m uch no ted fo r its valuable sk in , the follow ing d e sc rip tio n m ay n o t b e u ninteresting: - T h e se a -o tte r is nearly five feet in length, exclusive o f th e tail, w hich is a b o u t tw elve inches, a n d is very thick a n d b ro a d w here it jo in s the b o d y , b u t g ra d u ally tap e rs to th e en d , w hich is tip p e d w ith w hite. T h e c o lo u r o f th e rest is a sh in in g , silky black, w ith th e exception o f a b ro a d w hite stripe on th e to p o f th e h e ad . N o th in g can be m o re b eautiful th an o n e o f these an im a ls w hen seen sw im m ing, especially w hen on the lo o k -o u t for any object. A t such tim es it raises its h e ad q u ite above th e su rface, a n d th e c o n tra st betw een th e shining black a n d th e w hite, to g e th e r w ith its sh a rp e ars a n d a long tuft o f h a ir rising from th e m id d le o f its fo reh ead , w hich looks like th re e sm all h o rn s, re n d e r it q u ite a novel a n d attractiv e ob ject. T hey a re in general very tam e , a n d will p e rm it a c an o e o r b o a t to a p p ro a c h very n e a r b e fo re they dive. I w as to ld , how ever, th a t they a re becom e m u ch m o re shy since they have been accu sto m ed to sh o o t th em w ith m uskets, th a n w hen they used only arrow s. T h e sk in is held in g re a t e stim a tio n in C h in a , m o re especially th a t o f th e tail, th e fur o f w hich is finer a n d closer set th an th a t

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on th e b o d y . T h is is alw ays c u t o ff and sold sep arately by th e natives. T h e value o f a skin is d e te rm in e d by its size, th a t being con sid ered as a p rim e sk in w hich will reach , in length, from a m a n ’s chin to his feet. T h e food o f th e se a -o tte r is fish, w hich he is very d e x te ro u s in tak in g , being a n excellent sw im m er, w ith feet w ebbed like those o f a goose. T h ey a p p e a r to b e w holly con fin ed to th e seacoast, a t least to th e salt w a ter. T h ey have usually th ree o r fo u r you n g a t a tim e, but I k n o w not how often they breed, n o r in w h a t place they d ep o sit th e ir y oung, th o u g h I have fre­ q uently seen them sw im m ing a ro u n d th e m o th e r w hen no longer than rats. T h e flesh is eaten by th e n atives, c o o k ed in th eir usual m o d e by boiling, a n d is far p re fe ra b le to th a t o f th e seal, o f w hich they m ak e m uch account. B ut if n o t g re at h u n ters, th e re a re few p oeple m o re ex p ert in fishing. T h e ir Tines are generally m ad e from th e sinew o f th e w hale, a n d a re extrem ely strong. F o r th e h o o k , they usually m ak e use o f a stra ig h t piece o f h ard w o o d , in th e low er p a rt o f w hich is inserted, a n d well secured w ith th re a d o r w hale sinew , a b it o f b one m ad e very sh a rp a t th e p o in t a n d b e ard e d ; but I used to m ak e for th em h o o k s from iro n , w hich they p re fe rre d , not only as being less liable to b re a k , but m o re c erta in o f securing th e fish. C o d , h a lib u t, a n d o th e r sea fish w ere n o t only cau g h t by them w ith hooks, b u t even salm on. T o ta k e this la tte r fish, they p ractise th e follow ing m eth o d : O n e perso n seats h im self in a sm all can o e , a n d , baitin g his hook w ith a sp ra t, w hich they a re alw ays careful to p ro c u re as fresh as possible, fastens his line to th e h a n d le o f th e p addle; this, as he plies it in th e w ater, keeps th e fish in c o n stan t m o tio n , so as to give it th e a p p e a ra n c e o f life, w hich th e salm on seeing, leaps a t it a n d is instantly h o o k e d , a n d , by a sudden a n d d e x te ro u s m otion o f th e p a d d le , d ra w n o n b o a rd . 1 have know n som e o f th e natives ta k e no less th an eight o r ten salm o n o f a m o rn in g , in this m an n e r, a n d have seen from tw enty to th irty canoes a t a tim e in F rie n d ly C o v e th u s em ployed. T h ey a re likew ise little less skilful in ta k in g th e w hale. T his they kill w ith a k in d o f jav e lin o r h a rp o o n th u s c o n stru cted and fitted: th e b a rb s a re form ed o f b o n e , w hich are sh a rp en e d on th e o u te r side, a n d hollow ed w ith in , for th e p u rp o se o f fo rm in g a socket for th e staff; th ese are th e n secured firm ly to g eth e r w ith a w hale sinew , th e p o in t being fitted so as to receive a piece o f m ussel-shell, w hich is g ro u n d to a very sh a rp edge, a n d secu red in its p lac e by m e a n s o f t u r p e n t i n e .6 T o th is h e a d o r p ro n g is 6 i.e. boiled pine pilch.

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fasten ed a stro n g line o f w hale sinew a b o u t n in e feet in length, to th e end o f w hich is tied a b a rk ro p e from fifty to sixty fathom s long, having from tw enty to th irty seal-skin floats o r buoys a tta c h e d to it a t certain intervals, in o rd e r to check th e m o tio n o f th e w hale a n d o b stru c t his diving. In th e so c k e t o f th e h a rp o o n a sta ff o r p o le o f a b o u t ten feet long, grad u ally tap e rin g from the m id d le to e ac h e n d , is p la c e d ; th is th e h a r p o o n e r h o ld s in his h a n d , in o rd e r to strik e th e w hale, a n d im m ediately d e tach es it as so o n as th e fish is struck. T h e w hale is con sid ered as th e k in g ’s fish, and no o th e r p e rs o n , w h e n h e is p re s e n t, is p e r m itte d to to u c h h im u n til th e royal h a rp o o n has first d raw n his blo o d , how ever n e a r h e m ay a p p ro a c h ; a n d it w ould be c o n sid ere d a lm o st a sacrilege fo r any o f th e co m m o n p e o p le to strik e a w hale b efore h e is killed, p a rticu la rly if a n y o f th e chiefs sh o u ld b e p re sen t. T h e y a lso kill th e p o rp o ise a n d sea-cow 7 w ith h a rp o o n s, b u t this in ferio r gam e is n o t in terd icted th e low er class. W ith re g ard to th eir can o es, som e o f th e h a n d so m est to be found on th e w hole co ast a re m a d e a t N o o tk a , th o u g h very fine ones a re b ro u g h t by th e W ic k in n in ish a n d th e K la-iz-zarts, who h a v e them m o re highly o rn a m e n te d . T h ey a re o f all sizes, from such as a re c ap a b le o f hold in g o n ly -o n e person to th e ir largest w a r canoes, w hich will carry fo rty m en , a n d are ex trem ely light. O f these, th e largest o f any th a t I ever saw w as o n e b elonging to M a q u in a , w hich I m easu red , a n d found to b e forty-tw o feet from stem to ste rn . T h ese a re m a d e o f p in e ,8 hollow ed o u t from a tre e , w ith th eir chisels solely, w hich a re a b o u t th re e inches b ro a d and six in length, a n d set into a h a n d le o f very h a rd w ood. T h is in stru m e n t w as fo rm erly m ad e o f flint, o r so m e hard sto n e g ro u n d do w n to as sh a rp a n edge as possible, but since they h av e learn ed th e use o f iro n , th ey have alm ost all o f th em o f th a t m eta l. Instead o f a m allet for strik in g this chisel, they m ak e use o f a sm o o th ro u n d stone, w hich th ey hold in th e p alm o f th e h a n d . W ith this sam e aw k w a rd in stru m e n t they not only excavate th eir canoes a n d trays a n d sm o o th th e ir planks, b u t cu t dow n such trees as th ey w ant, e ith e r for b uilding, fuel, o r o th e r p u r­ poses, a la b o u r w hich is m ostly d o n e by th eir slaves. T h e felling o f trees, as practised by them is a slow a n d m ost ted io u s process, th ree o f them being generally from tw o to three days in c u ttin g dow n a large o n e ; y et so a tta c h e d w ere they to th eir ow n m e th o d , th a t n o tw ith sta n d in g they saw T h o m p s o n fre­ 7 probably the sea-lion ( Eum etopias stelleri). h n o t in fact pine, but cedar (T huja gigantea or Thuja plicata).

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quen tly , w ith o n e o f o u r axes, o f w hich th ere w as a n u m b e r saved, fell a tre e in less tim e th an they could have g o n e ro u n d it with th eir chisels, still they could n o t be p ersu ad e d to m ak e use o f them . A fte r hollow ing o u t th eir c an o e s, w hich they d o very neatly, they fashion th e o u tsid e, a n d slightly b u rn it, for the p u rp o se o f rem oving any splinters o r sm all p o in ts th a t m ight o b stru c t its p assage th ro u g h th e w a ter, a fte r w hich they ru b it o v er th o r­ oughly w ith rushes o r coarse m ats, in o rd e r to sm o o th it, w hich n o t only renders it a lm o st as sm o o th as glass, b u t form s a b e tte r security for it from th e w eather; this o p e ra tio n o f b u rn in g and ru b b in g do w n th e b o tto m s o f th e ir c an o es is practised as o ften as they a c q u ire a n y c o n sid erab le d e g ree o f roughness from use. T h e o u tsid e by this m eans becom es q u ite black, a n d to c o m p le te th eir w o rk they p a in t th e inside o f a b rig h t red, w ith o chre o r som e o th e r sim ilar su b stan ce; the p ro w s a n d stern s are alm o st alw ays o rn a m e n te d w ith figures o f d u ck s o r som e o th e r k in d o f b ird , the fo rm e r being so fashioned as to rep resen t th e h ead , and th e latter th e tail; these a re se p a ra te pieces from th e can o e , a n d a re fas­ ten e d to it w ith sm all flexible tw igs o r b ark c o rd . S om e o f these can o es, p a rticu la rly those em ployed in w haling, which will hold a b o u t ten m en , a re o rn a m e n te d w ithin a b o u t tw o inches below th e gunw ale w ith tw o p arallel lines on each sid e o f very sm all w hite shells,9 ru n n in g fore and aft, w hich has a very p re tty effect. T h e ir w ar canoes h av e no o rn a m e n t o f th is k ind, b u t a re p a in te d on th e o u tsid e w ith figures in w hite chalk, rep re­ sen tin g eagles, w hales, h u m a n h ead s, etc. T h ey a re very dex tero u s in th e use o f th e ir p addles, w hich a re very neatly w ro u g h t, and a re five feet long, w ith a sh o rt h a n d le and a b lad e seven inches b ro a d in th e m iddle, tap e rin g to a sh a rp p o in t. W ith these they will m ak e a c an o e skim very sw iftly on th e w a ter, w ith scarcely any noise, w hile they k e ep tim e to th e stro k e o f th e p a d d le with th e ir songs.

” probably in fact snail opercula.

8 Music - Musical Instruments Slaves - Neighbouring Tribes Trade with T h ese-A rm y T h e y have a n u m b e r w hich they sing o n v a rio u s o c c a s io n s - a s w a r,* w haling a n d fishing, a t th e ir m arriages a n d feasts, a n d at p ub lic festivals o r solem nities. T h e language o f th e m ost o f these a p p e a rs to b e very different in m an y respects from th a t used in th e ir co m m o n c o n v ersa tio n , w hich leads m e to believe e ith e r th at th ey h a v e a d iffere n t m o d e o f expressing them selves in p o e try , or th a t they b o rro w th e ir songs from th eir neighbours; a n d w h at the m o re p a rticu la rly induces m e to th e la tte r o p in io n is, th a t w hen­ ever a n y o f th e N ew chem ass, a p e o p le from th e n o rth w a rd , and w h o speak a very differen t language, a rriv e d , th ey used to tell m e th a t th ey expected a new so n g , a n d w ere a lm o st alw ays su re to h av e o n e. T h e ir tu n es a re generally so ft and p lain tiv e, a n d th o u g h not possessing g re a t variety, are n o t deficien t in h a rm o n y . T h eir singing is g enerally a cc o m p a n ied w ith several ru d e k in d s o f in stru ­ m ental m usic, a m o n g th e m o st p ro m in e n t o f w hich is a k in d o f a d ru m . T h is is n o th in g m o re th a n a long plan k hollow ed o u t on th e u n d e r sid e a n d m ad e q u ite th in , w hich is b e a t u p o n by a stick o f a b o u t a fo o t long, a n d ren d ers a so u n d n o t unlik e b e atin g on th e h e ad o f a n em p ty cask, b u t m uch louder. B ut th e tw o m o st fav o u rite in stru m e n ts a re th e rattle a n d th e p ip e o r w histle; these a re , ho w ev er, only used by th e k in g , th e chiefs, o r so m e p a rtic u la r p e rso n s. T h e fo rm e r is m ad e o f dried se a lsk in , so as to represent a fish, a n d is filled w ith a n u m b e r o f sm all sm o o th pebbles; it has a sh o rt h a n d le , a n d is p a in te d red. T h e w histle is m a d e o f b o n e , g enerally th e leg o f a d e er;; it is sh o rt, but em its a very shrill so u n d . T h ey have likew ise a n o th e r k in d o f m usic, w hich they m a k e use o f in d ancing, in th e m an n e r o f c asta n ets. T h is is p ro d u c ed by a n u m b e r o f m u ssel1 o r cockle-, shells tied to g e th e r and sh ak en to a k in d o f tu n e , w hich is a cc o m p a n ied w ith th e voice. * A sp ecim en o f o n e o f th e ir w ar-songs will be fo u n d a t th e en d o f this work. 1 probably C alifornia mussel (M y tilu s calijornianus). probably pecten shells (P ecten caurinus).

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T h e ir slaves, as I have o b se rv ed , form th eir m ost valuable species o f p ro p e rty . T h ese are o f b o th sexes, being e ith e r captives tak e n by them selves in w ar, o r p u rc h ase d from th e n e ig hbouring tribes, a n d w ho reside in th e sa m e h ouse, fo rm in g as it w ere a p a rt o f th e fam ily, a re usually k in d ly tre a te d , e a t o f th e sam e food, a n d live as well as th e ir m asters. T h ey a re com pelled, h ow ever, at tim es to la b o u r severely, as n o t only all th e m enial offices a re p erfo rm e d by th em , such as b ringing w ater, cutting w ood, and a variety o f o th ers, b u t they are o bliged to m a k e th e canoes, to assist in building a n d rep airin g th e houses, to supply th eir m asters w ith fish, a n d to a tte n d them in w a r a n d to fight for them . N o n e b u t th e king a n d chiefs have slaves, th e co m m o n people being p re v en ted from hold in g th em , e ith e r from th e ir inability to p u rch ase th e m , o r, as I am ra th e r inclined to th in k , from its being con sid ered as th e privilege o f th e fo rm er a lo n e to have th em , especially as all th o se m ad e p riso n e rs in w a r belong e ith e r to th e king o r th e chiefs w ho have c a p tu re d th em , each o n e hold in g such as have been tak e n by h im self o r his slaves. T h ere is p ro b a b ly , how ever, som e little d istin c tio n in fav o u r o f th e king, w ho is alw ays th e c o m m a n d er o f th e ex p ed itio n , as M a q u in a had nearly fifty, m ale a n d fem ale, in his h ouse, a n u m b e r co n stitu tin g a b o u t o n e h a lf o f its in h a b ita n ts, c o m p re h en d in g those o b ta in e d by w a r a n d p u rch ase; w hereas n o n e o f th e o th e r chiefs h a d m o re th an tw elve. T h e fem ales are em ployed prin cip ally in m an u fa ctu r­ ing cloth, in c ooking, collecting b erries, etc., a n d w ith re g ard to food a n d living in general have n o t a m uch h a rd e r lot th a n th eir m istresses, th e principal difference consisting in th ese p o o r u n fo r­ tu n a te c rea tu re s being c onsidered as free to any o n e , th e ir m asters p ro stitu tin g them w h en ev er they th in k p ro p e r for th e p u rp o se o f g ain . In this w ay m an y o f them a re b ro u g h t o n b o a rd th e ships and offered to th e crew s, from w hence a n o p in io n a p p e a rs to have been form ed by som e o f o u r n av ig ato rs injurious to the chastity o f th eir fem ales, th an w hich n o th in g can b e m o re g e n e r­ ally u n tru e , as p e rh ap s in n o p a rt o f th e w orld is th a t v irtu e m ore prized. T h e houses a t N o o tk a , as a lre a d y sta te d , a re a b o u t tw enty, w ith o u t c o m p risin g th o se in h ab ited by th e K la h a rs,3 a sm all tr ib e ' th a t h a s b e e n c o n q u e re d a n d in c o r p o r a te d in to th a t o f N o o tk a , tho u g h they m ust be con sid ered as in a sta te o f vassalage, as th ey are n o t p e rm itte d to have any chiefs a m o n g th e m , a n d live by them selves in a c luster o f sm all houses a t a little d istan c e fro m the village. T h e N o o tk a trib e , w hich consists o f a b o u t five h u n d re d 3 K lahoose?

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w a rrio rs, is n o t only m o re n u m ero u s th an alm ost any o f the n eig h b o u rin g trib e s, b u t far exceeds them in th e stre n g th and m artial sp irit o f its people; a n d in fact th e re are b u t few n atio n s w ithin a h u n d re d m iles e ith e r to th e n o rth o r so u th b u t are c onsidered as trib u ta ry to them . In giving so m e account o f th e trib es th a t w ere accu sto m ed to visit N o o tk a , I shall c o m m e n ce a t th e so u th w a rd w ith th e Klaiz-zarts, a n d th e W ick in n in ish , prem isin g th a t in p o in t o f personal a p p e a ra n c e th e re prevails a w onderful diversity betw een th e var­ ious trib es on th e coast, w ith th e exception o f th e feet a n d legs, w hich a re badly shaped in a lm o st all o f them from th eir p ractice o f sittin g on them . T h e K la-iz-zarts a re a n u m e ro u s a n d pow erful trib e , living nearly th ree h u n d re d m iles to th e so u th ,4 a n d are said to consist o f m o re th a n a th o u sa n d w a rrio rs. T h ey a p p e a r to b e m ore civilised th an any o f th e o th ers, being b e tte r a n d m o re neatly d ressed, m o re m ild and affab le in th e ir m an n ers, re m a rk a b le for th e ir sp rightliness and vivacity, a n d c eleb rated for th e ir singing a n d d ancing. T h ey exhibit also g re a te r m ark s o f im p ro v e m en t in w hatever is w ro u g h t by th em ; th e ir can o es, tho u g h n o t su p e rio r to those o f N o o tk a in p o in t o f form a n d lightness, are m o re highly o rn a m e n te d , and th eir w eap o n s a n d to o ls o f every kind have a m uch h ig h er finish a n d display m o re skill in th e w o rk m a n ­ ship. T h e ir cast o f c o u n te n an c e is very d ifferent from th a t o f the N o o tk ia n s, th e ir faces being very b ro a d , w ith a less p ro m in e n t nose a n d sm aller eyes, a n d th e to p o f th e h e ad flattened as if it h a d been pressed dow n w ith a w e ig h t.5 T h e ir co m plexion is also* m uch fairer, a n d th eir sta tu re sh o rte r, tho u g h they are well fo rm ed a n d strongly set. T h ey have a custom w hich a p p ea rs to b e pecu liar to th e m , as I never ob serv ed it in a n y o f th e o th e r tribes, w hich is to pluck o u t not only th eir beards a n d th e h a ir from th e ir bod ies, b u t also th e ir eyebrow s, so as n o t to leave a vestige rem aining. T h ey were also in general m o re skilful in p a in tin g a n d d e co ra tin g them selves, a n d I have seen som e o f th em w ith n o less than a dozen holes in each o f th e ir e ars, to w hich w ere su sp en d ed strings o f sm all beads a b o u t tw o inches in length. T h e ir language is th e sam e as spoken a t N o o tk a , b u t th e ir p ro n u n c ia tio n is m uch m o re h o a rse and 4 Jewitt is in error. T he K lahousats lived to the north o f N ootka Sound. ' Jew itt vaguely hints at cranial deform ation. In fact this was most probably the case, for cranial deform ation was quite extensively practiced on the N orthw est C oast.

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g u ttu ra l. T hese peo p le are not o n ly very ex p ert in w haling, but are g re a t h u n ters o f th e se a -o tte r a n d o th e r an im als, w ith w hich th eir c o u n try is said to a b o u n d , a n d th e m eta m e lth , a large anim al o f th e d e er k in d ,6 th e skin o f w hich I h a v e a lready spoken of, a n o th e r 7 o f a light grey c o lo u r, w ith 'v e ry fine h a ir, from which they m an u fa ctu re a h a n d so m e clo th , th e b eaver, a n d a species o f large wild c at o r tig e r c a t.8 T h e W ick in n in ish ,9 th eir n e ig h b o u rs on th e n o rth , are a b o u t tw o h u n d re d m iles from N o o tk a . T h e y a re a ro b u st, stro n g , and w arlike people, b u t con sid ered by th e N o o tk ia n s as th eir inferiors in co u rag e. T h is trib e is m o re n u m ero u s th an th a t o f N o o tk a , am o u n tin g to betw een six and seven h u n d red w arriors. T h o u g h n o t so civilised as th e K la-iz-zarts, a n d less skilful in th eir m a n u ­ factures, like them they em ploy them selves in h u n tin g , as well as in w haling a n d fishing. T h e ir faces a re b ro a d , b u t less so th a n th e K la-iz-zarts, w ith a d a rk e r co m p lex io n and a m uch less o p e n and pleasing expression o f co u n te n an c e , w hile th eir heads p re sen t a very differen t form , being pressed in a t th e sides a n d lengthened to w ard s th e to p so m e w h a t in th e shape o f a su g a r loaf. T hese p e o p le are very freq u e n t visitors a t N o o tk a , a close frien d sh ip subsisting betw een th e tw o n a tio n s, M a q u in a ’s A rc o m a h o r queen, Y -y a -tin tla -n o , bein g th e d a u g h te r o f th e W ickinninish king. T h e K la -o o -q u a tes a d joining th em on th e n o rth are m u ch less n u m ero u s, th e ir force n o t exceeding fo u r h u n d re d fighting m en; they are also b e h in d them in th e a rts o f life. T h ese a re a fierce, b old, a n d e n te rp risin g p eople, a n d th ere w ere n o n e th a t visited N o o tk a , w hom M a q u in a used to b e m o re on his g u a rd against, o r view ed w ith so m uch suspicion. T h e E sh q u ates a re a b o u t th e sam e num b er; th ese are c o n sid ere d as trib u ta ry to M a q u in a . T h e ir co ast a b o u n d s w ith rivers, c reek s, a n d m arshes. T o th e n o rth th e nearest trib e o f a n y im p o rta n ce is the A itizzarts; these, how ever, d o n o t exceed th ree h u n d re d w arriors. In a p p e a ra n c e th ey greatly resem ble th e p e o p le o f N o o tk a , to 6 probably the wapiti (Cervus canadensis). 1 possibly a species o f m arm ot. * probably the cougar. 9 it has already been indicated that the nam e W ickinninish, which Jew itt uses as a tribal nam e is in fact m ore probably the personal nam e o f the chief o f the g roup alluded to. T his ch ief is probably the sam e one referred to by M eares in 1788 as having political dom i­ nance over the territory betw een C layoquot Sound in the north to N itinat in the south.

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w hom they a re con sid ered as trib u ta ry , th e ir m an n ers, dress, and style o f living also being very sim ila r. T hey reside a t a b o u t forty m iles’ d istance up the S o u n d . A c o n sid era b le w ay fa rth e r to the n o rth w a rd a re th e C ay u q u ets; these a re a m uch m o re n u m ero u s trib e th an th a t o f N o o tk a , b u t th o u g h t by th e latter to b e d efi­ cient in c o u rag e and m artial sp irit, M a q u in a having frequently told m e th a t th e ir h e arts w ere a little like th o se o f birds. T h ere a re also b o th at th e n o rth a n d so u th m an y o th er in tervening trib e s, but in general sm all in n u m b er a n d insignifi­ c an t, all o f w h o m , as well as th e ab o v e m en tio n ed , speak th e sam e language. B ut th e N ew chem ass, w ho c o m e from a g re a t w ay to th e n o rth w a rd , a n d from som e d istan ce inland, as 1 w as to ld by M a q u in a , speak q u ite a d ifferent lan g u a g e,10 alth o u g h it is well u n d e rsto o d by those o f N o o tk a . T hese w ere the m o st savagelo o k in g a n d u g ly m en th a t 1 e v e r sa w , th e ir c o m p le x io n bein g m u ch d a rk er, th e ir sta tu re sh o rte r, a n d th e ir h a ir c o arse r, than th a t o f th e o th e r n a tio n s, a n d th e ir dress a n d a p p e a ra n c e d irty in a n e x tre m e . T h e y w e a r th e ir b e a rd s lo n g lik e Je w s, a n d h a v e a very m o ro se a n d surly co u n te n an c e . T h e ir usual dress is a k o ts u k m ad e o f w olf-skin, w ith a n u m b e r o f th e tails a tta c h e d to it, o f w hich I have seen no less th an ten on o n e g a rm e n t, h an g in g from th e to p to th e b o tto m ; tho u g h they so m etim es w ear a sim ilar m an tle o f b a rk cloth, o f a m uch c o arser tex tu re th a n th a t o f N o o tk a , th e o riginal o f w hich a p p e a rs to be th e sam e, tho u g h fro m th e ir v ery g re a t filth in e s s it w as a lm o s t im p o s sib le to d is ­ co v er w h at it h a d been. T h e ir m o d e o f dressing th e h a ir also varies essentially from th a t o f th e o th e r tribes, for th ey suffer th a t on th e back o f the head to hang loose, a n d bind th e o th e r o v er th e ir fo reh ead s in the m an n e r o f a fillet, w ith a strip o f th eir c o u n try cloth, o rn a m e n te d w ith sm all w h ite shells. T h e ir w e ap o n s a re th e c h e e to lth , o r w ar-club, w hich is m a d e from w halebone, daggers, bow and arro w s, a n d a kind o f sp e a r p o in te d w ith bo n e o r c o p p e r. T hey b ro u g h t w ith th em no furs for sale, excepting a few w olf-skins, th eir m erch an d ise consisting principally o f th e black sh in in g m in­ eral called p e lp e lth , a n d th e fine red p a in t, w hich they carefully k e p t in close m at bags, som e sm all d ried sa lm o n , clam s, a n d roes o f fish, w ith occasionally a little co arse m attin g clo th . T h ey w ere accustom ed to rem ain a m uch longer tim e a t N o o tk a th a n the o th e r tribes, in o rd e r to recover from th e fatigue o f a long jo u rn e y , p a rt o f w hich w as o v erlan d , a n d o n these occasions tau g h t th eir songs to o u r savages. 10 i.e. one o f the K wakiutl languages.

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T h e tra d e o f m o st o f th e o th e r trib e s w ith N o o tk a w as p rin c ip a lly tr a in - o il, seal o r w h a le ’s b lu b b e r, fish fresh o r d rie d , h errin g o r salm o n sp aw n , clam s and m ussels, a n d th e y a m a ," a species o f fruit w hich is pressed a n d d ried , clo th , se a -o tte r skins, and slav es.F ro m th e A itizzarts a n d th e C au y q u ets, particu larly th e form er, th e best Ife-w haw a n d in th e g re atest q u a n titie s w as o b tain e d . T h e E sh q u ates fu rnished us w ith w ild d u ck s a n d geese, particu larly th e latter. T h e W ickinninish a n d K la-iz-zarts b ro u g h t to m ark e t m an y slaves, th e best se a -o tte r skins, g re a t q u a n titie s o f oil, w hale sinew , a n d cakes o f th e y a m a , highly o rn a m e n te d can o es, so m e Ife-w haw , red o c h re a n d pelp elth o f an inferior quality to th a t o b ta in e d from th e N ew chem ass, but particu larly th e so m uch valued m etam elth , a n d a n excellent ro o t called by th e K la-iz-zarts Q u a w n o o se.'2 T h is is th e size o f a sm all o n io n , but ra th e r longer, being o f a ta p e rin g form like a p ear, a n d o f a brow nish co lo u r. It is c o o k ed by steam , is alw ays b ro u g h t in bask ets ready p re p are d for eatin g , a n d is in tru th a very fine vegetable, being sw eet, m ealy, a n d o f a m ost a g reeab le flav o u r. It w as highly esteem ed by th e n ativ es, w ho used to e at it, as they did e verything else, w ith train -o il. F ro m th e K la-iz-zarts w as also received, th o u g h in no g re at q u a n tity , a cloth m an u fa ctu re d by them from th e fur alread y spoken of, w hich feels like w ool a n d is o f a grey colour. M any o f th e articles th u s b ro u g h t, particu larly th e p rovisions, w ere c onsidered as presents, o r trib u ta ry offerings, but this m ust be view ed as little m o re th an a n om inal a ck n o w led g m en t o f su p e rio rity , as th ey rarely failed to g et th e full a m o u n t o f the value o f th e ir p resen ts. I have know n eighteen o f th e g re at tubs, in w hich they k e ep th eir p rovisions, filled w ith spaw n b ro u g h t in this w ay. O n these o ccasions a g re a t feast is alw ays m ad e , to w hich n o t only th e strangers, b u t th e w hole village, m en, w om en, an d c h ild ren , a re generally invited, a n d I have seen five o f the largest tu b s em ployed a t such tim e , in co o k in g a t th e k in g ’s house. A t these feasts they g en erally indulge in eating to an excess, m aking up in th is respect for th eir w a n t o f ineb riatin g liquors, w hich they kn o w no m eth o d o f p re p arin g in any form , th eir only d rink being w ater. W h en ev er they c am e to visit o r trad e , it w as th eir general custom to sto p a few m iles d istan t, u n d e r th e lee o f som e b lu ff o r 11 m ost probably salal (Gaullheria shallon). 12 i.e. cam ass ( Cam assia esculenia). T hese bulbs were quite widely used for food on the N orthw est C oast. M ost groups prepared it by steam ing in an earth oven.

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rock, and rig them selves o u t in th eir best m an n e r, by p ain tin g a n d dressing th e ir heads. O n th e ir first com ing on sh o re , they w ere invited to e at by th e king, w hen they b ro u g h t to him such articles as h e w an ted , a fte r w hich th e rest o f th e in h a b ita n ts were p e rm itte d to pu rch ase, th e stra n g ers being careful to keep them in th e ir c a n o e s u n til so ld , u n d e r s tric t g u a rd to p re v e n t th e ir b ein g sto len , th e d isp o sitio n o f these p eople for thieving bein g so g reat, th a t it is necessary to k e ep a w atchful eye u p o n them . T his w as th e ir usual m o d e o f traffic, but w h en ev er they w ished to p u rc h ase any p a rtic u la r ob ject, as, for instance, a c ertain slave, o r som e o th e r th in g o f w hich they w ere very desir­ ous, the c an o e th a t cam e for this p u rp o se w ould lie o ff a little d istan ce from th e sh o re, a n d a k in d o f a m b a ssad o r o r re p re se n ta ­ tive o f th e k in g o r c h ie f by w hom it w as sen t, dressed in their best m an n e r, a n d w ith his h e ad covered w ith th e w h ite dow n, w ould rise, a n d , a fter m aking k n o w n th e o bject o f his m ission in a p o m p o u s speech, hold up sp ecim en s o f such articles as he w as instructed to o ffer in p a y m e n t, m en tio n in g th e n u m b e r o r q u a n ­ tity o f each, w h en , if th e b a rg ain w as co n clu d ed , th e exchange w as im m ediately m ade. O n th eir visits o f frien d sh ip o r traffic, th e chiefs a lo n e used to sleep on shore; th is w as g enerally at th e h o u se o f th e king o r the head chief, th e o th e rs passing th e night on b o a rd o f th eir canoes, w hich w as d o n e n o t only fo r th e p re serv a tio n o f th e ir p ro p e rty , but because they w ere n o t p e rm itte d to rem ain on sh o re , lest they m ight excite so m e d istu rb an c e o r c o m m it d e p red a tio n s. All th ese p e o p le generally go arm e d , th e co m m o n class w ear­ ing only a d a g g er su sp en d ed from th e ir neck beh in d , w ith a string o f m e ta m e lth ,13 a n d som etim es th ru st in th eir girdles. T h e chiefs, in a d d itio n to th e dagger, carry th e ch eeto lth , o r w ar-clu b , sus­ p e n d ed in th e sam e m a n n e r b en ea th th e ir m antles; this, in the h a n d s o f a stro n g m an , is a pow erful w e ap o n , in th e m an a g em e n t o f w hich so m e o f th e o ld e r chiefs are very d exterous. It is m ade from th e b o n e o f a w hale, a n d is very heavy. T h e b lad e is a bout eighteen inches long and th re e b ro a d , till it a p p ro ac h es n e ar the p o in t, w here it e x p an d s to th e b read th o f fo u r inches. In the m iddle, from w hence it slopes o ff g ra d u ally to an edge on each side, it is from o n e to tw o inches in thickness. T h is blade is usually covered w ith figures o f th e su n a n d m o o n , a m a n ’s head, etc.; a n d th e hilt, w hich is m a d e to re p re se n t th e h e ad o f a m an o r som e a n im a l, is curiously set w ith sm all w hite shells, a n d has a b a n d o f m e ta m e lth fa s te n e d to it, in o r d e r to slin g it o v e r th e 13 wapiti skin.

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sh o u ld e r. S om e o f th e tribes h a v e also a k in d o f sp e a r headed w ith c o p p e r o r th e b o n e o f th e stin g ray, w hich is a d an g ero u s w eapon; this is, how ever, not u sual, and only c arried by th e chiefs. T h e bow a n d a rro w a re still used by a few, b u t sin ce th e in tro d u c tio n o f firearm s a m o n g th em , this w eapon has been m ostly laid aside.

9. Situation of the Author Removal to Tashees - Fishing Parties B u t to re tu rn to o u r u n h a p p y situ a tio n . T h o u g h m y c o m ra d e and m yself fared as w ell, a n d even b e tte r th an w e could have expected a m o n g these p e o p le , c o n sid erin g th eir cu sto m s a n d m o d e o f liv­ ing, y e t o u r fears lest no sh ip w o u ld c o m e to o u r release, a n d th at w e should nev er m o re behold a C h ristia n c o u n try , w ere to us a so u rc e o f c o n sta n t p ain . O u r p rin cip al c o n so latio n , in this gloom y sta te , w as to go on Sundays, w h en ev er th e w e ath e r w o u ld perm it, to th e b o rd e rs o f a freshw ater p o n d a b o u t a m ile from th e village, w h ere, a fte r b a th in g a n d p u ttin g on clean clothes, w e w ould seat ourselves u n d e r th e sh a d e o f a b eau tifu l p in e , w hile 1 re ad som e ch ap ters in th e Bible, a n d th e p ra y ers a p p o in te d by o u r C hurch for th e d ay , e n d in g o u r d e v o tio n s w ith a fervent p ra y er to th e A lm ighty, th a t H e w ould deign still to w atch o v er a n d preserve o u r lives, rescue us from th e h a n d s o f th e savages, a n d p e rm it us once m o re to b e h o ld a C h ristia n land. In this m a n n e r w ere th e g re a te r p a rt o f o u r S undays passed at N o o tk a ; a n d I felt g ra tified to H eaven th a t, a m id st o u r o th e r sufferings, w e w ere at least allow ed th e pleasu re o f offerin g up o u r dev o tio n s u n m o lested , for M a q u ia n a , on m y e x plaining to him as well as w as in m y p o w e r th e reason o f o u r th u s re tirin g at this tim e , far from objecting, readily c o n sen ted to it. T h e p o n d ab o v e m en tio n ed w as sm all, not m o re th an a q u a rte r o f a m ile in b re a d th , a n d o f no g re a t length, th e w ater being very clear, tho u g h n o t o f g re a t d e p th , a n d b o rd e re d by a beautiful forest o f pine, fir, elm , a n d b e e c h ,1 free from b u sh e s a n d , u n d erw o o d - a m o st delightful re tre a t, w hich w as re n d ere d still m o re a ttra c tiv e by a g re a t n u m b e r o f birds th a t freq u e n ted it, p articu larly th e h u m m in g -b ird . T h ith e r w e used to go to w ash o u r c lothes, a n d felt secure fro m a n y in tru sio n from th e natives, as they rarely visited it, except fo r th e p u rp o se o f cleansing th e m ­ selves o f th eir p a in t. 1 elm and beech do not occur in N ootka territory. Q uite likely Jewitt confused them with species o f ash and alder, which figure prom i­ nently am ong the deciduous trees o f the area.

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In July w e a t length th o u g h t th a t th e h o p e o f delivery w e had so long anxiously indulged w as on th e p o in t o f being g ra tified . A s h ip a p p e a r e d in th e o ffin g ; b u t, a la s! o u r fo n d h o p e s v a n is h e d alm ost as soon as form ed; for, instead o f sta n d in g in for the sh o re, she passed to th e n o rth w a rd , a n d soon d isa p p ea red . I shall n ot a tte m p t to d escrib e o u r d isa p p o in tm e n t m y h e art sank w ith in m e, and I felt as th o u g h it w as m y d estin y never m o re to b ehold a C h ristia n face. F o u r day s after th e re occu rred a tre m e n ­ d o u s sto rm o f th u n d e r a n d lightning, d u rin g w hich th e natives m anifested g re at ala rm and te rro r, th e w hole trib e hurry in g to M a q u in a ’s h ouse, w here, instead o f keeping w ithin, they seated them selves on th e roof, am id th e severest o f th e tem p est, d ru m ­ m ing u p o n th e b o a rd s, a n d lo o k in g up to heaven, w hile th e king b e a t th e long hollow p lan k , singing, an d , as he afte rw a rd s told m e, begging Q u a h o o tze , th e n a m e they give to G o d , n o t to kill th em , in w hich h e w as a c c o m p a n ie d by th e w hole trib e ; this singing a n d d ru m m in g w as c o n tin u e d until th e sto rm a b a te d . A s th e su m m e r drew n e ar its close, w e began to suffer from th e fre q u e n t w a n t o f fo o d , w h ic h w as p rin c ip a lly o w in g to M a q u in a and th e chiefs being o u t w haling, in w hich he w ould not p e rm it T h o m p so n a n d m yself to jo in , lest w e sho u ld m a k e o u r escape to som e o f th e n e ig h b o u rin g trib e s. A t these tim es th e w om en seldom o r ever c ook a n y p ro v isio n , a n d w e w ere often hungry, b u t w ere som etim es fo rtu n a te e n ough to p ro c u re secretly a piece o f sa lm o n , som e o th e r fish, sp aw n , o r even b lu b b er, w hich, by boiling in salt w ater, w ith a few o n io n s and tu rn ip s, the rem ain s o f th e Spanish g a rd en , o r you n g n ettles o r o th e r herbs, fu rnished us a delicious rep ast in private. In th e m ea n tim e, w e freq u en tly received acco u n ts from the trib es w ho cam e to N o o tk a , b o th from th e n o rth a n d so u th , o f th e re being vessels on th e c o ast, a n d w ere advised by th e ir chiefs to m ak e o u r escape, w ho also p ro m ised us th e ir aid, a n d to put us o n b o a rd . T hese stories, how ever, as I afte rw a rd s lea rn ed , w ere a lm o st all o f th em w ith o u t any fo u n d a tio n , and m erely invented by th ese peo p le w ith a view to g et us into th e ir pow er, in o rd e r to m ak e slaves o f us them selves, o r to sell us to oth ers. But I w as still m o re strongly solicited to leave N o o tk a by a w o m a n . T h is w as a W ickinninish princess, a y o u n g er sister o f M a q u in a ’s wife, w ho w as th ere on a visit. I had th e g o o d fo rtu n e, if it m ay b e so called, to b e co m e q u ite a fa v o u rite w ith her. She a p p e a re d m u ch in te re s te d fo r m e , a sk e d m e m an y q u e s tio n s respecting m y c o u n try , if I h a d a m o th e r a n d sister at h o m e , and if they w ould n o t grieve for m y absence. H e r co m plexion w as fairer th an th a t o f th e w om en in g e n era l, a n d her featu res m o re

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regular, a n d sh e w o u ld have been q u ite h a n d so m e had it n o t been for a defect in o n e o f h e r eyes, th e sig h t o f w hich h a d been injured by so m e accid en t; th e reaso n , as M a q u in a to ld m e, why she h a d n o t been m arried , a defect o f this k in d being by these savages con sid ered as alm ost an in su p e rab le objectio n . She urged m e rep eated ly to re tu rn w ith h e r, telling m e th a t th e W ickinninish w ere m uch b e tte r th an th e N o o tk ia n s; th a t h e r fath er w o u ld treat m e m o re kindly th a n M a q u in a , give m e b e tte r food a n d clothes, a n d finally p u t m e on b o a rd o n e o f m y ow n co u n try vessels. I felt, how ever, little disposed to acc o m p a n y h e r, c o n sid erin g my situ a tio n w ith M a q u in a full as eligible as it w ould b e w ith W ick­ in n in ish , if n o t b e tte r, n o tw ith sta n d in g all she said to th e c o n ­ trary . O n the 3 rd o f S e p tem b e r th e w hole trib e q u itte d N o o tk a , a cc o rd in g to th e ir c o n stan t p ra ctic e , in o rd e r to pass th e a u tu m n a n d w in ter o f T ash e e s2 a n d C o o p te e , th e latter lying a b o u t thirty m iles up th e S o u n d , in a d e ep bay, th e nav ig atio n o f w hich is very d an g ero u s, from th e g re a t n u m b e r o f reefs a n d rocks with w hich it a b o u n d s. O n th ese o ccasions ev ery th in g is tak e n w ith th em , even the p la n k s o f th e ir h o u ses, in o rd e r to cover th eir new dw ellings. T o a E u ro p e a n su c h a re m o v a l exhibits a scene q u ite novel and stran g e; c an o e s piled up w ith b o a rd s a n d boxes, a n d filled w ith m en , w om en, a n d ch ild ren , o f all ra n k s a n d sizes, m ak in g th e air reso u n d w ith th e ir cries a n d songs. A t th ese tim es, as well as w hen they have occasion to go so m e d istan ce from th eir h o u ses, th e infants a re usually susp ended across th e m o th e r’s sh o u ld ers, in a kind o f cradle o r h am m o ck , fo rm ed o f b a rk , o f a b o u t six inches in d e p th , a n d o f th e length o f th e child, by m ea n s o f a lea th e r b a n d inserted th ro u g h lo o p s on its edges; this th ey also k e ep th em in w hen at hom e, in o rd e r to preserve them in a straig h t p o sitio n , a n d p re v en t any d isto rtio n o f th e lim bs, m ost p ro b ab ly a p rin cip al cause o f these p e o p le being so seldom d e fo rm e d o r c ro o k ed . T h e long b o at o f o u r sh ip having been re p aired a n d furnished w ith a sail by T h o m p so n , M a q u in a gave us th e d irection o f it, we being b e tte r a c q u a in te d w ith m an ag in g it th an his p e o p le , a n d , a fte r loading h e r as d e ep as sh e co u ld sw im , w e p ro c ee d ed in c o m p a n y w ith th em to th e n o rth , q u ittin g N o o tk a w ith heavy he arts, as w e co u ld en te rta in no h o p es o f release until o u r re tu rn , no ships ever c o m in g to th a t p a rt o f th e coast. P assing C o o p tee , which is situ ate d o n th e so u th e rn b a n k , ju st w ithin th e m o u th o f : i.e. Tahsis.

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a sm all riv er flow ing from th e east in a n a rro w valley a t th e foot o f a m o u n ta in , we p roceeded a b o u t fifteen m iles up this stre am to T ashees, betw een a range o f lofty hills on each side, w hich extend a g r e a t d is ta n c e in la n d , a n d a re c o v e re d w ith th e fin e s t fo re st trees o f th e c o u n try . Im m ediately on o u r arriv al, w e all w en t to w ork very diligently in covering th e houses w ith th e p lan k s we h a d b ro u g h t, th e fram es being read y erected , th ese peo p le never p re te n d in g to rem o v e th e tim b e r. In a very sh o rt tim e th e w ork w as c o m p le te d , a n d we w ere estab lish ed in o u r new residence. T ash ees is pleasan tly situ ate d , a n d in a m ost secure positio n fro m th e w in te r s to rm s , in a sm a ll vale o r h o llo w on th e so u th sh o re, a t th e fo o t o f a m o u n ta in . T h e sp o t on w hich it sta n d s is level, a n d th e soil very fine, th e c o u n try in its vicinity a b o u n d in g w ith th e m o st ro m an tic view s, ch arm in g ly diversified, a n d fine stream s o f w a ter falling in b eau tifu l cascades from th e m o u n ta in s. T h e river a t this place is a b o u t tw e n ty rods in w idth, a n d , in its d eep est p a rt, from nine to tw elve feet. T his village is th e extrem e p o in t o f n a v ig a tio n , as, im m ed iately beyond, th e river becom es m uch m o re shallow , a n d is b ro k e n into falls a n d ra p id s. T he houses h e re are placed in a line lik e those a t N o o tk a , b u t closer to g eth e r, th e situ a tio n being m o re c o nfined; they a re also sm aller, in consequence o f w hich w e w ere m uch cro w d ed , a n d in co m ­ m o d ed for ro o m . T h e principal o b jec t in c o m in g to this place is th e facility it affo rd s these p e o p le o f pro v id in g th eir w inter stock o f p rovisions, which consists principally o f sa lm o n , and th e spaw n o f th a t fish; to w hich m ay be a d d ed herrings a n d sprats, a n d h errin g spaw n. T h e la tte r , h o w e v e r, is a lw ay s p ro c u re d by th e m a t N o o tk a , previous to th e ir q u ittin g it. A t th e seasons o f spaw ning, w hich a re early in sp rin g a n d th e last o f A u g u st, they collect a g re at q u a n tity o f pine bran ch es, w hich th ey place in differen t p a rts o f th e C ove a t th e d e p th o f a b o u t ten feet, a n d secure th em by m eans o f heavy stones. O n th ese th e h errin g d ep o sit th e ir spaw n in im m en se q u a n titie s; th e bushes a re then tak e n up, th e spaw n strip p ed from th e bran ch es, a n d , a fte r being w ashed a n d freed from th e p in e leaves by th e w o m en , is d rie d a n d p u t u p in bask ets for use. It is con sid ered as th eir g re atest delicacy, and e aten b o th c o o k ed a n d raw; in th e fo rm er case, being bo iled and e aten w ith train -o il, a n d in th e la tte r, m ixed up w ith cold w ater alo n e. T h e salm on are tak e n a t T ashees, principally in p o ts o r w e a rs .3 T h e ir m e th o d o f ta k in g th e m in w e a rs is t h u s : - A p o t i i.e. traps and weirs.

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o f tw enty feet in length, a n d from fo u r to five feet d ia m e te r a t the m o u th , is fo rm ed o f a g re a t n u m b e r o f p in e splinters, w hich are strongly secured, a n inch and a h a lf from each o th er, by m eans o f h o o p s m a d e o f flexible tw igs, a n d places a b o u t eight inches a p art. A t th e e n d it ta p e r s a lm o s t to a p o in t, n e a r w h ic h is a sm all w icker d o o r fo r th e p u rp o se o f tak in g o u t th e fish. T h is p o t o r w e a r is p lac ed a t th e fo o t o f a fall o r r a p id , w h e re th e w a te r is n o t very d e ep , a n d th e fish, d riven from ab o v e w ith long poles, a re in te rc e p te d a n d c a u g h t in th e w e a r, fro m w h e n ce th e y are ta k e n into th e canoes. In this m a n n e r I have seen m o re than seven h u n d re d salm o n cau g h t in th e space o f fifteen m in u te s. I have also so m e tim es know n a few o f th e strip ed bass ta k e n in this m a n n e r, but rarely. A t such tim es th ere is g re at feasting a n d m errim en t am ong th em . T he w om en and fem ale slaves being busily em ployed in c o o k in g , o r in cu rin g th e fish for th eir w in ter stock, w hich is do n e by cuttin g o ff th e heads a n d tails, splitting th em , tak in g o u t the back b o n e , a n d hanging them up in th eir houses to dry . T h ey also d ry th e h a lib u t a n d cod, b u t these, instead o f curing w hole, they cu t up into sm all pieces fo r th a t p u rp o se , a n d expose to th e sun. T h e spaw n o f th e salm o n , w hich is a principal article o f th eir p rovision, they ta k e o u t, a n d , w ith o u t any o th e r p re p a ra tio n , th ro w it into th e ir tubs, w h ere th ey leave it to stand a n d ferm ent, for, tho u g h they frequently e at it fresh, th ey esteem it m u ch m ore w hen it has a cq u ired a stro n g taste , a n d o n e o f th e g reatest favours they can c onfer on any p erso n , is to invite him to eat Q u a k a m iss, th e n a m e they give this food, tho u g h scarcely a n y ­ th in g can b e m o re re p u g n an t to a n E u ro p ean p a la te, th an it is in this state; a n d w henever they to o k it o u t o f these large re ce p ta ­ cles, w hich they are alw ays careful to fill, such w as th e stench w hich it exhaled, on being m o v ed , th a t it w as alm ost im possible for m e to a b id e it, even a fte r h a b it h a d in a g reat degree dulled th e delicacy o f m y senses. W hen boiled it b ecam e less offensive, th o u g h it still re ta in e d m uch o f th e p u trid sm ell, a n d so m e th in g o f th e taste. Such is th e im m ense q u a n tity o f these fish, a n d they a re taken w ith such facility, th at I have know n u pw ards o f tw enty-five h u n d re d b ro u g h t into M a q u in a ’s house a t once; a n d at o n e o f th eir g re at feasts, h a v e seen o n e h u n d red o r m o re c o o k ed in one o f th eir largest tubs. I used frequently to go o u t w ith M a q u in a upon th ese fishing p arties, a n d w as alw ays su re to receive a h a n d so m e p re sen t o f sa lm o n , w hich I h a d th e privilege o f calling m ine; I also w ent w ith him several tim es in a can o e , to strik e th e salm o n , w hich I

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have a tte m p te d to d o m yself, b u t co u ld never succeed, it req u irin g a deg ree o f a d ro itn ess th a t I did n o t possess. I w as also p e rm itte d to go o u t w ith a g u n , a n d w as several tim es very successful in sh o o tin g w ild d u ck s a n d teal, w hich a re very n u m ero u s here, th o u g h ra th e r shy. T h ese they c o o k ed in th e ir usual m a n n e r, by boiling, w ith o u t any fa rth e r dressin g th a n sk in n in g th em . In m an y respects, how ever, o u r situ atio n w as less p leasan t here th an a t N o o tk a . W e w ere m o re in co m m o d ed for ro o m , the houses n o t being so spacious, n o r so well a rra n g e d , a n d as it w as c older, w e w ere com pelled to be m uch m o re w ith in d o o rs. W e, how ever, did not neglect on S u n d ay s, w hen th e w e ath e r w ould a d m it, to re tire into th e w oods, a n d , by th e side o f som e stre am , a fte r b a th in g , re tu rn o u r th an k s to G o d fo r p reserving us, and offer u p to H im o u r cu sto m ary d e v o tio n s. I w as, how ever, very a p p reh en siv e, soon a fte r o u r arriv al at this place, th a t I should b e d ep riv e d o f th e satisfactio n o f keeping m y jo u rn a l, as M a q u in a o n e d ay , o bserving m e w ritin g , inq u ired o f m e w h a t I w as d o in g , and w hen I e n d ea v o u red to explain it, by telling him th a t I w as keeping a n a cc o u n t o f th e w e a th e r, he said it w as n o t so , a n d th a t I w as sp eak in g b a d a b o u t h im , and telling how h e h a d tak e n o u r sh ip a n d killed th e crew , so as to inform m y co u n try m en , a n d th a t if h e ever saw m e w riting in it ag ain , he w ould th ro w it into th e fire. I w as m u ch rejoiced th at he d id no m o re th a n th re a te n , a n d b ecam e very c au tio u s a fte r­ w ard s n o t to let him see m e w rite. N o t long a fte r, I finished so m e daggers fo r h im , w hich I p olished highly; these pleased him m uch, a n d h e g a v e m e d ire c ­ tio n s to m a k e a c h ee to lth , in w hich I succeeded so far to his satisfaction, th a t he gave m e a p re sen t o f cloth sufficient to m ak e m e a c o m p lete suit o f ra im en t, besides o th e r things. T h o m p so n also, w ho had b e co m e ra th e r m o re o f a fav o u rite than form erly, since he h a d m a d e a fine sail for his can o e , and som e g a rm e n ts for him o u t o f E u ro p e a n clo th , a b o u t this tim e co m p leted a n o th e r, w hich w as th o u g h t by th e savages th e m ost su p e rb dress. T h is w as a k o ts u k o r m an tle, a fathom sq u a re, m ad e entirely o f E u ro p ea n vest p a tte rn s o f th e gayest colours. T h ese w ere sew ed to g e th e r in a m a n n e r to m ak e th e best show , a n d b o u n d w ith a d e ep trim m in g o f th e finest o tte rsk in , w ith which th e arm -h o les w ere also b o rd e re d ; w hile th e b o tto m w as fu rth e r em bellished w ith five o r six row s o f gilt b u tto n s, placed as near as possible to each o th er. N o th in g could exceed th e p rid e o f M a q u in a w hen he first put on this royal ro b e , d e co ra te d , like th e co at o f Jo se p h , w ith all the colours o f th e ra in b o w , a n d g litterin g w ith th e b u tto n s , w hich as

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he stru tte d a b o u t m ade a tin k lin g , w hile h e repeatedly exclaim ed, in a tra n s p o rt o f e x u lta tio n , “ K lew sh ish K o is u k - w ick k u m a la c k N o o tk a ." 4 - “ A fine g a rm e n t - N o o tk a c a n 't m a k e th e m .” M a q u in a , w ho knew th a t th e chiefs o f th e trib es w ho cam e to visit us had en d ea v o u red to p e rsu ad e m e to escape, frequently cau tio n ed m e n o t to listen to th em , saying th at, sho u ld I m ake th e a tte m p t, a n d h e w ere to ta k e m e, he should certain ly put m e to d e ath . W hile here, h e gave m e a b o o k , in w hich I found the nam es o f seven persons b elonging to th e ship M a n c h e ste r, o f P h ilad elp h ia, C a p ta in B r i a n - v i z . D aniel S m ith, Lew is G illo n , Ja m es T o m , C lark , Jo h n s o n , Ben, and Ja c k . T h ese m en, as M a q u in a in fo rm e d m e, ran aw ay from th e sh ip a n d cam e to him , b u t th a t six o f them so o n a fte r w ent o ff in th e nig h t, w ith an in ten tio n to g o to th e W ick in n in ish , b u t w ere sto p p e d by the E shquates, a n d se n t back to h im , a n d th a t h e o rd e re d them to be p u t to d e a th ; a n d a m o st cruel d e a th it w as, as 1 w as told by one o f th e natives, fo u r m en holding o n e o f th em on th e g ro u n d , and forcing op en his m o u th , w hile they c h o k ed him by ram m ing sto n es do w n his th ro at. A s to Ja c k , th e boy, w ho m a d e n o a tte m p t to g o off, M a q u in a a fte rw a rd s sold him to th e W ic k in n in ish . 1 w as inform ed by th e Princess Y u q u a th a t h e w as q u ite a sm all boy, w ho cried a g re at d eal, being p u t to h ard la b o u r b e yond his stren g th by th e native, in c u ttin g w o o d a n d bringing w a ter, and th a t w hen h e h e a rd o f th e m u rd e r o f o u r c rew , it h a d su c h an effect on him , th a t he fell sick, and d ied shortly a fte r. O n learning th e m elancholy fa te o f this u n fo rtu n a te lad, it again aw ak e n e d in m y bosom those feelings th a t I h a d ex p erienced a t th e shocking d e a th o f m y p o o r co m rad es.

4 once again, this statem ent is not N o o tk a, b ut C hinook Jargon.

10. Conversations with Maquina Fruits - Religious Ceremonies Visit to Upquesta T h e king, finding th a t I w as d e siro u s o f learning th e ir language, w as m uch delig h ted , a n d to o k g re a t pleasure in conversing with m e. O n o n e o f these occasions he explained to m e his reasons for cuttin g o ff o u r ship, saying th at h e b o re no ill will to m y c o u n try ­ m en, but th a t he had been several tim es tre a te d very ill by them . T h e first in ju ry o f w h ic h h e h a d c a u s e to c o m p la in w as d o n e him by a C a p ta in T aw n in g to n , w ho c o m m a n d ed a sch o o n e r w hich passed a w inter a t F riendly C ove, w h e re he w as well tre a te d by th e in h ab itan ts. T h is m an , tak in g a d v an tag e o f M a q u in a ’s a b se n c e , w h o h a d g o n e to th e W ic k in n in ish to p r o ­ cure a wife, a rm e d h im self a n d crew , a n d en tered th e house, w here th e re w ere n o n e but w o m en , w hom he th rew into th e g re atest c o n ste rn a tio n , a n d , search in g th e chests, to o k aw ay all th e skins, o f w hich M a q u in a had no less th an forty o f th e best; and th a t a b o u t th e sam e tim e , fo u r o f th eir chiefs w ere b a rb a ­ rously killed by a C a p ta in M a rtin e z, a S p a n ia rd .1 T h a t so o n afte r, C a p ta in H a n n a , o f th e S e a O tte r ,2 in conse­ 1 probably the person m eant is Don Estevan M artinez. He erected a small fort on an island at the m outh o f Friendly Cove, establishing Spanish sovereignty in the area. His ship was the corvette Prince.su, which arrived in the Friendly Cove area in early M ay, 1789. T here M artinez seized four British trading vessels then trading under the flag o f Portugal. A kinsm an o f M aquinna was slain by one o f the Spanish officers un d er M artin ez' com m and. 2. T he arrival o f the S ea O tier, a small vessel outfitted in C hina, at N o o tk a in A ugust, 1785, really m arks the beginning o f the m aritim e fur-trade, for the S ea O tter was apparently the first trading vessel to en ter N ootka Sound after C aptain C o o k ’s exploratory voyage. A com prehensive listing o f trading vessels, and som e o f the incidents betw een them and the N orthw est C oast Indians may be found in three excellent papers by F. W . Howay: ( I) “ Early Days o f the M aritim e F u r-T rad e on the N orthw est C oast,” Canadian H istorical Review, vol. 4 (1923), pp. 26-44; (2) “ Indian A ttacks upon M ari­ tim e T raders o f th e N orthw est C oast, 1785-1805,“ Canadian H istor­ ical Review, vol. 6 (1925), pp. 287-309; (3) “ A Listing o f T rading Vessels in the M aritim e F u r-T rade, 1785-1807,” Proceedings o f the R o ya l S o ciety o f Canada, series 3, vol. 25, sec. 2 (1931), p. 44.

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qu e n ce o f o n e o f th e natives h aving stolen a chisel from th e carp e n te r, fired upon th eir c an o e s w hich w ere alo n g sid e, a n d killed u pw ards o f tw enty o f th e natives, o f w hom several w ere T y e e s o r chiefs; a n d th a t h e him self, being on b o a rd th e vessel, in o rd e r to escap e w as obliged to leap from th e q u a rte r-d e c k , and sw im for a long w ay u n d e r w ater. T hese injuries had excited in th e breast o f M a q u in a an a rd en t desire o f revenge, th e stro n g est passion o f th e savage h e a rt, and th o u g h m an y y e ars had elapsed since th eir com m ission, still they w ere n o t fo rg o tte n , a n d the w an t o f a fav o u rab le o p p o rtu n ity a lo n e p re v en ted him from so o n e r avenging th em . U n fo rtu n ate ly fo r us, th e long-w ished-for o p p o rtu n ity a t length p resen ted itself in o u r sh ip , w hich M a q u in a finding n o t g u a rd e d w ith th e usual vigilance o f th e N o rth -W e st tra d e rs, a n d feeling his desire o f revenge rek in d led by th e insult offered him by C a p ta in Salter, form ed a plan fo r attack in g , a n d on his re tu rn called a council o f his chiefs, a n d co m m u n ica te d it to th e m , a cq u a in tin g th em w ith th e m a n n e r in w hich he h a d been tre a te d . N o less d e siro u s o f avenging this a ffro n t offered th eir king th a n th eir fo rm er injuries, they readily a g ree d to his p ro p o sa l, w hich w as to go o n b o a rd w ith o u t a rm s as u sual, but u n d e r differen t p retexts, in g reat n u m b ers, a n d w ait for his signal for th e m o m e n t o f a tta ck in g th eir u n suspecting victim s. T h e execution o f this schem e, as th e re a d e r know s, w as un h ap p ily to o successful. A n d h e re 1 can n o t b u t indulge a reflection th a t h a s frequently occu rred to m e on th e m an n e r in w hich o u r p e o p le behave to w ard s th e natives. F o r, th o u g h they a re a thievish race, yet 1 h a v e no d o u b t th a t m an y o f th e m elancholy disasters h a v e p rin ci­ pally arisen fro m th e im p ru d e n t c o n d u ct o f som e o f th e c ap tain s a n d crew s o f th e ships em ployed in th is tra d e , in e xasperating th em by insulting, p lu n d erin g , a n d even killing them on slight g ro u n d s. T h is, as n o th in g is m o re sacred w ith a savage th an the p rin cip le o f revenge, a n d no p e o p le a re so im p a tie n t u n d e r insult, induces th em to w reak th e ir vengeance u p o n th e first vessel o r b o a t’s crew th a t offers, m ak in g th e in n o ce n t to o frequently suffer fo r th e w rongs o f th e guilty, as few o f them kn o w how to d is c r im in a te b e tw e e n p e rs o n s o f th e sa m e g e n e ra l a p p e a r a n c e , m o re especially w hen sp eak in g th e sam e language. A n d to this c ause do I believe m u st principally b e ascribed th e sanguinary d isp o sitio n w ith w hich these p e o p le a re re p ro a c h ed , as M aq u in a repeatedly told m e th a t it w as n o t his w ish to h u rt a w hite m an, a n d th a t h e nev er sho u ld have d o n e it, th o u g h ever so m uch in his pow er, h a d they n o t injured him .

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A n d w ere th e co m m a n d ers o f o u r ships to tre a t th e savages with ra th e r m o re civility than they so m etim es d o , I am inclined to th in k they w ould find th eir a cc o u n t in it; not th a t I should reco m m en d to them a c onfidence in th e g o o d faith and friendly professions o f th ese p eople, so as in any degree to re m it th eir vigilance, b u t, on th e c o n tra ry , to be strictly on th eir g u a rd , and suffer b u t a very few o f them to c o m e on b o a rd th e sh ip , and a d m it n o t m any o f th e ir canoes alongside a t a tim e; a p re ca u tio n th a t w ould have been th e m ea n s o f p rev en tin g som e o f th e u n fo rtu n a te events th a t have o c cu rre d , and if a tte n d ed to, m ay in fu tu re preserve m an y a valuable life. Such a reg u latio n , to o , from w hat I kn o w o f th eir disposition a n d w ants, w ould p ro d u c e no serious difficulty in tra d in g w ith th e savages, a n d they w ould soon becom e perfectly reconciled to it. A m o n g th e pro v isio n s w hich th e In d ian s p ro c u re a t T ashees, I m ust n o t o m it m en tio n in g a fru it th a t is very im p o rta n t, as fo rm in g a g re a t article o f th eir fo o d . T h is is w h at is called by them th e Y a m a ,3 a species o f b erry th a t grow s in bunches like* cu rran ts, u p o n a bush from tw o to th ree feet high, w ith a large, ro u n d , a n d sm o o th leaf. T h is b erry is black, a n d a b o u t th e size o f a pistol sh o t, but o f ra th e r a n o b lo n g sh ap e, and op en a t th e top like th e blue w h o rtleb erry . T h e ta s te is sw eet, b u t a little acrid, an d w hen first g a th e red , if eaten in any g re at q u a n tity , especially w ith o u t oil, is a p t to p ro d u c e colics. T o p ro c u re it, large c o m p a ­ nies o f w om en go o u t on th e m o u n ta in s, a cc o m p a n ied by arm ed m en to p ro tec t th em a gainst w ild beasts, w here they frequently rem ain for several days, kindling a fire a t n ight, a n d sheltering them selves u n d e r sh ed s c o n stru cted o f boughs. A t these parties they collect g re at q u a n titie s. I h a v e know n M a q u in a ’s queen and h e r w om en re tu rn lo ad e d , b ringing w ith them u pw ards o f twelve bushels. In o rd e r to preserve it, it is pressed in th e bunches betw een tw o planks, a n d d ried a n d p u t aw ay in b askets for use. It is alw ays e aten w ith oil. O f b erries o f vario u s kinds, such as straw b erries, raspberries, blackberries, etc., th e re are g re a t q u a n titie s in th e c o u n try , o f w hich th e natives a re very fond, g a th e rin g them in th eir seasons, an d eating th em w ith oil, but th e y a m a is th e only o n e th a t they preserve. Fish is, how ever, th e ir g re at article o f food, as alm o st all th e o th ers, excepting th e y a m a , m ay b e con sid ered as accidental. T hey nevertheless a re far from disrelishing m ea t, for instance. i.e. salal (Gaultheria shallon).

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venison a n d b e a r’s flesh. W ith regard to th e latter, they have a m o st s in g u la r c u sto m , w h ic h is, th a t a n y o n e w h o e a ts o f it is o bliged to a b sta in from e atin g any k in d o f fresh fish w h atev er for th e term o f tw o m o n th s, as they have a su p erstitio u s b e lie f that, should any o f th e ir p eople, a fte r tasting b e a r’s flesh, e at o f fresh salm o n , co d , etc., th e fish, th o u g h a t ever so g re at a d istan ce off, w ould com e to th e know ledge o f it, a n d be so m uch offended th e re a t as not to allow them selves to be tak e n by a n y o f the in h ab itan ts. T h is I h a d an o p p o rtu n ity o f observing w hile at T ashees, a b e a r having been killed early in D ecem ber, o f w hich not m o re th an ten o f th e natives w ould e at, being p re v en ted by th e p ro h ib itio n an n ex ed to it, w hich also w as th e reaso n o f m y c o m ra d e a n d m yself n o t tastin g it, on being told by M a q u in a the consequences. A s th ere is so m e th in g q u ite c u rio u s in th eir m an a g em e n t o f th is a n im a l, w hen they h av e killed o n e, I shall give a d escription o f it. A fte r well cleansing th e b e a r from th e d irt a n d b lo o d with w hich it is generally co v ered w hen killed, it is b ro u g h t in and seated o p p o site th e king in an u p rig h t p o stu re , w ith a c h ie fs b o n n e t, w ro u g h t in figures, on its h e ad , a n d its fur p o w d e red over w ith th e w hite dow n. A tra y o f p rovision is then set before it, and it is invited by w ords a n d gestures to e at. T his m o ck cerem ony over, th e reason o f w hich I co u ld never learn , th e a n im al is taken a n d sk in n ed , a n d th e flesh a n d en trails boiled up into a so u p , no p a rt but th e p au n ch being rejected. T h is dressing th e b ear, as they call it, is a n occasion o f g reat rejoicing th ro u g h o u t th e village, all th e in h a b ita n ts being invited to a g reat feast at the k in g ’s h ouse, th o u g h but few o f th e m , in co n seq u en ce o f th e p e n alty , will v e n tu re to eat o f th e flesh, but generally c o n te n t them selves w ith th e ir fav o u rite dish o f herring spaw n a n d w a ter. T h e feast on th is occasion w as closed by a d a n c e fro m S a t-s a t-s o k -s is , in th e m a n n e r I h a v e a lre a d y described, in th e course o f w hich h e repeatedly shifted his m ask for a n o th e r o f a different form . A few day s a fte r, a second b e ar w as tak e n , like th e form er, by m eans o f a tra p . T h is 1 had th e curio sity to g o a n d see a t the place w h ere it w as caught, w hich w as in th e follow ing m an n er: O n th e edge o f a sm all stream o f w ater in th e m o u n ta in s w hich th e salm on ascen d , and n e ar th e sp o t w h ere th e b e a r is accus­ to m e d to w atch fo r th em , w hich is k n o w n by its trac k , a tra p o r box a b o u t th e height o f a m a n ’s h e ad is built o f p o sts a n d planks w ith a flat to p , on w hich a re laid a n u m b e r o f large stones o r rocks. T h e to p a n d sides are then carefully covered w ith tu rf, so as to resem ble a little m o u n d , a n d w holly to exclude th e light, a

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n a rro w e n tra n ce o f th e height o f th e building only being left, ju st sufficient to a d m it th e h e ad a n d sh o u ld ers o f th e beast. O n the inside, to a large plank th at covers th e to p is su sp en d ed by a stro n g cord a salm o n , th e plank bein g left loose, so th a t a forcible pull will b ring it d o w n . O n c o m in g to its usual h a u n t, th e bear e n ters th e tra p , a n d , in e n d ea v o u rin g to pull aw ay th e fish, brings d ow n th e w hole covering w ith its load o f sto n es upon its head, and is alm o st alw ays c rushed to d e a th o n th e sp o t, o r so w o u n d e d as to b e u n a b le to escape. T h ey a re alw ays careful to e x am in e th ese tra p s every d ay , in o rd e r, if a b e a r b e c au g h t, to b ring it im m ediately, for it is n o t a little sin g u lar th a t th ese peo p le will e at no kind o f m eat th a t is in th e least ta in te d , o r n o t perfectly fresh, w hile, on th e c o n tra ry , it is h ardly possible fo r fish to b e in to o p u trid a sta te for th em , and I have frequently know n th em , w hen a w hale h a s been driven ash o re, b ring pieces o f it ho m e w ith them in a sta te o f offensive­ ness in su p p o rtab le to anyth in g b u t a crow , a n d d e v o u r it w ith high relish, c o n sid erin g it as p re fe ra b le to th a t w hich is fresh. O n th e m o rn in g o f th e 13th o f D ecem b er, co m m en ced w hat to us a p p e a re d a m o st sin g u lar farce. A p p a ren tly w ith o u t any previous notice, M a q u in a d ischarged a pistol close to his so n ’s ear, w ho im m ediately fell dow n as if killed, upon w hich all the w om en o f th e h o u se set up a m ost lam en tab le cry, tearin g h a n d ­ fuls o f h a ir from th eir heads, a n d exclaim ing th a t th e p rin ce was d ead . A t th e sam e tim e a g reat n u m b e r o f th e in h ab itan ts rushed into th e h ouse, a rm e d w ith th e ir daggers, m u sk ets, etc., inquiring th e cause o f th e ir o u tcry . T hese w ere im m ediately follow ed by tw o o th ers dressed in w olf-skins, w ith m asks o v er th eir faces rep resen tin g th e head o f th a t a n im a l; th e latter c am e in on their hands a n d feet in th e m an n e r o f a beast, a n d , tak in g up th e p rince, carried him o ff upon th e ir backs, re tirin g in th e sam e m an n e r they e n te red . W e saw n o th in g m o re o f th e c erem o n y , as M a q u in a c am e to us, a n d , giving us a q u a n tity o f d rie d provision, o rd e re d us to q u it th e h ouse, a n d n o t re tu rn to th e village before th e e x p ira tio n o f seven days, fo r th a t if we a p p e a re d w ithin th a t p erio d , h e should kill us.4 A t any o th e r season o f th e y e a r such an o rd e r w ould by us 4 apparently Jew itt did not fully understand what was happening here. H e describes the beginning o f the N ootkan W inter Cerem onial, from which he and T hom pson w ere sent out since they were not initiated. M aquinna’s com m and for them to retire from the village for seven days was probably in fact a ritual seclusion after which Jew itt and Thom pson are in som e sense considered to be initiates, because they are allowed to observe the rem ainder o f the cerem onial.

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have been c o n sid ere d as a n indulgence, in enabling us to pass o u r tim e in w h a tev e r w ay w e w ished; a n d even now , furnished as we w ere w ith sufficient p rovision for th a t term , it w as n o t very u n p lea sa n t to us, m o re p a rticu la rly T h o m p so n , w ho w as alw ays desiro u s to k e ep as m uch as p o ssib le o u t o f th e society a n d sight o f th e n atives, w hom he d e te sted . T a k in g w ith us o u r provisions, a b u n d le o f clothes, a n d o u r axes, w e obeyed th e d irec tio n s o f M a q u in a, a n d w ith d rew into th e w oods, w h ere w e built ourselves a cabin to sh e lte r us, w ith th e b ran ch es o f trees, a n d , keeping up a g o o d fire, secu red ourselves p retty well fro m th e c o ld . H ere w e passed th e prescribed p e rio d o f o u r exile, w ith m o re c o n te n t than m uch o f th e tim e w hile w ith th e m , em ploying th e d a y in reading a n d praying fo r o u r release, o r in ram b lin g a ro u n d a n d exploring th e c o u n try , th e soil o f w hich w e fo u n d to b e very g o o d , a n d th e face o f it, beautifully d iversified w ith hills and valleys, refreshed w ith th e finest stream s o f w ater, a n d a t n ig h t enjoyed co m fo rtab le rep o se upon a bed o f soft leaves, w ith o u r g a rm e n ts sp re ad over us to p ro te c t us from th e cold. A t th e end o f seven days w e re tu rn e d , and fo u n d several o f th e p eople o f A i-tiz-zart w ith th e ir k in g o r c h ie f a t T ashees, w ho h a d been inv ited by M a q u in a to a tte n d th e close o f th is p e rfo rm ­ an ce , w hich I now lea rn ed w as a c eleb ra tio n , held by them a n n u ally , in h o n o u r o f th eir g od, w h o m th ey call Q u a h o o tze , to re tu rn him th e ir th a n k s for his p ast, a n d im plore his future favours. It term in a te d on th e 21st, th e day a fte r o u r re tu rn , w ith a m o st e x tra o rd in a ry e x h ib itio n . T h re e m en , each o f w hom had tw o b ay o n ets ru n th ro u g h his sid e s,5 betw een th e ribs, a p p are n tly regardless o f th e p a in , traversed th e ro o m , b ackw ards a n d fo r­ w ards, singing w ar-songs, a n d exulting in this display o f firm ness. O n th e a rriv a l o f th e 25th, we co u ld n o t b u t call to m ind th a t this, being C h ristm a s, w as in o u r c o u n try a day o f th e g reatest fe stiv ity , w h e n o u r fe llo w -c o u n try m e n , a sse m b le d in th e ir ch u rch es, w as celeb ratin g th e g o o d n e ss o f G o d a n d th e praises o f th e S aviour. W h a t a reverse did o u r situ a tio n offer! - captives in a savage lan d , a n d slaves to a set o f ig n o ran t beings, u n a cq u a in te d w ith religion o r h u m an ity , h ardly w ere w e p e rm itte d to offer up o u r d e v o tio n s by o u rse lv e s in th e w o o d s , w h ile w e fe lt even grateful for this privilege. T h ith e r, w ith th e k in g ’s perm issio n , we w ithdrew , a n d , a fte r re ad in g th e service a p p o in te d fo r th e day, sung th e hym n o f th e N a tiv ity , fervently pray in g th a t H eaven in 5 m ost probably an exam ple o f the theatrical illusions which formed such an im portant part o f N orthw est C oast Indian W inter C erem o­ nials.

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its g o o d n e ss w o u ld p e rm it us to c eleb ra te th e next festival o f this k in d in so m e C h ristia n land. O n o u r re tu rn , in o rd e r to c o n fo rm as m uch as w as in o u r po w er to th e custom o f o u r c o u n try , w e w ere desiro u s o f h a v in g a b e tte r su p p e r th an usual. W ith th is view , w e b o u g h t fro m o n e o f th e natives so m e d ried clam s a n d o il, a n d a ro o t called K le tsu p ,6 w hich w e c o o k ed by steam in g , a n d found it very p a la tab le. T his ro o t consists o f m an y fibre, o f a b o u t six inches long, a n d o f th e size o f a crow quill. It is sw eet, o r a n a g reeab le taste , n o t un lik e th e Q uaw noose, a n d it is eaten w ith oil. T h e p lan t th a t p ro d u c es it I have never seen. O n th e 31st all th e trib e q u itte d T ash ees for C o o p te e , w h ith er th ey g o to pass th e re m a in d e r o f th e w in ter, a n d c o m p le te th eir fishing, tak in g o ff everything w ith them in th e sam e m a n n e r as at N o o tk a . W e arriv e d in a few h o u rs at C o p te e , w hich is a b o u t fifteen m iles, a n d im m ediately set a b o u t covering th e houses, w hich w as soon c o m p leted . T h is place, w hich is th e ir g re a t h errin g a n d sp ra t fishery, sta n d s ju s t w ithin th e m o u th o f th e river, o n th e sam e sid e w ith T ashees, in a very n a rro w valley a t th e fo o t o f a high m o u n ta in . T h o u g h nearly as secure as T ash ee s from th e w in ter sto rm s, it is by n o m eans so p leasantly situ a te d , tho u g h to us it w as a m uch m o re agreeable residence, as it b ro u g h t us n e are r N o o tk a , w here we w ere im p a tie n t to re tu rn , in h o p es o f finding so m e vessel th ere , o r h e arin g o f th e arriv al o f o n e near. T h e first sn o w th a t fell this season w as th e d a y a fte r o u r arriv a l, on N e w Y e a r’s D ay; a d a y th a t, like C h ristm as, b ro u g h t w ith it p ainful recollections, b u t at th e sam e tim e led us to indulge th e h o p e o f a m o re fo rtu n a te y e ar th an th e last. E arly o n th e m o rn in g o f th e 7th o f Ja n u a ry , M a q u in a to o k m e w ith h im in his c a n o e o n a v isit t o U p q u e s ta , c h ie f o f th e A i-T iz -za rts, w h o had invited h im to a tte n d an exh ib itio n a t his village, sim ilar to th e o n e w ith w hich he had been e n te rta in ed at T ash ee s. T h is place is betw een tw e n ty a n d th irty m iles d ista n t up th e S o u n d , a n d sta n d s on th e b a n k s o f a sm all river a b o u t th e size o f th a t o f C o o p tee , ju st w ith in its e n tra n ce , in a valley o f m uch g re a te r e x te n t th an th a t o f T ashees; it consists o f fou rteen o r fifteen houses, built and d isp o se d in th e m an n e r o f th o se at N o o tk a . T h e trib e , w hich is c o n sid ere d as trib u ta ry to M a q u in a , a m o u n ts to a b o u t th r e e h u n d re d w a rrio rs , a n d th e in h a b ita n ts , 6 m ost probably bracken roots, which w ere widely used as food on the N orthw est C oast. T he nam e given by Jew itt, kletsup, is possibly a C hin o ok Jargon word.

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bo th m en a n d w om en, are a m o n g th e best-lo o k in g o f any people on th e coast. O n o u r arrival w e w ere received a t th e sh o re by th e in h a b it­ a n ts, a few o f w h o m w ere a rm e d w ith m uskets, which they fired, w ith lo u d sh o u ts a n d exclam atio n s o f W ocash, w ocash! W e w ere w elcom ed by th e c h ie f s m essenger, o r m aste r o f cerem o n ies, dre sse d in his best g a rm e n ts, w ith his h a ir p o w dered w ith w hite d o w n , and h o ld in g in his h a n d th e ch eeto lth , the badge o f his office. T h is m an preced ed us to th e c h ie f s house, w h ere h e in tro d u c e d and p o in te d o u t to us o u r respective seats. O n e n te rin g , th e visitors to o k o ff th e ir h ats, w hich th ey alw ays w e a r on sim ila r occasions, a n d M a q u in a his o u te r robes, o f w hich he h a s several on w henever he pay s a visit, a n d seated h im self n e ar th e chief. A s 1 w as dressed in E u ro p e a n clothes, I b ecam e q u ite an o b je c t o f c u rio s ity to th e s e p e o p le , v ery few o f w h o m h a d even seen a w hite m a n . T h ey c ro w d ed a ro u n d m e in n u m b ers, taking h o ld o f m y clothes, exam ining m y face, h a n d s, a n d feet, a n d even o p e n in g m y m o u th to see if I h a d a to n g u e, for, n o tw ith sta n d in g I had by th is tim e becom e well a c q u a in te d w ith th e ir language, I preserved th e strictest silence, M a q u in a on o u r first lan d in g having en jo in ed m e n o t to speak until h e sho u ld direct. H aving u n d e rg o n e th is e x am in atio n for som e tim e , M a q u in a a t length m a d e a sign to m e to speak to th em . O n h e arin g m e ad d ress them in th e ir ow n language, they w ere greatly a stonished a n d delig h ted , a n d told M a q u in a th a t they now perceived th a t I w as a m an like them selves, except th a t 1 w as w hite, a n d looked like a seal, a llu d in g to m y blue ja c k e t a n d trousers, w hich they w an ted to p e rsu a d e m e to ta k e off,, as th ey did n o t like their a p p ea ran c e. M a q u in a in th e m e a n tim e gave an a cco u n t to the c h ie f o f th e sch em e he h a d fo rm ed for su rp risin g o u r sh ip , and th e m an n e r in w hich h e a n d his p e o p le h a d c arried it into e xecution, w ith such p a rtic u la r a n d h o rrid d etails o f th a t tran sac ­ tio n as chilled th e b lood in m y veins. T rays o f boiled herring spaw n a n d train -o il w ere so o n a fte r b ro u g h t in a n d placed before us, n e ith e r th e c h ie f o r any o f his peo p le e atin g at th e sa m e tim e, it being c o n tra ry to th e ideas o f hospitality e n te rta in ed by these n a tio n s, to e at any p a rt o f th e food th a t is p ro v id ed for strangers, alw ays w aiting until their visitors have finished, before th ey have th e ir ow n b ro u g h t in. T h e follow ing day closed th eir festival w ith an ex h ib itio n o f a sim ila r kind to th a t w hich h a d been given a t T ashees, b u t still m o re cruel: th e different trib es a p p e a rin g on th ese occasions to

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e n d ea v o u r to surpass each o th e r in th eir p roofs o f fo rtitu d e and e n d u ra n c e o f p a in . In the m o rn in g , tw enty m en e n te red th e c h ie fs h ouse, w ith each an a rro w run th ro u g h th e flesh o f his sides a n d e ith e r a rm , w ith a co rd fastened to th e end, w hich, as th e p e rfo rm e rs a d v an ced , singing a n d b o a stin g , w as forcibly d ra w n back by a p erson h aving h o ld o f it. A fte r this p e rfo rm an ce w as c lo sed ,7 w e re tu rn e d to C o o p te e , w hich w e reached a t m id ­ n ight, o u r m en keeping tim e w ith th eir songs to th e stro k e o f th eir paddles. T h e natives now began to ta k e th e h errin g and sp ra t in im m ense q u a n titie s, w ith som e sa lm o n , and th ere w as n o th in g but feasting from m o rn in g till night. T h e follow ing is th e m eth o d th ey em ploy to ta k e th e h erring. A stick o f a b o u t seven feet long, tw o inches b ro a d , a n d a h a lf an inch thick, is fo rm ed from som e h a rd w ood, o n e side o f w hich is set w ith sh a rp tee th , m ad e from w h aleb o n e, a t a b o u t h a lf a n inch a p a rt. Provided w ith this in stru m e n t,8 th e fisherm an seats h im self in th e p ro w o f a can o e , w hich is p a d d le d by a n o th e r, a n d w h e n ­ ever he com es to a shoal o f h errin g s, w hich co v er th e w a ter in g re at q u a n titie s, he strikes it w ith b o th h an d s u p o n th e m , a n d at th e sam e m o m e n t, tu rn in g it up, brin g s it o v er th e side o f th e canoe, into w hich he lets those th a t a re ta k e n d ro p . It is a sto n ish ­ ing to se e h o w m a n y a r e c a u g h t by th o s e w h o a re d e x te ro u s at this k in d o f fishing, as they seld o m fail, w hen th e sh o als are n u m ero u s, o f tak in g as m any as ten o r tw elve at a stro k e , a n d in a very sh o rt tim e will fill a c an o e w ith th em . S p rats are likew ise cau g h t in a sim ilar m an n e r.

7 apparently w hat has ju st been described is another perform ance o f the W inter Cerem onial. s this is the “ herring rak e,” now quite com m only used by both Indians and non-Indians for catching small schooling fish for fresh bait. T he teeth are now m ade o f sharpened nails.

11 Return to Nootka (Friendly Cove) - Death of Maquina’s Nephew - Insanity of Tootoosch - an Indian Mountebank b o u t th e beg in n in g o f F e b ru a ry , M a q u in a gave a g re a t feast, at w hich w ere p re sen t not only all th e in h a b ita n ts, b u t o n e h u n d red p erso n s from A i-tiz-zart, a n d a n u m b e r from W ick in n in ish w ho had been invited to a tte n d it. It is cu sto m a ry w ith them to give a n a n n u al e n te rta in m e n t o f this k in d , a n d it is asto n ish in g to see w h a t a q u a n tity o f p ro v is io n is e x p e n d e d , o r r a th e r w a ste d , on such a n occasion, w hen they alw ays e at to th e g reatest excess. It w as a t this feast th a t I saw u p w a rd s o f a n h u n d re d salm o n c o o k ed in o n e tu b . T h e w hole residence o f C o o p te e presents an alm ost u n in te rru p te d succession o f feasting a n d g o rm an d isin g , a n d it w o u ld seem as if the p rin cip al o bject o f these p e o p le w as to c o n su m e th eir w hole stock o f p ro v isio n b e fo re leaving it, tru stin g entirely to th e ir success in fishing a n d w haling, for a supply at N o o tk a . O n th e 25th o f F e b ru a ry w e q u itte d C o o p tee , a n d re tu rn e d to N o o tk a . W ith m uch jo y did T h o m p so n a n d m yself a g ain find ourselves in a place w here, n o tw ith sta n d in g th e m elancholy recol­ lections w hich it excited, w e h o p e d before long to see som e vessel a rriv e to o u r relief, and for this w e b ecam e th e m o re solicitous, as o f late we had b ecom e m uch m o re a p p reh e n siv e o f o u r safety, in c o n seq u en ce o f in fo rm a tio n b ro u g h t M a q u in a a few days before w e left C o o p te e , by som e o f th e C a y u q u ets, th a t th e re w ere tw e n ty ships at th e n o rth w a rd , p re p a rin g to com e a g ain st him , w ith an in te n t o f destroying him and his w hole trib e , for cutting o ff th e B oston. T his sto ry , w hich w as w holly w ith o u t fo u n d a tio n , a n d discov­ ered afte rw a rd s to have been invented by these p eople, for the p u rp o se o f d isq u ietin g h im , threw him into g re a t a la rm , and, n o tw ith sta n d in g all I could say to con v in ce him th a t it w as an u n fo u n d e d re p o rt, so g re a t w as his jea lo u sy o f us, especially after it had been c onfirm ed to him by som e o th e rs o f th e sam e n a tio n , th a t h e tre a te d us w ith m u ch h arshness, a n d kept a very suspi­ cious eye u p o n us.

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N o th in g , in d ee d , could b e m o re u n p lea sa n t th an o u r p resen t s itu a tio n , w hen I reflected th a t o u r lives w ere a lto g e th e r d e p e n d ­ en t on th e will o f a savage, on w hose cap rice a n d suspicions no ra tio n a l calculation co u ld b e m ad e . N o t long a fte r o u r re tu rn , a so n o f M a q u in a ’s sister, a boy o f eleven y ears o ld , w ho had been for som e tim e declining, died. Im m ed iately o n his d e a th , w hich w as a b o u t m id n ig h t, all th e m en a n d w om en in th e h o u se set up lo u d cries a n d shrieks, w hich, a w ak e n in g T h o m p so n a n d m yself, so d istu rb ed us th a t w e left the h o u se . T h is lam e n ta tio n w as k e p t up du rin g th e re m a in d e r o f the nig h t. In th e m o rn in g , a g re a t fire w as kin d led , in w hich M a q u in a b u rn e d , in h o n o u r o f th e deceased, ten fa th o m s o f c lo th , and b u ried w ith him ten fa th o m s m o re, eight o f Ife-w h aw 1 fo u r p rim e se a -o tte r sk in s, a n d tw o sm all tru n k s, c o n ta in in g o u r u n fo rtu n a te c a p ta in ’s clothes a n d w atch. T h is b o y w as con sid ered as a T y ee, o r chief, being th e only son o f T o o to o sch , o n e o f th eir p rin cip al chiefs, w ho had m arried M a q u in a ’s sister, w hence a ro se th is c ere m o n y o n his in te rm en t: it being an established cu sto m w ith th e se p e o p le , th a t w h en ev er a c h ie f dies, his m ost valuable p ro p e rty is b u rn e d o r b u ried w ith him ; it is, how ever, w holly co n fin e d to th e chiefs, a n d a p p e a rs to b e a m ark o f h o n o u r a p p ro p ria te to th e m . In this instance, M a q u in a furnished th e articles, in o rd e r th a t his nephew m ight have th e p ro p e r h o n o u rs ren d ere d him . T o o to o sch , his father, w as esteem ed th e first w a rrio r o f the trib e , a n d w as o n e w ho h a d b e en particu larly active in th e d estru ctio n o f o u r sh ip , having killed tw o o f o u r p o o r co m ra d es, w ho w ere ash o re, w hose nam es w ere H all a n d W o o d . A b o u t th e tim e o f o u r rem oval to T ashees, w hile in th e e n jo y m en t o f th e highest health , h e w as suddenly seized w ith a fit o f d e liriu m , in w hich h e fancied th a t he saw th e ghosts o f those tw o m en constantly sta n d in g by him , a n d th re a te n in g h im , so th a t he w ould ta k e no fo o d , except w h at w as forced into his m o u th . A sh o rt tim e b efore this h e h a d lost a d a u g h te r o f a b o u t fifteen y ears o f age, w hich afflicted him greatly, a n d w h e th er his insanity, a d iso rd e r very u n c o m m o n a m o n g st th ese savages, no in stance o f th e k in d having o c cu rre d w ithin th e m em o ry o f th e oldest m an a m o n g st th em , p ro c ee d ed from this cause, o r th a t it w as th e special in te rp o sitio n o f a n all-m erciful G o d in o u r fav o u r, w ho by this m ea n s th o u g h t p ro p e r to induce these b a rb a ria n s still fu rth er to respect o u r lives, o r th a t, for h id d e n pu rp o ses, th e S u p rem e D isp o ser o f events so m e tim es p e rm its th e spirits o f th e 1 dentalia shells (D entalium p retiosum ).

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d e a d to revisit th e w orld, a n d h a u n t th e m u rd e re r, I kn o w not, b u t his m in d , from this p e rio d until his d e a th , w hich to o k place b u t a few w eeks a fte r th a t o f his son, w as incessantly occupied w ith th e im ages o f th e m en w h o m he h a d killed. T h is circu m stan ce m ad e m u ch im pression upon th e tribe, particu larly th e chiefs, w hose u niform o p p o sitio n to p u ttin g us to d e a th , a t th e vario u s councils th a t w ere held on o u r a cc o u n t, I co u ld not b u t in p a rt a ttrib u te to this cause; a n d M a q u in a used frequently, in speaking o f T o o to o s c h ’s sickness, to express m uch satisfactio n th a t his h an d s h a d n o t been sta in e d w ith th e blood o f any o f o u r m en. W hen M a q u in a w as first inform ed by his sister o f th e stran g e c o n d u ct o f h e r h u sb a n d , he im m ed iately w en t to his h ouse, tak in g us w ith him ; suspecting th a t his disease h a d been caused by us, a n d th a t th e g h o sts o f o u r c o u n try m en had been called th ith e r by us, to to rm e n t him . W e found him raving a b o u t Hall a n d W o o d , saying th a t th ey w ere p e s h a k , th a t is, bad. M a q u in a th en placed som e p ro v isio n b e fo re him , to see if he w o u ld e at. O n perceiving it, he p u t forth his h a n d to ta k e som e, b ut instantly w ith d rew it w ith signs o f h o rro r, saying th e H all and W o o d w ere th e re , and w ould n o t let him e at. M a q u in a then, p o in tin g to us, asked if it w as n o t J o h n a n d T h o m p so n who tro u b le d him . “ tVi/c,” h e re p lie d , - th a t is, n o ; “J o h n k lu s h is h - T h o m p so n k lu sh ish ,,2 - J o h n a n d T h o m p so n are b o th g o o d ; th en , tu rn in g to> m e, a n d p a ttin g m e on th e sh o u ld e r, h e m a d e signs to m e to eat. 1 tried to p e rsu ad e him th a t H all a n d W o o d w ere not th e re , and th a t no n e w ere n e a r him b u t ourselves; h e said , “ I kn o w very well y o u d o not see th em , b u t I d o .” A t first M a q u in a e n d ea v o u red to con v in ce him th a t h e saw n o th in g , a n d to laugh him o u t o f his belief, b u t, finding th a t all w as to no p u rp o se , he at length b ecam e serio u s, a n d a sk e d m e if 1 h a d ever seen a n y o n e affected in this m a n n e r, a n d w h at w as the m a tte r w ith h im . I gave him to u n d e rsta n d , poin tin g to his head, th a t his b rain w as injured, a n d th a t he d id n o t see things as form erly. Being c onvinced by T o o to o s c h 's c o n d u ct th a t w e h a d no agency in his in d isp o sitio n , on o u r re tu rn h o m e M a q u in a asked m e w h at w as d o n e in m y c o u n try in sim ilar cases. I told him th a t such p erso n s w ere closely confined, a n d so m e ­ tim es tied u p a n d w hip p ed , in o rd e r to m ak e them b etter. A fte r p o n d e rin g for so m e tim e, h e said th a t he sh o u ld be glad 2 C hinook Jargon, not N ootkan.

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to d o an y th in g to relieve h im , a n d th a t h e should be w h ip p e d , a n d im m ediately gave o rd ers to so m e o f his m en to g o to T o o to o sc h ’s h ouse, b in d him , a n d b ring him to his, in o rd e r to u n d e rg o th e o p e ra tio n . T h o m p so n w as th e perso n selected to a d m in iste r this rem edy, w hich he u n d e rto o k very readily, a n d for th a t p u rp o se p ro v id ed h im self w ith a g o o d n u m b e r o f sp ru ce bran ch es, w ith w hich he w h ip p ed him m ost severely, laying it on w ith th e best will im ag in ­ able, w hile T o o to o sch displayed th e g reatest rage, kicking, sp it­ ting, a n d a tte m p tin g to b ite all w h o cam e n e a r h im . T h is w as to o m uch for M a q u in a , w h o a t length, unab le to e n d u re it longer, o rd e re d T h o m p so n to desist a n d T o o to o sch to be carried back, saying th a t if th ere w as no o th e r way o f cu rin g him b u t by w h ip p in g , he m u st rem ain m ad. T h e ap p lic atio n o f th e w hip p ro d u c ed no beneficial effect on T o o to o sch , for h e afte rw a rd s b e ca m e still m o re d eranged; in his fits o f fury so m etim es seizing a c lu b a n d beating his slaves in a m o st dread fu l m a n n e r, a n d strik in g a n d sp ittin g at all w ho cam e n e a r him , till at length his w ife, n o longer d a rin g to rem ain in the h o u se w ith him , c am e w ith h e r son to M a q u in a ’s. T h e w haling season now c o m m e n ce d , a n d M a q u in a w as o u t a lm o st every day in his c an o e in p u rsu it o f th em , b u t for a c o n sid era b le tim e w ith no success, o n e day b re ak in g th e sta ff o f his h a rp o o n , a n o th e r a fte r having b e en a long tim e fast to a w hale, th e w eapon draw in g , ow ing to th e b re ak in g o f th e shell w hich fo rm ed its p o in t, w ith several such like accid en ts, arising fro m the im perfection o f th e instru m en t. A t these tim es he alw ays re tu rn e d very m orose a n d o u t o f tem p e r, u p b ra id in g his m en w ith having vio lated th eir oblig atio n to c o n tin e n ce p re p a ra to ry to w haling. In th is sta te o f ill-h u m o u r he w ould give us very little to e a t, w hich, a d d ed to th e w om en n ot co o k in g w hen th e m en are aw ay, reduced us to a very low fare. In co n seq u en ce o f th e re p ea te d o ccurrence o f sim ilar acci­ d e n ts, I p ro p o se d to M a q u in a to m ak e him a h a rp o o n o r foreg a n g e r3 o f steel, w hich w ould b e less liable to fail him . T h e ideap leased h im , a n d in a sh o rt tim e I co m p leted o n e for h im , w ith w hich h e w as m uch delig h ted , a n d th e very next day w ent o u t to m a k e a tria l o f it. H e succeeded w ith it in tak in g a w hale. G re a t w as th e jo y th ro u g h o u t th e village as soon as it w as know n th a t th e k in g had 3 i.e. a foreshaft interposed betw een the harpoon shaft and the detach­ able, socketed harpoon head.

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secu red th e w hale, by notice from a perso n sta tio n e d a t the h e a d la n d in th e offing. All th e c an o e s w ere im m ediately lau n ch ed , a n d , furnished w ith h a rp o o n s a n d sealskin floats, h asten e d to assist in b uoying it u p a n d tow ing it in. T h e b ringing in o f this fish ex h ib ited a scene o f universal festivity. A s so o n as th e canoes a p p e a re d a t th e m o u th o f th e C ove, th o se o n b o a rd o f them singing a triu m p h to a slow air, to w hich they k e p t tim e w ith th e ir p addles, all w ho w ere on shore, m en , w o m e n , a n d ch ild ren , m o u n te d th e roofs o f th e ir h o u ses to c o n g ratu la te th e k in g on his success, d ru m m in g m ost furiously on th e plan k s, a n d exclaim ing W ocash - w ocash, T yee! T h e w hale, o n being draw n on sh o re , w as im m ed iately cut u p , a n d a g re a t feast o f th e b lu b b e r given a t M a q u in a ’s h o u se , to w hich all th e village w ere invited, w ho ind em n ified them selves for th e ir L en t by e atin g as usual to excess. I w as highly praised for •the g o o d n ess o f m y h a rp o o n , a n d a q u a n tity o f b lu b b er given m e, w hich I w as p e rm itte d to co o k as I p leased; th is I boiled in salt w a ter w ith so m e you n g n ettles a n d o th e r greens fo r T h o m p so n a n d m yself, a n d in th is w ay w e fo u n d it to le rab le food. T h e ir m e th o d o f p ro c u rin g th e oil, is to skim it from the w ater in w hich th e b lu b b er is b o ile d , a n d w hen cool, p u t it up in to w hale b lad d e rs for use;4 a n d o f th ese I have seen th em so* large as, w h e n filled, w ould re q u ire no less th a n five o r six m en to c arry . Several o f th e chiefs, a m o n g w hom w ere M a q u in a ’s b ro th ­ ers, w ho, a fte r th e king h a s c a u g h t th e first w hale, a re privileged to ta k e them also, w ere very d e siro u s, o n discovering th e su p e ri­ o rity o f m y h a rp o o n , th a t I sho u ld m a k e so m e for th em , b u t this M a q u in a w ould n o t p e rm it, reserving fo r h im self th is im proved w e ap o n . H e, how ever, gave m e d irec tio n s to m ak e a n u m b er m o r e fo r h im s e lf, w h ich I e x e c u te d , a n d a ls o m a d e h im se v e ra l lances, w ith w hich h e w as greatly pleased. A s th ese p e o p le have som e very sin g u lar ob serv an ces p re p a ra ­ to ry to w haling, an a cc o u n t o f them will, 1 p resu m e, n o t prove u n in te restin g , especially as it m ay serve to give a b e tte r id ea o f th e ir m an n e rs. A sh o rt tim e before leaving T ashees, th e king m akes a p o in t o f passing a d a y a lo n e o n th e m o u n ta in , w h ith er he goes very privately early in th e m o rn in g , and does n o t return till late in th e evening. T h is is d o n e , as I afte rw a rd s lea rn ed , for th e p u rp o se o f singing a n d pray in g to his G o d fo r success in w h alin g th e ensuing season. A t C o o p te e th e sam e c ere m o n y is p e rfo rm e d , a n d a t N o o tk a a fte r th e re tu rn th ith e r, w ith still g re a te r so lem n ity , as fo r th e next tw o days he a p p e a rs very 4 this is the “ train-oil” to which Jew itt so often refers.

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th o u g h tfu l a n d g loom y, scarcely sp eak in g to any o n e , a n d o bserves a m o st rigid fast. O n th ese occasions he has alw ays a b ro a d red fillet m ad e o f b ark b o u n d a ro u n d his h ead , in to k en o f h u m iliatio n , w ith a large b ra n ch o f green sp ru c e on th e to p , a n d his g re a t rattle in his hand. In a d d itio n to this, for a w eek b e fo re c o m m e n cin g th eir w haling, b o th h im self a n d th e crew o f his c an o e o bserve a fast, e atin g b u t very little, a n d going in to th e w a ter several tim e s in the c o u rse o f each day to b a th e , singing a n d ru b b in g th e ir bodies, lim bs, a n d faces w ith shells a n d b u sh es, so th a t on th eir re tu rn I have seen them lo o k as tho u g h they had been severely to rn w ith briers. T hey a re likew ise obliged to a b stain from any co m m erce w ith th eir w om en for th e like p e rio d , th e la tte r restrictio n being c o n sid ere d as indisp en sab le to th e ir success. E arly in Ju n e , T o o to o sch , th e crazy chief, d ied . O n being a c q u a in te d w ith his d e a th , th e w h o le village, m en , w o m e n , and c h ild ren , set u p a lo u d cry, w ith every testim o n y o f th e g reatest grief, w hich they c o n tin u e d for m o re than th re e h o u rs. A s so o n as he w as dead , th e body, a ccording to th eir c u sto m , w as laid o u t on a p lan k , having th e h e ad b o u n d ro u n d w ith a red b ark fillet, w hich is w ith them a n em blem o f m o u rn in g a n d sorrow . A fter lying so m e tim e in th is m an n e r, h e w as w rap p ed in an o tte r-sk in robe, a n d , th re e fa th o m s o f Ife-w h aw 5 being p u t a b o u t his neck, he w as placed in a large coffin o r box o f a b o u t three feet deep , w hich w as o rn a m e n te d on th e o u tsid e w ith tw o row s o f th e sm all w h ite shells.6 In th is, th e m o st valuable articles o f his p ro p e rty w ere placed w ith h im , a m o n g w hich w ere n o less th an tw entyfo u r p rim e se a -o tte r skins. A t nig h t, w hich is th e ir tim e fo r in terrin g th e d ead , th e coffin w as b o rn e by eight m en w ith tw o poles th ru st th ro u g h ropes passed a ro u n d it, to th e place o f b u rial, a cc o m p a n ied by his wife a n d fam ily, w ith th e ir h a ir cu t sh o rt in to k en o f grief, all th e in h a b ita n ts jo in in g th e procession. T h e place o f burial w as a large cavern on th e side o f a hill at a little d istan ce from th e village, in w hich, a fte r d ep o sitin g the coffin carefully, all th e a tte n d a n ts re p aired to M a q u in a ’s house, w here a n u m b e r o f articles b elonging to th e deceased, consisting o f b lan k e ts, pieces o f cloth, etc., w ere b u rn e d by a person a p p o in te d by M a q u in a for th a t p u rp o se , dressed a n d p a in te d in th e highest style, w ith his head co v ered w ith w hite d o w n , w h o , as h e p u t in th e several pieces o n e by o n e, p o u re d u p o n them a 5 d e n t a l i a s h e lls (Dentalium 6 s n a il o p e r c u l a .

pretiosum).

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q u a n tity o f oil to increase th e flam** in th e intervals betw een m ak in g a speech a n d playing o ff a variety o f buffoon tric k s, and th e w h o le closed w ith a feast, a n d a d an ce from Sat-sat-sok-sis, th e k in g ’s son. T h e m an w ho p erfo rm e d th e c erem ony o f b u rn in g on this occasio n w as a very sin g u lar c h a ra c te r n a m e d K in n eclim m ets. H e w as held in high estim a tio n by th e king, th o u g h o n ly o f the c o m m o n class, p ro b ab ly from his tale n t for m im icry a n d b u ffo o ­ nery, a n d m ig h t b e c o n sid ere d as a kind o f k in g ’s jeste r, o r ra th e r, as co m b in in g in his p erson th e c h a ra c te r o f a buffoon w ith th a t o f m a ste r o f cerem o n ies a n d p u b lic o ra to r to his m ajesty, as he was th e o n e w ho a t feasts alw ays reg u lated th e places o f th e guests, d elivered speeches on receiving o r re tu rn in g visits, besides a m u s­ ing th e c o m p a n y at all th eir e n te rta in m e n ts, w ith a variety o f m o n k ey p ra n k s a n d an tic g estu res, w hich ap p ea red to th ese sav­ ages th e heig h t o f w it a n d h u m o u r, b u t w ould be c o n sid ere d as ex trem ely low by th e least p olished people. A lm ost all th e kings o r h e a d chiefs o f th e p rin cip al tribes w ere a cc o m p a n ied by a sim ilar c h a ra c te r, w ho a p p e a re d to be a tta c h e d to th e ir dignity, a n d a re called in th eir lan g u ag e C lim m er-habbee. T h is m an K in n eclim m ets w as particu larly o d io u s to T h o m p ­ so n , w ho w ould never jo in in th e laugh a t his tricks, b u t w hen he b e g an , w ould a lm o st alw ays q u it th e h o u se w ith a very surly look, a n d an exclam atio n o f “ C u rse d fool!” w hich M a q u in a , w ho th o u g h t n o th in g co u ld equal th e cleverness o f his C lim m e rh a b b e e, used to re m a rk w ith m uch d issatisfactio n , ask in g m e w hy T h o m p ­ son never laughed, o bserving th a t I m ust have h a d a very goodtem p e re d w o m a n indeed for m y m o th e r, as m y fath er w as so very ill-natured a m an. A m o n g th o se pe rfo rm a n ce s th a t g a in e d him th e g re atest a p p la u se w as his talent o f e atin g to excess, for I have know n him d e v o u r at o n e m eal no less th a n seventy-five large h errings; a n d at a n o th e r tim e , w hen a g re a t feast w as given by M a q u in a , he u n d e rto o k , a fte r d rin k in g th ree p in ts o f oil by w ay o f a w h e t, to eat fo u r d ried sa lm o n , a n d five q u a rts o f spaw n, m ixed up w ith a gallon o f tra in -o il, a n d actually succeeded in sw allow ing th e g re a te r p a rt o f this m ess, until his sto m ach b ecam e so o v erloaded a s to discharge its c o n te n ts in th e dish. O n e o f his e x hibitions, how ever, h a d nearly cost him his life; this w as on th e occasion o f K la -q u a k e e -n a , o n e o f th e chiefs, h aving b o u g h t him a new wife, in celeb ra tio n o f w hich h e ra n th re e tim es th ro u g h a large fire, a n d b u rn e d h im self in such a m a n n e r th a t he w as not ab le to stir fo r m o re th a n fo u r w eeks. T hese feats o f savage skill w ere m uch

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p raised by M a q u in a , w h o n ev er failed to m ak e him p re sen ts o f cloth, m uskets, etc., on such occasions. T h e d e a th o f T o o to o sch increased still m o re th e d isq u ietu d e w hich his d e liriu m had excited a m o n g th e savages, a n d all those chiefs w ho had killed o u r m en b ecam e m uch a la rm e d lest they should be seized w ith th e sam e d iso rd e r a n d d ie like him ; m ore particularly, as I h a d told M a q u in a th a t I believed his insanity w as a p u n ish m en t inflicted on him by Q u a h o o tz e , for his cruelty in m u rd erin g tw o in n o ce n t m en w ho h a d nev er injured him .

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12 War with the A-Y-Charts - a Night Attack - Proposals to Purchase the Author O ur situ a tio n h a d now b ecom e u n p leasan t in th e ex tre m e . T he su m m e r w as so far advanced th a t we nearly d esp aired o f a ship arriv in g to o u r relief, a n d w ith th a t e x p ec ta tio n alm ost relin­ q u is h e d th e h o p e o f e v e r h a v in g it in o u r p o w e r to q u it th is savage land. W e w ere tre a te d , to o , w ith less indulgence than before, b o th T h o m p so n a n d m yself bein g obliged, in a d d itio n to o u r o th e r em p lo y m en ts, to p erfo rm th e lab o rio u s task o f cutting a n d collecting fuel, w hich w e h a d to b rin ^ on o u r sh o u ld e rs from nearly th re e m iles’ d istan ce, as it consisted w holly o f d ry leaves, all o f w hich n e a r th e village h a d been c onsum ed. T o add to this, w e suffered m uch a b u se from th e co m m o n p eople, w h o , w hen M a q u in a o r so m e o f th e chiefs 'w e re not p re sen t, w ould insult us, calling us w retched slaves, ask in g us w here w as o u r T yee o r c a p ta in , m aking gestures signifying th at his h e ad h a d been cut off, a n d th a t they w ould d o th e like to us; th o u g h they g enerally to o k g o o d care a t su ch tim es to k e ep well o u t o f T h o m p s o n ’s reach, as they h a d m o re th an o n ce ex p eri­ enced, to th e ir co st, th e stren g th o f his fist. T h is c o n d u ct w as not only pro v o k in g a n d g ra tin g to o u r feelings in th e highest degree, b u t it c onvinced us o f th e ill d isp o sitio n o f these savages to w ard s us, a n d ren d ere d us fearful lest they m ight a t som e tim e o r o th e r p e rsu ad e o r force M a q u in a a n d th e chiefs to p u t us to d e ath . W e w ere also often b ro u g h t to g re at distress for th e w ant o f p rovisions, so far as to be red u ced to collect a scanty supply o f m ussels a n d lim p ets from th e rocks, a n d som etim es even c o m ­ pelled to p a rt w ith som e o f o u r m ost necessary articles o f clothing in o rd e r to p u rc h a se food for o u r subsistence. T h is w as, how ever, principally ow ing to th e in h a b ita n ts th e m ­ selves experiencing a g re at scarcity o f pro v isio n s this season; there having been, in th e first place, but very few salm on c au g h t at F rie n d ly C o v e , a m o st u n u s u a l c irc u m s ta n c e , as th e y g e n e ra lly a b o u n d th e re in th e spring, w hich w as by th e natives a ttrib u te d to th eir having been d riven aw ay by th e blood o f o u r m en w ho had been th ro w n into th e sea, w hich w ith tru e savage inconsistencyexcited th eir m u rm u rs a g ain st M a q u in a , w ho had p ro p o se d c u t­

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tin g o f f o u r s h ip . R e ly in g on th is su p p ly , th e y h a d in th e m o st in co n sid erate m a n n e r sq u a n d e re d aw ay th eir w in ter stock o f p ro ­ visions, so th a t in a few days a fte r th e ir re tu rn it w as entirely expended. N o r w ere th e king a n d chiefs m u ch m o re fo rtu n a te in th eir w haling, even a fte r I h a d fu rnished M a q u in a w ith th e im proved w eap on for th a t p u rp o se ; b u t fo u r w hales h aving been taken d u rin g th e season, w hich closes th e last o f M ay, including o n e th a t h a d b e e n stru c k by M a q u in a a n d e s c a p e d , a n d w as a f te r ­ w ard s d riven on sh o re a b o u t six m iles from N o o tk a in alm ost a sta te o f p u trid ity . T h ese affo rd e d b u t a sh o rt supply to a p o p u la tio n , including all ages a n d sexes, o f n o less th a n fifteen h u n d re d persons, a n d o f a c h a ra c te r so very im p ro v id e n t, th a t, a fte r feasting m o st g lu tto n ­ ously w henev er a w hale w as c au g h t, they w ere several tim es, for a w eek to g eth e r, reduced to th e necessity o f e atin g b u t once a day, a n d o f collecting cockles a n d m ussels from th e rocks fo r th eir food. A n d e v en a fte r th e c o d a n d h a lib u t fish in g c o m m e n c e d , in J u n e , in w hich th ey m et w ith to le rab le success, such w as th e savage c ap rice o f M a q u in a , th a t h e w ould o ften give us b u t little to e a t, finally o rd e rin g us to buy a c an o e a n d fishing im plem ents a n d g o o u t ourselves a n d fish, o r w e should have n o th in g . T o do this w e w ere com pelled to p a rt w ith o u r g re atco a ts, w hich w ere not o n ly im p o rta n t to us as g a rm e n ts, b u t o f w hich w e m a d e o u r beds, sp re ad in g th em u n d e r us w h e n w e slept. F ro m o u r w a n t o f skill, how ever, in this new em p lo y , w e m et w ith no success; on discovering w hich, M a q u in a o rd e re d us to re m a in a t hom e. A n o th e r thing, w hich to m e in p a rtic u la r p ro v e d a n alm ost c o n stan t source o f vexation a n d d isg u st, a n d w hich living am ong them had n o t in th e least reconciled m e to , w as th eir ex trem e filthiness, n o t only in e atin g fish, especially th e w hale, w hen in a sta te o f offensive p u trid ity , b u t w hile a t th eir m eals, o f m ak in g a practice o f ta k in g th e verm in from th eir heads o r clothes and eatin g th em , by tu rn s th ru stin g th e ir fingers in to th eir h a ir and into th e d ish , a n d sp re ad in g th eir g a rm e n ts o v er th e tu b s in w hich th e p rovision w as c o o k in g , in o rd e r to set in m o tio n th e ir in h a b it­ an ts. F o rtu n a te ly for T h o m p so n , h e reg ard ed this m uch less than m yself, a n d w hen I used to p o in t o u t to him any instance o f their filthiness in this respect, he w ould laugh a n d reply, “ N ever m in d , Jo h n , th e m o re g o o d things th e b e tte r.” I m u st, ho w ev er, do M a q u in a th e ju stic e to sta te , th a t h e w as m uch n e a te r b o th in his person a n d e atin g th an w ere th e o th e rs, as w as likew ise his q u e en ,

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ow ing, no d o u b t, to his in terco u rse w ith foreigners, w hich had given him ideas o f cleanliness, for I never saw e ith e r o f th em eat a n y o f th e s e a n im a ls , b u t, o n th e c o n tr a r y , th e y a p p e a r e d n o t m uch to relish this taste in o th ers. T h e ir g a rm e n ts, also w ere m uch cleaner, M a q u in a h aving been accu sto m ed to give his aw ay w hen they b e ca m e soiled, till a fte r he discovered th a t T h o m p so n a n d m yself k e p t ours clean by w ashing th e m , w hen he used to m ak e T h o m p so n do the sam e for him . Y et a m id st this sta te o f e n d u ra n c e a n d d isa p p o in tm en t, in h earin g rep eated ly o f th e arrival o f ships a t th e n o rth a n d so u th , m o st o f w hich pro v ed to b e idle re p o rts, w hile e x p ec ta tio n w as alm o st w earied o u t in looking for th em , w e did not w holly d e sp o n d , relying on th e m ercy o f th e S u p re m e Being, to offer up to w hom o u r dev o tio n s on th e days a p p o in te d for H is w orship was o u r c h ie f c onsolation a n d su p p o rt, tho u g h w e w ere so m e ­ tim es obliged, by o u r task m a ste rs, to infringe u p o n th e S ab b ath , which w as to m e a source o f m uch regret. W e w ere, nevertheless, tre a te d a t tim e s w ith m uch kindness by M a q u in a , w h o w ould give us a plenty o f th e best th a t he had to e at, a n d occasionally, so m e sm all p resen t o f cloth for a g a r­ m en t, p ro m isin g m e th a t, if any sh ip should a rriv e w ithin a h u n d red m iles o f N o o tk a , h e w ould send a -c a n o e w ith a letter from m e to th e c a p ta in , so th a t he m ight com e to o u r release. T hese flattering prom ises a n d m ark s o f a tte n tio n w ere, how ever, at those tim es w hen he th o u g h t h im self in personal d a n g e r from a m u tin o u s sp irit, w hich th e scarcity o f provisions had excited am o n g th e natives, w ho, like tru e savages, im p u ted all their pu b lic calam ities, o f w hatever k in d , to th e m isconduct o f th eir c h ie f, o r w h e n h e w as a p p re h e n s iv e o f a n a tta c k fro m s o m e o f th e o th e r tr ib e s , w h o w e re ir r ita te d w ith h im for c u ttin g o f f th e B o s to n , as it h a d p re v e n te d sh ip s fro m c o m in g to tr a d e w ith th e m , a n d w ere constantly a larm in g him w ith idle stories o f vessels th a t w ere p re p arin g to c o m e a gainst him a n d ex te rm in a te b o th him a n d his people. A t such tim es, he m ad e us keep g u a rd over him b o th night an d day, a rm e d w ith cutlasses a n d pistols, being a p p are n tly afraid to tru st any o f his ow n m en. A t o n e tim e, it w as a general revolt o f his p e o p le th at he a p p re h e n d e d ; th en th ree o f his principal chiefs, a m o n g w hom w as his elder b ro th e r, h a d co n sp ired to tak e aw ay his life; a n d a t length h e fancied th a t a sm all p a rty o f K la o o q u ates, betw een w hom a n d th e N o o tk ia n s little friendship subsisted* h a d c o m e to N o o tk a , u n d e r a p re te n ce o f tra d e , for the sole p u rp o se o f m u rd erin g him and his fam ily, telling us, p ro b ab ly to sh a rp en o u r vigilance, th a t th eir in ten tio n w as to kill us lik e­

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wise; a n d so strongly w ere his fears excited on this occasion, th a t he n o t only o rd e re d us to keep n e a r him arm ed by day, w henever h e w en t o u t, and to p a tro l a t night before his h o u se w hile they re m a in e d , b u t to c o n tin u e th e s a m e g u a rd for th re e days after they w ere gone, a n d to fire, a t o n e a n d at fo u r in th e m o rn in g , o n e o f th e g re a t gu n s, to let them k now , if, as h e suspected, they w ere lu rk in g in th e n e ig h b o u rh o o d , th a t he w as on his gu ard . W hile h e w as th u s favourably disp o sed to w a rd s us, I to o k an o p p o rtu n ity to inform him o f th e ill-trea tm e n t th a t w e frequently received from his p eople, a n d th e insults th a t w ere offered us by som e o f th e stra n g e r trib es in calling us w hite slaves, a n d loading us w ith o th e r o p p ro b rio u s term s. H e w as m uch displeased, and said th a t his subjects should not be allow ed to tre a t us ill, and th a t if a n y o f th e stran g ers did it, h e w ished us to p unish the offen d ers w ith d e ath , a t th e sa m e tim e d irectin g us, fo r o u r security, to go constantly arm e d . T h is perm ission w as soon im p ro v ed by T h o m p so n to th e best advan tag e; for a few days a fte r, h aving g o n e to th e p o n d to wash so m e o f o u r clothes, a n d a b la n k e t fo r M a q u in a, several W ic k in ­ ninish w ho w ere then a t N o o tk a cam e th ith e r, a n d , seeing him w ashing th e clothes, and th e b la n k e t sp read u p o n th e grass to dry, they b e g an , a ccording to c u sto m , to insult h im , a n d one o f th em , bolder th an th e o th ers, w alked o v e r th e b lan k e t. T h o m p so n was highly incensed, a n d th rea te n e d th e Indian w ith d e ath if he re p ea te d th e offence, b u t he, in c o n te m p t o f th e th re a t, tram p led upon th e b lan k e t, w hen, d ra w in g his cutlass, w ith o u t fu rth er cerem o n y , T h o m p so n cu t off his h e ad , on seeing w hich th e o th ers ran o ff at full sp eed . T h o m p so n th e n , g ath e rin g up th e clothes a n d b lan k e t, on w hich w ere th e m a rk s o f th e In d ia n ’s d irty feet, a n d tak in g w ith him th e h ead , re tu rn e d a n d inform ed th e king o f w hat h a d passed, w ho w as m uch pleased, a n d highly co m m en d ed his c o n d u ct. T his had a fav o u rab le effect for us, not only on the stra n g e r trib e s but th e in h a b ita n ts them selves, w ho tre a te d us afterw ards w ith less disrespect. In th e la tte r p a r t o f July, M a q u in a inform ed m e th a t he was going to w ar w ith th e A -y -c h a rts, a trib e a b o u t fifty m iles to th e so u th , on a cco u n t o f so m e co n tro v ersy th a t had arisen th e p re ce d ­ ing su m m er, a n d th a t I m u st m a k e a n u m b er o f daggers for his m en, a n d ch ee to lth s for his chiefs, w hich h aving c o m p le te d , he w ished m e to m ak e for his ow n use a w eapon o f q u ite a different form , in o rd e r to disp atch his enem y by o n e blow on th e head , it being th e calculation o f these n a tio n s, on going to w ar, to su rp rise th eir ad v ersaries w hile asleep. T h is w as a steel dagger, o r m ore p roperly a sp ik e , o f a b o u t six inches long, m ad e very sh arp , set at

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right angles in a n iron h a n d le o f fifteen inches long, term in atin g a t th e low er end in a cro o k o r tu rn , so as to p re v en t its being w renched from th e h a n d , a n d at th e u p p e r in a ro u n d k n o b o r h e ad , from w hence th e spike p ro tru d e d . T h is in stru m e n t I pol­ ished highly, a n d , th e m o re to p lease M a q u in a, fo rm ed on the b a ck o f th e k n o b th e resem b lan ce o f a m a n ’s h e ad , w ith the m o u th o p e n , su b stitu tin g for eyes black b ead s, w hich I fastened in w ith red sealing-w ax. T h is pleased him m u ch , a n d w as greatly a d m ired by his chiefs, w h o w a n ted m e to m a k e sim ilar on es for th em , but M a q u in a w o u ld n o t suffer it, reserving fo r h im self a lo n e this w eapon. W h en th ese peo p le have finally d e te rm in e d o n w ar, they m a k e it a n in variable p ra ctic e , for th ree o r fo u r w eeks p rio r to th e e x p ed itio n , to g o in to th e w a ter five o r six tim es a d ay , w hen th ey w ash a n d scrub them selves from h e ad to fo o t w ith bushes interm ixed w ith briers, so th a t th eir b o d ies and faces will o ften be entirely covered w ith b lo o d . D u rin g this severe exercise, they are c o ntinually exclaim ing, " W o c a s h , Q u a h o o tze, T e e ch a m m e ah w elth, w ik -e tish t a u - i l t h - K a r su b m a te m a s - W ik-sish to ha u k m a t e m a s - I y a -is h k a h -sh ittle - A s-sm o o tish warich m a te m a s ” ; w hich signifies, “ G o o d o r g re a t G o d , let m e l i v e - N o t be sick — F in d th e en em y - N o t fear him - F in d him asleep, a n d kill a g reat m an y o f th e m .” 1 D u rin g th e w hole o f this p e rio d th ey have no in te rco u rse with th e ir w om en, a n d for a w eek b efore se ttin g o u t, ab stain from feasting o r a n y k in d o f m e rrim e n t, a p p ea rin g th o u g h tfu l, gloom y, a n d m orose, a n d for th e th ree last days a re alm ost co n stan tly in th e w ater, b o th by day a n d n ight, scru b b in g a n d lacerating th e m ­ selves in a terrib le m an n e r. M a q u in a , h aving inform ed T h o m p so n a n d m yself th a t h e sho u ld ta k e us w ith him , w as very solicitous th a t w e sh o u ld b a th e a n d sc ru b ourselves in th e sa m e w ay w ith th e m , telling m e th a t it w ould h a rd e n o u r skins, so th a t the w eap o n s o f th e enem y w ould not pierce th e m , b u t as w e felt no g re at in clination to a m u se ourselves in this m a n n e r, w e declined it. T h e e x p ed itio n consisted o f forty can o es, carrying fro m ten to tw enty m en eac h . T h o m p so n a n d m yself a rm e d ourselves w ith cutlasses a n d pistols, b u t th e natives, a lth o u g h they h a d a plenty o f E u ro p ean a rm s, to o k w ith them only th e ir d aggers a n d cheetolths, w ith a few bow s a n d arro w s, th e latter being a b o u t a yard in length, a n d p o in te d w ith c o p p e r, m ussel-shell, o r b one; th e

1at least part o f this expression is C hinook Jargon and not N ootkan.

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bow s a re fo u r feet a n d a h a lf long, w ith strin g s m ad e o f w hale sinew . T o go to A -y -c h art, w e asc en d e d , from tw e n ty to th irty m iles, a river a b o u t th e size o f th at o f T ashees, th e b an k s o f w hich are high a n d covered w ith w o o d .A t m id n ig h t w e c am e in sight o f the village, w hich w as situ ate d on th e w est ban k n e a r th e sh o re , on a steep hill difficult o f access, a n d well calculated for d efence. It consisted o f fifteen o r sixteen houses, sm aller th an th o se at N o o tk a , a n d built in th e sam e style, b u t co m p actly placed . By M a q u in a ’s directio n s, th e a tta ck w as d e ferre d until th e first a p p e a ra n c e o f d a w n , as he said th a t w as th e tim e w hen m en slept th e soundest. A t length, all being ready for th e a tta c k , w e landed w ith the g re atest silence, a n d , g o in g a ro u n d so as to com e upon th e foe in th e re ar, cla m b ere d up th e hill, a n d w hile th e natives, as is th eir c u sto m , e n te red th e several h u ts creeping on all-fours, m y c o m ­ ra d e a n d m yself sta tio n e d ourselves w ith o u t to intercep t those w ho should a tte m p t to escape o r c o m e to th e a id o f th eir friends. I w ished, if possible, not to sta in m y h a n d s in th e blood o f any fellow -creature, a n d tho u g h T h o m p so n w ould gladly have p u t to d e ath all th e savages in the c o u n try , h e w as to o b rave to th in k o f a tta ck in g a sleeping enem y. H aving e n te red th e houses, o n th e w ar-w h o o p being given by M a q u in a as h e seized th e head o f th e c h ie f a n d g av e him th e fatal blow , all p ro ceed ed to th e w ork o f d e ath . T h e A -y -ch arts, being th u s su rp rised , w ere u nable to m a k e resistance, a n d , w ith the exception o f a very few w ho w ere so fo rtu n a te as to m a k e th eir escape, w ere all killed, o r ta k e n p riso n e rs on c o n d itio n o f b e co m ­ ing slaves to th e ir c ap to rs. I h a d th e g o o d fo rtu n e to ta k e four captives, w hom M a q u in a , as a fa v o u r, p e rm itte d m e to co n sid er as m in e, a n d occasionally em ploy them in fishing for m e. A s for T h o m p so n , w ho th irste d for revenge, he h a d no w ish to ta k e any priso n ers, b u t w ith his cutlass, th e only w eap o n he w ould em ploy a gainst th em , succeeded in killing seven sto u t fellows w ho cam e to a tta ck him , an act w hich o b ta in e d him g re a t c red it with M a q u in a and th e chiefs, w ho a fte r this held him in m uch h igher e stim a tio n , a n d gave him th e a p p ellatio n o f “ C h e h ie l-su m a -h a r,” it being th e n a m e o f a very c eleb ra ted w a rrio r o f th eir n a tio n in an cien t tim es, w hose exploits w ere th e c o n sta n t th em e o f th eir praise. A fte r h aving p u t to d e ath all th e old a n d infirm o f e ith e r sex, as is th e b a rb a ro u s practice o f th ese people, a n d destro y ed the buildings, w e re -e m b ark e d w ith o u r b o o ty in o u r c an o e s for N o o tk a , w here w e w ere received w ith g re at d e m o n stra tio n s o f jo y

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by th e w om en a n d children, a cc o m p a n y in g o u r w ar-song w ith a m o st furious d ru m m in g on th e houses. T h e next day a g re a t feast w as given by M a q u in a in c eleb ra tio n o f his victory, w hich was te rm in a te d , as usual, w ith a d a n ce by S at-sat-sok-sis. R ep eated a p p lic atio n s had been m ad e to M a q u in a by a n u m ­ b e r o f kings o r chiefs to p u rc h ase m e, especially a fte r h e had show ed them th e h a rp o o n 1 h a d m a d e for h im , w hich h e took m uch prid e in, b u t he co n stan tly refused to p a rt w ith m e on any term s. A m o n g these, th e king o f th e W ickinninish w as p a rtic u ­ larly solicitous to o b tain m e, h aving tw ice ap p lie d to M a q u in a for th a t p u rp o se , o n c e in a very form al m an n e r, by se n d in g his m essenger w ith fo u r can o es, w h o , as he a p p ro ac h ed th e shore, d e co ra te d in th e ir highest style, w ith th e w hite do w n on his head, etc., declared th a t h e cam e to buy “ T o o te y o o h a n n is ,” th e nam e by w hich I w as know n to th em , for his m aste r, and th a t h e had b ro u g h t fo r th a t p u rp o se fo u r yo u n g m ale slaves, tw o highly o rn a m e n te d can o es, such a n u m b e r o f th e sk in s o f m e ta m e lth ,2 a n d o f th e q u a r tla c k , o r se a -o tte r, and so m an y fath o m s o f cloth a n d o f Ife-w h aw ,3 w hile, as h e m en tio n ed th e different articles, they w ere p o in te d o u t o r held up by his a tte n d a n ts; b u t even this tem p tin g offer h a d no influence on M a q u in a , w ho in th e latter p a rt o f th e su m m e r w as again very strongly urged to sell m e by U latilla, or, as h e is g enerally called, M ach ee U latilla, c h ie f o f the K laizzarts, w h o had c o m e to N o o tk a on a visit. T h is chief, w ho co u ld sp e a k to le rab le E nglish, h a d m uch m o re th e a p p e a ra n c e o f a civilised m an th a n any o f th e savages th a t I saw . H e a p p e a re d to be a b o u t th irty , w as ra th e r sm all in his p erso n , b u t extrem ely well fo rm ed , w ith a skin alm o st as fair as th a t o f a n E u ro p ea n , good features, a n d a c o u n te n an c e expres­ siv e o f c a n d o u r a n d a m ia b le n e s s , a n d w h ic h w as a lm o s t alw ay s b rig h te n ed w ith a sm ile. H e w as m uch n e a te r b o th in his dress a n d person th a n any o f th e o th e r chiefs, seldom w earing p ain t, except upon his eyebrow s, w hich, a fte r th e custom o f his c o u n try , w ere plucked o u t, and a few strip s o f th e pelp elth 4 on th e lower, p a rt o f his face. H e alw ays tre a te d m e w ith m uch k in d n ess, was fond o f conversing w ith m e in E nglish and in his ow n language, a sk in g m e m any q u e stio n s relativ e to m y c o u n try , its m anners, cu sto m s, etc., a n d a p p e a re d to ta k e a stro n g interest in m y fate, telling m e th a t if h e could p e rsu a d e M a q u in a to p a rt w ith m e, he w ould put m e on b o a rd th e first sh ip th a t cam e to his c o u n try , a : i.e. w apiti. ' dentalia shells (D entalium pretiosum ). 4 m arm ot?

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prom ise w hich, from his su b seq u e n t co n d u ct, 1 h av e g o o d reason to th in k he w ould have p e rfo rm e d , as m y deliverance a t length from captivity a n d suffering w as, u n d e r th e fav o u r o f D ivine P rovidence, w holly ow ing to h im , th e only letter th a t ever reached a n E u ro p ea n o r A m e ric an vessel o u t o f sixteen th a t I w ro te at differen t tim es a n d sent to v a rious p a rts o f th e coast, h aving been delivered by him in p e rso n . So m uch pleased w as I w ith th is m a n ’s b e h a v io u r to m e w hile a t N o o tk a , th a t I m a d e for him a ch eeto lth , w hich I b u rn ish e d highly, a n d e ngraved w ith figures. W ith th is h e w as greatly d e lig h ted . I also w ould have m ad e for him a h a rp o o n , w ould M a q u in a have c o n s e n te d .. W ith hearts full o f dejection a n d alm ost lost to h o p e , n o ship having a p p e a re d o ff N o o tk a this se a so n , did m y c o m p a n io n and m yself acc o m p a n y th e tribe on th e ir rem oval in S e p tem b e r to T ash ees, relinquishing in co n seq u en ce for six m o n th s even th e rem o test e x p ec ta tio n o f relief.

13. Marriage of the A u th o r-H is Illness - Dismisses His Wife Religion of the Natives Climate S o o n a fte r o u r e stab lish m en t th ere , M a q u in a inform ed m e th a t h e a n d his chiefs h a d held council b o th before a n d a fte r q u ittin g N o o tk a , in w hich they had d e te rm in e d th a t I m ust m arry o n e o f th e ir w om en, urging as a reason to induce m e to c o n se n t, th a t, as th e re w as now no p ro b a b ility o f a sh ip com ing to N o o tk a to release m e, th a t I m ust c o n sid er m yself as destin ed to pass th e re m a in d e r o f m y life w ith th e m , th a t th e so o n e r 1 c o n fo rm e d to th e ir c u sto m s th e b e tte r, a n d th a t a w ife a n d fam ily w o u ld render m e m ore c o n te n te d a n d satisfied w ith th e ir m o d e o f living. I re m o n stra te d a gainst th is decision, b u t to n o p u rp o se , for he told m e th a t, sh o u ld I refuse, b o th T h o m p so n a n d m yself w ould be p u t to d e a th ; telling m e, ho w ev er, th a t if th e re w ere n o n e o f the w om en o f his trib e th a t p leased m e, he w ould go w ith m e to so m e o f th e o th e r tribes, w h e re h e w o u ld p u rch ase fo r m e such a o n e as I sh o u ld select. R ed u ced to th is sa d extrem ity, w ith death on th e o n e sid e a n d m atrim o n y on th e o th e r, I th o u g h t p ro p e r to ch o o se w h a t a p p e a re d to m e th e least o f th e tw o evils, and co n se n t to b e m a rrie d , on c o n d itio n th at, as I did n o t fancy any o f th e N o o tk a w om en, I should be p e rm itte d to m a k e choice o f o n e from so m e o th e r trib e . T h is b ein g settled, th e next m o rn in g by daylight, M a q u in a, w ith a b o u t fifty m en in tw o canoes, set out w ith m e for A i-tiz -za rt, tak in g w ith him a q u a n tity o f cloth, a n u m b e r o f m uskets, se a -o tte r skins, etc., fo r th e p u rc h ase o f m y b rid e. W ith th e a id o f o u r pad d les a n d sails, being favoured w ith a fair b reeze, w e a rriv e d som e tim e b e fo re su n set at th e village. O u r arrival excited a general a la rm , a n d th e m en h asten e d to the sh o re, arm ed w ith th e w eap o n s o f th e ir c o u n try , m ak in g m any w a rlik e d e m o n stra tio n s, a n d displaying m uch zeal a n d activity. W e, in th e m ea n tim e, rem ain ed quietly seated in o u r canoes, w h e re w e re m a in e d for a b o u t h a lf an h o u r, w hen th e m essenger o f th e chief, dressed in th e ir best m a n n e r, cam e to w elcom e us a n d invite us o n sh o re to e at. W e follow ed him in procession to

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th e c h ie f s h o u se , M a q u in a a t o u r h e ad , ta k in g care to leave a sufficient n u m b e r in th e b o a ts to p ro tec t th e p ro p e rty . W h en we c am e to th e h ouse, w e w ere u sh e red in w ith m uch cerem o n y , and o u r respective seats p o in te d o u t to us, m in e being next to M a q u in a by his request. A fte r having been regaled w ith a feast o f h errin g spaw n and o il, M a q u in a asked m e if I saw a n y a m o n g th e w om en w h o w ere p re se n t th a t I liked. I im m ed iately p o in ted o u t to a yo u n g girl o f a b o u t seventeen, th e d a u g h te r o f U p q u e sta , th e chief, w ho was sittin g n e ar him by h e r m o th e r. O n this, M a q u in a , m ak in g a sign to his m en, aro se, a n d , tak in g m e by th e h a n d , w alked in to th e m id d le o f th e ro o m , a n d se n t o ff tw o o f his m en to b ring the boxes c o n ta in in g th e presents fro m th e c an o e s. In th e m ean tim e, K in n eclim m ets, th e m aste r o f cerem o n ies, w h o m I have already sp o k e n of, m a d e h im self ready fo r th e p a rt he w as to a ct, by pow d erin g his h a ir w ith w h ite d o w n . W h en th e chests w ere b ro u g h t in, specim ens o f th e several a rticles w ere ta k e n o u t, and sh o w ed by o u r m en , o n e o f w h o m held u p a m u sk et, a n o th e r a skin, a th ird a piece o f cloth, etc. O n this K in n eclim m ets ste p p ed fo rw a rd , a n d ad d ressin g th e chief, in fo rm ed him th at all th ese belonged to m e, m en tio n in g the n u m b e r o f each k in d , a n d th a t th ey w ere o ffered to him for the p u rc h a se o f his d a u g h te r E u-sto ch -ee-ex q u a, as a w ife fo r m e. As he sa id this, th e m en w ho held u p th e vario u s articles w alked up to th e chief, a n d w ith a very stern a n d m o ro se look, th e c o m p li­ m en ta ry o n e on th ese occasions, th rew th em a t his feet. Im m e d i­ ately on w hich, all th e trib e , b o th m en a n d w om en, w h o w ere assem bled o n th is occasion, set up a cry o f K la c k -k o -T y e e , th at is, “ T h a n k ye, c h ie f.” H is m en , a fte r th is cerem o n y , h aving re tu rn e d to th e ir places, M a q u in a rose, a n d , in a speech o f m o re th an h a lf an h o u r, said m uch in m y p ra ise to th e A i-tiz -za rt chief, telling him th a t I w as as g o o d a m an as them selves, differing from them only in being w h ite, th a t I w as besides a c q u a in te d w ith m an y things o f w hich they w ere ig n o ran t; th a t I knew how to m ak e daggers, cheetolths, a n d h a rp o o n s, a n d w as a very valuable p e rso n , w hom he was d e te rm in e d to k e ep alw ays w ith him ; p ra isin g m e a t th e sam e tim e for th e g o o d n ess o f m y te m p e r, a n d th e m a n n e r in w hich I had c o n d u cted m yself since I had been w ith th em , o bserving that all th e p e o p le o f N o o tk a , a n d even th e ch ild ren , loved m e. W hile M a q u in a w as sp e a k in g , his m aste r o f cerem o n ies was co n tin u ally sk ip p in g a b o u t, m ak in g th e m ost e x trav ag an t gestures, a n d e x c la im in g “ IV o c a sh !” W h e n h e h a d c e a se d , th e A i- tiz -z a rt c h ie f aro se; a m id st th e a cclam atio n s o f his p e o p le , a n d beg an w ith

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se ttin g forth th e m any good qualities a n d acco m p lish m en ts o f his d a u g h te r; th a t he loved h e r greatly, a n d as she w as his only o n e , he co u ld n o t th in k o f p a rtin g w ith h e r. H e sp o k e in this m a n n e r for s o m e tim e , b u t fin ally c o n c lu d e d by c o n s e n tin g to th e p ro p o s e d u n io n , requesting th a t she m ig h t b e well used a n d k indly tre a te d by h e r h u sb a n d . A t th e close o f th e speech, w hen th e c h ie f beg an to m an ifest a d isp o sitio n to con sen t to o u r u n io n , K in n elcim m ets again beg an to call o u t as loud as h e could baw l, “ W ocash \" c u ttin g a th o u sa n d capers a n d spinning h im self a ro u n d on his heel like a top. W h en U p q u e sta had finished his sp eech , h e d irec te d his p eople to carry back th e p resen ts w hich M a q u in a had given him , to m e, to g eth e r w ith tw o y o u n g m ale slaves to assist m e in fishing. T hese, a fte r having been placed before m e, w ere by M a q u in a ’s m en ta k e n o n b o a rd th e canoes. T h is c erem ony being o v e r, w e w ere invited by o n e o f th e p rin cip al chiefs to a feast at his h ouse, o f K lu ssa m it, o r d ried h e rrin g , w here, after th e eating w as over, K inneclim m ets am u sed th e c o m p a n y very highly with his tric k s, a n d th e even in g 's e n te rta in m e n t w as closed by a new w ar-song from o u r m en , a n d o n e in re tu rn from th e A i-tiz-zarts, acco m p an ied w ith expressive gestu res, and w ielding o f th eir w e ap ­ ons. A fte r this o u r c o m p a n y re tu rn e d to lodge at U p q u e sta ’s, except a few w ho w ere left on b o a rd th e c an o es to w atch the p ro p e rty . In th e m o rn in g I received from th e c h ie f his d a u g h te r, w ith a n earn e st req u est th a t I w ould use h e r well, w hich I pro m ised him ; w h en , tak in g leave o f her p a ren ts, she a c c o m p a ­ nied m e w ith a p p a re n t satisfaction on b o a rd o f th e canoe. T h e w ind being ah ea d , th e natives w ere obliged to have recourse to th e ir p addles, a cc o m p a n y in g them w ith th eir songs, in tersp ersed w ith th e w itticism s a n d buffo o n ery o f K in n eclim ­ m ets, w ho, in his capacity o f k in g ’s ste ersm a n , o n e o f his func­ tio n s w hich I fo rg o t to e n u m e ra te , n o t only g u id ed th e c o u rse o f th e can o e , b u t regulated th e singing o f th e b o a tm e n . A t a b o u t five in th e m o rn in g w e reached T ashees, w here w e found all the in h a b ita n ts collected o n th e sh o re to receive us. W e w ere w elcom ed w ith loud sh o u ts o f jo y , a n d e xclam ations o f “ W o c a sh !" a n d th e w o m en , tak in g m y b rid e u n d e r th eir charge, c o n d u cted h e r to M a q u in a ’s house, to b e k e p t w ith them for ten days; it being a n universal custom , as M a q u in a inform ed m e, th a t no in te rco u rse should ta k e place betw een th e new m a r­ ried p a ir d u rin g th a t p erio d . A t n ig h t M a q u in a gave a g re a t feast, w hich w as succeeded by a d a n ce , in w hich all th e w om en jo in e d , a n d th u s end ed th e festivities o f m y m arriag e. T h e term o f m y p ro b a tio n bein g over, M a q u in a assigned m e

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as an a p a rtm e n t th e space in th e u p p e r p a rt o f his house betw een him a n d his e ld e r b ro th e r, w hose room w as o p p o site, H ere I established m yself w ith m y fam ily, consisting o f m yself a n d wife, T h o m p so n , a n d th e little S at-sat-sok-sis, w ho h a d alw ays been strongly a tta c h e d to m e, a n d now solicited his fath er to let him live w ith m e, to w hich he c o n se n te d . T h is boy w as h a n d so m e, ex trem ely well fo rm ed , am ia b le , and o f a p lea sa n t, sprightly d isp o sitio n . I used to ta k e a p lea su re in d e co ra tin g him w ith rings, bracelets, ear-jew els, etc., w hich I m ad e for him o f c o p p er, a n d o rn a m e n te d a n d p olished th em in m y b e st m a n n e r. I w as also very careful to k e ep him free from v erm in o f every k in d , w ashing him a n d co m b in g his h a ir every d ay . T hese m a rk s o f a tte n tio n w ere not only very pleasing to th e c hild, w ho delig h ted in being k e p t n eat a n d clean, as well as in being dressed o ff in his finery, b u t w as highly gratifying b o th to M a q u in a and his q u e e n , w ho used to express m uch satisfaction at m y care o f him . In m ak in g m y d o m estic e stab lish m en t, I d e te rm in e d , as far as possible, to live in a m o re c o m fo rtab le a n d cleanly m a n n e r than th e o th ers. F o r th is p u rp o se I e rected w ith p lan k s a p a rtitio n o f a b o u t th re e feet high betw een m in e a n d th e ad jo in in g ro o m s, and m ad e th ree b e d stea d s o f th e sa m e, w hich I covered w ith b o a rd s, for m y fam ily to sleep on, w hich I fo u n d m uch m o re co m fo rtab le th an sleeping o n th e floor a m id st th e dirt. F o rtu n a te ly , I found m y In d ian princess b o th a m ia b le and in te llig e n t, fo r o n e w h o se lim ite d s p h e re o f o b s e r v a tio n m u st necessarily give rise to b u t a few ideas. She w as extrem ely ready to agree to an y th in g th a t I p ro p o se d relative to o u r m o d e o f living, w as very a tte n tiv e in k eep in g her g a rm e n ts and perso n neat an d clean, a n d a p p e a re d in every respect so licitous to please m e. She w as, as I have said , a b o u t seventeen; her p e rso n was sm all b u t well fo rm ed , as w ere h e r features; h e r com p lex io n was, w ith o u t e xception, fa ire r th a n any o f th e w om en, w ith c o n sid e ra ­ ble co lo u r in h e r cheeks, her h a ir long, black, a n d m u ch softer th an is usual w ith th em , and h e r teeth sm all, even, a n d o f a dazzling w hiteness; while th e expression o f h e r c o u n te n an c e in d i­ cated sw eetness o f tem p e r a n d m odesty. She w ould indeed have been con sid ered as very p retty in any c o u n try , a n d , excepting M a q u in a ’s q u e en , w as by far th e h a n d so m est o f a n y o f their w om en. W ith a p a rtn e r possessing so m any a ttra c tio n s , m any m ay be a p t to con clu d e th a t I m ust h av e found m yself h a p p y , - a t least, c o m p a rativ ely so; b u t for oth erw ise w as it w ith m e. A com pulsory m arriag e w ith th e m ost beautiful a n d accom plished p erson in the

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w orld can never prove a so u rce o f real happiness; a n d , in m y situ atio n , I could n o t but view this c o n n ectio n as a c h ain th a t was to b in d m e do w n to this savage lan d , a n d p revent m y ever again seeing a civilised c o u n try ; especially w hen, in a few days after, M a q u in a inform ed m e th a t th e re h a d been a m eetin g o f his chiefs, in w hich it had been d e te rm in e d th a t, as I h a d m arried o n e o f th eir w o m e n , 1 m u st be con sid ered as o n e o f th em , and c o n fo rm to th e ir custom s, a n d th a t in fu tu re n e ith e r m yself nor T h o m p so n should w ear o u r E u ro p ea n clothes, but dress in kuts a k s 1 like them selves. T h is o rd e r w as to m e m o st p ain fu l, b u t I p ersu ad e d M a q u in a a t length so far to relax in it as to p e rm it m e to w ear those I h a d at p re sen t, w hich w ere alm ost w orn o u t, and not to com pel T h o m p so n to c h a n g e his dress, observing th a t, as he w as a n old m an , such a ch an g e w ould cause his death . T h e ir religious c e le b ra tio n ,2 w hich th e last y e ar to o k p lace in D ecem b er, w as in this co m m en ced on th e 15th o f N o v e m b er, and c o n tin u e d for fou rteen days. A s 1 w as now con sid ered as o n e o f th em , instead o f being o rd e re d to th e w oods, M a q d in a directed T h o m p so n a n d m yself to rem ain a n d p ray w ith th em to Q uah o o tze to be g o o d to th em , a n d th a n k him for w hat he h a d done. It w as o p e n ed in m uch th e sa m e m a n n e r as th e fo rm er. A fter w hich, all th e m en a n d w om en in th e village assem bled at M a q u in a ’s h ouse, in th e ir p lain e st dresses, and w ith o u t an y kind o f o rn a m e n ts a b o u t th em ,, having th eir h e ad s b o u n d a ro u n d with th e red fillet, a to k en o f dejection a n d h u m iliatio n , a n d their co u n te n an c e s expressive o f seriousness a n d m elancholy. T h e p e r­ fo rm an ces d u rin g th e c o n tin u a n ce o f this celeb ratio n consisted alm o st w holly in singing a n u m b e r o f songs to m ou rn fu l airs, the king regulating th e tim e by b e atin g on his hollow plank o r d ru m , a cc o m p a n ied by o n e o f his c h ie fs's e a te d n e ar him w ith th e great ra ttle. In th e m e a n tim e they a te b u t seldom , a n d then very little, retiring to sleep late, and rising at th e first a p p e a ra n c e o f daw n, a n d even in te rru p tin g this sh o rt p e rio d o f rep o se by gettin g up at m id n ig h t a n d singing. T h e c ere m o n y w as te rm in a te d by an exhib itio n o f a sim ilar 1 Je w itt is in co n sisten t in his spelling o f several Indian w o rd s. T he ku tsa k (also k o lsa ck) is the blanket w orn over the shoulders. ; the W inter C erem onial, see also C hapter X . N ote that Jew itt says “ I was now considered one o f th em ” ; he may m ean that he was now m ore generally accepted in N ootkan society, but m ost probably since h e was asked “ to rem ain and p ra y ," he was considered to have been initiated into the W inter C erem onial after his seclusion during that o f the previous year.

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c h ara cte r to th e o n e o f th e last y e a r, b u t still m o re cruel. A boy o f tw elve y ears o ld , w ith six b a y o n ets run in to his flesh, one th ro u g h each a rm a n d thig h , a n d th ro u g h each side close to the ribs, w as carried a ro u n d th e ro o m su sp en d ed u p o n th em , w ith o u t m anifesting a n y sy m p to m s o f p a in .3 M a q u in a , on m y inquiring th e reason o f th is display, in fo rm ed m e th a t it w as a n a n cien t c u sto m o f this n a tio n to sacrifice a m an a t th e close o f this solem nity , in h o n o u r o f th e ir G o d , b u t th a t his fath er h a d a b o l­ ished it, a n d su b stitu te d this in its place. T h e w hole closed on the evening o f th e 29th, w ith a g re a t feast o f salm o n spaw n a n d oil, at w hich th e n atives, as usual, m a d e up fo r th e ir late a b stin en ce. A few days afte r, a c irc u m stan c e o ccu rred , w hich, from its singularity, I c a n n o t fo rb ea r m en tio n in g . I w as sent for by my n e ig h b o u r Y ealthlow er, th e k in g ’s elder b ro th e r, to file his teeth, w hich o p e ratio n having been p e rfo rm e d , he inform ed m e th a t a new wife, w hom h e had a little tim e b e fo re p u rch ased , having refused to sleep w ith him , it w as his in te n tio n , p ro v id ed she persisted in h e r refusal, to b ite o ff her nose. I e n d ea v o u red to d issu ad e him from it, b u t h e w as d e te rm in e d , a n d , in fact, p e r­ form ed his savage th re a t th a t very n ight, saying th a t sin ce she w ould not be his w ife, she should not b e th a t o f any o th e r, a n d in th e m o rn in g sent h e r back to h e r father. T h e in h u m a n a ct did n o t, ho w ev er, p ro ceed from any in n ate cruelty o f d isp o sitio n o r m alice, as he w as far from bein g o f a b a rb a ro u s tem p e r; but such is th e desp o tism exercised by these savages o v er th e ir w om en, th a t h e no d o u b t con sid ered it as a ju st p u n ish m en t for h e r offence, in bein g so o b stin ate a n d perverse; as he afte rw a rd s told m e, th a t in sim ilar cases th e h u sb a n d had a rig h t w ith them to disfigure his w ife in th is w ay o r so m e o th e r, to p rev en t h e r every m arrying again. A b o u t th e m iddle o f D e ce m b er, w e left T ash ees for C o o p tee . A s usual a t th is season, w e found th e herrings in g re a t p len ty , and h e re th e sam e scene o f rio to u s feasting th a t I w itnessed last year w as renew ed by o u r im p ro v id e n t natives, w ho, in a d d itio n to th e ir usual fare, h a d a plentiful supply o f w ild geese, w hich w ere b ro u g h t us in g re at q u a n titie s by th e E shquates. T h ese, as M a q u in a inform ed m e, w ere cau g h t w ith nets m ad e from b a rk in th e fresh w aters o f th a t c o u n try . T h o se w ho tak e them m ake choice for th a t p u rp o se o f a d a rk a n d rain y night, an d , w ith th eir c an o e s stuck w ith lighted to rch e s, p ro ceed w ith as little noise as possible to th e place w here th e geese a re collected, w ho, dazzled probably an o th er exam ple o f W inter C erem onial theatrical perform ­ ance.

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by th e light, suffer them selves to be a p p ro ac h ed very n ear, w hen th e net is th ro w n o v er th em , a n d in this m a n n e r from fifty to sixty, o r even m o re, will so m etim es be tak e n a t o n e cast. O n th e 15th o f Ja n u a ry 1805, a b o u t m id n ig h t, I w as th ro w n in to c o n sid erab le alarm , in co n se q u en c e o f a n eclipse o f the m o o n , being a w ak e n e d from m y sleep by a g re at o u tcry o f th e in h ab itan ts. O n g o in g to discover th e cause o f this tu m u lt, I found th em all o u t o f th eir h o u ses, b earing lighted to rch es, sin g ­ ing a n d beating upon pieces o f p lan k ; and w hen I asked th em the reason o f this p ro c ee d in g , they p o in te d to th e m o o n , a n d said th at a g re at cod-fish w as e n d ea v o u rin g to sw allow her, a n d th at they w ere driving him aw ay. T h e orig in o f this su p e rstitio n I could n o t discover. T h o u g h , in so m e respects, m y situ a tio n w as ren d ered m ore co m fo rtab le since m y m arriag e, as I lived in a m o re cleanly m an n e r, and h a d m y food b e tte r a n d m o re neatly c o o k ed o f w hich, besides, I h a d alw ays a plenty, m y slaves generally fu rn ish ­ ing m e, a n d U p q u e sta never failing to send m e a n a m p le supply by th e canoes th a t c am e from A i-tiz-zart; still, from m y being o bliged a t this season o f th e y e ar to change m y accustom ed clothing, a n d to d ress like th e n ativ es, w ith only a piece o f cloth o f a b o u t tw o y a rd s long th ro w n loosely a ro u n d m e, m y E u ro p ean clothes having been for som e tim e entirely w orn o u t, I suffered m o re th an I can express from th e cold, especially as I was com pelled to p e rfo rm th e la b o rio u s task o f c u ttin g a n d bringing th e firew ood, w hich w as re n d ere d still m o re o ppressive to m e, from m y c o m ra d e, for a c o n sid era b le p a rt o f th e w in ter, not having it in his po w er to lend m e his aid, in co nsequence o f an a tta ck o f th e rh e u m a tism in o n e o f his knees, w ith w hich he suffered fo r m o re th an fo u r m o n th s, tw o o r th ree w eeks o f which he w as so ill as to b e u n d e r th e necessity to leave th e house. T h is sta te o f suffering, w ith th e little h o p e I now h a d o f ever escaping from th e savages, beg an to re n d e r m y life irksom e to m e; still, how ever, I lost n o t m y c onfidence in th e a id o f the S u p re m e Being, to w hom , w h en ev er th e w e ath e r and a su sp en ­ sio n from th e tasks im posed on m e w ould p e rm it, I nev er failed regularly on S undays to retire to th e w o o d to w orship, taking T h o m p so n w ith m e w hen he w as ab le to go. O n th e 20th o f F e b ru a ry , w e re tu rn e d to o u r su m m e r q u a r­ ters a t N o o tk a , b u t on m y p a rt, w ith far differen t sensations than th e last spring, being now alm ost in d e sp a ir o f any vessel arriving to release us, o r o u r bein g p e rm itte d to d e p a rt if th e re sh o u ld . S oon after o u r re tu rn , as p re p a ra to ry to th e w haling season, M a q u in a o rd e re d m e to m ake a g o o d n u m b e r o f h a rp o o n s for h im self a n d his chiefs, several o f w hich I h a d com pleted, w ith

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som e lances, w hen, on th e 16th o f M a rch , I w as ta k e n very ill w ith a violent colic, caused, I p re su m e, from having suffered so m u ch from th e cold, in going w ith o u t p ro p e r clo th in g . F o r a n u m b e r o f h o u rs I w as in g re a t p a in , a n d expected to die, a n d on its leaving m e, I w as so w eak as scarcely to b e ab le to sta n d , w hile I h a d n o th in g co m fo rtin g to tak e , n o r anyth in g to d rin k but cold w ater. O n th e day follow ing, a slave belonging to M a q u in a died, and w as im m ediately, as is th e ir custom in such cases, tossed uncerem oniously o u t o f d o o rs, from w hence h e w as ta k e n by so m e o th ers a n d th ro w n into th e w ater. T h e tre a tm e n t o f this p o o r c re a tu re m ad e a m elancholy im pression upon m y m in d , as I could n o t b u t th in k th a t such p ro b a b ly w ould b e m y fate sh o u ld I d ie a m o n g these h eath en s, a n d so far from receiving a decent b u rial, th a t I sh o u ld n o t even b e allow ed th e co m m o n privilege o f having a little e a rth th ro w n o v er m y rem ains. T h e feebleness in w hich th e violent a tta ck o f m y d iso rd e r had left m e, th e dejection I felt a t th e a lm o st hopelessness o f my situ a tio n a n d th e w an t o f w arm clothing a n d p ro p e r nursing, tho u g h m y In d ian w ife, as far as she knew how , w as alw ays ready, even solicitous, to d o ev erything fo r m e she c ould, still k e p t m e very m u ch indisposed, w hich M a q u in a perceiving, he finally told m e th a t if I d id n o t like living w ith m y w ife, a n d th at w as th e cause o f m y being so sa d , I m ig h t p a rt w ith h e r. T his p ro p o sa l I readily accepted, a n d th e next d a y M a q u in a se n t her back to her father. O n p a rtin g w ith m e she discovered m uch e m o tio n , begging m e th a t I w ould suffer her to re m a in till I had recovered, as there w as no o n e w ho w ould ta k e so g o o d care o f m e as herself. But w hen I told h e r she m ust go, for th a t I did not th in k I should ever g et well, w hich in tru th I b u t little expected, a n d th a t her fa th e r w ould ta k e good c a re o f h e r a n d tre a t h e r m uch m ore k indly th an M a q u in a, she to o k a n affectio n ate leave, telling m e th a t she h o p ed I sh o u ld so o n g et b etter, a n d left her tw o slaves to ta k e c a re o f m e. T h o u g h I rejoiced a t her d e p a rtu re , I w as greatly affected w ith th e sim p le expressions o f h e r regard for m e, a n d co u ld not b u t feel strongly interested fo r th is p o o r girl, w ho in all her c o n d u ct to w ard s m e had disco v ered so m uch m ildness a n d a tte n ­ tio n to m y w ishes; a n d h a d it n o t been th a t I c onsidered h e r as a n alm o st in su p e rab le o bstacle to m y being p e rm itte d to leave the c o u n try , I should no d o u b t have felt the d e p riv a tio n o f h e r society a real loss. A fte r her d e p a rtu re , I requested M a q u in a th a t, as I had p a rte d w ith m y w ife, h e w ould p e rm it m e to resu m e my E u ro p ea n dress, as, o therw ise, from not h aving been accustom ed

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to dress like th e m , I sho u ld certain ly die. T o th is h e con sen ted , a n d I once m o re b ecam e c o m fo rtab ly clad. C h a n g e o f clo th in g , b u t, m o re th an all, th e hopes w hich I now beg an to indulge th a t in th e course o f th e su m m e r I should be ab le to escape, in a sh o rt tim e re sto red m e to health , so far th a t I co u ld again go to w o rk in m ak in g h a rp o o n s for M a q u in a , w ho pro b ab ly , fearing th a t h e should h a v e to p a rt w ith m e, d e te rm in e d to p ro v id e h im self w ith a g o o d stock. I shall n o t, how ever, long d e ta in th e re a d e r w ith a d e ta il o f occu rren ces th a t intervened betw een this p e rio d and th a t o f m y escape, w hich from th a t dull unifo rm ity th a t m ark s th e savage life, w o u ld b e in a m ea su re b u t a re p etitio n , n o r dwell u p o n th a t m ental to rtu re I e n d u re d from a c o n stan t conflict o f h o p e and fear, w hen th e form er, alm ost w earied o u t w ith re p ea te d d isa p ­ p o in tm e n t, offered to o u r sin k in g hearts no p ro sp e ct o f release b u t d e ath , to w hich w e w ere c o n stan tly exposed from th e b ru tal ignorance and savage d isp o sitio n o f th e c o m m o n p eople, w h o , in th e v a rio u s councils th a t w ere held this season to d e te rm in e w hat to d o w ith us in case o f th e arriv al o f a sh ip , w ere alm o st alw ays fo r p u ttin g us to d e a th , expecting by th a t m ea n s to conceal th e m u rd e r o f o u r crew a n d to th ro w th e blam e o f it on so m e o th e r trib e . T hese b a rb a ro u s sen tim en ts w ere, how ever, universally o p p o se d by M a q u in a a n d his chiefs, w ho w ould n o t co n se n t to o u r being injured. B ut, as so m e o f th eir c u sto m s a n d tra its o f n a tio n a l c h a ra c te r w hich I th in k deserving o f n otice h av e not been m en tio n ed , I shall p ro ceed to give a n a cc o u n t o f them . T h e office o f k in g o r c h ie f is, w ith th o se p eople, h ered itary , a n d d escends to th e eldest son, o r, in failure o f m ale issue, to the eld er b ro th e r, w ho in th e regal lin e is c o n sid ere d as th e second person in th e k in g d o m . A t feasts, as I have observed, th e king is alw ays placed in th e highest o r seat o f h o n o u r, and th e chiefs a cc o rd in g to th e ir respective ra n k s, w hich a p p e a r in general to be d e te rm in e d by th eir affinity to th e royal fam ily; they a re also d esig n ated by th e e m bellishm ents o f th eir m antles o r k u tsak s. T he king, o r h e ad T y e e , is th e ir le a d e r in w ar, in th e m an a g em e n t o f w hich h e is perfectly a b so lu te . H e is also p resid en t o f their councils, w hich are alm ost alw ays regulated by his o p in io n . But h e has n o k in d o f p o w e r o v er th e p ro p e rty o f his subjects, n o r can h e re q u ire th em to c o n trib u te to his w ants, being in this respect no m o re privileged th an any o th e r p erso n . H e h as, in co m m o n w ith his chiefs, th e right o f holding slaves, w hich is not enjoyed by p riv ate individuals, a reg u latio n p ro b a b ly arising from th e ir having been originally c aptives tak e n in b a ttle, th e spoils o f w a r being u n d e rsto o d as a p p e rta in in g to th e king, w ho receives

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an d a p p o rtio n s th em a m o n g his several chiefs a n d w arrio rs a cc o rd in g to th e ir ran k a n d deserts. In co n fo rm ity w ith this idea, th e p lu n d e r o f th e B o sto n was all d ep o sited in M a q u in a ’s h o u se , w ho d istrib u te d p a rt o f it a m o n g his chiefs, a ccording to th e ir respective ra n k s o r d e g ree o f fav o u r w ith him , giving to o n e th re e h u n d re d m uskets, to a n o th e r o n e h u n d re d a n d fifty, w ith o th e r things in like p ro p o rtio n . T h e king is, how ever, obliged to su p p o rt his d ignity by m ak in g fre­ q u e n t e n te rta in m e n ts, and w h en ev er h e receives a large supply o f p ro v isio n , he m ust invite all th e m en o f his trib e to his h o u se to e at it u p , o therw ise, as M a q u in a told m e, h e w ould n o t be con sid ered as co n d u ctin g h im self like a T y e e, a n d w ould b e no m o re th o u g h t o f th an a c o m m o n m an . W ith regard to th e ir r e lig io n .- T h e y believe in th e existence o f a S u p rem e Being, w hom they call Q u a h o o tze, a n d w h o , to use M a q u in a ’s exp ressio n , w as o n e g re a t T y e e in th e sky, w ho gave th em th e ir fish, a n d could ta k e th em fro m th e m , a n d w as th e g re atest o f all kings. T h e ir usual place o f w o rsh ip a p p e a re d to be th e w a ter, for w h en ev er they b a th e d , they a d d ressed so m e w ords in fo rm o f p ra y e r to th e G o d a b o v e , e n tre a tin g th a t h e w ould p reserve th em in h e alth , give th e m g o o d success in fishing, etc. T h ese p rayers w ere re p ea te d w ith m uch m o re energy on p re p a r­ ing for w haling o r for w ar, as I h a v e alread y m en tio n ed . S om e o f th em w ould so m e tim es go several m iles to b a th e , in o rd e r to d o it in secret; th e re aso n for th is I co u ld n ev er learn, th o u g h I am in d u ced to th in k it w as in co nsequence o f som e fam ily o r p riv ate q u a rre l, a n d th a t they d id n o t w ish w h a t they said to b e h e ard ; w hile a t o th e r tim es they w ould re p a ir in th e sam e secret m a n n e r to th e w o o d s to pray. T h is w as m o re p a rtic u ­ larly th e case w ith th e w o m en , w ho m ig h t also h av e been p ro m p te d by a se n tim e n t o f decency to re tire for th e p u rp o se o f b a th in g , as they a re re m a rk ab ly m o d est. I o n c e fo u n d o n e o f o u r w o m e n m o re th a n tw o m iles from th e village on h e r knees in th e w o o d s, w ith h e r eyes sh u t a n d her face tu rn e d to w a rd s heaven, u tte rin g w ords in a lam e n ta b le to n e, a m o n g st w hich I distinctly h e a rd , W ocash A h -w e lth , m ean in g “ g o o d L o rd ,” a n d w hich has nearly th e sam e signification w ith Q u a h o o tze . T h o u g h I cam e very n e ar her, she a p p e a re d n o t to n o tice m e, b u t c o n tin u e d her d evotions. A n d I have frequently seen the w om en go a lo n e into th e w o o d s, evidently fo r th e p u rp o se o f ad d ressin g them selves to a su p e rio r Being, a n d it w as alw ays very percep tib le on th eir retu rn w hen they h a d been th u s em ployed, from th eir silence a n d m elancholy looks.

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T h ey h av e no belief, h o w e v er, in a sta te o f fu tu re existence, as I discovered in co n v ersatio n w ith M a q u in a a t T o o to o s c h ’s d e a th , on m y a tte m p tin g to con v in ce him th a t he still existed, and th a t h e w ould again see him a fte r his d e a th ; b u t he could c o m p re ­ h end no th in g o f it, a n d , p o in tin g to th e g ro u n d , said th a t there w as th e end o f h im , a n d th a t h e w as like th a t. N o r d o they believe in g hosts, n o tw ith sta n d in g th e case o f T o o to o sch w ould a p p e a r to c o n tra d ic t this a sse rtio n , b u t th a t w as a re m a rk ab le instance, a n d such a o n e as h a d never been know n to occur b efore; yet fro m th e m u m m eries p erfo rm e d o v er th e sick, it is very a p p a re n t th a t they believe in th e agency o f sp irits, as they a ttrib u te diseases to so m e evil o n e th a t has e n te red th e b o d y o f th e p a tie n t. N e ith e r have they any priests, unless a k in d o f c o n ju re r m ay b e so c onsidered w h o sings a n d prays o v e r th e sick to driv e aw ay th e evil spirit. O n th e b irth o f tw ins, they have a m o st sin g u lar custom , w hich, I p re su m e, has its origin in som e religious o p in io n , but w h at it is, I co u ld never satisfactorily learn. T h e fath er is p ro h ib ­ ited for th e space o f tw o y ears from e atin g any kind o f m ea t, o r fresh fish, d u rin g w hich tim e he does no k in d o f lab o u r w hatever, being supplied w ith w h at he h a d occasion for from th e trib e . In th e m ean tim e, h e a n d his w ife, w h o is also o bliged to c o n fo rm to th e sam e ab stin en ce, w ith th e ir ch ild ren , live entirely se p a ra te from th e o th ers, a sm all hut bein g built fo r th eir a cc o m m o d a tio n , a n d h e is nev er invited to any o f th e feasts, except such as consist w holly o f d rie d p ro v isio n , w h e re h e is tre a te d with g re a t respect, and seated a m o n g th e chiefs, th o u g h n o m o re h im self th a n a p riv a te individual. Such b irth s a re very ra re a m o n g th em ; an instance o f the kind, how ever, occu rred w hile I w as a t T ash ees the last tim e , but it w as th e only o n e know n since th e reign o f th e fo rm er king. T he fa th e r alw ays a p p e a re d very th o u g h tfu l a n d g loom y, n ev er a sso ­ ciated w ith th e o th e r in h ab itan ts, a n d w as a t n one o f th e feasts, b u t such as w ere entirely o f d rie d p ro v isio n , a n d o f this h e ate n ot to excess, a n d constantly re tired b efore th e a m u sem en ts c o m ­ m en ced . H is d ress w as very p la in , and h e w o re a ro u n d his head th e red fillet o f b a rk , th e sym bol o f m o u rn in g a n d d e v o tio n . It w as his daily p ractice to re p a ir to th e m o u n ta in , w ith a c h ie fs rattle in his h a n d , to sing and p ra y , as M a q u in a in fo rm ed m e, for th e fish to c o m e into th e ir w aters. W hen n o t th u s em p lo y ed , he k e p t c o ntinually a t h o m e, ex cep t w hen sent for to sing and p erfo rm his cere m o n ie s over th e sick, bein g con sid ered as a sacred c h ara cte r, a n d o n e m uch in favour w ith th e ir gods. T h ese p e o p le a re rem ark ab ly healthful, a n d live to a very

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adv an ced age, h aving q u ite a y o u th fu l a p p e a ra n c e for th e ir years. T h ey have scarcely a n y disease b u t th e colic, th eir rem edy for w h ic h is fric tio n , a p e rs o n r u b b in g th e b o w e ls o f th e sic k v io ­ le n tly , u n til th e p a in h a s s u b s id e d , w h ile th e c o n ju re r, o r h o ly m a n , is e m p lo y e d , in th e m e a n tim e , in m a k in g his g e s tu re s , singing, a n d re p ea tin g c ertain w o rd s, a n d blow ing o ff th e evil sp irit, w hen th e p a tie n t is w ra p p ed u p in a b earsk in , in o rd e r to p ro d u c e p e rsp iratio n . T h e ir c u re for th e rh e u m a tism , o r sim ilar pains, w hich I saw applied by M a q u in a in th e case o f T h o m p so n , to w hom it gave relief, is by cuttin g o r scarifying th e p a rt affected. In dressing w o u n d s, they sim ply w ash th em w ith salt w a ter, and b in d them up w ith a strip o f c lo th , o r th e b ark o f a tree. T h ey are, how ever, very e x p ert a n d successful in th e c u re o f fractu red o r d islocated lim bs, red u cin g th em very dex tero u sly , a n d , a fte r bin d in g th em up w ith b a rk , su p p o rtin g th em w ith blocks o f w o o d , so as to p res­ erve th e ir p o sitio n . D u rin g th e w hole tim e I w as a m o n g th e m , but five n a tu ra l d e a th s o ccu rred , T o o to o sch a n d his tw o infant ch ild ren , a n infant son o f M a q u in a , a n d th e slave w hom I have m en tio n ed , a c ir­ cu m sta n ce n o t a little re m a rk a b le in a p o p u latio n o f a b o u t fifteen h u n d re d ; a n d as respects c h ild -b irth , so light d o they m a k e o f it, th a t I h a v e seen th e ir w o m en , th e d a y afte r, em ployed as usual, as if little o r n o th in g h a d h ap p en e d . T h e N o o tk ia n s in th eir c o n d u c t to w a rd s each o th e r a re in general pacific a n d inoffensive, a n d a p p e a r by no m ea n s an ill-tem pered race, fo r I d o n o t recollect any instance o f a violent qu a rre l betw een any o f th e m en , o r th e m en a n d th e ir wives, w hile I w as w ith th em , th a t o f Y ealth lo w er excepted. B ut w hen they are in th e least offended, they a p p e a r to be in th e m ost violent rage, acting like so m an y m aniacs, fo am in g at th e m o u th , kicking a n d sp ittin g m o st furiously; but this is ra th e r a fashion w ith them th an a d e m o n stra tio n o f m alignity, as in th eir public speeches they use th e sam e v iolence, a n d he is e steem ed th e g re atest o ra to r w ho baw ls th e lou d est, sta m p s, tosses h im self a b o u t, foam s, a n d spits th e m ost. In sp eak in g o f th e ir reg u latio n s, I have o m itted m en tio n in g th a t, on a tta in in g th e age o f se v e n te en , th e eldest son o f a c h ie f is con sid ered as a c h ie f him self, a n d th a t w henever th e fa th e r m akes a p re sen t, it is alw ays d o n e in th e n a m e o f his eldest so n , o r, if he has n o n e , in th a t o f his d a u g h te r. T h e chiefs frequently p u rc h ase 4 4 th at is, m ake the first presentation o f bridc-w ealth; “ purchase” is an in ap p rop riate w ord here.

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th eir wives a t th e age o f eight o r te n , to p rev en t th eir being engaged by o th e rs, th o u g h th ey do n o t ta k e them fro m their p a re n ts until they are sixteen. W ith regard to clim ate, th e g re a te r p a rt o f th e spring, su m ­ m er, a n d a u tu m n is very p lea sa n t, th e w eath er being a t n o tim e oppressively h o t, a n d th e w in ters unco m m o n ly m ild for so high a latitu d e , at least, as far as m y experience w ent. A t T ash ee s and C o o p tee , w here w e passed th e coldest p a rt o f th e se a so n , the w in ter did n o t set in till late in D ecem b er, n o r have I e v er yet know n the ice, even on th e fresh -w ater p o n d s, m o re th a n tw o or th ree inches in thickness, o r a snow exceeding fo u r inches in d e p th ; but w h at is w an tin g in snow , is am p ly m ad e up in ra in , as I have frequently know n it, d u rin g th e w in te r m o n th s, rain alm ost incessantly for five o r six days in succession.

14. Arrival of the Brig “ Lydia” stratagem of the Author - Its Success I t w as now past m id su m m er, a n d th e hopes w e had indulged o f o u r release b ecam e d aily m o re fa in t, for tho u g h w e had h e ard o f no less th an seven vessels on th e co ast, yet n o n e a p p e a re d inclined to v en tu re to N o o tk a . T h e d e stru ctio n o f th e B oston , th e largest, strongest, a n d best e q u ip p e d ship, w ith th e m ost valuable carg o o f any th a t had e v er b e e n fitte d fo r th e N o r th - W e s t tr a d e , h a d in s p ire d th e c o m m a n d ers o f o th e rs w ith a general d re ad o f c o m in g th ith e r, lest they should share th e sam e fate; a n d th o u g h in th e letters I w rote (im p lo rin g those w ho should receive them to c o m e to the re lief o f tw o u n fo rtu n a te C h ristia n s w ho w ere suffering a m o n g h e ath en ), I stated th e cause o f th e Boston's c a p tu re , a n d th a t th ere w as not th e least d a n g e r in com ing to N o o tk a , p ro v id ed they w ould follow th e d irec tio n s 1 laid d o w n , still I felt very little e n co u ra g e ­ m en t th a t any o f these letters w ould com e to h a n d ; w hen, o n the m o rn in g o f th e 19th o f July, a day th a t will b e ever held by m e in g rateful rem e m b ra n c e o f th e m ercies o f G o d , w hile I w as em ployed w ith T h o m p so n in forging d aggers for th e k ing, m y ears w ere saluted w ith th e jo y fu l so u n d o f th ree can n o n , a n d the c rie s o f th e in h a b ita n ts , e x c la im in g " 'W e e n a , weena M a m eth-lee!" - th a t is, “ S tran g ers W hite m e n !” Soon after, several o f o u r p e o p le c am e ru n n in g into the house, to inform m e th a t a vessel u n d e r full sail w as com ing into th e h a rb o u r. T h o u g h m y h e art b o u n d e d w ith jo y , I repressed m y feelings, a n d , affecting to pay no a tte n tio n to w h at was said , told T h o m p so n to be on his g u a rd , a n d not b e tra y any jo y , as o u r release, a n d p e rh a p s o u r lives, d e p en d e d o n o u r cond u ctin g o u r­ selves so as to ind u ce th e natives to su ppose we w ere not very an x io u s to leave th em . W e c o n tin u e d o u r w ork as if noth in g had h a p p en e d , w hen, in a few m in u te s after, M a q u in a cam e in, a n d , seeing us a t w ork, ap p ea red m uch su rp rise d , and asked m e if did n o t k n o w th a t a vessel had com e. I answ ered in a careless m a n n e r, th a t it w as no th in g to m e. “ H ow , J o h n ,” said he, “ you n o g lad go b o a rd ? ” I replied th a t I cared very little a b o u t it, as I had becom e reconciled to their

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m an n e r o f living, and had no w ish to g o aw ay. H e th en told m e th a t h e had called a council o f his p eople respecting us, a n d th a t w e m ust leave o ff w ork a n d b e p resen t a t it. T h e m en having assem bled a t M a q u in a ’s h ouse, he asked th em w hat w as th eir o p in io n should be d o n e w ith T h o m p so n and m yself, now a vessel h a d a rriv e d , and w h e th er he had n o t b etter go on b o a rd him self, to m a k e a trad e, a n d p ro c u re such articles as w ere w a n ted . Each o n e o f th e trib e w ho w ished, gave his o p in io n . Som e w ere for p u ttin g us to d e a th , and p re te n d in g to th e stran g ers th a t a differen t n a tio n h a d c u t o ff th e B o sto n ; while o th ers, less b a rb aro u s, w ere for sending us fifteen o r tw enty m iles back into th e c o u n try , until th e d e p a rtu re o f th e vessel. T hese, how ever, w ere th e sen tim en ts o f th e c o m m o n people, th e chiefs o pposing o u r being p u t to d e a th , o r injured, a n d several o f th em , a m o n g th e m ost forw ard o f w hom w ere Y ealth lo w er and th e young c h ie f T o o w in n ak in n ish , w ere for im m ediately releasing us; but this, if he could avoid it, by no m eans a p p e a re d to accord w ith M a q u in a ’s w ishes. H aving m en tio n ed T o o w in n ak in n ish , I shall briefly observe th a t he w as a yo u n g m an o f a b o u t tw en ty -th ree y ears old, the only son o f T o o p ee sh o ttee , th e oldest a n d m o st respected c h ie f o f th e trib e . H is son h a d alw ays been re m a rk ab ly kind a n d friendly to m e, a n d I had in retu rn frequently m a d e for him daggers, cheeto lth s, a n d o th e r things, in m y best m a n n e r. H e w as o n e o f the h a n d so m est m en a m o n g th e m , very am iable, and m u ch m ild er in his m an n e rs th an any o f th e o th ers, as well as n e ater b o th in his p e rso n a n d h ouse, at least his apartm ent,- w ith o u t even excepting M a q u in a. W ith reg ard , how ever, to M a q u in a ’s going on b o a rd the vessel, w hich he discovered a stro n g in clin atio n to d o , th ere was but o n e o p in io n , all re m o n stra tin g a gainst it, telling him th a t the c a p ta in w o u ld kill him o r k e e p h im p ris o n e r, in c o n s e q u e n c e o f his having destro y ed o u r ship. W hen M a q u in a had heard their o p in io n s, he told them th a t he w as n o t afraid o f being h u rt from going on b o a rd th e vessel, b u t th at he w ould, how ever, as it respected th at, be guided by Jo h n , w hom he had alw ays found tr u e . H e th e n tu rn e d to m e , a n d a sk e d m e if 1 th o u g h t th e re w ould be a n y d a n g e r in his going on b o a rd . I answ ered, th at I w as n o t su rp rised a t the advice his p eople had given h im , u n a c ­ q u a in te d as they w ere w ith th e m an n e rs o f th e w hite m en , and ju d g in g them by th eir ow n; b u t if they had been w ith them as m u ch as I h ad , o r even him self, they w ould think very different. T h at he had alm ost alw ays ex p erienced g o o d and civil trea tm e n t from th em , n o r had he any reaso n to fear th e c o n tra ry now , as

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they nev er a tte m p ted to harm th o se w ho did n o t injure th em ; and if he w ished to go on b o a rd , he m ight d o it, in m y o p in io n , with security. A fte r reflecting a few m o m en ts, he said, w ith m uch a p p a re n t satisfactio n , th at if I w ould w rite a letter to th e c ap tain , telling him g o o d o f him , th a t he h a d tre a te d T h o m p so n and m yself kindly since we had been w ith him , a n d to use him well, he w ould go. It m ay easily be supposed th a t I felt m uch jo y a t this d e te rm i­ n a tio n , b u t, k n ow ing th a t th e least in cau tio n m ight a n n ih ilate all m y hopes o f escape, w as careful not to m anifest it, and to treat his g oing o r staying as a m a tte r perfectly indifferent to m e. I told him th a t, if he w ished m e to w rite such a le tte r, I had no objectio n , as it w as th e tru th , oth erw ise I could n o t have d o n e it. I then p roceeded to w rite th e re co m m e n d a to ry letter, w hich th e re ad e r will n atu rally im agine w as o f a so m e w h a t different te n o r from th e o n e he had re q u ire d ; for if d e ce p tio n is in any case w a rran ta b le , it w as certainly so in a situ atio n like ours, w here th e only ch an ce o f regaining th a t freedom o f w hich w e had been so unjustly d e p riv e d , d e p en d e d u p o n it; a n d I tru st th a t few, even o f th e m ost rigid, will c o n d em n m e w ith severity for m aking use o f it, on an occasion w hich a ffo rd e d m e th e only ho p e o f ever m o re b eholding a C h ristia n c o u n try , a n d preserving m yself, if not from d e a th , at least from a life o f c o n tin u e d suffering. T h e letter w hich I w rote w as nearly in th e follow ing term s: -

T O C A P T A IN _______ O F T H E B R IG _______ N o o t k a , J u ly 1 9 , 1 8 0 5 . T h e b e are r o f this letter is th e Indian king by the nam e o f M a q u in a. H e w as th e instigator o f th e c a p tu re o f th e ship B o sto n , o f B oston, in N o rth A m erica, Jo h n Salter, c a p ta in , an d o f th e m u rd e r o f tw e n ty -fiv e m e n o f h e r c re w , th e tw o o n ly survivors being now on sh o re - W h erefo re I h o p e you will tak e care to confine him a ccording to his m erits, p u ttin g in y o u r d ead-lights, and keeping so g o o d a w atch o v er him , th a t he c a n n o t escape from y ou. By so d o in g , we shall be able to ob tain o u r release in the course o f a few hours. S

ir ,

R . J e w i t t , A rm o u r e r o f th e "B oston," f o r h im se lf , a n d J o h n T h o m p s o n , S a il-m a k e r o f th e s a id ship. J

ohn

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I have been asked how I d a re d to w rite in this m an n er: m y answ er is, th a t from m y long residence a m o n g these p eo p le, I knew th a t I had little to a p p reh e n d from th eir a n g er on hearing o f th eir king being confined, w hile they knew his life d e p en d e d up o n m y release, a n d th a t they w ould so o n e r have given up five h u n d re d w hite m en , then have had him injured. T h is will serve to explain th e little ap p reh e n sio n I felt at th eir m enaces afterw ards, for o therw ise, sw eet as lib erty w as to m e, I sho u ld h ardly have ven tu red on so h aza rd o u s an ex p erim en t. O n m y giving th e letter to M a q u in a, h e asked m e to explain it to him . T h is I d id line by line, as he p o in ted them o u t w ith his finger, but in a sense very differen t from th e real, giving him to u n d e rsta n d th a t I had w ritten to th e c ap tain th at, as he h a d been kin d to m e since I had been tak e n by him , th a t it w as m y wish th a t th e c ap tain should tre a t him accordingly, and give him w hat m olasses, biscuit, and ru m he w an ted . W hen I had finished, placing his finger in a significant m an ­ ner on m y n a m e a t th e b o tto m , and eyeing m e w ith a look th a t seem ed to read m y in m o st th o u g h ts, he said to m e, “ Jo h n , you no lie?” N ever did I u n d e rg o such a scrutiny, o r ever experience g re a te r a p p reh e n sio n s th a n I felt at th a t m o m e n t, w hen m y des­ tiny w as su sp en d e d on th e slightest th re a d , and the least m ark o f em b a rra ssm e n t o n m ine, o r suspicion o f trea ch e ry on his part, w ould p ro b a b ly have ren d ere d m y life th e sacrifice. F o rtu n a te ly I w as ab le to preserve m y c o m p o su re, a n d m y being p a in te d in th e In d ia n m an n e r, w hich M a q u in a h a d since m y m arriag e req u ired o f m e, p re v en ted any change in m y c o u n te ­ n an ce from being n oticed, a n d I replied w ith c onsiderable p ro m p ­ titu d e , loo k in g a t him in m y tu rn , w ith all th e c onfidence I could m u ster, “ W hy d o y o u ask m e such a q u e stio n , Tyee? H ave y o u ever k n o w n m e to lie?” “ N o .” “ T h en how can you su p p o se I should tell you a lie now , since I have never d o n e it?” A s I w as sp eak in g , h e still c ontinued looking at m e w ith the sam e p iercing eye, b u t, observing nothing to excite his suspicion, h e told m e th a t he believed w h a t I said w as tru e, a n d th a t he w ould go on b o a rd , a n d gave o rd e rs to get read y his canoe. H is chiefs again a tte m p te d to d issu ad e him , using, every a rg u m e n t fo r th a t p u rp o se , w hile his wives crow ded a ro u n d h im , begging him on th e ir knees n o t to tru st h im self w ith th e w hite m en. F o rtu n a te ly for m y c o m p a n io n and m yself, so stro n g w as his w ish o f going on b o a rd th e vessel, th a t h e w as d e af to th eir so licitations, a n d , m ak in g no o th e r reply to th em th an

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“ J o h n no lie ,” left th e house, tak in g four p rim e sk in s w ith him as a p re sen t to th e c ap tain . Scarcely had th e c an o e p u t off, w hen he o rd e re d his m en to sto p , an d , calling to m e, asked m e if I did n o t w an t to go on b o a rd w ith him . Suspecting this as a q u e stio n m erely in ten d ed to e n sn are m e, I replied th a t I h a d no w ish to d o it, n o t having any desire to leave th em . O n g oing on b o a rd the brig, M a q u in a im m ediately g av e his p re sen t o f skins and m y letter to th e c a p ta in , w ho, on read in g it, asked him into th e cab in , w here h e gave him so m e biscuit an d a glass o f ru m , a t th e sam e tim e privately d irectin g his m ate to go fo rw ard, a n d re tu rn w ith five o r six o f th e m en arm e d . W hen they a p p e a re d , th e c ap tain told M a q u in a th a t he w as his p riso n er, a n d should c o n tin u e so , until th e tw o m en , w hom he k n e w to be on sh o re , w ere released, a t th e sam e tim e o rd e rin g him to be p u t in irons, a n d th e w indow s secured, w hich w as instantly d o n e , and a cou p le o f m en placed as a g u a rd over him . M a q u in a w as greatly surprised and terrified a t this recep tio n ; he, how ever, m ad e no a tte m p t to resist, b u t req u ested th e c ap tain to perm it o n e o f his m en to com e and see him . O ne o f them w as a c c o rd ­ ingly called, and M a q u in a said som eth in g to him w hich the c ap tain did not u n d e rstan d , but su p p o sed to b e a n o rd e r to release us, w hen, th e m an re tu rn in g to th e canoe, it w as p ad d led o ff w ith th e u tm o st ex p en d itio n to th e shore. A s th e c an o e a p p ro ac h ed , th e in h ab itan ts, w ho had all col­ lected upon th e beach, m anifested som e u neasiness at n o t seeing th eir king on b o a rd , b u t w hen, o n its arriv al, they w ere told th a t th e c ap tain had m ad e him a p riso n e r, and th a t Jo h n had sp o k e bad a b o u t him in th e letter, they all, b o th m en a n d w o m en , set up a lo u d how l, a n d ran b ack w ard s and forw ards upon th e shore like so m an y lunatics, scratching th e ir faces, a n d tearin g th e h air in handfuls from th eir heads. A fter they had beat a b o u t in this m a n n e r for som e tim e , th e m en ran to th eir h u ts fo r th e ir w eapons, as if p re p arin g to attack a n invading enem y; w hile M a q u in a ’s wives and th e rest o f th e w o m e n c a m e a ro u n d m e , a n d , th ro w in g th e m se lv e s o n th e ir k nees, begged m e w ith tea rs to sp a re his life; and S at-sat-sok-sis, w ho k e p t constantly w ith m e, tak in g m e by th e h a n d , w ept b itterly , a n d jo in e d his e n tre aties to theirs, th a t 1 w ould not let th e w hite m en kill his father. I told th em n o t to afflict them selves, th a t M a q u in a ’s life w as in no d a n g er, n o r w ould the least harm b e d o n e to him . T h e m en w ere, how ever, extrem ely exasperated w ith m e, m o re p articularly th e co m m o n p e o p le , w ho cam e running in the

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m o st fu rious m a n n e r to w ard s m e, b ran d ish in g th eir w eap o n s, and th rea te n in g to cu t m e in pieces no bigger th an th eir th u m b -n a ils, w hile o th ers declared they w ould b u m m e alive over a slow fire su sp en d ed by m y heels. A ll th is fury, how ever, caused m e but little a larm , as I felt c onvinced they w ould n o t d a re to execute th eir th rea ts w hile th e king w as on b o a rd th e brig. T h e chiefs to o k no p a rt in this violent c onduct, but cam e to m e, a n d inq u ired th e reason why M a q u in a had been th u s treated , a n d if the c ap tain intended to kill him . I told them th a t if they w ould silence th e p eople, so th a t I co u ld be h e ard , I w ould explain all to th em . T hey im m ediately p u t a sto p to th e noise, w hen I inform ed them th a t th e c a p ta in , in confining M a q u in a, had d o n e it only in o rd e r to m ak e them release T h o m p so n and m yself, as h e well knew w e w ere w ith them ; a n d if they w ould d o th a t, th eir king w ould receive no injury, b u t be well trea te d , o th erw ise he w ould be k e p t a p riso n er. A s m an y o f them did not a p p e a r to be satisfied w ith this, and began to re p ea t th eir m u rd e ro u s th rea ts - “ Kill m e ,” said I to th e m , “ if it is y o u r w ish,” thro w in g o pen th e bearskin w hich I w ore. “ H ere is m y breast. I am only o n e a m o n g so m an y , and can m ake no resistance; b u t unless you w ish to see y o u r king h an g in g by his neck to th a t p o le ,” p o in tin g to th e y a rd -a rm o f the brig, “ a n d th e sailors firing at him w ith bullets, y o u will not do it.” “ O h n o ,” w as th e general cry, “ th a t m ust never be; b u t w hat m ust we d o ? ” I told th em th a t th eir best p lan w ould be to send T h o m p so n on b o a rd , to d e sire th e c ap tain to use M a q u in a well till I w as released, w hich w ould be so o n . T his they w ere perfectly w illing to d o , and i directed T h o m p so n to go on b o a rd . But he objected, saying th a t he w ould not leave m e a lo n e w ith the savages. I told him not to be u n d e r any fear for m e, for th a t if I could get him off, I could m an a g e well en o u g h for m yself; and th a t 1 w ished him , im m ediately on g e ttin g on board th e brig, to see th e c ap tain , a n d request him to keep M a q u in a close till I was released, as I w as in no d a n g e r while he had him safe. W h en 1 saw T h o m p so n off, I asked th e natives w h at they intended to d o w ith m e. T hey said I m ust talk to th e c ap tain ag ain , in a n o th e r letter, a n d tell him to let his b o a t c o m e on sh o re w ith M a q u in a , and th a t I should be ready to ju m p in to the b o a t at the sam e tim e M a q u in a should ju m p on sh o re. I told them th at th e c a p ta in , w ho knew th a t they had killed m y sh ip ­ m ates, w ould nev er tru st his m en so n e ar th e sh o re, for fear they could kill them to o , as they w ere so m uch m o re n u m ero u s, but th a t if they w ould select any th ree o f th eir n u m b e r to go w ith m e

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in a can o e , w hen we c am e w ithin hail, I w ould desire th e cap tain to send his boat w ith M a q u in a, to receive m e in exchange for him . T h is a p p ea red to please th em , a n d a fte r som e w hispering a m o n g th e chiefs, w ho, from w h at w ords I o v e rh ea rd , concluded th a t if th e c ap tain should refuse to send his b o a t w ith M a q u in a, the th ree m en w ould have no difficulty in b ringing m e back w ith th em , they agreed to m y p ro p o sa l, a n d selected th ree o f th eir sto u test m en to convey m e. F o rtu n a te ly , having been for som e tim e accustom ed to see m e a rm e d , and suspecting no design on m y p a rt, they p a id no a tte n tio n to th e p istols th a t I had a b o u t m e. A s I w as g o in g in to th e c an o e , little S at-sat-sok-sis, w ho could not b e ar to p a rt w ith m e, asked m e, w ith a n affecting sim plicity, since I w as going aw ay to leave him , i f th e w hite m en w ould n o t let his fath er com e o n sh o re , and n o t kill him . I told him n o t to b e co n cern ed , for th a t no o n e should in ju re his father, w hen, tak in g an affectionate leave o f m e, a n d again begging m e not to let th e w hite m en h u rt his fa th e r, he ran to c o m fo rt his m o th e r, w ho w as a t a little d istan c e, w ith th e assurances I had given him . O n e n te rin g th e can o e , I seated m yself in th e p ro w facing th e th ree m en , h aving d e te rm in e d , if it w as practicab le, from th e m o m e n t I fo u n d M a q u in a w as se c u re d , to g et on b o a rd th e vessel before h e w as released, hop in g by th a t m eans to b e en ab led to o b ta in th e re sto ratio n o f w hat p ro p e rty belonging to th e B oston still rem ain ed in th e possession o f th e savages, w hich I th o u g h t, if it could be d o n e , a d u ty th a t I ow ed to th e ow ners. W ith feelings o f jo y im possible to b e described did I q u it th e savage shore, c o n fid e n t now th a t n o th in g co u ld th w a rt m y escape, o r p revent th e execution o f th e plan th a t 1 h a d fo rm ed , as th e m en a p p o in te d to convey a n d g u a rd m e w ere arm ed w ith n o th in g but th eir paddles. A s w e cam e w ithin hail o f th e brig, they a t once ceased paddling, w hen, presen tin g m y p istols a t th em , I o rd e re d them instantly to go o n , o r I w ould sh o o t th e w hole o f th em . A pro ceed in g so w holly unexpected th rew them into g re a t c o n ste rn a ­ tio n , a n d , resum ing th eir p addles, in a few m o m e n ts, to m y inexpressible d elight, I once m o re found m yself a longside o f a C h ristian ship, a h a ppiness w hich I h a d alm ost d esp aired o f ever again enjoying. All th e crew cro w d ed to th e sid e to see m e as th e c an o e cam e up, and m anifested m u ch jo y a t m y safety. I im m e d i­ ately leaped on b o a rd , w here I w as w elcom ed by th e c a p ta in , Sam uel H ill, o f th e brig L y d ia o f B oston, w ho c o n g ratu la ted m e

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on m y escape, inform ing m e th a t he h a d received m y letter o f K lo iz -z a rt1 from th e c h ie f M ach ee U latilla, w ho c am e o ff h im self in h is c a n o e to d e liv e r it to h im , o n w h ic h h e im m e d ia te ly p ro ceed ed h ith e r to aid m e. I re tu rn e d him m y th an k s in th e best m a n n e r I could for his h u m a n ity , th o u g h I h a rd ly knew w h at 1 said , such w as th e a g ita te d sta te o f th an k fu ln ess to th e S uprem e Being w ho h a d so m ercifully preserv ed m e, a n d g ra titu d e to those w h o m H e had ren d ered in stru m e n tal in m y delivery, th a t I have no d o u b t th a t, w h at w ith m y stra n g e d ress, being p a in te d w ith red an d black from h e ad to fo o t, having a b e arsk in w ra p p ed a ro u n d m e, a n d m y long h a ir, w hich 1 w as n o t allow ed to c u t, fastened on th e to p o f m y head in a large bun ch , w ith a sprig o f green sp ru c e, I m ust have a p p e a re d m o re like o n e d e ran g e d th an a ra tio n al c rea tu re , as C a p ta in Hill a fte rw a rd s told m e th a t he nev er saw an y th in g in th e fo rm o f m an look so wild as I did w hen I first cam e on b o ard . T h e c ap tain then asked m e into th e cab in , w h e re I found M a q u in a in iro n s, w ith a g u a rd o v e r h im . H e looked very m elan ­ choly, but on seeing m e his c o u n te n a n c e b rig h ten ed up, and he expressed his pleasu re w ith th e w elcom e o f " W o c a sh , J o h n ," w h en , tak in g him by th e h a n d , I a sk e d th e c a p ta in ’s perm ission to ta k e o ff his irons, assuring him th at, as I w as w ith h im , th ere w as no d a n g e r o f his being in th e least tro u b le so m e . H e a c c o rd ­ ingly c o n se n te d , a n d I felt a sincere pleasu re in freeing from fetters a m an w ho, th o u g h h e had caused th e d e a th o f m y p o o r co m ra d es, had nevertheless alw ays pro v ed m y friend a n d p ro tec ­ to r, a n d w h o m I had req u ested to b e th u s tre a te d , only w ith a view o f securing m y liberty. M a q u in a sm iled, and a p p e a re d m uch pleased a t this m ark o f a tte n tio n from m e. W h en I h a d freed the king from his irons, C a p ta in Hill w ished to learn th e pa rticu la rs o f o u r c ap tu re, observing th a t a n a cco u n t o f th e d e stru ctio n o f the sh ip a n d h e r crew h a d been received at B oston b e fo re h e sailed, b u t th a t n o th in g m o re w as kn o w n , except th a t tw o o f th e m en w e re liv in g , fo r w h o se r e s c u e th e o w n e rs h a d o ffe re d a lib e ral rew ard, a n d th a t h e h a d been ab le to get n o th in g o u t o f th e old m an , w hom th e sailors h a d supplied so plentifully w ith g ro g as to b ring him to o m uch by th e h e ad to give any in fo rm a tio n . I gave him a c o rre c t sta te m e n t o f th e w hole p roceeding, to g eth e r w ith th e m a n n e r in w hich m y life a n d th a t o f my c o m ra d e had been preserved. O n h earin g m y story, h e w as greatly irrita te d a gainst M a q u in a , a n d said h e o u g h t to b e killed. I observed th a t, how ever ill he m ig h t have acted in tak in g o u r ship, 1 an o th er spelling variant o f C lahousat.

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yet th a t it m ight p e rh a p s be w rong to ju d g e an u n in fo rm e d savage w ith th e sa m e severity as a civilised p e rso n , w ho h a d th e light o f religion a n d th e law s o f society to g u id e h im . T h a t M a q u in a ’s c o n d u ct in tak in g o u r sh ip arose from an insult th a t h e th o u g h t he h a d re c e iv e d fro m C a p ta in S a lte r, a n d fro m th e u n ju s tifia b le c o n d u ct o f so m e m asters o f vessels w ho h a d ro b b e d h im , and, w ith o u t p ro v o c atio n , killed a n u m b e r o f his p e o p le . B esides, th at a regard fo r th e safety o f o th e rs o u g h t to p re v en t his b ein g put to d e a th , as I had lived long en o u g h w ith th ese p e o p le to know th a t revenge o f an injury is held sacred by th e m , a n d th a t they w ould n o t fail to retaliate, should w e kill th e ir king, on th e first vessel o r b o a t’s crew th a t should give them a n o p p o rtu n ity ; a n d th a t, th o u g h he m ig h t c o n sid er executing him as b u t a n act o f ju stic e , it w ould p ro b a b ly cost th e lives o f m an y A m ericans. T h e c ap tain a p p e a re d to b e c onvinced from w h a t I said o f th e im policy o f tak in g M a q u in a ’s life, a n d said th a t h e w ould leave it w holly w ith m e w h e th er to sp a re o r kill h im , as h e w as resolved to in cu r no cen su re in e ith e r case. I replied th a t I m ost certainly should never ta k e th e life o f a m an w ho h a d preserved m in e, had I no o th e r re aso n , b u t as th ere w as so m e o f th e B o sto n ’s p ro p e rty still re m a in in g o n sh o re , I c o n sid ere d it a d u ty th a t I o w e d to th o se w h o w ere in terested in th a t sh ip , to try to save it for th em , a n d w ith th a t view I th o u g h t it. w ould be well to keep h im on bo a rd till it w as given u p . H e co n cu rre d in this p ro p o sa l, saying, if th e re w as a n y o f th e p ro p e rty left, it m ost certain ly o u g h t to be got. D u rin g this co n v ersatio n M a q u in a w as in g re a t anxiety, as, from w h at E nglish he kenw , he perfectly co m p re h en d e d th e su b ­ jec t o f o u r d e lib e ra tio n ; co n stan tly in te rru p tin g m e to in q u ire w h at w e h a d d e te rm in e d to d o w ith h im , w h a t th e c ap tain said , if his life w ould b e sp a red , a n d if I d id n o t th in k th a t T h o m p so n w ould kill him . I pacified him as well as I w as able, by telling him th a t h e had n o th in g to fear from th e c a p ta in , th a t he w ould not b e h u rt, a n d th a t if T h o m p so n w ished to kill him , h e w ould not be allow ed to d o it. H e w o u ld then re m in d m e th a t I w as in d eb te d to him for m y life, a n d th a t I o u g h t to d o by him as he had d o n e by m e. I assured him th a t such w as m y in te n tio n , a n d 1 req u ested him to re m a in q u iet, a n d n o t ala rm him self, as no harm w as in te n d e d h im . But I found it extrem ely difficult to convince him o f th is, as it acco rd ed so little w ith th e ideas o f revenge e n te rta in ed by th e m . I told h im , ho w ev er, th a t h e m ust re sto re all th e p ro p e rty still in his possession belonging to th e ship. T h is he w as perfectly read y to d o , h a p p y to escap e on such term s. B ut as it w as now p a st five, a n d to o late fo r th e articles to be

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collected a n d b ro u g h t off, I told him th a t he m ust c o n te n t him self to rem ain o n b o a rd w ith m e th a t nig h t, a n d in th e m o rn in g he sho u ld be set on sh o re as so o n as th e things w ere delivered. T o this h e agreed, on c o n d itio n th a t I w ould rem ain w ith him in the cab in . I th en w ent u p o n d eck , a n d th e c an o e th a t b ro u g h t m e having been se n t back, I hailed th e in h a b ita n ts a n d told th em that th e ir king h a d ag reed to stay on b o a rd till th e next d ay , w hen he w ould re tu rn , b u t th a t no c an o e s m ust a tte m p t to com e n e a r the vessel d u rin g th e n ig h t, as th e y w o u ld b e fire d u p o n . T h e y a n sw e red , “ W oho, w oho" - V ery well, very w ell.” I then re tu rn e d to M a q u in a , but so g re a t w ere his terro rs, th a t h e w ould n o t allow m e to sleep, c o n stan tly d istu rb in g m e w ith his q u e stio n s, a n d re p ea tin g , “ Jo h n , y o u k now , w hen you w as alo n e, a n d m o re th a n five h u n d re d m en w ere y o u r enem ies, I w as y o u r frien d , a n d p re v en ted th em from p u ttin g y o u and T h o m p so n to d e a th , a n d now I a m in th e p o w e r o f y o u r friends, y o u o u g h t to d o th e sam e by m e .” I assured him th a t h e w ould be d e ta in e d on b o a rd no longer than w hilst th e p ro p e rty was released, a n d th a t as so o n as it w as d o n e , h e w ould be set at liberty. A t d a y b rea k I hailed th e natives, a n d told th em th a t it was M a q u in a ’s o rd e r th a t they sh o u ld b ring o ff th e c an n o n and a n ch o rs, a n d w hatever rem ain ed w ith th em o f th e carg o o f the ship. T h is they set a b o u t d o in g w ith th e utm o st e x p ed itio n , tra n s­ p o rtin g th e c an n o n a n d an ch o rs by lashing to g e th e r tw o o f their largest can o es, a n d covering th em w ith plan k s, a n d in th e course o f tw o ho u rs they delivered e verything on b o a rd th a t I could recollect; w ith T h o m p s o n ’s a n d m y chest, c o n ta in in g th e p a p ers o f th e sh ip , etc. W h en ev erything b elonging to th e sh ip h a d been restored, M a q u in a w as p e rm itte d to re tu rn in his canoe, w hich had been sent for him , w ith a p resen t o f w h at sk in s he had collected, which w ere a b o u t sixty, for th e c a p ta in , in a ck n o w led g m en t o f his having sp ared his life, a n d allow ed him to d e p a rt u n h u rt. Such w as also th e tra n sp o rt h e felt w hen C a p ta in Hill cam e in to th e c ab in , a n d told him th a t he w as a t liberty to g o , th a t he th rew o ff his m an tle, w hich consisted o f fo u r o f th e very best skins, a n d gave it to him as a m ark o f his g ra titu d e ; in re tu rn for w hich th e c ap tain p resen ted him w ith a new g re atco a t a n d hat, w ith w hich h e a p p e a re d m u ch delig h ted . T h e c ap tain th en desired m e to inform him th a t he sh o u ld re tu rn to th a t p a rt o f th e coast in N o v e m b er, a n d th a t h e w ished him to keep w h at sk in s he sho u ld get, w hich h e w ould buy o f h im . T h is M a q u in a pro m ised , saying to m e a t th e sam e tim e , “ J o h n , y o u know I shall b e then

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a t T ashees, b u t w hen y o u com e, m a k e p o w ,” w hich m eans, fire a g u n , “ to let m e know , a n d I will c o m e d o w n .” W h en h e c am e to th e side o f th e brig, h e sh o o k m e cordially by th e h a n d , a n d told m e th a t h e h o p e d I w ould com e to see him again in a big ship, and b ring m uch plen ty o f b lan k e ts, biscuit, m olasses, a n d rum , for him a n d his son, w h o loved m e a g re at deal; a n d th a t he w ould keep all th e furs h e got fo r m e, o bserving a t th e sam e tim e, th a t h e sh o u ld never m o re ta k e a le tte r o f re co m m e n d a tio n from any o n e, o r ever tru st h im self o n b o a rd a vessel unless 1 was th ere. T h en , grasping b o th m y h a n d s w ith m uch e m o tio n , w hile th e tea rs trickled dow n his cheeks, h e b a d e m e farew ell, a n d stept into th e c an o e , w hich im m ediately p a d d le d him on shore. N o tw ith stan d in g m y jo y a t m y deliverance, a n d th e pleasing a n tic ip a tio n I felt o f o n c e m o re b e h o ld in g a civilised c o u n try , and again being p e rm itte d to offer u p m y d e v o tio n s in a C h ristia n ch u rch , 1 could n o t av o id experien cin g a p ainful se n sa tio n on p a rtin g w ith th e savage chief, w h o h a d preserved m y life, a n d in general tre a te d m e w ith kindness, a n d , c o n sid erin g th eir ideas and m an n ers, m uch b e tte r th an could have been expected. M y pleasu re w as also greatly d a m p e d by a n u n fo rtu n a te accident th a t o ccurred to T o o w in n a k in n ish . T h a t interesting yo u n g c h ie f h a d c o m e on b o a rd in th e first c an o e in th e m o rn in g , a n xious to see a n d c o m fo rt his king. H e w as received w ith m uch k in d n ess by C a p ta in H ill, from th e fav o u rab le a cc o u n t I gave o f h im , a n d invited to rem ain on b o a rd . A s th e m uskets w ere d elivered, h e w as in th e cabin w ith M a q u in a , w here w as a lso the c ap tain , w h o , on receiving th em , sn a p p e d a n u m b e r in o rd e r to try th e locks; unluckily o n e o f th em h a p p en e d to b e loaded w ith sw an sh o t, a n d , going off, d ischarged its c o n te n ts into th e body o f p o o r T o o w in n ak in n ish , w ho w as sittin g o p p o site. O n h earin g th e re p o rt, 1 instantly ran into the c ab in , w here I fo u n d him w eltering in his b lo o d , w ith th e c a p ta in , w ho w as greatly shocked at th e a ccident, e n d ea v o u rin g to assist him . W e ra is e d him u p , a n d d id e v e ry th in g in o u r p o w e r to a id and com fort him , telling him th a t w e felt m uch g rieved a t his m isfo rtu n e, a n d th a t it w as w holly u n in te n tio n a l; this h e told m e he w as perfectly satisfied of, a n d w hile w e dressed a n d b o u n d up his w ounds, in th e best m an n e r w e co u ld , h e b o re th e pain w ith g re at calm ness, a n d , bid d in g m e farew ell, w as p u t on b o a rd one o f th e c an o e s and ta k e n on sh o re , w here, a fte r languishing a few days, he expired. T o m e his m isfo rtu n e w as a so u rce o f m uch affliction, as h e had no sh a re in th e m assacre o f o u r crew , w as o f a m o st a m ia b le c h a ra c te r, and h a d alw ays tre a te d m e w ith the g reatest kindness a n d hospitality.

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T h e brig being u n d e r w eigh, im m ed iately on M a q u in a ’s q u it­ ting us, w e p ro ceed ed to th e n o rth w a rd , constantly keeping the sh o re in sight, a n d touching a t v a rio u s places for th e p u rp o se o f trading. H aving alread y exceeded th e b o u n d s I h a d prescribed myself, I shall n o t a tte m p t any a cc o u n t o f o u r voyage u p o n th e c o ast, or a descrip tio n o f th e vario u s n a tio n s w e m et w ith in th e co u rse o f it, a m o n g w h o m w ere a p e o p le o f a very sin g u lar ap p ea ran c e, called by th e sailors th e W o o d en -lip s.2 T h ey have m an y skins, and* th e tra d e is principally m an a g ed by th e ir w o m en , w ho a re not only ex p ert in m ak in g a b a rg a in , b u t as dex tero u s in th e m an ag e­ m en t o f th eir canoes as th e m en a re elsew here. A fter a p e rio d o f nearly fo u r m o n th s from o u r leaving N o o tk a , w e re tu rn e d from th e n o rth w a rd to C o lu m b ia R iver, for th e p u rp o s e o f p r o c u rin g m a s ts , e tc ., fo r o u r b rig , w h ic h h a d su ffe re d ' co n sid erab ly in her sp ars d u rin g a gale o f w ind. W e p ro ceed ed a b o u t ten m iles up th e river to a sm all In d ian village, w here w e h e a rd from th e in h a b ita n ts th a t C a p ta in s C lark and L ew is, from th e U n ited S tates o f A m e ric a, had been th e re a b o u t a fortn ig h t b efo re, on th e ir jo u rn e y o v erlan d , a n d had left several m edals w ith th em , w hich they show ed u s.3 T he riv er at th is placeis o f c o n sid era b le b re a d th , a n d b o th sides o f it from its e n tra n ce covered w ith forests o f th e forests o f th e very finest p in e tim b e rs, fir, a n d sp ru ce, in terspersed w ith th e Indian settlem ents. F ro m th is place, a fte r pro v id in g ourselves w ith sp ars, we sailed for N o o tk a , w here w e a rriv e d in th e la tte r p a rt o f N o v e m ­ b e r. T h e trib e bein g a b se n t, th e ag reed signal w as given, by firing a can n o n , a n d in a few h o u rs a fte r a can o e a p p e a re d , w hich lan d ed a t th e village, a n d , p u ttin g th e king on sh o re, c am e o ff to th e brig. In q u iry w as im m ed iately m a k e by K in n eclim m ets, w ho w as o n e o f th e th ree m en in th e canoe, if Jo h n w as th e re , as th e king h a d so m e skins to sell th em if h e w as. I then w en t forw ard a n d invited th em on b o a rd , w ith w hich they readily com plied, telling m e th a t M a q u in a h a d a n u m b e r o f skins w ith him , but th a t he w ould n o t c o m e on b o a rd unless I w ould g o on sh o re for him . T h is I a g ree d to, p ro v id ed they w ould rem ain in th e brig in th e m ea n tim e. T o this they c o n se n te d , a n d th e c a p ta in , taking them into th e c ab in , tre a te d th em w ith b read and m olasses. I then 2 i.e. th e H aida. T he nam e “ w ooden-lips” derives from the Haida practice o f w earing labrets, oval w ooden discs inserted in a perfora­ tion in the lower lip. 3 probably th e village was one o f the C latsop groups o f the lower C olum bia.

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w ent on sh o re in th e can o e , n o tw ith sta n d in g th e rem o n stran ces o f T h o m p so n a n d th e c a p ta in , w h o , th o u g h h e w an ted th e skins, advised m e by no m ea n s to p u t m yself in M a q u in a ’s pow er; b u t I a s s u re d h im th a t I h a d n o fe a r as lo n g as th o s e m en w e re on bo ard . A s I lan d ed , M a q u in a cam e u p a n d w elcom ed m e w ith m uch joy: o n in q u irin g for th e m en, 1 to ld him th a t they w ere to rem ain till m y re tu rn . “ A h , J o h n ,” said he, “ I see y o u a re afraid to tru st m e, b u t if they h a d c o m e w ith y o u , I should n o t have h u rt you, th o u g h I should h a v e ta k e n g o o d care n o t to let you go on b o a rd o f a n o th e r vessel.” H e th en to o k his chest o f skins, a n d , ste p p in g into th e canoe, I p a d d le d him alo n g sid e th e brig, w here h e w as received a n d tre a te d by C a p ta in Hill w ith th e g re atest cord iality , w ho b o u g h t o f him his skins. H e left us m uch pleased w ith his re ce p tio n , inquiring o f m e how m an y m o o n s it w o u ld be b e fo re I sh o u ld c o m e b a c k a g a in to see h im a n d h is s o n ; sa y in g th a t he w ould keep all his furs for m e , a n d th a t as so o n as m y so n , w ho w as th en a b o u t five m o n th s old, w as o f a su itab le age to tak e from his m o th e r, he w o u ld send fo r h im , a n d ta k e care o f him as his o w n. A s s o o n as M a q u in a h a d q u itte d u s, w e g o t u n d e r w e ig h , a n d s to o d a g a in to th e n o r th w a rd . W e c o n tin u e d on th e c o ast until th e 11th o f A u g u st, 1806,4 w h en , having co m p le te d o u r trad e , w e sailed fo r C h in a , to th e g re a t jo y o f all o u r crew , and p a rtic u ­ larly so to m e. W ith a degree o f satisfactio n th a t I can ill express, d id I q u it a co ast to w hich 1 w as resolved n o th in g should again te m p t m e to re tu rn , a n d as th e to p s o f th e m o u n ta in s sank in th e blue w aves o f th e ocean, I seem ed to feel m y h e a rt lightened o f an op p ressiv e load. W e h a d a p ro sp e ro u s passage to C h in a , a rriv in g at M a c a o in D ecem b er, from w hence th e brig p ro ceed ed to C a n to n . T h e re I h a d th e g o o d fo rtu n e to m eet a to w n sm an a n d an old a c q u a in t­ an ce in th e m ate o f a n English E ast In d iam an , nam ed J o h n H ill, w hose fa th e r, a w ealthy m erc h an t in H ull in th e Baltic tra d e , was a n e x t-d o o r n e ig h b o u r to m in e. S hortly a fte r o u r arriv al, th e c a p ta in bein g o n b o a rd o f an E nglish ship, a n d m en tio n in g his 4 1806 m ay b e a m isprint for 1807, by inference from Jew itt's pre­ vious rem arks about the Lewis and C lark expedition. On the other h an d , Jew itt dates th eir d ep artu re from C hina as F ebruary. 1807. T he consistency in Jew itt’s dating argues against a m isprint. H e may sim ply have m ade an erro r o f a year during conversations with his editor, R ichard A lsop. In any case, the dates given by Jew itt for the d ep artu re o f th e Lewis and C lark expedition d o not accord well with the dates given in the jo u rn als o f that expedition.

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h aving had th e g o o d fo rtu n e to lib e rate tw o m en o f th e B o sto n 's crew from th e savages, a n d th a t o n e o f th em w as nam ed Je w itt, m y fo rm e r a c q u a in ta n ce im m ed iately c o m e on b o a rd th e brig to see m e. W o rd s can ill express m y feelings on seeing him . C ircu m ­ sta n ce d as I w as, a m o n g p erso n s w ho w ere e n tire stran g ers to m e, to m eet th u s in a foreign land w ith o n e betw een w hom and m yself a c o n sid era b le intim acy h a d su b sisted , w as a pleasu re th at those a lo n e w ho have been in a sim ilar situ atio n can p roperly estim ate. H e a p p e a re d on his p a rt no less h ap p y to see m e, w hom h e su p p o sed to be dead , as th e a cco u n t o f o u r cap tu re had been received in E ngland so m e tim e before his sailing, and all m y friends su p p o sed m e to have b e en m u rd ere d . F ro m this young m an 1 received every a tte n tio n a n d a id th a t a feeling h e art inter­ ested in th e fate o f a n o th e r could confer. H e supplied m e w ith a new suit o f clothes a n d a h a t, a sm all su m o f m oney for my n ecessary expenses, and a n u m b e r o f little articles for sea sto re s on m y voyage to A m erica. I also g av e him a letter fo r m y father, in w hich I m en tio n ed m y w o n d erfu l p reserv atio n and escape th ro u g h th e h u m an ity o f C a p ta in Hill, w ith w hom 1 should re tu rn to B oston. T h is letter he enclosed to his fa th e r by a sh ip th a t was ju s t sailing, in co n seq u en ce o f w hich it w as received m uch earlier th a n it oth erw ise w ould have b een . W e left C h in a in F e b ru a ry 1807, a n d , a fte r a p leasant voyage o f o n e h u n d re d a n d fourteen d a y s, a rriv e d a t B oston. M y feelings on once m o re finding m yself in a C h ristia n c o u n try , a m o n g a p e o p le sp eak in g th e sa m e language w ith m yself, m ay be m ore readily conceived than expressed. In th e p o st office in th a t place I fo u n d a letter fo r m e from m y m o th e r, acknow ledging th e receipt o f m in e fro m C h in a , e x p re s s in g th e g re a t jo y o f m y fa m ily on h earing o f m y being alive a n d well, w hom they had for a long tim e given up for d e ad , a n d req u estin g m e to w rite to th em on receiving h e r letter, w hich I accordingly d id . W hile in B oston I w as tre a te d w ith m uch kin d n ess a n d h o sp itality by th e ow ners o f th e sh ip B o sto n , M essrs. F ra n c is a n d T h o m a s A m o ry o f that place, to w hom I feel m yself u n d e r g re at ob lig atio n s for th eir g o o d n ess to m e, a n d th e a ssistan ce w hich they so readily afforded a stra n g e r in distress.

Original Appendix 1. T h e “ B o sto n ’s ” C rew N am es o f th e C rew o f th e S hip B o sto n , belonging to B oston in M assach u setts, o w ned by M essrs. F . a n d T . A m o ry , M erch an ts o f th a t place - All o f w hom , excepting tw o, w ere on th e 22nd o f M a rch , 1803, b arb aro u sly m u rd ere d by th e savages o f N o o tk a . John Salter, B. Delouisa, W illiam Ingraham , Edward T hom pson, A dam Siddle, Philip Brown, John D orthy, A braham W aters, Francis Duffield, John W ilson (blackm an) W illiam Caldw ell, Joseph M iner, W illiam Robinson, Thom as W ilson. Andrew- Kelly, Robert Burton, Jam es M ’Clay, T hom as Platten, T hom as N ew ton, Charles Bates, John Hall, Sam uel W ood, Peter A lstrom , Francis M arten, Jupiter Senegal (blackm an) John T hom pson, John R . Jew itt,

C aptain, C hief M ate. Second M ate. Boatswain. C arpenter. Joiner. Blacksmith. Steward. T ailor. Cook. Seam an. D itto. Ditto. Ditto. D itto. Ditto. D itto. D itto. D itto. D itto. Ditto. D itto. D itto. D itto. Ditto. Sail M aker, Philadelphia, who escaped - s in c e dead. A rm ourer, o f Hull (England),

o f Boston, D itto, o f New Y ork, o f Blyth (England), o f Hull, ditto, o f C am bridge (M ass.), o f Situate, ditto, o f Philadelphia, o f Penton (England), o f Virginia, o f Boston, o f N ew port, o f L eigh1 (Scotland), o f Air,-’ ditto. D itto, d itto . o f the Isle o f M an, o f D ublin, o f Blacknev. N orfolk, Eng. o f Hull. o f St. Jam es D eeping, Eng. o f Newcastle, o f G lasgow (Scotland), N orw egian, Portuguese,

the w riter o f the Journal from w hence this N arrative is taken, and w ho at present, M arch 1815, resides in M iddletow n, in the State o f C onnecticut. 1 Leith. 2 Ayr.

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I I. W a r-S o n g o f T h e N o o tk a T rib e C o m m en c in g w ith a C horus re p e a te d a t th e e n d o f each line. H a h -y ee h a h y a r h a r, h e y a r hah. H a h -y ah hee y a r h a r - h e y a r hah. lye ie ee y a h h a r - ee yie h ah . le y a r ee y a r h a h - ee y a r yah. le y a r ee I y a r y a r hah - Ie y a r ee yee yah! Ie-yee m a hi-chili at-sish K la -h a - H a h -y e-h ah . Q u e n o k a r p a rts arsh w aw - Ie yie-yar. W aw -h o o n a k s sa r hasch - Y a r-h a h . I-yar hee I-yar. W aw h o o naks a r hasch y ak -q u ee ts sish ni-ese, W aw h a r. H ie yee a h -h a h . R e p ea te d o v er a n d over, w ith g estu res a n d b ran d ish in g o f w e ap ­ ons. N o te. Ie -y e e m a hi-ch ill signifies, “ Y e d o n o t k n o w .” It a p p e a rs to be a p oetical m o d e o f expression, th e c o m m o n o n e for “ Y o u d o not k n o w ” bein g W ik -k u m -a ta s h ; from th is, it w ould seem th a t they have tw o languages, o n e for th e ir songs a n d a n o th e r for co m m o n use. T h e general m ean in g o f th is first sta n za a p p ea rs to be, “ Y e little know , ye m en o f K la h a r, w h at v aliant w arrio rs w e are. P oorly can o u r foes c o n te n d w ith us, w hen w e c o m e on w ith o u r d a g g ers,” etc. T h e N o o tk ia n s have no songs o f a n h istorical n a tu re , n o r do they a p p e a r to h av e any tra d itio n respecting th eir origin.

II I. A L ist o f W o rd s In th e N o o tk ia n Language, th e m o st in use. C heck-up ..................................................... M an. K loots-m ah.......................................................W om an. N oow exa, ......................................................F ather. H oom a-hexa, .............................................. M other. T anassis............................................................. Child. K atlahtik, ......................................................Brother.

ORI GI NAL APPENDI X

K loot-chem -up, . . Tanassis-check-up, Tanassis-kloots-m ah, T au-hat-se-tee, . . K assee......................... H ap-se-up, . . . . N eetsa......................... P arpce......................... Chee-chee.................. C h o o p ......................... K ook-a-nik-sa. . . Klish-klin................... O op-helth................... T ar-to o se.................... Sie-yah........................ T o o p - e l t h ,............... C ha-hak...................... M cet-la....................... Q ueece........................ N oot-chee, . . . . Kla-tur-m iss, . . . Een-nuk-see, . . . M ook-see................... M uk-ka-tee................ W ik.............................. H e - h o , ..................... K ak-koelth, . . . . M ah-hack.................. Klack-e-m iss, . . . Q u a r t - l a k , .............. C oo-coo-ho-sa, . . M oo-w atch................ S o-har......................... T oosch-qua................ Pow-ee........................ K loos-a-m it............... C hap-atz..................... O o-w ha-pa................. C hee-m e-na, . . . . C hec-m en................... Sick-a-m inny, . . . T ooph elth.................. C ham -m ass................ C ham -m as-sish, . . oot-sus, .................. C hce-pokes................ Hah-welks, . . . . N ee-sim -m er-hise, .

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Sister. Son. D aughter. Head. Eyes. Hair. Nose. Ears. Teeth. Tongue. Hands. Feet. Sun o r M oon. Stars. Sky. Sea. Fresh water. Rain. Snow. M ountain o r hilT. Earth. F ire or fuel Rock. H ouse. No. Yes. Slave. W hale. Oil. Sea-otter. Seal. Bear. Salmon. Cod. Halibut H erring. Canoe. Paddle. Fish-hook. Fish-hooks. Iron. Cloth. Fruit. Sweet o r pleasant to the taste. Powder. C opper. Hungry. Enough.

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C h a t- t a - y e k ,.................. Klick-er-yek, .............. Q u ish-ar............................ M a r - m e t - t a ,.................. Pook-shit-tle..................... Een-a-qui-shit-tle, . . . A r - t e e s e ,......................... M a-m ook-su-m ah, . . Sm ootish-check-up, . . C ha-alt-see k lat-tur wah, M a-k o o k ........................... K ah-ah-pah-chilt, . . . 0 0 -n a h Iy ah -ish ............................ K o-m m e-tak.................... 1-yee.m a h a k , .............. E m -m a-chap..................... K le-w har, ...................... M ac-kam -m ah-sish, . . K ah-ah-coh....................... Sah-w auk, ...................... A t t - l a , ............................. K at-sa, ......................... M o o h................................. Soo-chah........................... N o o -p o o ............................ A t-tle-poo......................... A t-lah-quelth.................... Saw -w auk-quelth, . . . Hy-o, ............................. S a k - a i t z , ......................... Soo-jew k........................... H y-e-oak, ......................

Knife o r dagger. Rings. Sm oke. G oose o r duck. T o blow. T o kindle a fire. T o bathe. To go to fish. W arrior. G o off, o r go away. T o sell. G ive m e som ething. How m any. M uch. I understand. I do not understand. T o play. T o laugh. D o you want to buy. Bring it. O ne. Tw o. Three. F our. Five. Six. Seven. Eight. N ine. Ten Tw enty. O ne hundred. O ne thousand.

O RI GI NAL APP ENDI X

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N o te s to J e w i t t ’s A ppendices It is difficult in m any cases to follow Je w itt’s o rth o g ra p h y , but checking his list o f “ N o o tk ia n w o rd s” a gainst N o o tk a n a n d C h i­ n o o k Ja rg o n d ictio n aries show s th a t a n u m b e r o f th e w ords in his list are in fact C h in o o k Ja rg o n . A t least th e follow ing fifte e n ' glosses given by Je w itt are d e finitely C h in o o k Ja rg o n o r co n ta in Ja rg o n affixes: w om an child sister son d a u g h te r nose w ater no iron to go to fish to sell m uch I u n d e rstan d do y o u w an t to buy bring it. T rib a l and P la c e nam es

Place:

T ribal:

Je w itt’s gloss C o o p te e K laiz-zart T ash ees A i-tiz-zarts A h -o w z-arts A ytch-arts C a y -u -q u ets E squi-ates K lahars K la-izz-zarts K la -o o -q u a tes M ich-la-its M o-w atch-its N eu -ch ad -lits N eu-w it-ties N ew chem ass

M o d e rn equivalent ? C lah o u sat T ahsis E hetisat A h o u sat E chachats? K ayoquot H esq u iat K lahoose? K lah o u sats C lay o q u o t M u ch lat M oachat N u c h atlet N e w h ittie ?

T H E A D V E N T U R E S A N D S U F F E R I N G S O F J O H N R. J E W I T T

Savin-nars S ch o o -m ad -its S uth-setts W ick an n ish o r W ick an n in ish

? ? Seshat P ro b ab ly n o t a tribal n a m e , b u t ra th e r th a t o f th e c h ie f identified by M eares (1788) as having political d o m in a tio n o v e r the te rrito ry betw een C lay u q u o t S ound in th e n o rth to N itin a t in the so u th .

Editor’s Appendix A: “ T h e P o o r A rm o u re r B oy, A S o n g 1” N o th ru sh th a t e ’e r p ip ’d its sw eet note from the thorn W a s so g lad so m e a n d lively as m e, “ T ill lu r ’d by fa lse c o lo u rs , in life ’s bloom ing m orn I tem p ted m y fo rtu n e a t sea. M y fa th e r he w ept a s his blessing he gave, W h en I left him “ m y tim e to em ploy In c lim a te s re m o te on th e ru d e o c ea n w ave, B eing but a p o o r A rm o u rer Boy. W h ilst a m id st e ac h new scene th ese “ m ax im s o f o ld ” U pheld m e w hen g rie f did o p p re ss; T h a t a fa ir re p u ta tio n is b e tte r th a n gold, And c o u rag e will co n q u er d istre s s: “ S o co n ten ted I b ra v ’d th e rude s to rm , dry o r w et, B uoy’d up w ith h o p e s” lig h t p a in te d to y , In th in k in g th a t F o rtu n e w ould c e rta in ly yet D eign to sm ile on th e A rm o u re r Boy. W ith o u r sh ip , on re tu r n , w ith rich e s full fra u g h t, W e h o p ’d soon fo r B oston to ste e r, M y h e a rt it w ith e x sta c y le a p ’d a t th e th o u g h t, “ M y e y es d ro p p ’d through p le a su re a t e a r .” “ B u t, a la s ! ad v erse fa te so h a r d ” and untrue “ D id ail these gay p ro sp e cts d e s tro y ” , F o r b u rn ’d w as o u r ship and m u rd e r’d o u r crew , A nd w ounded th e A rm o u re r B oy. F o r a long tim e in pain and sick n ess I p in ’d , W ith no one to feel fo r m y w oe, No m o th e r, m y w ounds, a s she s o o th ’d m e, to bind, N o siste r h e r a id to bestow ! By sav a g es fierce fo r y e a rs held a sla v e, D id a fflictio n m y p o o r h e a rt a n n o y , T ill H o p e d ro p p ’d h e r a n c h o r a t la s t on th e grave A s th e b irth o f the A rm o u rer Boy.

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From sla v ’ry e s c a p ’d , I , jo y fu l, once m ore H a il’d a civ iliz’d la n d , b u t alone And a s tra n g e r w as I on a fa r-d ista n t shore From th a t w hich m y childhood had know n. “ I f such be life ’s fa te , w ith e m o tio n I c rie d ,” O f so rro w so g re a t th e a llo y ; “ H eav en g ra n t th a t sole blessing th a t n e ’e r is d e n ie d .” T o the frien d less P o o r A rm o u re r Boy!

1 A discussion o f this broadside and Richard A lsop’s relationship to it m ay be found in Edm ond S. M eany Jr.. “ T he L ater Life o f Jo h n R. Jew itt.” B ritish C olum bia H istorical Q uarterly, vol. 4 no. 3 (1940), pp. 143-161.

Editor’s Appendix B T E X T O F T H E P L A Y B IL L A D V E R T IS IN G T H E A R M O U R E R S E S C A P E , 1817.' P hilad elp h ia T h ea tre , Illu m in ated w ith G a s. F rid a y Evening, M a rc h 21, 1817. W ill be p resen ted a fa v o u rite C o m ed y , called the

BUSY BODY. Sir G coijc Airy. Sir Francis G ripe, M arplot, (w ith the epilogue.) Charles, Sir Jealous Traffic, W hisper, Mr. Barren. M r. Burke. M r. W ood. M r. Abercrom bie. Mr. Francis. M r. T . Jefferson. Butler, Servant to Sir Francis. Servant to Sir Jealous. M iranda, Isabinda, Patch. Sccniwell. M r. H alhw ell. [M S. to m .) [M S. to m .j M rs. Entwisle. M rs. Jefferson. M rs. Francis. M rs. Jackson. AFTER W H IC H ,

NEVER PERFORM ED, W IL L BE PRESENTED A N E W HISTORICAt MELQ-DRAMA, IN TW O ACTS, C A LLED THE

a r m o u r e r ’s e s c a p e

;

O r, th re e years a t N o o tk a Sound. [ F o u n d e d o n th e in te re s tin g n a r ra tiv e o f J o h n R. Jew itt-, a rm o u re r o f th e S hip B oston, c ap tu red by th e Savages at N o o tk a . In th is little D ra m a, is a tte m p te d a n a cc u rate sketch o f th is u n fo rtu n a te circu m stan ce; th e sufferings a n d perils o f Je w itt a n d his c o m p a n io n s, a n d th e ir pro v id en tial escape. A t th e sam e tim e p a in s have been ta k e n to represent faithfully th e costum e, m an n ers, cerem o n ies a n d su p e rstitio n s o f these e x tra o rd in a ry p e o p le , by as rigid an ad h ere n ce to the n a rra ­ tive as th e stage will p e rm it.]

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T he M U S IC co m piled a n d a rra n g e d by M r. Lefolle. T h e N ew Scenes a n d D e c o ra tio n s by M essrs. W arren a n d R einagle, a n d th e D resses by M r. H a rb au g h a n d assistants. THE DANCES C orrectly g o t up by

M

r

. F

u n d e r th e d irectio n o f

r a n c is

J

e w it t

M

r

.

.

T he p a rt o f th e A rm o u re r w ill be p e rfo rm e d b y J . R . J e w itt. C aptain o f the Boston. T h e Mate, T hom pson, M r. Robertson. Mr. Jackson. M r. Jefferson. Sailor. Sailors, & c. Mr. Hathwell. N A T IV E S . M aquina, (king o r th e N o o t k i a n s ,) ............................................................ T yee. (the prince, h is s o n . ) ........................................................................... Yealth Lower, (brother to the k i n g . ) ......................................................... T ootooch , (a ch ief warrior.) ....................................................................... M achee U tilla. (king o f th e K liz z a r ts .)..................................................... K inneclim m ets, (the k in g's b uffoon.) ..................................................... Indian C hiefs.......................................................................................................... A reom ah............................................................................................................. Y uqua. (her sister, a W ickinnish p r i n c e s s .) ...................................... Indian W om en. Children. & c „ & c THE

. . . . Mr. Barrett. M aster J. Jefferson. ...............M r. W illis. . . . M r. Steward. . Mr. T . Jefferson. M r. A bercrom bie. .............. (M S . torn .| . . M rs. Jefferson. . . . M rs. Harris.

P R IN C IP A L S C E N E S A R E : — S C E N E F IR S T ,

A B a y n e a r th e V illage o f N o o tka . T h e ship B oston is seen lying a t an ch o r, C lose to sh o re, a n d m o o red to a tree. In this scene is exhibited th e treach ery o f M a q u in a a n d his people; th e d e stru ctio n o f th e crew , except J o h n R. Je w itt, and T h o m p so n . SCENE SEC O N D ,

V iew o f P a rt o f th e Village o f N o o tk a . T h e artifice by w hich J e w i t t a tte m p ts to preserve T h o m p s o n ’ s life is successful. Scene 3d, a w o o d . T h e p a rt o f th e crew w hich had lan d e d for p rovisions, surprized & sla u g h te red by th e savages.

e d i t o r ’s a p p e n d i x b

141

SCENE FOURTH,

In te r io r o f M a q u in a 's H ouse. T he king, his chiefs, a n d w om en assem bled. In this scene will be a tte m p ted a n a cc u rate re p re se n tatio n o f th e S in g u l a r C

ustoms

F u n e ra l

C

and

C

e r em o n ie s

e r e m o n ie s

o v er th e

scene

f if t h

of the

Body

of a

N

o o t k ia n s

C

.

h ie f,

,

T h e Village o f N o o tk a . T h e M o o n in E c l i p s e - t h e c o n ste rn a tio n o f th e n atives, & c. D u rin g th e scene th e sh ip is discovered a t a d istan c e, o n f i r e , a n d is w holly c o n su m ed . A n a tte m p t to a tta c k th e N o o tk ia n s, By th e A y ch arts (a n eig h b o u rin g trib e ,) w ho a re discovered and d e fea te d ; th e ir m o d e o f a p p ro ac h accurately re p resen ted , & c. c t S e c o n d , S c e n e F i r s t , T h e N o o tk ian s, d u rin g this scene, e n te r fantastically d ressed, in th e h a b its o f th e m u rd ere d crew , a n d p a rt o f th e goo d s belonging to th e ship, a rm e d aw kw ardly w ith guns, pistols, &c.

A

A P rocession o f th e K la izza rts, A m o re civilized n a tio n , h ead e d by M ach ee U tilla th e ir k ing, (by w hose frien d sh ip Je w itt w as en ab led to c o m m u n ica te to his deliverers his situ a tio n ,) follow ed by som e o f th e W ykinnish, E squates, A ttiz a rts, C ay u q u its, a n d o th e r trib e s, a rm e d w ith clubs, bow s, a n d arrow s. T he L ud icro u s C e re m o n ies o f th e Bear. A

W

ar

D

ance

by th e N o o tk ian s.

JEW IT T, TH E ARMOURER,

S in g s th e N o o tk ia n W ar Song. is com pelled to select a W i f e , a n d chooses the Princess Y u q u a . D ance o f y o u n g N o o tk ia n girls. C hiefs en ter, m ask ed w ith heads o f anim als, to carry them o ff th e girls a re rescued, a n d a general D a n ce succeeds. T

he

A

rm ourer

Last scenc,

the sh o re.

A N A M E R IC A N B R IG , AT A LITTLE DISTANCE.

142 M

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a q u i n a is seized by th e C a p ta in , as a hostag e for th e safety o f th e A rm o u re r & T h o m p so n , W h o are a t length released, and M a q u in a restored.

E n d o f th e M e lo -D r a n ta th e S o n g o f th e A r m o u r e r B o y , W IL L BE SUNG B Y MR. JEW IT T .

Box O n e D o llar - Pit 75 cents - G allery 50 C en ts. T h e d o o rs will b e o p en ed a t h a lf p a st 5, a n d th e c u rta in rise at h a lf p a st 6 o ’clock.

1 A discussion o f this play-bill an d the play it advertises may be found in Edm ond S. M eany Jr.. " T h e L ater Life o f John R . Je w itt," British Colum bia H istorical Q uarterly, vol. 4, no. 3 ( 1940), pp. 143-161.

Suggestions for Further Reading A. C a p tiv ity N a rra tiv e s N o ra h S tory lists a n u m b e r o f C a p tiv ity N a rrativ es u n d e r her en try by th a t title in The O x fo r d C om panion to C anadian H is­ to ry a n d L ite r a tu r e (O xford U niversity Press, 1967). T hese and others are given in th e follow ing list, roughly in chronological order, w ith m y ow n b rie f a n n o ta tio n s. 1. R ad isso n , P ie rre-E sp rit, “ T h e R e la tio n o f m y V oyage, being in B ondage in th e L an d s o f th e Iro k o its, w hich w as th e next ye are after m y com ing into C a n a d a , in th e y e are 1651, th e 24th d a y o f M a y ,” in V oyages o f P e te r E sp rit R adisson. P u b lica­ tio n s o f th e . P rin c e S o c iety x v i (N e w Y o rk : B u rt F r a n k lin , 1885), (rep rin ted 1967). R adisson a n d b ro th er-in -la w M e d a rd C h o u a rt (b e tte r know n by his assum ed titled S ie u r d e s G ro seilliers - o r sim ply des G ro seilliers) w ere F ren ch a d v e n tu re rs, explorers, a n d tra d e rs w ho played a n in stru m e n tal role in th e early days o f th e H u d s o n ’s Bay C o m p an y . T h is n a rra tiv e tells o f R a d isso n ’s captiv ity by th e Iro q u o is o n his first voyage. It co n tain s m an y o b serv atio n s on Iro q u o is m an n e rs a n d custom s. L ike Je w itt, he experienced a progressive in itiatio n into th e social life o f his captives. R adisson w rote in E nglish. T h e original m an u scrip ts are in th e B odleian L ib ra ry a n d th e B ritish M u seu m . A m od ern ized a n d e d ited text T h e E xp lo ra tio n s. o f P ierre E sp rit R adisson A rth u r T . A d a m s, ed ito r; L oren K allsen, m o d ern ize r w as p u b lish ed by R o ss a n d H a in es, Inc. M in n e ap o lis, in 1961. 2. G yles, Jo h n , M e m o irs o f O d d A d ven tu res, S tra n g e D eliver­ ances, etc. in th e C a p tiv ity o f J o h n G yles, E sq., C o m m a n d er o f th e G arrison on S t. G eo rg e's R iv er (B o sto n [N ew E ng­ lan d ]: S. K n e ela n d a n d T . G re e n , 1936 [O riginally published 1736]). T h is is an a cc o u n t o f G y le s’ captivity a m o n g th e M alecite In d ian s o f N ew B runsw ick in th e late sev en teen th c en tu ry . It has a p p ea red in several e d itio n s since first p u b licatio n : eg. C incin n ati: Spiller a n d G a te s . 1869; S ain t Jo h n , N .B .: D aily T eleg rap h y S team J o b Press, 1875.

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3. T a n n e r, J o h n , A N a rra tive o f th e C a p tiv ity a n d A d ve n tu res o f J o h n T a n n er D uring T h ir ty Years R esid en ce a m o n g the In d ia n s in th e In te rio r o f N o rth A m e ric a , ed. E dw in Ja m es (N e w Y ork: G . a n d C . a n d H . C arvill, 1830). T a n n e r w as c a p tu re d in K en tu ck y in 1789 by th e S aulteaux. H e lived w ith this g ro u p in th e ir extensive w an d erin g s until 1816. In th a t y e ar he cam e to th e R ed R iver S ettlem ent as g u id e to L ord S elkirk, w h o eventually effected T a n n e r’s reu n io n w ith his fam ily. T h e re is a G e rm a n tran sla tio n by K arl A n d re e, published in L eipzig by W . E ngelm ann in 1840, and a F ren ch tra n sla tio n by E rnest de Blosseville, pu b lish ed in P aris by A . B e rtra n d , 1835. 4. B aker, C h a rlo tte A lice, T ru e S to rie s o f N ew E n g la n d C a p ­ tives carried to C anada D u rin g th e O ld F rench a n d Indian W ars (C a m b rid g e, M ass.: E. a n d A . H ollan d C o., 1897). T h is is a series o f sto ries a n d a n ec d o te s concerning those c a p tu re d by In d ian s betw een ca. 1675 a n d 1760 d u rin g sk ir­ m ishes betw een th e F ren ch a n d vario u s In d ia n g ro u p s. T his w ork w as c o n tin u e d a n d e x p an d ed by E m m a Lew is C o le ­ m an , C h a rlo tte B akers a ssista n t (cf. 5 below ) 5. C o le m a n , E m m a Lew is, N e w E n gland C aptives C a rrie d to C anada b etw een 1677 a n d 1760 D uring th e F rench a n d Indian W a rs, 2 vols. (P o rtla n d , M aine: S o u th w o rth Press, 1925). 6. D ra k e , Sam uel G a rd n e r, T ragedies o f th e W ilderness; or T rue a n d A u th e n tic N a rra tiv es o f C aptives C a rried a w a y b y th e In d ia n s f r o m th e various F rontier S e ttle m e n ts (B oston: A n tiq u a ria n B ookstore a n d In stitu te , 1841). B ased on historical m aterials, som e o f d o u b tfu l a u th en ticity . S om e very early acco u n ts a re given, eg. th a t o f th e S p an iard Jo h n O rtiz, cap tiv e a m o n g In d ian s in F lo rid a for eleven y ears. O rtiz d ied ca. 1543. D ra k e tends to em phasize the horrific, eg. to rtu re . O th e r ed itio n s by th e sam e pu b lish er a p p ea red in 1844, and 1846. D ra k e pub lish ed profusely on N ew E ngland historical m atters, a n d e d ited for re publication historical w o rk s by C o tto n a n d Increase M a th er. H e did a lot o f w o rk on th e F re n c h -In d ia n w ars o f th e eig h teen th cen tu ry , a n d p ro d u ced o th e r such w orks on Indians as P rin ­ cipal E ven ts in th e L ife o f th e Indian C h ie f B ra n t (1849); The O ld Indian C hronicle . . . ( 1836); In d ia n B iography, C o ntaining th e L ives o f M o re th a n T w o H u n d red Indian C h iefs . . . (1832, and o th e r eds.) T ragedies o f the W ilderness . . . is p ro b a b ly b e tte r know n by th e m an y e d itio n s en titled Indian C aptivities; or. L ife in the W igw am . . .

S UG G E S TI O N S FOR F URT HE R READI NG

147

7. S hea, Jo h n D aw son G ilm a ry , P erils o f th e O cean a n d W il­ derness; or. N arratives o f S h ip w re c k a n d Indian C a ptivity. G leaned f r o m E a rly M issio n a ry A n n a ls (B oston: P. D o n ah o e , 1856, 1857). T h is is a syn th etic w o rk , sh ow ing strongly S h e a ’s ow n in te r­ ests a n d disp o sitio n s. It h a s a stro n g “ m arty ro lo g ic al” cast, consistently w ith his extensive p u b lic a tio n o f such ite m s as L iv es o f th e S a in ts . . . (m any e ditions); H isto ry o f th e C a th ­ o lic M issio n s a m o n g the In d ia n Tribes o f th e U nited S ta te s, 1529-1854 (several e ditions); The J e su its, R eco llects, a n d the In d ia n s (1856); T h e L in co ln M e m o ria l; a R e c o rd o f the L ife , A ssa ssin a tio n , a n d O bsequies o f the M a r ty r e d P resi­ d e n t (1865). H e w ro te on o th e r Indian th em es, such as The In d ia n Tribes o f W isconsin (1857), a n d did som e w o rk on relatio n s betw een C a n a d a a n d th e U n ited S ta te s, eg. a tra n s­ latio n o f G a b riel D ruillettes S. J . J o u rn a l o f a n d E m b a ssy f r o m C anada to th e U n ited C olonies o f N e w E ngland, in 1650. (1857), an th e intriguing W h y is C anada n o t a P a rt o f th e U nited S ta te s'? (1889, 1890). 8. G o w an lo ck , T h ere sa , a n d T h ere sa D elaney, T w o M o n th s in the C a m p o f Big B ear: th e L ife a n d A d ve n tu res o f T heresa G ow an­ lo c k a n d T heresa D e la n ey (P a rk d ale : T im es O ffice, 1885). T h is is an a c c o u n t, slightly hysterical a n d in dignant in places to m y taste, o f a captivity d u rin g th e N o rth W est R ebellion o f 1885. 9. B rodie, N eil, T w elve D a y s w ith th e Indians, M a y 14-26 M a y 1885; bein g h is E xp e rien c e s in P o u n d m a k e r's C am p D uring th e R eb ellio n o f 1885 (B a ttlefo rd , S askatchew an H e r ­ a ld .\9 3 2 ). L ike th e G o w a n lo c k /D e la n e y a cco u n t (7 S u p ra ) this account is so m e w h a t in flam m ato ry , but fascinating as a n insight to “ race re la tio n s” in this critical p e rio d in C a n a d a ’s histo ry o f dealings w ith native peoples. B. E x p lo re r and C a p tiv ity J o u r n a ls a s L ite ra tu re 1. H o d g so n , M aurice, “ In itia tio n a n d Q uest: E arly C a n ad ian J o u rn a ls ,” C anadian L ite r a tu r e , no. 38 (A u tu m n 1968), pp. 29-40. T h is is a n article in a v o lu m e c o n ta in in g o th e rs ex p lo rers such as D avid T h o m p so n a n d A lex an d er zie. H odgson m akes in terestin g c o m p a riso n s a n d betw een th e literary form s o f exp lo rer (“ q u e st” ) and

on early M acken­ co n trasts captivity

148

T H E A D V E N T U R E S A N D S U F F E R I N G S O F J O H N R. J E W I T T

(" in itia tio n ” ) n arrativ es, using Sam uel H e arn e a n d Jo h n Je w itt as p rincipal exam ples. H od g so n a p p are n tly m istakes th e a u th o rsh ip o f Je w itt’s N a rra tiv e seem ingly u n a w are o f R ich ard A lso p ’s role. 2. H o p e w o o d , V ictor G ., “ E xplorers by Sea: T h e W est C o a st,” in L ite r a ry H isto ry o f C anada: C anadian L ite ra tu re in E ng­ lish, ed. C arl G . K linck (T o ro n to : U niversity o f T o ro n to Press, 1965), p p . 41-51. T h is is a n interesting a n d very valuable survey o f m o st o f th e e x p lo re r’s na rra tiv e s (a t least th e m ajo r ones) on th e N o rth ­ w est C o ast. T h ere is a sh o rt discussion o f Je w itt’s N arrative on p . 50. 3. M eany, E d m o n d S., J r ., “ T h e L ater Life o f Jo h n R . Je w ­ itt,” B ritish C olum bia H isto ric a l Q u a rte rly , vol. 4 , no. 3 (1940), pp. 143-161. Je w itt gives som e a cc o u n t o f his early life in th e first c h ap ter o f th e N arrative. M e a n y ’s m o st valuable a n d fascinating w ork traces Je w itt’s b io g rap h y from his rescue in 1805 until his d e a th in 1821, p ro v id in g valuable m aterial on Je w itt’s rela tio n sh ip to R ich ard A lso p and others. 4 . H a rrin g to n , K arl P., R ic h a rd A lsop: A " H a r tfo r d W it" (M id d leto w n , C o n n ecticu t: M a tta b esett Press, 1939), pp. 117-138. Je w itt’s N a rra tive w as R ich ard A lso p ’s last literary w ork. H a rrin g to n gives invaluable detail on th e p re p a ra tio n o f the text, its relatio n sh ip to th e Jo u rn a l, a n d d etails on th e revi­ sions A lsop p ro p o se d for a radically revised e d itio n , w hich never a p p ea red . 5. H o d g so n , M a u rice , “ T h e E xp lo ratio n Jo u rn a l as L ite ra ­ tu re ,” The B eaver O u tfit 298 (W in te r 1967), p p . 4-12. 6. A tw o o d , M a rg are t, Survival: A T h e m a tic G uide to C anadian L ite ra tu re (T o ro n to : A n an si, 1972). 7. H ow ay, F . W ., “ T h e E arly L ite ra tu re o f th e N o rth w est C o a st,” P roceedings a n d T ra n sa ctio n s o f th e R o y a l S o c ie ty o f C anada Series 3., vol. 18, section 2 (1924), pp. 1-31. A n a p p a re n tly little-know n article, this is a m ajo r a n d th o r­ ough survey o f early Pacific C o a st exp lo rer a n d tra d e r litera­ tu re. D escriptive ra th e r th a n analytical, it is nevertheless o f g re at value. C . T h e “ H a r tf o r d ” o r “ C o n n e c tic u t” W its, E x p ec ia lly R ich ard A lsop 1. H a rrin g to n , K arl

P.,

R ic h a rd A lso p : A

" H a r tfo r d

W it"

S U G G E S T I ON S FOR F URT HE R RE A D I NG

149

(M id d leto w n , C o n necticut: 1938). (A re p rin t w ith a n in tro ­ d u ctio n by A lex an d er C o w ie w as pu b lish ed by W esleyan U n iv ersity Press, M id d leto w n , C o n n e cticu t, 1969). 2. P a rrin g to n , V ernon L ., J r., T h e C o n n e cticu t W its. F orew o rd by K e n n eth S ilverm an (N ew Y o rk , C row ell, 1969). A re p rin t o f the first e d itio n . S ilv erm an ’s fo rew ord and P a rrin g to n ’s original in tro d u c tio n p ro v id e useful b a ck g ro u n d . A list o f o th e r w orks o n th e C o n n e cticu t w its to 1969 is given on p. xxi D . H isto ric a l and E th n o g ra p h ic W o rk s on the N o rth w e st C o a st and th e N o o tk a . 1. H ow ay, F . N ., “ E arly D ays o f th e M a ritim e F u r-T ra d e on th e N o rth w e st C o a st,” C anadian H isto ric a l R eview , vol. 4 (1923), p p . 26-44. 2. H ow ay, F . W ., “ Indian A ttac k s u p o n M a ritim e T ra d e rs o f th e N o rth w e s t C o a s t, 1 7 8 5 -1 8 0 5 ,” C a n a d ia n H is to r ic a l R eview , vol. 6 (1925), p p . 287-309. T h e experience o f Je w itt’s sh ip , th e B oston, w as n o t u n iq u e o r e x ceptional. R e la tio n s betw een In d ian s and m aritim e fu r-tra d e rs w ere often vio len t a n d b ru ta l. T h is article su m m a ­ rizes a w ide ran g e o f n a rra tiv e s and sources th o ro u g h ly o u t­ lining th e sta te o f affairs. 3. H ow ay, F . W ., “ A L isting o f T ra d in g Vessels in th e M a ri­ tim e F u r T rad e 1785-1807, “ P roceedings o f th e R o y a l S o c ie ty o f C anada, Series 3, vol. 25, section 2 (1931), p. 44. D a ta on m o st o f th e co astal vessels are g iven. Je w itt’s ship, th e B oston, is listed on p . 44. 4 . ' D ru c k er, Philip, The N o rth e rn a n d C e n tra l N o o tk a n Tribes. B ureau o f A m e ric an E th n o lo g y Bulletin 144 (W ash in g to n : S m ith so n ian , 1951). D ru c k ers’ is th e basic co m p reh en siv e so u rce on N o o tk a n e th n o g rap h y . 5. M cK elv ie, B .A ., M a q u in n a th e M a g n ific e n t (V ancouver: V ancouver D a ily P rovince, 1946). M a q u in n a (th ere a re several spellings o f his n am e) w as chief o f th e g ro u p o f N o o tk a w ho held Je w itt captive. H e a p p ea rs in o th e r N o rth w e st C oast n arrativ es, including th a t o f C a p ­ tain C o o k , M eares, and Q u a d ra . M a q u in n a is now a legend­ ary figure a m o n g In d ian s a n d n o n -In d ia n s a l i k e - a C a n ad ian Pacific S team sh ip vessel w hich plied th e w a ters o f V ancouver Islan d ’s w est coast w as n a m e d a fte r h im . T h is is a “ p o p u ­ la r,” b u t ra th e r fascinating a cc o u n t o f him .

150

T H E A D V E N T U R E S A N D S U F F E R I N G S O F J O H N R. J E W I T T

6. S p ro a t, G . M ., S c e n e s a n d S tu d ie s o f Sa va g e L ife (L o n d o n : 1868). S p ro a t lived in th e A lb e m i a re a o f V ancouver Island, w here m an y N o o tk a n Indians w ere cen tred in th e n in ete en th cen ­ tu ry . H e to o k a n avid interest in th eir m an n e rs and custom s. H is w ork c o n ta in s interesting o b serv atio n s on a p e rio d o f intensive a cc u ltu ra tio n o f th e N o o tk a , but is so m etim es alm o st un b earab ly “ p re ac h y ” a n d m oralistic. 7. D uff, W ilson., The Indian H isto ry o f B ritish C o lu m b ia , Vol. 1, “ T h e Im p ac t o f th e W hite M a n ” A n th ro p o lo g y in British C o lu m b ia M e m o ir no. 5 (V ictoria: P rovincial M u seu m o f B ritish C o lu m b ia , 1964). T h is is a d etailed study o f p o p u latio n tre n d s from th e m ari­ tim e fur tra d e to th e p re sen t, a n d a co m p reh en siv e stu d y o f th e tren d s o f social a n d eco n o m ic change. 8. M c F e a t, T o m ., Indians o f th e N o rth P a c ific C o a st, C arleto n L ibrary no. 25 (T o ro n to : M cC lelland a n d S tew art, 1966). T h is collection o f readings on N o rth w e st C o a st In d ian social o rg a n iz atio n p o tlatch , stra tifica tio n , cerem onialism , social c o n tro l, and cultural e th o s re p rin ts m aterial on the N o o tk a by Je w itt, S p ro a t, and D ru ck er. It is a very useful collection, e sp e­ cially since it brings to g eth e r som e o f th e key articles on the “ ra n k a n d c la ss” d e b a te n e c e ssa ry to u n d e rs ta n d in g th e N o o tk a . 9 . M u rd o c k , G e o rg e P ., E th n o g r a p h ic B ib lio g r a p h y o f N o r th A m e r ic a (N e w H a v en : H u m a n R e la tio n s A re a F ile s P re ss, 1972). U n d e r th e e n try “ N o o tk a ” th e re is a co m p reh en siv e b ibliog­ ra p h y o f th e N o o tk a including th e M a k a h o f C ap e F lattery . 10. W ike, Jo y ce, “ Problem s in F u r T ra d e A nalysis: T h e N o rth ­ w est C o a st” A m e ric a n A n th r o p o lo g ist, vol. 60, no. 6, p t. 1 (1959) p p . 1086-1101. T h is article exam ines th e p ro p o sitio n th a t m any aspects o f th e fur tra d e served to “ intensify” alread y existing p a tte rn s in N o rth w e st C o a st Indian cultures ra th e r th an eroding th em , at least in th e e arlie r phases o f th e co n tact process.

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1.

lo r d

D u r h a m ’s r e p o r t ,

edited and with an Introduction by G erald

M . Craig 2.

T H E C O N F E D E R A T IO N D E B A T E S IN T H E P R O V IN C E O F C A N A D A , 1 8 6 5 ,

edited and with an Introduction by P. B. W aite 3.

l a u r i e r : a s tu d y in C a n a d i a n p o l i t i c s

by J. W . D afoe, with an

Introduction by M urray S. D onnelly 4.

C H A M P L A IN : T H E l i f e o k f o r t i t u d e

by M orris Bishop, with a new

Introduction by the author 5.

th e ro w e ll/s iro is

re p o rt.

B ook I . edited and with an Introduction

by D onald V. Smiley 6.

T H E U N R E F O R M E D s e n a t e oi C a n a d a by R obert A. M acK ay revised and with an Introduction by th e author

7.

T H E J E S U IT R E L A T IO N S A N D A L L IE D D O C U M E N T S : A S E L E C T IO N ,

edited and w ith an Introduction by S. R. Mealing 8.

L O R D D U R H A M ’S m i s s i o n t o C a n a d a by C hester New, edited and w ith an Introduction by H. W. M cC ready

9.

T i l l R E C IP R O C IT Y t r e a t y o f 1854 by D onald C . M asters, with a new Introduction by the author

10.

PO L IT IC A L u n r e s t i n U P P E R C a n a d a .

1815-1836 by Aileen D unham ,

with an Introduction by A. L. Burt 11.

12.

\ IIIS T O R 'i O F T R A N S P O R T A T I O N IN C A N A D A , Volum e I , b y G . P. deT . G lazeb ro o k . with a new Introduction by the author A H IS T O R Y O i T R A N S P O R T A T IO N IN C A N A D A .

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t h e f r e n c h -C A N A D I a n o u t l o o k

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Introduction by the author I 5.

T i l l : W E S T E R N I N T E R I O R O I C A N A D A : A R E C O R D O I G E O G R A P H I C Al d isc o v e ry ,

1 6 1 2 -1 9 1 7.

com piled and with an Introduction

by

John

W arkentin 16.

T H E C O U R T S A N D T i l l C A N A D I A N C O N S T IT U T I O N ,

com piled and

with an Introduction by W . R. Lederm an 17.

M ONEY A N D b a n k i n g in C a n a d a ,

com piled an d with an Introduction

by E. P. Neufcld 18.

V olum e I. com piled and with an introduction by Marcel Rioux an d Yves M artin

I R E N C H -C A N A D IA N s o c i e t y .

19. m i C a n a d i a n c o m m i r c i a i r e v o i u t i o n , 1845-1851 by G ilbert N. T ucker, edited and with an Introduction by Hugh G . J. A itken 20.

Jo sep h h o w e : v o ice o f n o v a s c o tia ,

com piled and

w ith

an

Introduction by J . M urray Beck 21.

I II I- A N D L E T T E R S OI SIR W II I R ID l a u r i e r Volum e I . by O . D. Skelton, edited and with an Introduction by David M . L. Farr

22.

Volum e I I . b y D avid M . L. F arr l e a d i n g c o n s t i t u t i o n a l D E C I S I O N S , com piled an d with an Introduction by Peter H. Russell I II I A N D L E T T E R S O l SIR W I L F R I D l . A U R I E R ,

O . D . Skelton, edited 23.

by

24.

F R O N T E N A C : T H E C O U R T IE R G O V E R N O R

by W . J . Eccles

25.

I n d i a n s OF t h e n o r t h

com piled and with an

26.

l i f e A N D t im e s o f s i r ALEXANDER

28.

A H IST O R Y O F C A N A D I A N E X T E R N A L R E L A T IO N S ,

29.

T in : r a c e q u e s t i o n i n C a n a d a by A ndre Siegfried, edited and with an Introduction by F. H. Underhill

30.

n o r t h

p a c ific c o a s t ,

Introduction by T om M cFeat T ii.i.ocil G a l t by O. D. Skelton, edited and with an Introduction by G uy M acLean 27. A H IS T O R Y O F C A N A D I A N E X T E R N A L R E L A T IO N S ; Volume I . by G . P. deT . G lazeb ro o k , revised by the author Volum e 11 .b y G . P. deT . G lazebrook. revised and with a Bibliographical Essay by the author

ATLA NTIC

t r ia n g l e

by J. B. Brebner, with an Introduction by

D . G . C reighton 31.

a p p r o a c h e s t o C a n a d i a n e c o n o m i c h i s t o r y , com piled an d with an Introduction by W . T . E asterbrook and M . H. W atkins

32.

C A N A D I A N S O C IA L S T R U C T U R E : A S T A T IS T IC A L P R O F IL E ,

com piled and

with an Introduction and C om m entary by John Porter 33.

C H U R C H A N D S T A T E IN C A N A D A , 1 6 2 7 - 1 8 6 7 : B A S I C D O C U M E N T S ,

com piled and with an Introduction by Jo h n S. M oir 34.

W E S T E R N O N T A R I O A N D T H E A M E R IC A N F R O N T IE R

by Fred Landon,

w ith a new Introduction by the author 35.

h i s t o r i c a l e s s a y s o n t h e A T L A N T IC p r o v i n c e s ,

com piled an d with

an Introduction by G . A . Rawlyk i n C a n a d a tan original publication) b y W. II. K esterton. with an introduction by W ilfrid E ggleston

36.

a h isto ry o f jo u rn alism

37.

T H E O L D P R O V IN C E o f Q U E B E C ,

Volume I . by A. L. Burt, with an

Introduction by H ilda N eatby 38.

T H E O L D P R O V IN C E O F Q U E B E C ,

39.

g r o w th

Volum e I I . by A . L. Burt

a n d t h e C a n a d ia n e c o n o m y ,

edited and with an

Introduction by T . N. Brewis 40.

D O C U M E N T S O N T i l l C O N F E D E R A T IO N O F B R IT IS H N O R T H A M E R IC A ,

edited and w ith an Introduction by G . P. Browne 41.

E SK IM O o f T H E C a n a d i a n a r c t i c ,

edited and with an Introduction by Victor F . V alentine and Frank G . Vallee

42.

T in

C O L O N IA L r e f o r m e r s a n d C a n a d a ,

1830-1849. edited and with

an Introduction by Peter Burroughs 43.

a n a r r a t iv e ,

by Sir Francis Bond H ead edited and with an Introduction by S. F. Wise

44.

jo h n s t r a c h a n : d o c u m e n ts a n d o p in io n s ,

edited and with an

Introduction by J. L. H. Henderson 45.

t h e n e u t r a l Y a n k e e s o f n o v a s c O tia

Introduction by W . S. M acN utt

by J. B. Brebner, w ith an

46.

RO B ER T LAIRD

b o r d e n

:

h is m e m o ir s

,

Volume I. edited and with an

Introduction by H eath M acquarrie 47.

R O B E RT LAIRD b o r d e n : h i s m e m o i r s .

Volum e I I . edited by H eath

M acquarrie 48.

T H E CA N A D IA N M U N IC IPA L SYSTEM : ESSAYS O N THE IM P R O V E M E N T OF

49.

T H E B ETTER P A R T O F V A L O U R : ESSAYS O N C A N A D IA N D IP L O M A C Y b y

lo c a l g o v e rn m e n t

by D . C . R ow at

Jo h n W . Holm es 50.

LAM EN T FOR A NAT IO N : T H E D E F E A T Ol CAN A D IA N N A T IONAL ISM

by

G eorge G ran t, w ith a new Introduction by th e a uthor 51.

C A NAD IAN FO R EIG N PO LIC Y , 1 9 4 5 - 1 9 5 4 ,

edited by R. A . M acK ay eidted and with an Introduction by the a uthor 52.

edited and with an Introduction by

M O N C K : LETTERS a n d j o u r n a l s ,

W . L. M orton 53.

HISTORICAL e s s a y s o n t h e p r a i r i e p r o v i n c e s ,

edited and with an

Introduction by D onald Swainson 54.

T H E C A N A D I A N E C O N O M Y IN T H E G R E A T D E P R E S S I O N b y

55.

C a n a d a 's c h a n g i n g NORTH,

A . E. Safarian edited an d with an Introduction by

W illiam C. W onders 56.

t h e d e v e l o p m e n t OF C a n a d a 's s t a p l e s . 1867-1939.

edited and with

an Introductory com m ent by Kevin Burley 57.

URBAN D EV ELO PM E N T OF SO U T H -C E N T R A I O N T A RIO

58.

C U L T U R E A N D N A T I O N A L I T Y : E S S A Y S BY A. G . B A I L E Y , b y

by Jacob Spelt

59.

C O M M U N I T Y IN C R I S I S : F R E N C H - C A N A D I A N N A T I O N A L I S M IN

Alfred G oldsw orthy Bailey p e r s p e c tiv e , by

Richard Jones, with a new Introduction

by

the

au th o r 60.

P E R S P E C T I V E S O N T i l l- N O R T H a m e r i c a n I n d i a n s ,

edited and w ith an

Introduction by M ark Nagler 61.

LAN GUAGES i n CO N FLICT,

by R ichard J. Joy, with a Preface by Frank

G . Vallee 62.

T H E L A S T FO R T Y Y E A R S . T H E U N I O N O l

1 8 4 1 T O C O N F E D E R A T IO N ,

by J. C. D ent, abridged and with an Introduction by D onald Swainson 63.

l . A U R I E R A N D A L I B E R A L Q U E B E C : A S T U D Y IN P O I . I T I C A I

by H. Blair N eatby. edited and with an Introduction by Richard T . Clippingdale T H E T R E M B I . A I r e p o r t , edited and with an Introduction by David Kwavnick m a n a g e m e n t,

64.

65.

Cl I TURAI

ECO I O G Y : READINGS

o n

T H E C A N A D IA N IN D IA N S AND

edited and with an Introduction by Bruce Cox 66. r e c o l l e c t i o n s o f t h e o n t o o t t a w a I R E K , by R onald Liversedge, with D ocum ents Relating to the V ancouver Strike and the On to O ttaw a T rek, edited and with an Introduction by Victor H oar Es

67.

k im o s

,

th e om budsm an p lan : essay s o n t h e w o r ld w id e s p re a d o f an ID E A ,

by D onald C. Row at

68.

N A T U R A L R E S O U R C E S : T H E E C O N O M IC S O I C O N S E R V A T I O N ,

by

A nthony Scott C hester M artin, edited and w ith an Introduction by Lewis H. T hom as

69.

d o m in io n i a n d s p o lic y , b y

70.

r e n e g a d e in p o w e r ,

by Peter C . N ew m an, with an Introduction by

Denis Smith 7 1.

CUTHBERT g r a n t

oi

g r a n to w n ,

M argaret A. M acLeod and

W . L. M orton 72.

T H E N A T IV E P E O P L E S O I A T L A N T IC C A N A D A : A R E A D E R IN R E G IO N A L E T H N IC R E L A T IO N S ,

73.

fr e e d o m

H. F. M cG ee

an d o r d e r /c o lle c te d

essays,

Eugene Forsey. with an

Introduction by D onald C reighton 74.

c r i s i s in Q U E BE C , 1 9 1 7 ,

Elizabeth A rm strong, with an Introduction by

Joseph Levitt 75.

G o urlay ’s s t a t i s t i c a l a c c o u n t o f u p p e r with an Introduction by S. R. M ealing

76.

T H E A D V E N T U R E S A N D S U F F E R I N G S O F J O H N JE W IT T A M O N G THE

77.

C A P IT A L F O R M A T IO N i n C a n a d a , 1 8 9 6 - 1 9 3 0 .

NOOTKA,

C anada,

A bridged, and

with an Introduction by D erek G . Smith K enneth Buckley, with

an Introduction by M. U rquart 78.

B E Y O N D T H E A T L A N T IC R O A R :

\ V I I DY OI

rill

N O \ A S C O T IA S C O IS

D. Cam pbell an d R. A . M acL ean K. D . M cR ae

79.

C O N S O C IA T IO N A I. D E M O C R A C Y ,

80.

V A U D R IE U L , G O V E R N O R OF N E W F R A N C E ,

Yves Zoltvany

CARLETON U N «

The Adventures and Sufferings of John R. Jew itt, / Captive Among the Nootka

1803-1805 (F rom the Edinburgh 1824 edition)

Edited and with an Introduction by D erek G . Smith

The C a rleto n L ib ra r y No. 76 M c C le lla n d a n d S te w a r t L im ite d

l o b g D & z / c t , -3* T H E C A R L E T O N LIB RA RY A series o f C anadian reprints and new collections o f source m aterial relating to C anada, issued under the editorial supervision o f the Institute o f C anadian Studies o f C arleton University, O ttaw a. D IR EC TO R OF TH E INSTITUTE

D avidson D unton

£

GE N E R A L EDITOR

M ichael G narow ski EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Jam es H . M arsh ED ITO R IA L BOARD

B. C arm an Bickerton f H isto ry) D ennis Forcese (S o cio lo g y) J . G eorge Neuspiel (Law ) T hom as K . Rym es (E conom icsI D erek G . Sm ith f A nthropology) M ichael S. W hittington ( P olitical Science)

© M cC lelland a n d S tew a rt L im ited, 1974. ALL R IGHTS RESERVED

0-7710-9776-x The Canadian Publishers M cClelland and Stew art Limited 25 H ollinger R oad, T o ro n to Printed and bound in C anada

Contents

E d ito r’s P reface In tro d u c tio n

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1. B irth , P a ren tag e a n d E arly L ife o f T h e A u th o r 2. V oyage to N o o tk a S ound

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3r. In terco u rse W ith th e N a tiv e s - M a q u in a - S eizure o f th e Vessel a n d M u rd e r o f th e C re w 24 4.

R ecep tio n o f Je w itt by th e Savages - E scape o f T h o m p so n A rriv al o f N e ig h b o u rin g T rib e s - an In d ian F e a st 32

5. B urning o f th e Vessel - C o m m e n c em en t o f Je w itt’s Jo u rn a l 4 0 6. D escrip tio n o f N o o tk a S o u n d - M a n n e r o f B uilding H ouses F u rn itu re - D resses 48 7. A p p e a ra n c e o f th e N ativ es - O rn a m e n ts - O tte r-H u n tin g F ish in g - C a n o es 56 8.

M usic - M usical In stru m en ts - Slaves - N e ig h b o u rin g T rib e s T ra d e w ith T h ese - A rm y 64

9. S itu atio n o f th e A u th o r - R e m o v a l to T ash ees - Fishing P arties 72 10. C o n v e rsa tio n s w ith M a q u in a - F ru its - R eligious C e rem o n ies - V isit to U p q u e sta 79 11. R e tu rn to N o o tk a (F rie n d ly C ove) - D e a th o f M a q u in a ’s N e p h ew - In sa n ity o f T o o to o sc h - an Indian M o u n te b an k 88 12. W a r w ith th e A -Y -C h a rts - a N ig h t A ttac k - P roposals to P u rch ase th e A u th o r 96 13. M a rriag e o f th e A u th o r - H is Illness - D ism isses H is W ife R eligion o f th e N ativ es - C lim a te 104

A rrival o f th e Brig “ L y d ia” - stra ta g em o f th e A u th o r Success 1 17 O riginal A p p en d ix

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E d ito r’s A p p en d ix A

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E d ito r’s A p p en d ix B

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E d ito r’s A p p en d ix C

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Suggestions for F u rth e r R ead in g

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Editor’s Preface Je w itt’s w ork has long been o n e o f m y favourites a m o n g st the m any delightful bits o f C a n a d ia n a now b ecom ing m o re a n d m ore availab le to th e interested public. H is n a rra tiv e is not all to o easily acq u ired . It seem ed to m e th a t this fascinating w ork should be m ad e m o re available, not sim ply as a re p rin t o f th e text, b u t in an e d itio n w ith an in tro d u c tio n to assist th e re ad e r in placing the w o rk in its context; w ith text a n n o ta tio n s , especially on e th n o ­ g ra p h ic p o in ts less likely to b e g enerally know n o r a p p rec ia ted ; an d w ith a b ib lio g rap h ic list o f m ate ria ls useful in u n d e rstan d in g th e significance o f Je w itt’s sto ry . A list o f o th e r n arratives o f th e type is also p ro v id ed in th e ho p e th a t fu rth e r literary, historical, a n d e th n o g ra p h ic stu d ies o f them m ay be stim u la te d . T h e text given h e re is th a t o f th e 1824 E d in b u rg h e d itio n . Jew itt’s spellings have been preserved th ro u g h o u t, a n d edito rial changes have been m ad e only w here th e re w ere ty p o g rap h ical e rro rs in the basic text. Special th an k s m ust be given to S tu a rt Ja c k so n -H u g h e s, g ra d u ­ a te stu d e n t in th e D e p a rtm e n t o f Sociology a n d A n th ro p o lo g y at C a rle to n U niversity, w ho has assisted in th e b ack g ro u n d research a n d p ro o f re ad in g o f th e finished text.

Introduction “ C ap tiv ity n a rra tiv e s” - a u th e n tic , fictionalized, o r purely fictional acc o u n ts o f th e experiences o f settlers o r travellers c a p tu re d by I n d ia n s - e n jo y e d a c onsiderable p o p u la rity in th e eig h teen th and n in ete en th cen tu ries especially in N o rth A m e ric a. C a n a d a has had a fair sh a re o f th ese n arrativ es. A m o n g th e a u th e n tic C a n a d ia n n a rra tiv e s are so m e re m a rk ab le w o rk s. P ie rre-E sp rit R a d is so n 1 recounts his c a p tu re a b o u t 1652 by th e Iro q u o is o f th e T ro is R ivieres vicinity. T his w ork seem s to have set m any featu res o f th e captivity n arrativ e g e n re . It is follow ed by J o h n G y le s’ a cc o u n t o f his cap tiv e life w ith th e N ew B runsw ick M alecites; by J o h n T a n n e r’s n a rra tio n o f his c a p tu re in K e n tu ck y in 1789 by th e S aulteaux, w ith w hom h e sp e n t sixteen w andering years, c u lm in atin g in his em p lo y m en t by L o rd Selkirk as a g uide a t the R e d R iv er S ettlem ent; by Je w itt’s jo u rn a l a n d n a rra tiv e o f his captivity a m o n g th e N o o tk a o f V ancouver Island betw een 1803 a n d 1805; a n d by tw o acco u n ts o f c ap tu res du rin g th e N o rth W est R ebellion o f 1885: T h ere sa G o w a n lo c k ’s a n d T h eresa D ela­ n e y ’s captivity in Big B ear’s c am p , a n d th a t o f N eil B rodie in the c am p o f P o u n d m a k er. N o ra h S to ry 2 lists th ese a n d o th e r N o rth A m e ric an exam ples, a n d a list is also p ro v id ed in A p p e n d ix E .I o f this volum e. M a u rice H o d g so n 3 rightly recognizes th a t th e captivity n a rra ­ tive closely a p p ro ac h es th e g e n re o f th e novel a n d th a t it can in m an y cases be exam ined in term s o f p ro se fiction. A s a literary g e n re , captivity jo u rn a ls m ay b e clearly d istinguished from o th e r “ e x p lo re r lite ra tu re ” (such as th e ex p lo ra tio n jo u rn a ls o f A lex an ­ d e r M a c k e n z ie , S im o n F r a s e r , D a v id T h o m p s o n , S a m u el H e a m e ), alth o u g h th ere is a n o b v io u s affinity betw een th e tw o types. T h e ir c o m m o n th em e s a n d ch aracteristics a re th o se o f ad v en tu re; suffering; p riv atio n ; q u e st (so m etim es alm ost o b ses­ sive) for th e u n k n o w n place o r experience; a n d in itiatio n in to a radically new w ay o f life d icta te d o r necessitated e ith e r by h ith ­ e rto u n k n o w n g eographical c o n d itio n s and a lack o f th e a m e n ities o f life so ta k e n fo r g ra n te d by o th ers, o r by th e d e m a n d s o f alien 1 Radisson, Pierre-E sprit, The E xplorations o f Pierre Esprit Radisson (M inneapolis: Ross and H aines Inc., 1961). pp. 1-43. - Story, N o rah , “ Captivity narratives,” The O xfo rd C om panion to Canadian H isto ry and L iterature (T oronto: Oxford University Press, 1967), pp . 150-151. •' H odgson, M aurice, “ Initiation and Quest: Early C anadian Jo u r­ nals,” Canadian L iterature, N o. 38 (A utum n 1968), pp. 29-41.

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T H E A D V E N T U R E S A N D S U F F E R I N G S O F J O H N R. J E W I T T

peoples. T hese give a g rip p in g im m ediacy, a fascination so m e ­ tim es horrific, som etim es m o rb id , b u t a b o v e all a n a tm o sp h e re o f u tte r a u th e n tic ity in th e reco g n itio n o f life lived in raw ness and stark n ess b e yond th e confines o f th e “ c iv ilizatio n ” o f th e day. P o litic a l, sc ie n tific , a n d c o m m e rc ia l e x p lo r a ti o n s - o t h e r w i s e poten tially d ra b events in th e exercise o f th e ratio n al values o f the E n lig h ten m en t a n d th e building o f e m p ire - be co m e fertile g ro u n d for th e exercise o f th e R o m a n tic a n d G o th ic consciousnesses. In th e ex p lo rer n arrativ es, w hich H o d g so n 4 has also called “ n a rra ­ tives o f q u e st,” th e literary values becom e seco n d ary to th o se o f th e underlying com m ercial, scientific, o r political interests; in captivity jo u rn a ls, o r “ n a rra tiv e s o f in itia tio n ” in H o d g so n ’s term s, th e literary values often d o m in a te . F o r this reason captivity jo u rn a ls em erge as a g e n re w hich can be ex am in ed a n d u n d e r­ sto o d in term s o f p ro se fiction, especially th e novel, to w hich captivity n arratives have significant c o n n ectio n s. O n e sees a c er­ tain value in this observ atio n , b u t few w ould deny a n intense, indeed literary, fascination on reading even th e g o v ern m en t re p o rts, sh ip s’ w ay-bills, and ro u tin e d o c u m e n ts o f th e exp ed itio n s in search o f S ir Jo h n F ra n k lin . H ere is a tru e epic w hich suffers o r b enefits little from its literary form o r genre. N o t to b e banal a b o u t it, th e h u m a n experience sim ply tran sce n d s all th a t. W e shall see this to o in Je w itt’s n a rra tiv e o f his “ ad v en tu res and su fferin g s.” D esp ite ex aggerated claim s by som e for its literary form a n d m erits, a n d d e sp ite its fast-m oving a n d d ra m a tic action a cc o u n t (a relative rarity o n e feels, in th a t age o f prolixity), there sta n d s behind it a u n iq u e a n d d ra m a tic h u m a n experience. In any case, as w e shall see, the literary form a n d style is n o t th a t o f J e w itt b u t o f his e d ito r, R ich ard A lsop, o n e o f th e C o n n ecticu t W its.

L ite ra ry H isto ry o f th e J e w itt C a p tiv ity A ccount In a n oth erw ise interesting article by H o d g so n 5 on ex ploration and captivity jo u rn a ls, in w hich Je w itt’s n a rra tiv e receives co n sid ­ e rab le a tte n tio n , o n e is a sto u n d ed to read th ese words: In spirit Je w itt is in to u ch w ith th e prevailing R o m an tic m o v em en t, a n d his d e sc rip tio n s o f th e N ew W orld a re not un lik e th o se o f C h a te a u b ria n d w ho w as w riting at th e sam e 4 H odgson, op. c i l esp. p. 35. ' H odgson, op. cil.

IN TRO DU CTION

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tim e. It is th e early ro m an ticism o f R o u sseau , C h a te a u b ria n d a n d G o ld sm ith : a ch arm in g e ig h te en th -ce n tu ry N a tu re created by G o d for a sim ple, a p p rec ia tiv e h u m a n r a c e .. . . T h e c o n ­ cep t o f a p ro v id en t a n d b en ev o len t N a tu re , essential to the R o m an tic, w as very m u ch a p a rt o f Je w itt’s literary p h ilo so ­ phy. . . . H is desire to e p a te r les bourgeois is obviously not m ean t to d o so th ro u g h h o rrific d escrip tio n , b u t ra th e r as C h a te a u b ria n d did, w ith co n ce p ts novel to th e re ad e r, but pacific in n a tu re . It is th e tra d itio n o f D efoe as w ell.6 Je w itt w ould have been am azed a n d flattered. T h e facts a re these. A fte r his rescue o n the brig L y d ia in 1805, Je w itt established residence in N ew E ngland, a n d in 1807 pu b lish ed th e jo u rn a l w hich he claim ed to have w ritten d u rin g his captivity a m o n g the N o o tk a . T he title page reads A Jo u rn a l, K e p t a t N o o tk a Sound, b y J o h n R. J e w itt. O ne o f th e surviving crew o f the sh ip B oston, o f B oston, J o h n S a lte r, c o m m a n d er, w ho was m a ssa c re d o n 2 2 d o f M a rc h , 1803. In tersp e rse d w ith so m e a cco u n t o f th e natives, th eir m a n n ers a n d custom s. H e rea fter, for convenience, w e shall call this th e Jo u rn a l. It w as a sm all, thin book o f 48 pages, a n d o f little literary m erit. O nly a very few copies, p ro b a b ly no m ore th an a dozen, are know n to have survived. A lim ited e d itio n o f one h u n d red copies o f th e J o u rn a l was pu b lish ed in B oston in 1931. F o r years betw een 1807 a n d 1815 w e know alm ost no th in g o f Je w itt’s life, except th a t he m arrie d on C h ristm a s D ay. 1809. S o m e tim e sh o rtly p rev io u s to 1815, Je w itt a n d his tale c a m e to th e a tte n tio n o f R ich ard A lsop, “ satirist, p o e t , . . . o n e o f th e few m illio n a ire s o f h is g e n e r a tio n ” . 7 A lso p w as a m e rc h a n t o f H a r t­ ford, C o n n e cticu t, a n d o n e o f th e “ H a rtfo rd W its” 8 o r “ C o n n e c t­ icut W its” 9, a w ell-know n g ro u p o f A m e ric an a u th o rs. A lsop's

H H odgson, op. cit., p. 36. 7 Johnson, A. (ed.), “ Alsop, R ich ard ," D ictionary o f A m erican Biog­ raphy, vol. I (N ew York: Scribner's, 1928), pp. 228-229. "H a rrin g to n , K arl P., R ichard A lsop. "A H a rtfo rd W it” (M iddle­ tow n. C onnecticut: M attabesett Press, 1939). (A reprint o f this w ork, with an introduction by A lexander Cow ie, was published in 1969 by W esleyan U niversity Press, M iddletow n, C onnecticut). The D ictionary o f A m erican Biography (note 7 supra) on Alsop also designates him a “ H artford W it." g P arrington, Vernon L., J r., The C onnecticut W'its (N ew York, 1926). (A reprint o f this w ork, w ith a foreword by K enneth Silver­ m an . w as p u b lish ed in 1969 by th e T h o m a s Y. C row ell C o m pany, N ew Y o rk . A sh o rt list o f th c h ie f w orks o f the C o n n e ctic u t W its m ay be found on p. xxi o f this reprint).

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T H E A D V E N T U R E S A N D S U F F E R I N G S O F J O H N R. J E W I T T

nephew , T h e o d o re D w ight, closely associated w ith th e W its, d escribes his uncle as having a “ pecu liar taste o f a d v e n tu re s” 10.' A lsop, a p p are n tly a fte r rep ea te d a n d stre n u o u s interview s, and c o n sid erab le difficulty, m an ag ed to ex tract from Jew itt his story. J e w itt, it is s a id , h a d “ sm a ll c a p a c ity as a n a r r a t o r ” " , and* lacked th e capacities o f a Y a n k ee raconteur. It w as A lsop, w o rk ­ ing w ith th e slim original J o u rn a l a n d his taxing interview s w ith Je w itt, w ho w ro te th e Jew itt a cc o u n t w hich has achieved fam e. It w as pu b lish ed in M id d leto w n , C o n n e cticu t, in 1815 in tw o e d i­ tio n s a n d in a n o th e r e d itio n in N e w Y o rk in th e sam e y e a r. T he title p a g e o f th ese ed itio n s reads: A narrative o f the adventures a n d su fferin g s, o f J o h n R . J e w itt; o n ly survivor o f the crew o f th e ship B o sto n , d u rin g a c a p tiv ity o f n e a rly th ree y e a r s a m o n g the savages o f N o o tk a sound: w ith an a cco u n t o f th e m anners, m o d e o f living, a n d religious opinions o f th e N atives. E m b e llish e d with a p la te, rep resen tin g th e ship in p o ssessio n o f th e savages. H ere­ a fte r, fo r convenience, w e shall call this th e N a rra tiv e , alth o u g h th e vario u s e d itio n s carry titles w hich a re v arian ts o f th e one g iven. It is fro m these 1815 e d itio n s th a t nearly all su b seq u e n t ed itio n s, reprintings, versions, a n d tran sla tio n s o f Je w itt’s story have been m ad e. A lsop d ied a t F la tb u sh , L ong Island, on A ugust 20 o f th e y e ar in w hich th e N a rra tiv e first a p p ea red . A m o n g th e C o n n e cticu t W its, A lsop w as rivalled only by J o h n T ru m b u ll. P a rrin g to n 12 d e scrib es A lsop as having “ an excel­ lent know ledge o f th e classics” a n d “ a g e n ero u s a cq u a in ta n ce w ith E nglish lite ra tu re .” H e tran sla ted c o n sid erab le a m o u n ts o f F re n c h , Italian , S panish a n d S can d in av ian m aterials. A m o n g these his fancy for exotic trav ellers’ acco u n ts is readily seen in his 1808 tran sla tio n from th e S panish a n d F ren ch versions o f th e original Italian w ork The G eographical N a tu ra l a n d C ivil H isto ry o f C hili by A b b e D on J . Ig n a tiu s M olina. It is a w ork in tw o volum es, th e first largely c o n ce rn ed w ith th e n a tu ra l histo ry o f C h ile, th e second largely w ith an a cc o u n t o f th e custom s o f its vario u s a b o rig in al peoples. Special a tte n tio n is given to th e A u racan ian s. A typical o f th e C o n n e cticu t W its, A lso p had a leaning to w a rd th e “ new goth ic s p irit,” aligning him in som e w ays m ore closely w ith c erta in P h iladelphia p o e ts “ w h o follow ed th e g o th ic 10 D w ight, T h eo d o re. Article in The H istorical M agazine, April 1860, p. 91. (Q uotes from this article m ay be found in E dm ond S. M eany, Jr.. “ T he L ater Life o f John R . Je w itt", British C olum bia H istori­ cal Q u arterly, vol. IV (1940), pp. 143-161). 11 D w ight, T h eo d o re, op. cil. 12 P arrington, Vernon Louis, Jr., op. cit., p. xlvi.

INTRODUCTION

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fashion m o re closely.” 13 T his can readily b e seen in his versifica­ tio n s o f O ssian, th e T w ilig h t o f th e G ods, a n d p e rh a p s to o in his versification o f th e O ld T esta m en t b o o k o f H a b a k k u k . A lso p was: d istinctly a n a m a te u r in letters a n d tu rn ed to w h a tev e r th em e c au g h t his fancy. H e w as a n incorrigible im ita to r o f late eig h te en th c en tu ry English m o d e s___ 14 A perusal o f A lso p ’s w orks c o n firm s th e ju stic e o f this ju d g m e n t. It bears w ith so m e im p o rta n ce o n his h an d lin g o f th e Jew itt m ate ria l. A lso p ’s nephew , T h e o d o re D w ight, refers to his . . . love o f in te restin g novelties, c o m b in ed w ith his p h ila n ­ th ro p y , w hich induced him to w rite “ Je w itt’s sto ry ” , a w ork in w hich he im itated w ith so m e success th e style o f R o b in so n C ru so e and o f w hich he p ro c u re d th e p u b licatio n fo r the p ro fit o f th a t p o o r a n d friendless m an w ith o u t giving his own n a m e .15 A g a in , D w ight says A lso p “ a d o p te d th e style o f R o b in so n C ru so e as his m odel in th e c o m p o s itio n ” 16. C ap tiv ity jo u rn a ls indeed ten d to a p p ro a c h th e novel g e n re. O f course Je w itt’s N a rra tiv e is a classic o f th e ty p e, for it is b o ld y im itativ e o f D aniel D e fo e ’s fictional R o b in so n C rusoe. A n y literary m erits o f c o m p o sitio n o r style in th e N a rra tive a re A lso p ’s w o rk , a n d n o t th a t o f Je w itt. A lso p ’s a u th o rsh ip o f th e N a rra tiv e a p p e a rs to b e explicitly recognized by Je w itt him self. O n M arch 8, 1815 Je w itt applied for co p y rig h t o f th e N arrative. H e did n o t seek co p y rig h t as a u th o r, but as p ro p rie to r, a d istin c tio n w hich has been ju d g e d significant by M e a n y 17. T h e N a rra tive a ttrac ted so m e critical a tte n tio n o n its a p p e a r­ ance. T h e first k n o w n review is to b e found in th e A n a le c tic M a g a zin e o f Ju n e , 1815 IS. H e re A lso p ’s a u th o rs h ip is im plied: “ . . . th e b o o k w as p re p are d fo r th e press by a literary g en tle m a n o f C o n n e c tic u t. . . ” T h e review er th in k s ra th e r highly o f th e b o o k .

13 Parrington, V ernon Louis, J r., op. cil., p. xlvi. 14 P arrington, V ernon Louis, J r., op. cil'., p. xlvi. 15 D w ight, T heodore, Preface to R ichard Alsop’s The Charm s o f Fancy: A Poem in F our C antos (N ew Y ork, 1856). 16 D w ight, T heodore, H istorical M agazine, A pril I860, p. 91. 17 M eany, Edm ond S., Jr., “ T he L ater Life o f John R. Jew itt, British C olum bia H istorical Q uarterly, vol. 4 (1940), pp. 146, 148-149. '* Review o f th e Jew itt/A lso p N arrative in A nalectic M agazine, (P hil­ adelphia: M oses T hom as), vol. 5 (June 1815), pp. 493-496.

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T H E ADVEN TURES AND SUFFERINGS OF JO H N R. JE W IT T

b u t obviously fo u n d it ra th e r sm all by c u rre n t sta n d a rd s. H e refers to it as a n “ unassum ing little v o lu m e” a n d sta te s th a t “ T he form and size o f th e v olum e a ffo rd p retty stro n g p ro o f th a t a rts o f literary m an u fa ctu re are yet in th e ir infancy a m o n g u s.” T h e 1816 editio n o f Ih e N a rra tive w as review ed by th e sam e m ag azin e in F e b ru a ry , 181719. T h e second review er w as m uch less im pressed. H e found it “ a b o o k w hich is very badly w ritte n , and a g re at deal w orse a rra n g e d ” , and found it “ so m e w h a t sin g u lar” th a t the b o o k had been sent into fu rth e r ed itio n s, n o tin g th a t so m e nine th o u sa n d copies h a d a lready been circu lated . H e affirm s a general acceptance o f th e au th e n tic ity o f th e basic facts, a n d keeps his vitriol for th e literary features a n d fo rm at o f th e b o o k . A list o f th e sub seq u en t e d itio n s o f th e N a rra tive m ay be fo u n d at th e e n d o f this v olum e (A p p e n d ix C ). O n e no tes with interest th a t its p rin tin g histo ry reveals a c o n sid erab le N o rth A m e ric an interest. T h ere are only th ree B ritish e d itio n s (L o n d o n 1820, E d in b u rg h 1824, a n d L o n d o n 1896), and o n e G e rm a n tran sla tio n (1928). T h e story does not e n d here, for th e N a rra tive also a p p ea red in a version designed for c h ild re n ’s read in g . It w as, first o f all, a rollicking g o o d sto ry , like D an iel D efoe’s R o b in so n C ru so e; sec­ o n d ly , it c o n ta in e d a b u n d a n t references to b ravery, p iety , and perseverance. U n d e r th e e d ito rsh ip o f “ P eter P arley” (S. G . G o o d ric h ), it ap p ea red in “ P e ter P arley’s L ittle L ib ra ry ,” a series also c o n ta in in g na rra tiv e s by L o rd Selkirk and L a P erouse. T h ro u g h o u t th e tw en ty -fo u r c h a p te rs o f this version, th e first p e rso n o f th e J e w itt/A ls o p N a rra tiv e is changed to th e third pe rso n , a n d c ertain p o rtio n s o f th e text a re d e le ted . Special em phasis is given to the sto ry ’s m oral lessons20. T h e title w as The C a p tiv e o f N o o tk a . O r th e a d v e n tu r e s o f J o h n R . J e w e tt (sic ). T h is e d itio n , for convenience, w e refer to as th e C aptive. T he G e rm a n tra n sla tio n o f 1928 by A . Ja c o b i seem s to in co rp o ra te c ertain featu res o f th e C aptive , a n d its influence can p ro b a b ly be seen, to o , in th e 1954 G e rm a n tra n sla tio n o f F ra n z T e rm e r. A n u m b e r o f co p ie s o f th e English ed itio n s, w ith th e exception o f 1837 P h ilad elp h ia o n e, a re still extan t. D w ig h t21 records th a t his uncle, A lso p “ ...e x p r e s s e d a fear th a t he had d o n e Jew itt m o re harm th an g o o d , for he [Jew itt] becam e unsettled in his h a b its by his w a n d erin g life in selling the 19 A nalectic M agazine, vol. 9 (Feb. 1817). pp. 141-165. Jn A b rief description o f the “ Peter P arley" edition, the Captive, is given in H arrington, op. c h ., pp. 137-138. :i Dw ight, T h eo d o re, H istorical M agazine, 1860, p. 91.

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b o o k .” M e a n y 22, H a rrin g to n 23, a n d o th e rs cite references to Je w ­ itt’s w an d erin g s in N ew E n g lan d b o th w ith a h a n d ca rt a n d a o n e -h o rse w agon haw king his b o o k . H e also had for sale, a p p a r­ ently, “ T h e P o o r A rm o u re r B oy, A S o n g ,” p rin te d as a b ro a d ­ sid e o n a long sh eet o f p a p er. T h e song, w hich is to be fo u n d in A p p en d ix A o f this volum e, is explicitly a n im itatio n o f th e P oor C abin B o y by C h arles D ib d in (o r possibly by his so n T h o m a s), a version o f w hich m ay be fo u n d in D ib d in ’s S o n g s, N aval and N a tio n a l.. . . 24M e a n y 25 leans to th e o p in io n th a t A lsop w as also the a u th o r o f th e so n g , a lth o u g h th e r e is n o d ir e c t e v id e n c e . J e w itt so u g h t c o p y rig h t fo r th e song as “ p ro p rie to r o n th e sam e d a y as his a p p lic atio n fo r copyright as “ p ro p rie to r” o f th e N a rra tiv e 26 The P oor A rm o u r e r B o y w as sung by Je w itt a t th e final c u rta in o f a d ra m a tiz a tio n o f th e N a rra tive w hich had th ree pe rfo rm a n ce s in P hilad elp h ia on M arch 21, 22 a n d 25, 1817 at th e P hilad elp h ia T h ea tre . T h e d ra m a tiz a tio n , by Ja m es N elson B a rk e r27, w as billed several days in a d v an ce as a “ . . . M elo D ra m a , fo u n d ed on th e interesting n a rra tiv e o f M r. J o h n Jew itt, called th e A rm o u re r’s E scape, o r T h re e Y e ars at N o o tk a ” 28. A copy o f th e playbill is p re sen te d in A p p e n d ix B o f this volum e. It p ro v id es th e little o f w h at w e k n o w o f The A rm o u r e r 's E sca p e , b ecause th e script has not survived. It m u st have been a n interesting ev en t, for it staged N o o tk a n w ar dances, an eclipse o f th e m o o n , a N o o tk a n C h ie f s funeral, a tribal w ar, a n d th e N o o tk a n B ear C e rem o n ial. O n e can only sp eculate a b o u t th e stag in g o f these spectacles, b u t box office receipts in d icate th a t it w as h a rd ly th e high p o in t o f th e th e a tr­ ical season. A fte r this b rie f th eatrical foray, Jew itt jo in e d a so rt o f circus a t V auxhall G a rd e n n e ar P h ilad elp h ia, a su m m er a m u sem en t re so rt m o delled on its c o u n te rp a rt in L o n d o n , E ngland. If fea­ tu re d firew orks, recitatio n s by fam ous m en o f th e day, e q u estrian events, a n d th in g s o f the like. Je w itt p erfo rm e d songs d ressed in

:: M eany, E dm ond S., op. c it., esp. pp. 149, 155-156. 23 H arrington, Karl P., op. cit., p. 137. 24 S o n g s. N a va l a n d N a tio n a l, o f th e L a te C harles D ibdin. w ith a M e m o ir a n d A d d en d a . C o llected an d a rra n g e d by T h o m a s D ibdin (C harles’ son) (L ondon, 1842), cf. esp. p. 252. -5 M eany, E dm ond S., op. cit.. p. 148. 36 M eany, Edm ond S., op. cit., p. 146. 27 M eany, Edm ond S., op. cit., p. 152 discusses B arker's work on the Jew itt N arrative. Paul H. M usser, Ja m es N elson B arker. 1784-1858 (Philadelphia, 1929), provides further background. 28 M eany, Edm ond S., op. cit., p. 152.

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T H E A D V E N T U R E S A N D S U F F E R I N G S O F J O H N R. J E W I T T

N o o tk a n c o stu m e 29. A lso p ’s fear th a t h e h a d “ d o n e Je w itt no g o o d ” w as p e rh a p s ju stified ; th e a tre s a n d circuses a n d w anderings in N ew E ngland as a p e rip a te tic h a w k er o f b o o k s a n d b ro a d sid es co u ld h ardly have a m o u n te d to g re a t social respectability. T h e E nglish a rm o u re r, only basically literate by th e evidence o f his letters as cited by M e a n y 30, leaving his fam ily in th e lurch on his b rie f rise to pu b lic a tte n tio n , d ied in relative obscurity a t H a rt­ fo rd , C o n n e cticu t on Ja n u a ry 7, 1821 a t th e age o f 38. So m uch fo r Je w itt th e m an o f letters co n tin u in g in th e m ighty tra d itio n o f C h a te a u b ria n d , G o ld sm ith , R o u ssea u , a n d D efoe. But to estim ate his su p p o sed literary c h ara cte ristics is to m iss th e p o in t. W ith o u t Je w itt’s re m a rk ab le h u m an experience, w ith o u t his sh a rp eye, th e re w ould h av e been no A lso p N a rra tive a n d w e w ould lack a v a lu a b le early e th n o g ra p h ic a cc o u n t o f th e N o o tk a . In J e w itt’s tim e th e N o o tk a had ju st begun th eir tu rb u le n t and trau m atic experience w ith W estern society. H e w as privileged to see N o o tk a society close to its abo rig in al sta te ; we a re privileged to h a v e his a cco u n t o f it. T o e stim a te th a t is to e stim a te Je w itt’s e n d u rin g c o n trib u tio n .

J e w i t t ’s N a r ra tiv e and N o o t k a n E th n o g ra p h y T h e m aritim e fu r tra d e o f th e N o rth w e st C o ast, b eginning w ith a “ ru sh ” in 1785, reached its peak in th e last years o f th e eigh­ tee n th a n d th e early years o f th e n in ete en th centuries. W hile it h a d a n o b v io u s effect o n th e a b o rig in al peoples o f th e area, principally in reo rien tin g tra d itio n a l h u n tin g a n d g a th e rin g p ra c ­ tices to w ard s hun tin g th e sea o tte r, it did n o t have th e m ajor social a n d eco n o m ic im p act o f th e su stain ed c o n ta ct th a t cam e w ith m o re p e rm a n e n t land se ttle m e n t by outsiders. T h e b rief existence o f a S panish g a rriso n a t N o o tk a S ound seem s to have had no m ajo r im p act. T h e general p ractice a m o n g fur tra d e ships was to stand to a t som e d istan c e fro m sh o re. In d ian s w en t o u t to th e ships in th e ir canoes to d o th e ir tra d in g a n d visiting on the decks o f th e sh ip s. S h ip s’ m asters felt th ey had m o re c o n tro l over th e situ atio n this w ay, a n d for fear o f u n to w a rd incidents w ith the In d ian s w ere relu ctan t to v e n tu re a sh o re for m o re th a n b rief visits. T h e a p p e a ra n c e o f fur tra d e ships o ff-shore w as often sp o ra d ic , a n d visits w ere usually very brief. It w as on a visit such as this by th e S hip B oston th a t th e incident involving Je w itt cam e to pass. ’-9 M eany, Edm ond S., op. cil., p. 155. •'° M eany, E dm ond S., op. cit., pp. 156-157.

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T h e p rin cip al effect o f th e early m aritim e fu r tra d e w as n o t to re o rie n t Indian social a n d eco n o m ic system s to w a rd a W estern form , b u t to “ intensify” c erta in features o f th e existing social system s. In d eed , it has been a rg u e d 31. N o rth w e st C o a st Indian cu ltu ral system s cam e to a so rt o f “ c lim ax ” m ad e possible by injection o f su b sta n tia l a m o u n ts o f w ealth into alread y intensely w e alth -o rie n ted social system s. T h e potlatch as w e now k n o w o f it p ro b a b ly achieved its p ro m in e n t place in th ese system s d u rin g this tim e 32. T h e fam o u s classic N o rth w e st C o a st In d ian a rt a n d th e m assive em phasis on to te m poles is m o st p ro b a b ly a n o th e r e x am ­ ple. Je w itt w as m ad e cap tiv e by th e N o o tk a at a tim e w hen th e basic features o f N o o tk a n c u ltu re w ere still intact a n d b eginning to m ove to w ard th e clim ax w e h a v e m en tio n ed . H is w as th e first su sta in ed co n tact w ith th e N o o tk a , and his d escrip tio n s are an invaluable vignette o f th e N o o tk a before th e visible ero sio n o f th e ir cu ltu ral a n d social o rd e r. L ike m an y early d e sc rip tio n s, his is p ro b a b ly stro n g est and m o st su stain ed in its d e lin e atio n o f m aterial c u ltu re and su b sist­ ence. O b serv a tio n s on social o rg a n iz atio n are less d e p en d a b le , but a re aso n a b le fam iliarity w ith su b seq u e n t N o o tk a n eth n o g ra p h y a n d ethnological research confirm s th e a u th e n tic ity o f m an y o f his o b se rv atio n s. B ut Je w itt w as n o t a n e th n o g ra p h e r; h e d id n o t go to th e N o o tk a by c h o ic e in o r d e r to stu d y t h e ir m a n n e rs a n d c u sto m s sy s te m a tic a lly . W e c a n n o t fa u lt h im fo r n o t b e in g a m o d ern e th n o g ra p h er, as som e a re p e rh a p s inclined to d o . His access to N o o tk a n society in som e w ays is enviable; in o th e r w ays it obviously w as n o t. H is o b se rv atio n s, let a lo n e his occasional m oralizing a n d serm onizing, c a n n o t fail to b e colo u red by th e fact th a t h e w as a p riso n e r in th e ir m id st, often bew ildered, alm ost constantly in anxiety. H is a cco u n t is truly o n e o f “ in itia tio n ,” as 31 H ersk o v its, M elville, M a n a n d H is W o rks (N ew Y o rk : K nopf, 1948). pp . 480-481; there is an extensive discussion o f the antiquity o f totem poles in M arius B arbeau, Totem Poles, N ational M useum o f C anada Bulletin 119, vol. 2, A nthropological Series 30 (1950), pp. 801-821; the best elaboration o f the “ cultural intensification” idea is to be found in Joyce W ike. “ Problem s in F u r T rade A naly­ sis: T he N orthw est C o ast,” A m erican A nthropologist, vol. 60, no. 6, p t. 1 (1959), pp . 1086-1101. 32 T h e (so m ew h at) c o n te n tio u s th esis o f C o d e rc is th a t am o n g th e K w ak iu tl, p o tla tc h in g assu m ed such p ro m in e n ce in th e n in eteen th century th at it quite literally “ d om inated” that society, and in its rapid grow th had supplanted such activities as inter-tribal raiding. C f. Helen C o d ere Fighting with P roperty: A S tu d y o f K w akiutl Potlatching a n d W arfare. 1792-1930, M onographs o f the A m erican Ethnological Society no. 18, 1950.

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T H E A D V E N T U R E S A N D S U F F E R I N G S OF J O H N R. J E W I T T

H o d g so n 33 term s it. It is an a cc o u n t o f his g ra d u a l, but never c o m p lete, su rre n d e r to a n acceptance o f N o o tk a n w ays. C learly h e never fully u n d e rsto o d th e N o o tk a n system in th e large sense, a n d his o b serv atio n s o n it m u st inevitably be u n d e rsto o d as “ N o o tk a from Je w itt’s vantage p o in t.” D espite his claim s th a t he cam e to “ speak N o o tk a ,” his fam iliarity w ith th e language w as p ro b ab ly nev er co m p lete. N o o t­ kan term s o c cu r th ro u g h o u t th e text, alth o u g h m any o f them , including a n u m b e r in th e list o f so-called “ N o o tk a n ” w ords given as an a p p en d ix to th e N a rra tive m ay in fact b e “ C h in o o k Ja rg o n .” 34 T h is “ja rg o n ,” a d eriv ativ e tra d e language, indeed in co rp o ra tin g m an y elem ents o f N o o tk a n language b u t nev erth e­ less q u ite distinct from it, w as extensively used alo n g th e N o rth ­ w est C o a st since th e days o f th e m aritim e fur tra d e , a n d m ay still be h eard to d ay as a m eans o f c o m m u n ica tio n betw een In d ian s from diverse linguistic g ro u p s a t cerem o n ial g ath erin g s. Several references a re m a d e to th e fact th a t M a q u in n a a n d a t least one o th e r c h ie f sp o k e a n d u n d e rsto o d a lim ited a m o u n t o f E nglish. Je w itt’s (an d also by im p licatio n A lso p ’s) ren d erin g o f N o o t­ k a n term s, including p erso n al, tribal a n d place n am es, so m etim es is v ery d iffic u lt to u n d e r s ta n d . A p p e n d ix D gives th e m o d e rn accep ted eq u iv alen ts for place nam es a n d tribal g ro u p in g s so th a t th e re ad e r m ay o rien t h im self to m ap s a n d m o re recent e th n o g ra ­ phies. W hen Je w itt uses th e w o rd N o o tk a as a g ro u p label, h e refers specifically to th e “ trib e ” (th e Y u q u o t) c en tere d on N o o tk a S o u n d in th e vicinity o f F rie n d ly C o v e . A n thropologically, N o o tk a now refers to a linguistic g ro u p in g o f trib es a n d tribelets occupying m ost o f th e w est co ast o f V ancouver Island a n d th e tip o f C a p e F la tte ry in th e S ta te o f W ash in g to n . N o o tk a is o n e o f th e tw o m ajo r language g ro u p s (K w ak iu tl th e o th er) con stitu tin g th e W ak a sh a n language g ro u p , o f th e M a c ro -A lg o n k ia n Stock. Je w itt’s o b serv atio n s, th e n , c a n n o t b e g eneralized from w h a t he called N o o tk a to th e N o o tk a as now d efin ed anthropologically. Je w itt m akes a few o b serv atio n s on th e o th e r g ro u p s, for during " H odgson, M aurice, op. cit. 14 O n Chinook Jargon see H oratio H ale, A M anual o f th e Oregon Trade Language, or 'C hinook Jargon' (L ondon, 1890); Melville Jacobs, "N o te s on the S tructure o f C hinook Ja rg o n ,” 'L anguage, vol. 8 (1931). pp. 27-50: Melville Jacobs, "T exts in C hinook J a r­ g o n ," U niversity o f W ashington Publications in A nthropology, vol. 7, no. 1 (1936), pp. 1-32; R ena V. G ra n t. “ C hinook Ja rg o n ," International Journal o f A m erican L inguistics, vol. II (1939). pp. 225-233.

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h is tim e they visited th e N o o tk a sou n d g ro u p for tra d in g and p o tlatch . Principally from Philip D ru c k e r’s w ork on th e N o o tk a , The N o rth e rn a n d C e n tra l N o o tk a n T rib e s35, now a sta n d ard re fe r­ ence, w e kn o w th a t th e v a rious dialect g ro u p s (m any o f them nam ed in passing by Je w itt) c o n stitu te d a type o f confederacy, th e v a rio u s g ro u p s being b o u n d in so m e w h a t loose political alliances; p acts o f m u tu al assistance, d efen ce, and trad e ; a n d arra n g e m e n ts o f political p a ram o u n tc y and vassalage. Jew itt provides only scant d a ta on th e political a rra n g e m e n ts in effect a t his tim e, alth o u g h th e Y u q u o t u n d e r th eir c h ie f M a q u in n a clearly w ere a m o n g th e m ost pow erful w hile they w ere n o t necessarily th e largest in term s o f p o p u latio n . In th e a n th ro p o lo g ical lite ra tu re on th e N o rth w est C o a st o n e finds c o n sid erab le d e b ate on th e n a tu re o f social stra tifica tio n , p a rticu la rly as it bears on th e in stitu tio n o f th e p o tla tc h 36. Jew itt a tte sts, alth o u g h n o t w ith o u t a m b ig u ity , to tw o senses o f stra tifi­ c atio n a m o n g th e N o o tk a . O n th e one h a n d , th e w hole social o rd e r is d ivided into th re e o r m o re hierarchically arra n g e d social “ classes.” Je w itt m akes rep ea te d reference to w h at a p p e a r to be class g ro u p s o r aggregates: slaves, c o m m o n e rs, a n d no b ility . On th e o th e r h a n d , Jew itt indicates th a t a t least th e class o f nobles w as d ivided into a series o f ra n k e d p o sitio n s w hich becam e o p e ra tiv e in th e c ontext o f cere m o n ia l events a n d th e p o tla tch . Y et th e rela tio n sh ip o f class a n d ra n k are n o t fully clear in Jew itt; h e c o n trib u tes to th e d e b a te , b u t does not resolve it. A t least p artly related to th e q u e stio n s o f stra tifica tio n and potlatch is Je w itt’s affirm atio n th a t certain key subsistence resources a re vested in th e chief. O th e r p e o p le in th e g ro u p (“ c o m m o n e rs” a n d “ slaves” ) h a v e rights o f usufruct b u t not ow n ersh ip in th ese resources. A ccordingly, th e c h ie f a n d his deci­ sio n s a b o u t re so u rc e use a n d a llo c a tio n a c c o rd h im a n d th o se closely associated w ith him a key a n d pow erful role in th e politi-

55 D rucker, Philip, The N orthern and C entral N o o tka n Tribes, Bureau o f A m erican Ethnology Bulletin 144 (W ashington: Sm ithsonian Institution, 1951). A readily available source o f readings on the “ rank and class' debate in N orthw est C oast ethnology is T om M cF eat Indians o f the North P acific C oast, C arleton Library no. 25 (T oronto: M cClelland and Stew art, 1966), pp . 134-179; for its bearing on the debate about the n atu re o f the potlatch see Philip D rucker and R obert F. H eizer, To M a k e M v N a m e G ood (Berkeley: University o f California Press, 1967).

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TH E ADVEN TURES AND SUFFERINGS OF JO H N R. JE W IT T

cal a n d eco n o m ic stru ctu re, b o th infra- and in ter-trib ally th ro u g h th e potlatch a n d its su p p o rtiv e in stitu tio n s. W hile J e w itt's d escrip tio n s o f th e p o tla tch a n d o th e r m ajor cerem o n ies h a rd ly lack vividness a n d co lo u r, they g enerally lack th e detail w hich w ould b e m o st satisfying to th e e th n o lo g ist. So b e it. W hile he a p p are n tly d escribes a p o tla tc h a t th e end o f C h a p te r 4 , a n d giv es s o m e d e ta il o f th e B e a r C e re m o n ia l in C h a p te r 10, w e have virtually n o th in g in his a cc o u n t on th e very im p o rta n t ritu a ls o f th e N o o tk a n w in te r c e re m o n ia l se a so n . E x am in atio n o f th e W in te r C e rem o n ies o f o th e r N o rth w e st C oast societies has yielded p ro fo u n d ly im p o rta n t insight into th e w o rk ­ ings o f these so cieties37. Je w itt p ro v id es q u ite extensive o b serv atio n s on basic su b sist­ e nce activities. T h e au th e n tic ity o f these a p p e a rs in light o f later e th n o g ra p h ic w o rk in th e a rea . W hile h e alludes in passing to seasonal shifts in th ese activities, h e does n o t p ro v id e a fully clear view o f th e seasonal changes in subsistence activities a n d dom estic a rra n g e m e n ts. Since th e seasonal cycle has sin ce been sh o w n to have im p o rta n t im plications fo r political a n d eco n o m ic in stitu ­ tio n s, p e rh a p s p articularly th e p o tla tc h 38, w e can only b e ta n ta ­ lized by w h at Je w itt had to say. P ro b ab ly h e knew far m o re than a p p e a rs in e ith e r th e J o u rn a l o r th e ’ N a rra tiv e , but w e can never lose sight o f th e fact th a t th ey w ere n o t e d ited a n d pu b lish ed for a n a u d ien ce o f e th n o g rap h ers. H is o b serv atio n s on m aterial cu ltu re a re now a lm o st fully a u th e n tic ate d by su b seq u e n t m useum collections a n d arch a eo lo g i­ cal a n d e th n o g ra p h ic w ork in th e a rea . O th e r d etails have th e ring o f tru th , a lth o u g h he p ro b a b ly dev o tes d is p ro p o rtio n a te atte n tio n to them a n d clearly does n o t fully g ra sp th e ir N o o tk a n m ean in g . H e frequently notes the N o o tk a n d istaste fo r salty food. O n e can still e n co u n ter this in th e a re a a n d a m o n g o th e r n o rth e rn N o rth A m e ric an In d ian a n d E sk im o g ro u p s. H e no tes th e fre q u e n t use o f w h ite b ird ’s do w n in cerem o n ial dress a n d ritual actio n s. H e sta te s a t o n e p o in t th a t this is “ to re p re se n t snow ” ; ra th e r, the

37 E.g. Boas, Franz, T h e Social O rganization and Secret Societies o f the K w a kiu tl Indians. U .S . N ational M useum R eport for 1895 (W ash­ ington, D .C .: Sm ithsonian Institution, 1897). 38 E .g. S u ttles, W ay n e, “ A ffinal T ies, S u b sisten ce a n d P restige am o n g th e C o a st S aiish ,” A m erica n A n th r o p o lo g is t, vol. 62, no. 2 (1961), pp. 296-305; Suttles, W ayne, “ V ariation in H abitat and C ulture on th e N orthw est C o a st,” Transactions o f the 34th Interna­ tional Congress o f A m ericanists, V ienna, I960, pp. 522-537. For opposing views see Philip D rucker and R obert F . H eizer, op. cit.

INTRODUCTION

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use o f w hite dow n, still to be seen in N o rth w e st C o a st Indian rites, is to in d icate th at th e a sso ciated events a re w h at w e usually call “ sa c re d ” ra th e r th an “ p ro fa n e .” T h is has a p a rtic u la r associa­ tion w ith th e “ sa c re d ” w in ter season a n d its principal events. It can also c o n n o te p eace a n d a m ity . A t m any po in ts. Jew itt refers to w om en, particu larly o f th e no b ility , as being fa ir-sk in n e d . T h e Indian w om an w hom h e “ m a rrie d ” h e describes in this fashion. T h is h a s led H o d g so n 39 to state: T h e girl [Jew itt] chooses [to m arry ] is a princess, a n d by his ow n ad m issio n very beautiful a n d light in c o m plexion. T he la tte r quality m ust have been th e d eciding p o in t, as he had to ju stify his actio n s if he ever re tu rn e d to civilization. T his c u rio u s, m ildly racist m o tiv a tio n im p u ted to Je w itt m ay have a germ o f tru th ; b u t w ho can tell? W e m u st b ew are o f p sy ch o an a­ lyzing th e d e ad . T h e fact is th a t fair skin w as con sid ered a sign o f beauty a n d nobility a m o n g m an y N o rth w e st C o a st g ro u p s, and w om en a p p ro ac h in g m arriag e a b le age w ere o ften secluded for ex ten d ed p e rio d s in d o o rs so th a t they w ould have th e desirable pale com plexion a t th e tim e o f th e ir m arriag e . O th e r details, such a s th e ritual p ro sc rip tio n o f sexual in terco u rse fo r w halers before a w h a le-h u n t, like m an y p o in ts m a d e in passing by Je w itt, are fully c onfirm ed in su b seq u e n t e th n o g ra p h ic w o rk . O n a n u m b er o f occasions Je w itt d escribes events, th e m e a n ­ ing o f w hich he p ro b ab ly never c o m p re h e n d e d . F o r exam ple, he a n d T h o m p so n (his c o m p a n io n from th e sh ip B oston) a re sent out to th e w oods d u rin g a sh a m an istic p e rfo rm a n ce in th e W in ter s e a so n a n d to ld to sta y a w ay fo r se v e n d a y s. T h e y re tu rn e d b efore th e ritual cycle w as c o m p le te in th e village, a n d w ere allow ed to stay a n d observe th e re m a in d e r o f th e perfo rm an ce. P ro b ab ly w h at in fact had h a p p e n e d w as th a t Je w itt a n d T h o m p ­ son, a fte r a form o f ritual seclusion, h a d in effect been in itiated into o n e o f th e W in te r Season ritual societies, “ th o u g h th e tw o did n o t u n d e rsta n d w h at it w as all a b o u t.” 40 A t th is perfo rm an ce, and a t o th ers, Je w itt describes p e rfo rm e rs being c arried a b o u t on b ay o n ets sticking th ro u g h th e ir flesh. H e a p p ea rs to have accepted th is as g en u in e , alth o u g h such scenes w ere a p ro m in e n t featu re o f N o o tk a a n d K w ak iu tl sh a m an istic a n d cere m o n ia l p e r­ form ances, in w hich th eatrical “ tric k e ry ” a n d p re stid ig ita tio n w ere extensively p ra ctic e d 41. '9 H odgson, M aurice, op. cit., p. 32. -10 D rucker, Philip, op. cit., p. 391. 41 Cf. e.g., Boas, F ranz, op. cit.

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F inally, captiv ity jo u rn a ls a n d sim ilar acco u n ts w ere p ro b ab ly very im p o rta n t in sh a p in g o p in io n s a b o u t In d ian s by n o n -In d ia n N o rth A m e ric an society. A stu d y o f captivity jo u rn a ls, etc., in th is light w ould be valuable. B ut Je w itt’s a cc o u n t p ro v id es us in so m e m ea su re w ith a view “ from th e o th e r sid e ” . T h e insensitivi­ ties a n d b ru ta litie s o f early N o rth A m e ric an , B ritish, a n d Spanish explorers, tra d e rs, a n d m ilitary m en em erge clearly a n d som e a p p rec ia tio n o f Indian reactio n s to th em m ay be o b ta in e d in Je w itt’s w o rk . A h istorical stu d y o f “ race re la tio n s” co u ld well be b ased, at least in p a rt, on m a te ria ls o f th is kind. O n e a p p re c ia te s D ru c k e r’s42 c o m m e n t th a t Je w itt’s N arrative is “ a very d etailed descrip tio n o f n a tiv e life, a n d livelier reading th an m an y n ovels.” A m en. D erek G. O ttaw a M a y , 1973

S m it h

j:; D rucker, Philip, Indians o f th e N orthw est Coast (G ard en City, New Y ork: 1963), p. 210.

1. Birth, Parentage and Early Life of The Author I w a s b o m in B oston, a c o n sid era b le b o ro u g h tov/n in L incoln­ s h ire , in G r e a t B rita in , o n th e 2 1 st o f M a y , 1783. M y fa th e r, E dw ard Je w itt, w as by tra d e a b lac k sm ith , a n d esteem ed a m o n g th e first in his line o f business in th a t place. A t th e age o f th ree years I had th e m isfo rtu n e to lose m y m o th e r, a m o st excellent w o m a n , w ho d ied in c h ild b e d , leaving an infant d a u g h te r, w ho, w ith m yself, a n d an e ld e r b ro th e r by a fo rm e r m arriag e o f m y fa th e r, c o n stitu ted th e w hole o f o u r fam ily. M y fa th e r, w ho con sid ered a g o o d ed u ca tio n as th e g reatest blessing h e could bestow on his ch ild ren , w as very p a rtic u la r in p a y in g every a tte n ­ tion to us in th a t respect, alw ays e x h o rtin g us to b eh av e well, and e n d ea v o u rin g to im press on o u r m in d s th e principles o f v irtu e and m o rality , a n d no expense in his po w er w as sp a red to h av e us instructed in w hatever m ight re n d e r us useful a n d respectable in society. M y b ro th e r, w ho w as fo u r years o ld e r th a n m yself a n d o f a m o re h a rd y c o n stitu tio n , h e d e stin e d for his ow n trad e , b u t to m e h e h a d resolved to give an e d u c a tio n su p e rio r to th a t w hich is to b e o b ta in e d in a co m m o n sc h o o l, it bein g his in te n tio n th a t I sho u ld a d o p t o n e o f th e learned professions. A ccordingly, at the age o f tw elve he to o k m e from th e school in w hich I h a d been ta u g h t th e first ru d im e n ts o f learn in g , a n d placed m e u n d e r the care o f M r. M oses, a c eleb rated tea ch e r o f an academ y a t D o n n in g to n , a b o u t eleven m iles from B oston, in o rd e r to be instructed in th e L atin language, a n d in som e o f th e h igher b ran ch es o f th e m ath em atics. I th e re m ad e c o n sid erab le p ro fi­ ciency in w riting, read in g , a n d a rith m e tic , a n d o b tain e d a pretty g o o d know ledge o f n a vigation a n d o f surveying; b u t m y p rogress in L atin w as slow , not only ow in g to th e little in clination I felt for lea rn in g th a t language, but to a n a tu ra l im p e d im e n t in m y speech, w hich ren d ere d it extrem ely difficult for m e to p ro n o u n c e it, so th a t in a sh o rt tim e, w ith m y fa th e r’s c onsent, I w holly relin q u ish ed th e study. T h e p e rio d o f m y stay at this place w as th e m o st h ap p y o f m y life. M y p r e c e p to r , M r. M o s e s , w a s n o t o n ly a le a r n e d , b u t a v irtu o u s, ben ev o len t, a n d am iab le m a n , universally beloved by his p upils, w ho to o k delight in his in stru ctio n , a n d to w h o m he

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allow ed every p ro p e r am u sem en t th a t consisted w ith a tte n tio n to th e ir studies. O n e o f th e p rin cip al p leasu res I enjoyed w as in a tte n d in g the fair, w hich is regularly held tw ice a y e a r a t D o n n in g to n , in the sp rin g a n d in th e fall, th e seco n d day being w holly d ev o ted to selling horses, a p ro d ig io u s n u m b e r o f w hich are b ro u g h t th ith e r for th a t p u rp o se . A s th e scholars on these occasions w ere alw ays indulged w ith a holiday, I c a n n o t express w ith w hat eagerness o f y o u th fu l expectatio n 1 used to a n tic ip a te th ese fairs, n o r w hat delig h t I felt a t th e vario u s show s, exh ib itio n s o f wild beasts, and o th e r e n te rta in m e n ts th a t they p resen ted ; I w as frequently visited by m y father, w ho alw ays discovered m uch jo y on seeing me; praised m e for m y a cq u irem e n ts, a n d usually left m e a sm all sum for m y pock et expenses. A m o n g th e scholars a t th is acad em y , th e re w as o n e nam ed C h a rle s R ice, w ith w hom I fo rm ed a p a rtic u la r intim acy, w hich c o n tin u e d d u rin g th e w hole o f m y stay. H e w as m y class and room m ate , a n d as th e tow n h e cam e from , A shby, w as m ore th an sixty m iles off, instead o f re tu rn in g h o m e, h e used frequently d u rin g th e vacation to g o w ith m e to B oston, w here h e alw ays m et w ith a c o rd ia l w elcom e from m y father, w ho received m e on th ese o ccasions w ith th e g re atest affection, a p p are n tly tak in g m uch p rid e in m e. M y frien d in re tu rn used to ta k e m e w ith him to a n uncle o f his in D o n n in g to n , a very w ealthy m a n , who, h aving no c hildren o f his o w n , w as very fond o f his nephew , and on his account I w as alw ays a w elcom e visitor a t th e house. 1 had a g o o d voice, a n d an e a r for m usic, to w hich I w as alw ays passionately a tta c h e d , tho u g h m y fa th e r en d ea v o u red to d isc o u r­ a ge this p ro p e n sity , considering it (as is to o frequently th e case) but an in tro d u c tio n to a life o f idleness a n d d issip a tio n ; a n d , h aving been rem arked- for m y singing a t ch u rch , w hich w as regu­ larly a tte n d ed on S undays a n d festival days by th e scholars, M r. M o rth ro p , m y friend R ice’s uncle, used frequently to req u est m e to sing; he w as alw ays p leased w ith m y exh ib itio n s o f this kind, a n d it w as n o d o u b t o n e o f th e m eans th a t secured m e so g ra cio u s a recep tio n a t his h o u se . A n u m b e r o f o th e r g entlem en in th e place w ould so m etim es send for m e to sing a t th e ir houses, a n d as I w as n o t a little vain o f m y vocal pow ers, I w as m uch g ra tified on receiving these in v itatio n s, a n d accepted them with th e g re atest pleasure. T h u s passed aw ay th e tw o h a p p ie st y ears o f m y life, w hen my fa th e r, th in k in g th a t i had received a sufficient ed u catio n fo r the p ro fessio n he in te n d e d m e for, to o k m e from school a t D o n n in g ­ to n in o rd e r to a p p ren tic e m e to D o c to r M a so n , a su rg eo n o f

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e m in en ce a t R easby, in th e n e ig h b o u rh o o d o f th e c eleb rated Sir Jo se p h B a n k s.1 W ith regret d id I p a rt from m y school a c q u a in t­ ance, p a rticu la rly m y friend R ice, a n d re tu rn e d h o m e w ith m y fa th e r, o n a sh o rt visit to m y fam ily, p re p a ra to ry to m y in ten d ed ap p ren tic e sh ip . T h e disinclin atio n 1 ever h a d felt for th e pro fes­ sion m y fa th e r w ished m e to p u rsu e , w as still fu rth e r increased on m y re tu rn . W h en a child I w as alw ays fond o f being in th e sh o p , a m o n g th e w o rk m e n , e n d ea v o u rin g to im itate w h a t I saw them do; th is d isp o sitio n so far increased a fte r m y leaving th e acad em y , th a t I could n o t b e ar to hear th e least m en tio n m a d e o f m y being ap p ren tic e d to a su rg eo n , a n d I used so m any e n tre aties w ith m y fa th e r to p e rsu ad e him to give up this plan a n d learn m e his own tra d e , th a t h e a t last con sen ted . M o re fo rtu n a te w ould it p ro b a b ly have been for m e, h a d I g r a tifie d th e w ish e s o f th is a f fe c tio n a te p a re n t, in a d o p tin g th e profession h e h a d ch o sen for m e, th a n th u s to have induced him to sacrifice them to m in e. H ow ever it m ight h a v e b een , I w as at length in tro d u c ed into th e sh o p , a n d m y n a tu ra l tu rn o f m ind co rre sp o n d in g w ith th e e m p lo y m en t, I b e ca m e in a sh o rt tim e unco m m o n ly e x p ert a t th e w o rk to w hich I w as se t. I now felt m yself well c o n te n te d , pleased w ith m y o c c u p a tio n , a n d trea te d w ith m uch affection by m y fa th e r, a n d kin d n ess by m y ste p ­ m o th e r, m y fa th e r h aving o n c e m o re en tered th e sta te o f m a tri­ m o n y , w ith a w idow m u ch y o u n g e r th an him self, w ho h a d been b ro u g h t up in a su p e rio r m a n n e r, a n d w as a n a m ia b le and sensible w om an. A b o u t a y e ar after I had co m m en ced th is a p p ren tic e sh ip , m y fa th e r, finding th a t he could carry on his business to m o re a d v a n ­ tage in H ull, rem oved th ith e r w ith his fam ily. A n event o f no little im p o rta n c e to m e, as it in a g re at m ea su re influenced m y fu tu re destiny. H ull being o n e o f th e best p o rts in E ngland, a n d a place o f g re a t tra d e , m y fath er h a d th e re full e m p lo y m en t for his n u m ero u s w o rk m e n , particu larly in vessel w o rk . T h is n atu rally leading m e to a n a cq u a in ta n ce w ith th e sailors on b o a rd so m e o f the ships: th e m an y re m a rk a b le sto ries they told m e o f th eir voyages a n d ad v en tu res, and o f th e m an n e rs a n d custom s o f the n a tio n s they h a d seen, excited a stro n g wish in m e to visit foreign co u n tries, w hich w as increased by m y re ad in g th e voyages o f C a p ta in C o o k , a n d som e o th e r c eleb ra ted n a vigators. 1 Sir Joseph Banks, for m any years President o f the Royal Society, was a close com panion o f C aptain Jam es Cook on several voyages. Banks had an especial interest in botany and related scientific m at­ ters.

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T h u s passed th e fo u r y e ars th a t I lived at H ull, w here my fa th e r w as esteem ed by all w ho knew h im , as a w o rth y , indus­ trio u s, and th riv in g m an . A t this p e rio d a circu m stan ce occurred w hich a fforded m e the o p p o rtu n ity I had for som e tim e w ished, o f gratifying m y inclination o f g o in g a b ro a d . A m o n g o u r principal cu sto m e rs a t Hull w ere th e A m ericans w h o fre q u e n te d th a t p o r t, a n d from w h o se c o n v e rs a tio n m y fa th e r as well as m yself form ed th e m o st favourable o p in io n o f th a t c o u n try , as affording a n excellent field for th e ex ertio n s o f in d u stry , a n d a flattering p ro sp e ct for th e estab lish m en t o f a y o u n g m an in life. In th e su m m e r o f th e y e ar 1802, d u rin g the peace betw een E ngland a n d F ra n c e , th e sh ip B o sto n , b elonging to B oston, in M assachusetts, a n d c o m m a n d e d by C a p ta in J o h n Sal­ te r, arrived at H ull, w h ith er she cam e to ta k e on b o a rd a carg o o f such goo d s as w ere w anted for th e tra d e w ith th e In d ian s, o n the N o rth -W e st co ast o f A m erica, fro m w hence, a fte r h aving tak e n in a lading o f furs a n d skins, sh e w as to p ro ceed to C h in a, a n d from th e n c e h o m e to A m e ric a . T h e s h ip h a v in g o c c a sio n fo r m an y re p airs a n d alte ra tio n s, necessary fo r so long a voyage, th e c ap tain a pplied to m y fa th e r to do th e sm ith ’s w o rk , w hich w as very co n sid erab le. T h a t g e n tle m a n , w ho w as o f a social tu rn , used often to call a t m y fa th e r’s h o u se , w h ere h e passed m an y o f his evenings, w ith his c h ie f a n d seco n d m ates, M r. B. D elouisa and M r. W illiam In g rah a m , th e la tte r a fine yo u n g m an o f a b o u t tw enty, o f a m o st a m ia b le te m p e r, and o f such affable m anners, as g ained him th e love a n d a tta c h m e n t o f th e w hole crew . T hese gen tlem en used occasionally to ta k e m e w ith them to th e th ea tre , an am u sem en t w hich I w as very fond of, a n d w hich m y father ra th e r e n co u ra g ed th an objected to, as h e th o u g h t it a good m ea n s o f p re v en tin g yo u n g m en, w ho a re naturally inclined to seek for so m e th in g to a m u se th e m , from freq u e n tin g taverns, ale-houses, a n d places o f b a d reso rt, equally d estru ctiv e o f the health a n d m o rals, w hile th e stag e frequently furnishes excellent lessons o f m o rality and g o o d c onduct. In th e evenings th a t he passed at m y fa th e r’s. C a p ta in Salter, w ho had for a g re at n u m b er o f years been a t sea, a n d seen alm ost all p a rts o f th e w orld, used so m e tim es to speak o f his voyages, a n d , observing m e listen w ith m uch a tte n tio n to his re la tio n s, he o n e day, w hen I had b ro u g h t him som e w o rk , said to m e in ra th e r a jo c o se m an n e r, “ Jo h n , h o w should you like to go with m e? " I answ ered, th at it w ould give m e g re at pleasure, th a t I had for a long tim e w ished to visit foreign c o u n tries, particu larly A m erica, w hich I had been told so m an y fine sto ries of, a n d th at if m y fath er w ould give his c o n se n t, a n d h e w as w illing to tak e m e w ith h im , I w ould go.

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“ I shall be very glad to d o it,” said he, “ if y o u r fa th e r can be p revailed on to let you go; a n d as 1 w an t an e x p ert sm ith for an a rm o u re r, th e o n e I have sh ip p e d for th a t p u rp o se n o t being sufficiently m aste r o f his tra d e , I have no d o u b t th a t y o u will answ er m y tu rn well, as I perceive you a re b o th active and ingenious, a n d on m y re tu rn to A m e ric a I shall p ro b a b ly be ab le to d o som eth in g m uch b e tte r for y o u in B oston. I will ta k e the first o p p o rtu n ity o f speaking to y o u r fath er a b o u t it, a n d try to p e rsu ad e him to c o n se n t.” H e accordingly, th e next evening th a t h e called a t o u r house, in tro d u c e d th e subject: m y fath er a t first w ould n o t listen to th e p ro p o sa l. T h a t best o f p a re n ts, tho u g h a n x io u s for m y a d v an tag e o u s e stab lish m en t in life, could n o t bear to th in k o f p a rtin g w ith m e, b u t on C a p ta in S alter’s telling him o f w h a t benefit it w ould b e to m e to go th e voyage w ith h im , and th a t it w as a p ity to k e ep a p ro m isin g a n d in g en io u s yo u n g fellow like m yself con fin ed to a sm all sh o p in E ngland, w hen if I had to le rab le success I m ight d o so m u ch b e tte r in A m erica, w here w ages w ere m uch h igher a n d living c h eap er, h e a t length g a v e up his objectio n s, a n d consented th a t I sho u ld sh ip on b o a rd the B o sto n as an a rm o u re r, at th e ra te o f th irty d o lla rs p e r m o n th , w ith a n a g ree m e n t th a t th e a m o u n t due to m e, to g e th e r w ith a c ertain sum o f m o n ey , w hich m y fath er gave C a p ta in S alter for th a t p u rp o se , sh o u ld be laid o u t by him o n th e N o rth -W e st coast in th e p u rch ase o f furs for m y a cc o u n t, to be d isposed o f in C h in a for such goo d s as w ould yield a p rofit on th e re tu rn o f th e ship; m y fath er being solicitous to give m e every ad v an tag e in his p o w e r o f well establishing m yself in m y tra d e in B oston, o r som e o th e r m aritim e tow n o f A m erica. Such w ere th e flattering expec­ ta tio n s w hich this g o o d m an indulged respecting m e. A las! the fatal d isa ster th a t befell us, n o t only b lasted all these h opes, but involved m e in ex trem e distress a n d w retchedness for a long pe rio d after. T h e ship, h aving u n d e rg o n e a th o ro u g h re p a ir a n d b e en well co p p ere d , p ro ceed ed to ta k e on b o a rd h e r carg o , w hich consisted o f English cloths, D u tc h b lan k e ts, looking-glasses, beads, knives, razo rs, etc., w hich w ere received from H olland, som e su g a r and m olasses, a b o u t tw enty hogsheads o f ru m , including stores for the ship, a g re at q u a n tity o f a m m u n itio n , cutlasses, pistols, a n d th ree th o u sa n d m uskets a n d fow ling-pieces. T h e sh ip being load ed and ready for sea, as I w as p re p a rin g for m y d e p a rtu re , m y fath er cam e to m e, a n d , tak in g m e a sid e, said to m e w ith m uch e m o ­ tio n , “ Jo h n , I am now g oing to p a rt w ith y o u , a n d H eaven only know s if w e shall ever again m ee t. But in w h a tev e r p a rt o f the w orld y o u are, alw ays b e a r it in m in d , th a t on y o u r ow n co n d u ct will d e p en d y o u r success in life. Be hon est, in dustrious, frugal.

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a n d tem p e ra te , a n d you will n o t fail, in w h atso ev er c o u n try it m ay be y o u r lot to b e placed , to gain y o u rse lf friends. Let th e B ible b e y o u r g u id e, and y o u r reliance in any fo rtu n e th a t m ay befall y o u , th a t A lm ighty B eing, w ho k n o w s how to b rin g forth g o o d from evil, a n d w ho never d eserts th o se w ho p u t th e ir trust in H im .” H e re p ea te d his e x h o rta tio n s to m e to lead an honest a n d C h ristia n life, a n d to recollect th a t I h a d a father, a m o th er, a b ro th e r, a n d sister, w ho co u ld n o t but feel a stro n g in te rest in my w elfare, e n jo in in g m e to w rite him by th e first o p p o rtu n ity th a t sho u ld offer to E ngland, from w hatever p a rt o f th e w orld I m ig h t b e in, m o re particu larly o n m y arrival in B oston. T h is I p ro m ised to d o , b u t long u n h a p p ily w as it before I w as ab le to fulfil th is p ro m ise. I then to o k a n affectio n ate leave o f m y w orthy p a re n t, w hose feelings w ould h ardly p e rm it him to sp e a k , and, b id d in g an affe c tio n a te farew ell to m y b ro th e r, sister, a n d ste p ­ m o th e r, w ho expressed th e g re atest solicitu d e for m y fu tu re for­ tu n e , w en t on b o a rd th e ship, w hich p ro c ee d ed to th e D o w n s, to b e read y fo r th e first fav o u rab le w ind. I found m yself well accom ­ m o d a te d on b o a rd as reg ard e d m y w o rk , a n iron forge having been erected on deck; this m y fa th e r h a d m a d e for th e sh ip on a new plan, for w hich h e a fte rw a rd s o b ta in e d a p a te n t; w hile a c o rn e r o f th e steerag e w as a p p ro p ria te d to m y vice-bench, so th a t in b a d w eath er I could w o rk below .

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2

Voyage to Nootka Sound O n th e th ird day o f S e p tem b e r, 1802, w e sailed from th e D ow ns w ith a fair w ind, in c o m p an y w ith tw e n ty -fo u r sail o f A m erican vessels, m o st o f w hich w ere b o u n d hom e. I w as sea-sick for a few o f th e first days, but it w as o f sh o rt co n tin u a n ce , a n d on m y recovery I found m yself in unco m m o n ly fine health a n d spirits, a n d w e n t to w o rk w ith alacrity a t m y forge, in p u ttin g in o rd e r so m e o f th e m u sk ets, and m aking daggers, knives, a n d sm all h a tc h ets fo r th e In d ian tra d e , w hile in w et a n d sto rm y w e ath e r I w as occu p ied below in filing and polishing th em . T h is w as m y e m p lo y m en t, h aving b u t little to do w ith sailing th e vessel, th o u g h I used occasionally to lend a han d in assisting th e se a m e n in tak in g in a n d m ak in g sail. A s I h a d never b efore b e en o u t o f sight o f lan d , I c a n n o t describ e m y sen satio n s, a fte r I h a d recovered from th e distressing effects o f sea-sickness, on view ing th e m ighty o cean by w hich I w as su rro u n d e d , b o u n d only by th e sky, w hile its w aves, rising in m o u n ta in s, seem ed every m o m e n t to th re a te n o u r ru in . M anifest as is th e h a n d o f Providence in preserving its c rea tu re s from d e stru ctio n , in n o instance is it m o re so th a n on th e g re at deep; for w h e th er w e consider in its tu m u ltu a ry m o tio n s th e w atery deluge th a t each m o m e n t m enaces to overw helm us, th e im m ense violence o f its shocks, th e little th a t in terp o ses betw een us and d e ath , a single plan k fo rm in g o u r only security, w hich, sho u ld it u n fo rtu n ately be lo o sen ed , w ould p lu n g e us at o n ce in to th e abyss, o u r g ra titu d e o u g h t strongly to be excited to w ard s th at su p e rin te n d in g D eity w ho in so w o n d erfu l a m an n e r su stain s o u r lives a m id th e w aves. W e h a d a p leasan t a n d fav o u ra b le passage o f tw enty-nine days to th e Island o f S t. C a th e rin e ,1 on th e co ast o f Brazils, w here th e c ap tain had d e te rm in e d to sto p for a few days to w ood and w ater. T his place belongs to th e P ortuguese. O n e n te rin g the h a rb o u r, w e w ere saluted by th e fo rt, w hich w e re tu rn e d . T he next day th e g o v e rn o r o f th e island c am e on b o a rd o f us w ith his suite; C a p ta in Salter received him w ith m uch respect, a n d invited him to d in e w ith h im , w hich h e accepted. T h e sh ip rem ain ed at St. C a th e rin e ’s fo u r days, d u rin g w hich tim e w e w ere busily em ployed in tak in g in w ood, w a ter, a n d fresh p rovisions, C a p ta in 1 i.e. th e Isla Santa C atharina.

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S alter th in k in g it best to furnish h im self here w ith a full supply for his voyage to th e N o rth -W e st co ast, so as n o t to be o b lig ed to sto p a t th e S andw ich Islands. St. C a th e rin e ’s is a very c o m m o ­ d io u s place fo r vessels to sto p a t th a t a re bo u n d ro u n d C ap e H o rn , as it a b o u n d s w ith sp rin g s o f fine w a ter, w ith excellent oranges, p lan ta in s, a n d b a n an as. H aving co m p leted o u r sto re s, w e p u t to sea, a n d o n the tw enty-fifth o f D ecem b er, at length passed C a p e H o rn , w hich we had m ade no less th an thirty-six days before, but w ere repeatedly forced back by c o n tra ry w inds, experiencing very ro u g h a n d te m ­ p e stu o u s w e ath e r in d oubling it. Im m ed iately a fte r passing C a p e H o rn , all o u r d a n g e rs and difficulties seem ed to b e at an end; th e w e ath e r b ecam e fine, and so little la b o u r w as necessary on b o a rd th e sh ip , th a t th e m en so o n recovered from th eir fatigue a n d w ere in excellent sp irits. A few days a fte r w e fell in w ith a n E nglish S o u th S ea w haling ship h om ew ard b o u n d , w hich w as th e only vessel we sp o k e w ith on o u r voyage. W e now to o k th e tra d e w ind o r m o n so o n , during w hich we enjoyed th e finest w e ath e r possible, so th a t fo r the space o f a fo rtn ig h t we w ere n o t obliged to reeve a topsail o r to m ak e a tac k , a n d so light w as th e d u ty a n d easy th e life o f the sailors du rin g this tim e, th a t th ey a p p e a re d th e hap p iest o f any p e o p le in th e w orld. C a p ta in S alter, w ho h a d been for m an y y ears in th e East In d ia tra d e , w as a m o st excellent se a m a n , a n d preserv ed th e strictest o rd e r a n d discipline on b o a rd his ship, th o u g h h e w as a m an o f m ild te m p e r a n d con ciliatin g m an n e rs, a n d d isposed to allow every indulgence to his m en , n o t inconsistent w ith their d u ty . W e h a d on b o a rd a fine b a n d o f m usic, w ith w hich on S atu rd ay nights, w hen th e w e ath e r w as p leasan t, w e w ere accus­ to m e d to b e regaled, th e c ap tain o rd e rin g them to play fo r several h o u rs for th e am u sem en t o f th e crew . T h is to m e w as m ost delightful, especially du rin g th e se ren e evenings we experienced in traversing th e S o u th ern O cean. As for m yself, du rin g th e day I w as co n stan tly o ccu p ied a t m y forge, in refitting o r rep airin g som e o f th e iro n w o rk o f th e vessel, b u t principally in m aking to m a h a w k s, daggers, etc., fo r th e N o rth -W e st coast. D u rin g th e first p a rt o f o u r voyage w e saw scarcely any fish, excepting som e w hales, a few sh a rk s, a n d flying fish; b u t a fter w eath erin g C a p e H o rn w e m et w ith n u m ero u s shoals o f sea po rp o ises, several o f w h o m w e c au g h t, a n d as w e h a d been for som e tim e w ith o u t fresh p rovisions, I fo u n d it not only a p a la ta ­ ble, b u t really a very excellent food. T o o n e w ho has never before

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seen th em , a shoal o f these fish 2 presents a very strik in g a n d sin g u lar a p p ea ran c e; beheld a t a d istan c e com ing to w ard s a vessel, they look not unlik e a g re at n u m b e r o f sm all black w aves rolling o v er o n e a n o th e r in a confused m a n n e r, a n d a p p ro ac h in g with g re a t sw iftness. A s soon as a shoal is seen, all is bustle a n d activity on b o a rd th e sh ip , th e g ra in s a n d th e h a rp o o n s are im m ediately g o t ready, a n d th o se w ho a re best skilled in throw ing th em ta k e th e ir stand a t th e b o w a n d alo n g th e gunw ale, a n x ­ iously aw aitin g th e w elcom e tro o p as they co m e, g am bolling and blow ing a ro u n d th e vessel, in search o f food. W h en pierced w ith th e h a rp o o n a n d d ra w n o n b o a rd , u n less th e fish is in sta n tly killed by th e stro k e , w hich rarely h a p p en s, it u tte rs m ost pitiful cries, greatly resem bling th o se o f a n infant. T h e flesh, cu t into ste ak s a n d bro iled , is not unlik e very coarse beef, and th e harslet in a p p e a ra n c e a n d taste is so m u ch like th a t o f a h og, th a t it w o u ld b e no easy m a tte r to d istin g u ish th e o n e from th e other; fro m this circu m stan ce th e sailors have given th e n a m e o f the h e rrin g h o g 3 to this fish. I w as to ld by so m e o f th e crew , th a t if o n e o f them h a p p en s to free itself from th e g ra in s o r h a rp o o n s, w hen stru c k , all th e oth ers, a ttra c te d by th e blo o d , im m ediately q u it th e sh ip a n d give chase to th e w o u n d e d o n e , and as so o n as they o v e rta k e it, im m ediately te a r it in pieces. W e also c au g h t a large sh a rk , w hich h a d follow ed th e sh ip for several days, w ith a ho o k w hich I m ad e for th e p u rp o se , and a lth o u g h th e flesh w as by no m eans equal to th at o f th e h errin g hog, yet to those de stitu te as we w ere o f anyth in g fresh, I fo u n d it e at very well. A fte r passing th e C a p e, w hen th e sea h a d b e co m e calm , w e saw g re a t n u m b ers o f albatrosses, a large brow n a n d w hite b ird o f the g o o se k in d , o n e o f w hich C a p ta in S alter sh o t, w hose w ings m e a ­ su re d from th e ir ex trem ities fifteen feet. O n e thin g , how ever, 1 m ust n o t om it m entio n in g , as it stru ck m e in a m o st sin g u lar and e x tra o rd in a ry m a n n e r. T h is w as, th a t on passing C ap e H o rn in D e ce m b er, w hich w as m id su m m e r in th a t c lim ate, th e nights w ere so light, w ith o u t any m o o n , th a t w e fo u n d no difficulty w hatever in read in g sm all p rin t, w hich w e frequently did d u rin g o u r w atches.

: porpoises are. o f course, not llsh, but m am m als. 1the English w ord porpoise is derived from the French nam e for this anim al, p o re poisson (i.e. pig fish). The nam e “ herring h o g " as given by Jew itt is obviously closely parallel.

3. Intercourse With the Natives Maquina - Seizure of the Vessel and Murder o f the Crew I n this m a n n e r, w ith a fair w ind a n d easy w e ath e r from th e 28th o f D ecem b er, th e p eriod o f o u r passing C a p e H o rn , w e pursued o u r voyage to th e n o rth w a rd until th e 12th o f M a rch , 1803, w hen w e m a d e W o o d y P oint in N o o tk a S o u n d , on th e N o rth -W e st co ast o f A m e ric a. W e im m ed iately sto o d up th e S o u n d for N o o tk a ,1 w h ere C a p ta in S alter h a d d e te rm in e d to sto p , in o rd e r to supply th e sh ip w ith w ood a n d w a ter b e fo re pro ceed in g up the co ast to tra d e . B ut in o rd e r to av o id th e risk o f an y m o lestatio n o r in te rru p tio n to his m en from th e In d ian s w hile th u s em p lo y ed , he p ro ceed ed w ith th e sh ip a b o u t five m iles to th e n o rth w a rd o f the village, w hich is situ ate d on F rie n d ly C o v e , a n d sent o u t his chief m ate w ith several o f th e crew in th e b o a t to find a g o o d place for an ch o rin g her. A fte r so u n d in g for so m e tim e, they re tu rn e d with in fo rm a tio n th a t th ey h a d disco v ered a secure place fo r a n c h o r­ age, on th e w estern side o f a n in let o r sm all bay, at a b o u t h a lf a m ile from th e co ast, n e ar a sm all island w hich p ro tec te d it from th e sea, and w h ere th ere w as p len ty o f w o o d a n d excellent w ater. T h e sh ip accordingly cam e to a n c h o r in this p lace, a t twelve o ’clock a t n ight, in tw elve fa th o m w ater, m u d d y b o tto m , a n d so n e ar th e sh o re th a t to p rev en t th e ship from w inding w e secured h e r by a haw ser to th e trees. O n th e m o rn in g o f th e next d ay , th e 13th, several o f the natives cam e o n b o a rd in a c a n o e from th e village o f N o o tk a , w ith th e ir k in g ,2 called M a q u in a , w ho a p p e a re d m uch p leased on

1 “ N o o tk a” is not an aboriginal nam e. It denotes variously the village o f Y uquot, th e trib e centred there (also know n as the Y uquot), and the region occupied by them on Friendly Cove. It was also used to denote the M oachat tribe. In later tim es the nam e N ootka has been generalized to the w hole group o f tribes and tribelets speaking dialects o f a com m on language, now also called N ootka. The prom ­ inence o f the nam e N o otka derives from the days o f th e m aritim e fur-trade. Y uquot and Friendly C ove were an im portant area o f contact between Indians an d traders. : the w ord “ kin g ,” often used in older accounts to denote political leaders o r prom inent m en am ong aboriginal peoples is not appropri-

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seeing us, a n d w ith g re a t seem ing c o rd iality w elcom ed C a p ta in Salter a n d his officers to his c o u n try . A s I h a d never before beheld a savage o f any n a tio n , it m ay readily b e su p p o sed th a t th e novelty o f th e ir a p p ea ran c e, so different from any peo p le th a t I had h ith e rto seen, excited in m e stro n g feelings o f su rp rise and curiosity. I w as, how ever, p a rticu la rly struck w ith th e looks o f th eir king, w ho w as a m an o f a dignified aspect, a b o u t six feet in height a n d extrem ely stra ig h t a n d well p ro p o rtio n e d ; his features w ere in general g o o d , a n d his face w as ren d ere d re m a rk a b le by a large R o m an nose, a very u n c o m m o n form o f featu re am ong these p eople; his com plexion w as o f a d a rk c o p p e r hue, tho u g h his face, legs, and a rm s w ere, on this occasion, so covered w ith red p a in t, th a t th eir n a tu ra l c o lo u r co u ld scarcely b e perceived; his e yebrow s w ere p a in te d black in tw o b ro a d strip es like a new m o o n , a n d his long black h a ir, w hich sh o n e w ith oil, w as fastened in a bunch on th e to p o f his h e a d a n d stew ed o r p o w d e red all over w ith w h ite d o w n , w hich gave him a m o st c u rio u s a n d e x tr a o r d in a r y a p p e a ra n c e . H e w as d re sse d in a la rg e m a n tle o r cloak o f th e black se a -o tte r skin, w hich reached to his knees, and was fastened a ro u n d his m id d le by a b ro a d b elt o f th e cloth o f th e c o u n try , w ro u g h t o r p a in te d w ith figures o f several c olours; this dress w as by no m eans u n b e co m in g , b u t, on th e c o n tra ry , h a d an a ir o f savage m agnificence. H is m en w ere h a b ite d in m antles o f th e sa m e clo th , w hich is m ad e fro m th e b ark o f a tre e ,3 a n d has som e resem b lan ce to stra w m attin g ; th ese a re nearly sq u a re , and have tw o holes in th e u p p e r p a rt large e n ough to a d m it th e arm s; they reach as low as th e knees, a n d are fastened ro u n d their b o d ies w ith a belt a b o u t fo u r inches b ro a d o f th e sa m e cloth. F ro m his having frequently visited th e E nglish a n d A m erican ships th a t trad e d to th e coast, M a q u in a had lea rn ed th e significa­ tio n o f a n u m b e r o f English w o rd s, a n d in general could m ak e him self p re tty well u n d e rsto o d by us in o u r ow n language. H e w as alw ays th e first to go on b o a rd such sh ip s as c am e to N o o tk a , w hich h e w as m uch p leased in visiting; even w hen he had no tra d e to offer, as h e alw ays received som e sm all p re sen t, and w as in general extrem ely well tre a te d by th e c o m m a n d ers. H e

ate, n o r are the related term s “ qu een ,” “ prince” and “ princess.” All o f th ese n am es m ay d e n o te n o th in g m o re th an a m em b er o f the upper class. “ K ing” is probably best approxim ated (but only approx­ im ated) by the w ord “ chief.” 3 probably bark o f the red cedar (Thuja gigantea); although the bark o f yellow cedar (T h u ja p lica ta ) and w hite pine (Pinus sp.) w ere also used, red cedar is alm ost certainly the on e alluded to here.

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rem ain ed on b o a rd o f us for som e tim e, d u rin g w hich th e c ap tain to o k him into th e cabin a n d tre a te d him w ith a glass o f rum th ese p eople bein g very fond o f distilled s p i r i t s - a n d so m e biscuit a n d m olasses, w hich they p re fe r to any k in d o f food th a t w e can offer them . A s th ere a re seldom m an y furs to be purch ased a t th is place, a n d it w as not fully th e se a so n , C a p ta in S alter had put in here n o t so m uch w ith an e x p ec ta tio n o f trad in g , as to p ro c u re an a m p le stock o f w o o d a n d w a ter fo r th e sup p ly o f th e sh ip on th e c o ast, th in k in g it m o re p ru d e n t to ta k e it on b o a rd a t N o o tk a , from th e g enerally friendly d isp o sitio n o f th e p e o p le , th an to e n d an g e r th e safety o f his m en in sending them on sh o re for th at p u rp o se a m o n g th e m o re ferocious natives o f th e n o rth . W ith th is view , we im m ediately set a b o u t gettin g o u r w atercasks in readiness, and th e next a n d tw o succeeding days, p a rt o f th e crew w ere se n t on sh o re to cut p in e tim b e r, a n d assist the c a rp e n te r in m ak in g it into y a rd s a n d spars for th e sh ip , while th o se on b o a rd w ere em ployed in refittin g th e rigging, rep airin g th e sails, etc., w hen w e p ro ceed ed to ta k e in o u r w ood a n d w ater as expeditiously as possible, du rin g w hich tim e I k e p t m yself b u sily e m p lo y e d in re p a irin g th e m u sk e ts , m a k in g k n iv es, to m a x e s,4 etc., a n d d oing such ironw ork as w as w an ted fo r th e ship. M e a n tim e m o re o r less o f th e natives cam e on b o a rd o f us daily, b ringing w ith them fresh sa lm o n , w ith w hich they supplied us in g reat p lenty, receiving in re tu rn so m e trilling articles. C a p ­ ta in S alter w as alw ays very p a rtic u la r, before a d m ittin g these p e o p le on b o a rd , to see th a t they had no arm s a b o u t th em , by obliging them indiscrim inately to th ro w o ff th eir g a rm e n ts, so th at h e felt perfectly secure from any a tta c k . O n th e 15th the king c am e on b o a rd w ith several o f his chiefs; h e w as dressed as b e fo re in his m agnificent o tte r-sk in robe, having his face highly p a in te d , a n d his h a ir tossed w ith th e w hite d o w n , w hich lo o k ed like snow . H is chiefs w ere dressed in m antles o f th e c o u n try cloth o f its natu ral co lo u r, w hich is a pale yellow; these w ere o rn a m e n te d w ith a b ro a d b o rd e r, p a in te d o r w rought in figures o f several colours, rep resen tin g m e n 's h ead s, various anim als, etc., a n d secured a ro u n d them by a belt like th a t o f the k ing, from w hich it w as d istinguished only by being narro w er; th e dress o f th e co m m o n p eople is o f th e sam e fashion, a n d differs from th at o f th e chiefs in being o f a c o arse r tex tu re, a n d p ainted re d , o f o n e u n ifo rm colour. 4 i.e. the small hatchets, a com m on item in the fur-trade, m ore com ­ m only know n as tom ahaw ks.

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C a p ta in S a ite r in v ite d M a q u in a a n d h is c h ie fs to d in e w ith h im , a n d it w as c u rio u s to see how these p e o p le (w hen they eat) seat them selves (in th eir co u n try fashion, u p o n o u r c h airs) w ith th eir feet u n d e r th em crossed like T u rk s. T h ey c a n n o t e n d u re th e taste o f salt, a n d th e only th in g th ey w ould e at w ith us w as th e ship b re a d , w hich they w ere very fond of, especially w hen dipped in m olasses; they h a d also a g re at liking for tea a n d coffee w hen well sw eetened. A s iron w eap o n s a n d to o ls o f alm ost every kind are in m u ch req u est a m o n g th e m , w henever they cam e on b o a rd they w ere alw ays very a tte n tiv e to m e, c row ding a ro u n d m e a t th e forge, as if to see in w h at m a n n e r I d id m y w o rk , a n d in th is way becam e q u ite fam iliar, a c ircu m stan ce, as will be seen in th e en d , o f g re at im p o rta n ce to m e. T h e salm o n w hich they b ro u g h t us furnished a m ost d elicious tre a t to m en w ho for a long tim e had lived w holly on salt provisions, excepting such few .sea fish as we h a d th e g o o d fo rtu n e occasionally to take. W e indeed feasted m ost luxuriously, a n d flattered ourselves th a t w e should n o t w an t w hile on th e co ast for plenty o f fresh p rovisions, little im agining th e fate th a t aw aited us, a n d th a t this d a in ty food w as to prove th e u n fo rtu n a te lure to o u r d estru ctio n ! O n th e 19th th e king cam e a g ain on b o a rd , a n d w as invited by th e c ap tain to dine w ith him . H e h a d m uch co n v ersatio n w ith C a p ta in Salter, a n d inform ed him th a t th ere w ere plenty o f wild ducks a n d geese n e a r F riendly C ove, on w hich th e cap tain m ad e him a p resen t o f a d o u b le-b a rrelled fow ling-piece, w ith w hich he a p p e a re d to be greatly pleased, a n d so o n after w ent o n shore. O n th e 20th w e w ere nearly read y for o u r d e p a rtu re having tak e n in w h at w ood a n d w ater w e w ere in w an t of. T h e next day M a q u in a cam e on b o a rd w ith n in e p a ir o f wild ducks, as a p resen t; a t th e sam e tim e he b ro u g h t w ith him the g un, o n e o f th e locks o f w hich he h a d b ro k e n , telling th e c ap tain th a t it w as p e s h a k , 5 th a t is, b a d . C a p ta in S a lte r w as v ery m u ch o ffended a t this o b se rv atio n , a n d , c onsidering it as a m ark o f c o n te m p t for his presen t, he called th e king a liar, a d d in g o th e r o p p ro b rio u s term s, a n d , tak in g th e g u n from h im , tossed it in d ig ­ nantly into th e cab in , a n d , calling m e to him , said , “ Jo h n , this fellow has b ro k e n this beautiful fow ling-piece, see if y o u can m end it.” O n e xam ining it, I told him th a t it co u ld be d o n e . A s I have alread y o bserved, M a q u in a knew a n u m b e r o f English w o rd s, a n d unfo rtu n ately u n d e rsto o d b u t to o well th e m ean in g o f th e re proachful term s th a t th e c a p ta in a d d ressed to him . H e said n o t a w ord in reply, b u t his c o u n te n a n c e sufficiently expressed the 5 peshak is not a Nootkan word, but belongs to the Chinook Jargon trade language.

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rage h e felt, th o u g h h e ex erted h im self to suppress it, a n d I o bserved h im , w hile the c ap tain w as sp e a k in g , repeatedly p u t his han d to his th ro a t, and rub it u p o n his b o so m , w hich he a fte r­ w ard s told m e w as to keep dow n his h e art, w hich w as rising into his th ro a t a n d cho k in g him . H e so o n a fte r w ent on sh o re w ith his m en evidently m u ch d iscom posed. O n th e m o rn in g o f th e 22nd th e natives cam e o ff to us as usual w ith sa lm o n , and re m a in e d on b o a rd ; w hen a b o u t noon M a q u in a c am e alongside, w ith a c o n sid erab le n u m b e r o f his chiefs a n d m en in th eir can o es, w ho, a fte r going th ro u g h the c u sto m a ry e x am in atio n , w ere a d m itte d into th e ship. H e had a w histle in his h a n d , and o v er his face a very ugly m ask o f w ood, rep resen tin g th e h e ad o f som e w ild beast, a p p e a re d to b e re m a rk ­ ably g o o d -h u m o u re d a n d gay, a n d w hilst his p eople sang and c ap e re d a b o u t th e d eck , e n te rta in in g us w ith a variety o f an tic trick a n d gestures, he blew his w histle to a k in d o f tu n e w hich seem ed to re g u la te th eir m o tio n s. A s C a p ta in S alter w as w alking on th e q u a rte r-d ec k , a m using h im self w ith th e ir d ancing, th e king c am e up to him a n d in q u ire d w h e n h e in ten d ed to go to sea? H e answ ered, “ T o -m o rro w .” M a q u in a th en said , “ Y ou love salm on - m u c h in F rie n d ly C ove, w hy n o t go th e re a n d catch som e?” T h e c a p ta in th o u g h t th a t it w o u ld b e v ery d e s ira b le to h a v e a g o o d supply o f th ese fish for th e voyage, a n d , on con su ltin g w ith M r. D elo u isa, it w as agreed to send p a rt o f th e crew on shore a fte r d in n e r w ith th e seine, in o rd e r to p ro c u re a quan tity . M a q u in a a n d his chiefs stayed and d in ed on b o a rd , a n d after d in n e r th e c h ie f m ate w en t o ff w ith n in e m en in th e jo lly -b o a t a n d yawl, to fish a t F rie n d ly C ove, h aving set th e stew ard on sh o re at o u r w aterin g place, to w ash th e c a p ta in ’s clothes. Shortly a fte r th e d e p a rtu re o f th e b o a ts, I w ent do w n to m y vice-bench in th e steerage, w h ere 1 w as em ployed in cleaning m uskets. I h a d n o t been th e re m o re th an a n h o u r, w hen I heard th e m en hoistin g in th e lo n g b o at, w hich, in a few m in u tes after, w as succeeded by a g re at bustle a n d c onfusion o n d eck . 1 im m e­ d iately ra n u p th e steerage sta irs, but scarcely w as m y h e ad above d eck , w hen I w as cau g h t by th e h air by o n e o f th e savages, and lifted from m y feet; fo rtu n ately for m e, m y h a ir being sh o rt, and th e rib b o n w ith w hich it w as tied slipping, I fell from his hold into th e steerage. As I w as falling h e struck at m e w ith a n axe, w hich cu t a d e ep gash in m y fo reh e a d , a n d p e n etrate d th e skull, b u t in co n seq u en ce o f his losing his hold I luckily escaped th e full force o f th e blow , w hich o th erw ise w ould have cleft m y head in tw o. I fell, stu n n e d a n d senseless, u p o n th e floor; how long I c o n tin u e d in this situ atio n I kn o w n o t, but o n recovering m y

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senses, th e first th in g th a t I d id w as to try to g et u p , but so w eak was I, from th e loss o f b lo o d , th a t I fain ted a n d fell. I was, how ever, soon recalled to m y recollection by th re e loud sh o u ts o r yells fro m th e savages, w hich c onvinced m e th a t they had got possession o f th e ship. It is im possible for m e to d escrib e m y feelings a t this terrific so u n d . S o m e fain t idea m ay be fo rm ed o f them by those w ho have know n w h at is it to h a lf w aken fro m a h ideous dream a n d still th in k it real. N ev er, n o , nev er shall I lose from m y m ind th e im pression o f th a t dread fu l m o m e n t. I expected every instan t to share th e w retched fate o f m y u n fo rtu n ­ a te c o m p a n io n s, a n d w hen I h e ard th e song o f triu m p h , by w hich these infernal yells w as succeeded, m y b lood ran cold in m y veins. H aving a t length sufficiently recovered m y senses to look a ro u n d m e, a fte r w iping th e b lo o d from m y eyes, I saw th a t the hatch o f th e steerage w as sh u t. T h is w as d o n e , as I afte rw a rd s discovered, by o rd e r o f M a q u in a, w ho, on seeing th e savage strik e a t m e w ith th e axe, told h im n o t to h u rt m e, fo r th a t I was th e a rm o u re r, a n d w ould be useful to them in re p airin g th eir arm s; w hile a t th e sam e tim e , to p revent any o f his m en from injuring m e, h e had th e hatch closed. B ut to m e this circu m stan ce w ore a very differen t a p p ea ran c e, for I th o u g h t th a t these b a rb a ri­ an s h a d only prolo n g ed m y life in o rd e r to d ep riv e m e o f it by th e m o st cruel to rtu re s. I rem ain ed in this h o rrid sta te o f suspense for a very long tim e, w hen a t length th e hatch w as o p e n ed , a n d M a q u in a , calling m e by n a m e , o rd e re d m e to c o m e u p . I g ro p e d m y w ay up as well as I w as able, being a lm o st b linded w ith th e b lood th a t flowed from m y w o u n d , and so w eak as w ith difficulty to w alk. T he king, on perceiving m y situ a tio n , o rd e re d o n e o f his m en to b ring a p o t o f w ater to w ash th e b lood from m y face, w hich having d o n e , I w as ab le to see d istinctly w ith o n e o f m y eyes, but th e o th e r w as so sw ollen from m y w o u n d , th a t it w as closed. But w hat a terrific spectacle m et m y eyes: six nak ed savages, sta n d in g in a circle a ro u n d m e, covered w ith th e blood o f m y m u rd ered co m rad es, w ith th e ir daggers uplifted in th e ir h a n d s, p re p are d to strike. I now th o u g h t m y last m o m e n t had co m e, a n d re co m ­ m ended m y soul to m y M ak er. T h e king, w ho, as I have a lre ad y o bserved, knew e nough o f English to m ak e h im self u n d e rsto o d , e n te red th e circle, a n d , placing h im self before m e, a ddressed m e nearly in th e follow ing w o rd s: “ J o h n - I sp e a k - y o u n o sa y n o ; Y o u sa y n o - d a g g e r s c o m e !” H e then asked m e if I w o u ld b e his slave d u rin g m y life — if I w ould fight for him in his battles, if I w ould re p air his m uskets and m ak e daggers a n d knives for h i m - w i t h several

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o th e r questions, to all o f w hich I w as careful to answ er, yes. H e then told m e th a t h e w ould spare m y life, a n d o rd e re d m e to kiss his h an d s a n d feet to show m y subm ission to him , w hich I d id . In th e m ean tim e his p eople w ere very c la m o ro u s to have m e put to d e a th , so th a t th e re should be n o n e o f us left to tell o u r story to o u r c o u n try m en , a n d p rev en t th em from com ing to tra d e w ith them ; but th e king in th e m o st d e te rm in e d m an n e r o p p o se d th eir w ishes, and to his favour am I w holly in d eb ted for m y being yet a m o n g th e living. A s I w as busy a t w ork a t th e tim e o f th e a tta c k , I was w ith o u t m y c o at, and w h at w ith th e coldness o f th e w e ath e r, m y feebleness from loss o f blo o d , th e pain o f m y w o u n d , a n d th e ex trem e a g ita tio n and te rro r th a t I still felt, I sho o k like a leaf, w hich th e king observing, w ent in to th e c ab in , a n d , b ringing up a g re atco a t th a t belonged to th e c a p ta in , th rew it o v er m y sh o u l­ d ers, telling m e to d rin k som e ru m from a b o ttle w hich he h a n d ed m e, a t th e sam e tim e giving m e to u n d e rstan d th at it w ould be g o o d for m e, and k e ep m e tro m trem b lin g as I did. I to o k a d ra u g h t o f it, a fte r w hich, tak in g m e by th e h a n d , he led m e to th e q u a rte r-d ec k , w here th e m o st h o rrid sight presented itself th a t ever m y eyes w itnessed. T h e heads o f o u r u n fo rtu n a te c ap tain a n d his crew , to th e n u m b e r o f tw enty-five, w ere all a rra n g e d in a lin e , a n d M a q u in a , o rd e rin g o n e o f h is p e o p le to b ring a h ead , asked m e w hose it w as: I answ ered, th e c a p ta in ’s. In like m a n n e r th e o th e rs w ere show ed m e, a n d I told him the n am es, excepting a few th a t w ere so ho rrib ly m angled th a t I was n o t able to recognise th em . I now discovered th a t all o u r u n fo rtu n a te crew h a d been m assacred, a n d learned th at, after g e ttin g possession o f th e ship, th e savages h a d b ro k e op en th e a rm -ch est and m ag azin e, and, supplying them selves w ith a m m u n itio n a n d arm s, sent a p arty on sh o re to a tta ck o u r m en, w ho had g o n e th ith e r to fish, a n d , being jo in e d by n u m b ers from th e village, w ith o u t difficulty ov erp o w ­ e red and m u rd e re d th em , a n d , c u ttin g o ff th eir h ead s, b ro u g h t them on b o a rd , a fte r th ro w in g th eir bodies into th e sea. On looking u p o n th e deck, I saw it entirely covered w ith th e blood o f m y p o o r c o m ra d es, w hose th ro a ts h a d been cut w ith th e ir ow n jack -k n iv es, th e savages having seized th e o p p o rtu n ity , w hile they w ere busy in hoisting in th e b o a t, to g ra p p le w ith th em , and o v e rp o w er them by th eir nu m b ers; in th e scuffle th e cap tain was th ro w n o v e rb o a rd , a n d d esp atch ed by those in th e can o es, who im m ediately cu t o ff his h e ad . W h at I felt on this occasion, m ay be m o re readily conceived th a n expressed. A fte r I h a d a n sw e re d his q u e s tio n s , M a q u in a to o k m y silk

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h a n d k erc h ie f from m y neck a n d b o u n d it a ro u n d m y h e ad , plac­ ing o v er th e w o u n d a le a f o f to b ac co , o f w hich w e had a q u an tity o n b o a rd . T h is w as d o n e at m y d e sire, as I had often fo u n d , from p erso nal experience, th e benefit o f this ap p lic atio n to cuts. M a q u in a then o rd e re d m e to g et th e sh ip u n d e r w eigh for F riendly C ove. T h is I did by c u ttin g th e cables, a n d se n d in g som e o f th e natives alo ft to loose th e sails, w hich they p e rfo rm e d in a very bungling m an n e r. But th ey succeeded so far in loosing th e jib a n d top-sails, th a t, w ith th e a d v an tag e o f fair w ind, I suc­ ceeded in gettin g th e sh ip into th e C ove, w here, by o rd e r o f th e king, I ran h e r a sh o re on a san d y beach, at eight o ’clock at night.

4 Reception of Jewitt by the Savages - Escape of Thompson Arrival of Neighbouring T ribesan Indian Feast. W e w ere received by th e in h a b ita n ts o f th e village, m en , w om en, a n d ch ild ren , w ith loud sh o u ts o f jo y , a n d a m o st h o rrib le d ru m ­ m ing w ith sticks upon th e roofs a n d sides o f th e ir houses, in w hich they h a d also stuck a g re at n u m b e r o f lighted p in e torches, to w elcom e th e ir k in g ’s re tu rn , a n d c o n g ratu la te him o n the success o f his en terp rise. M a q u in a th en took m e on sh o re to his h ouse, w hich w as very large, a n d filled w ith p e o p le - w h e r e I w as received w ith m uch kindness by th e w om en, p a rticu la rly th o se belonging to th e king, w ho had no less th an n in e w ives, all o f w h o m cam e a ro u n d m e, expressing m u ch sym pathy for m y m isfo rtu n e, gently stro k in g and p a ttin g m y h e ad in a n e n co u rag in g a n d so o th in g m a n n e r, w ith w o rd s expressive o f cond o len ce. H ow sw eet is co m p assio n even from savages! T h o se w ho h a v e been in a sim ilar situ a tio n , can a lo n e truly a p p re c ia te its value. In th e m e a n tim e all th e w a rrio rs o f th e trib e , to th e n u m b er o f five h u n d re d , h a d assem bled a t th e k in g ’s h ouse, to rejoice for th e ir success. T h ey exulted greatly in h aving tak e n o u r sh ip , and each o n e b o a sted o f his ow n p a rtic u la r ex p o its in killing o u r m en, b u t they w ere in general m uch dissatisfied w ith m y h aving been suffered to live, a n d w ere very u rg e n t w ith M a q u in a to deliv er m e to th em , to be p u t to d e ath , w hich h e o b stin ately refused to do, telling th em th a t he h a d pro m ised m e m y life, and w ould not b re ak his w o rd ; a n d th a t, besides, I knew how to re p air and to m ak e arm s, a n d should be o f g re at use to them . T h e k in g th en seated m e by him , a n d o rd e re d his w om en to b ring him so m e th in g to e a t, w hen they set before him so m e dried clam s a n d tra in -o il,1 o f w hich he a te very heartily, a n d e ncour-' 1 train-oil is a generic nam e for fish o r sea m am m al oil used as a relish in which to dip food. In m any areas o f the N orthw est Coast eulachon oil was th e m ost com m on, although the oil o f o ther fishes and seals was also used. T he basic source o f oil for the N ootka was

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aged m e to follow his exam ple, telling m e to eat m uch, a n d ta k e a g re a t deal o f oil, w hich w o u ld m ak e m e stro n g and fat. N o t­ w ith stan d in g his praise o f this new kind o f food, I felt no d isp o si­ tion to indulge in it, b o th th e sm ell and taste being lo ath so m e to m e; a n d had it been o therw ise, such w as th e pain I e n d u re d , th e a g ita tio n o f m y m in d , a n d th e g loom iness o f m y reflections, th a t I sho u ld have felt very little in clin atio n for eating. N o t satisfied w ith his first refusal to deliver m e up to them , th e p e o p le again b ecam e cla m o ro u s th at M a q u in a should con sen t to m y being killed, saying th a t n o t o n e o f us o u g h t to b e left alive to give in fo rm a tio n to o th e rs o f o u r c o u n try m en , a n d p revent them from c o m in g to trad e , o r induce th em to revenge th e d e stru ctio n o f o u r ship, and they a t length b e ca m e so bo istero u s, th a t h e caught up a large club in a passio n , a n d d ro v e th em all o u t o f th e house. D u rin g this scene, a son o f th e king, a b o u t eleven y ears o ld , a ttrac ted n o ' d o u b t by th e sin g u larity o f m y a p p e a ra n c e , c am e up to m e: I caressed him ; h e re tu rn e d m y a tte n tio n s w ith m uch a p p a re n t pleasure, a n d considering this as a fo rtu n ate o p p o rtu n ity to gain th e g o o d will o f th e father, 1 to o k th e child on m y k n ee, a n d , c u ttin g th e m etal b u tto n s from o ff the c o a t I had o n , I tied them a ro u n d his neck. A t this he w as highly d e lig h ted , and b ecam e so m uch a tta c h e d to m e, th a t he w ould not q u it m e. T h e king a p p e a re d m uch p leased w ith m y a tte n tio n to his son, a n d , telling m e th a t it w as tim e to go to sleep, d irec te d m e to lie w ith his son next to him , as h e w as afraid lest som e o f his p e o p le w o u ld c o m e w h ile he w a s a sle e p a n d kill m e w ith th e ir daggers. I lay do w n as he o rd e re d m e, b u t n e ith e r th e sta te o f m y m in d n o r th e p a in I felt w ould allow m e to sleep. A b o u t m id n ig h t 1 w as greatly ala rm e d by th e a p p ro ac h o f one o f th e natives, w ho cam e to give in fo rm a tio n to th e king th a t th ere w as o n e o f th e w hite m en alive, w ho had k n o c k ed him d o w n as he w ent on b o a rd th e sh ip a t n ig h t. T h is M a q u in a c o m m u n icated to m e, giving m e to u n d e rstan d th a t as soon as th e su n ro se he should kill him . I en d ea v o u red to p e rsu ad e him to sp a re his life, b ut h e b a d e m e b e silent a n d go to sleep. I said no th in g m ore, b u t lay revolving in m y m ind w h a t m eth o d I could devise to save th e life o f this m an . W h a t a c o n so latio n , th o u g h t I, w as a h a ppiness w ould it p ro v e to m e in m y forlorn sta te a m o n g these h eath en s, to have a C hristian a n d o n e o f m y ow n c o u n try m en for harp o o n ed o r beached whales. M uch o f this oil was used in a ferm ented state, in which it has a very strong od o u r and taste. This is why Jew itt was disgusted by it.

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a c o m p a n io n , a n d how greatly w ould it alleviate and lighten the b u rd e n o f m y slavery. A s I w as th in k in g o f som e p lan for his p re serv a tio n ; it all at o n c e c am e into m y m ind th a t th is m an w as p ro b ab ly th e sailm a k e r o f th e sh ip , n a m e d T h o m p s o n , as I h a d not seen h is head a m o n g th o se on d eck , a n d knew th a t he w as below at w o rk upon sa ils n o t lo n g b e fo re th e a tta c k . T h e m o re I th o u g h t o f it, th e m o re p ro b a b le it a p p e a re d to m e, a n d as T h o m p so n w as a m an nearly forty y ears o f age, a n d h a d an old look, I conceived it w ould be easy to m a k e him pass for m y fa th e r, a n d by th is m eans prevail on M a q u in a to sp a re his life. T o w a rd s m o rn in g I fell into a dose, but w as aw ak en ed w ith th e first beam s o f th e su n by the k ing, w ho to ld m e h e w as g o in g to kill th e m an w ho w as on b o a rd th e sh ip , a n d o rd e re d m e to acc o m p a n y him . I rose and follow ed him , leading w ith m e th e you n g prince, his son. O n com ing to th e beach, I fo u n d all th e m en o f th e tribe assem bled. T h e k in g a ddressed th e m , saying th a t o n e o f th e w hite m en h a d been fo u n d alive on b o a rd th e sh ip , a n d re q u este d their o p in io n as to saving his life o r p u ttin g him to d e ath . T h ey w ere u n a n im o u sly for th e latter. T h is d e te rm in a tio n h e m a d e k n o w n to m e. H aving a rra n g e d m y p lan , I asked him , p o in tin g to th e boy, w hom I still held by th e h a n d , if h e loved his son. H e answ ered th a t he d id . I th en asked th e child if he loved his fa th e r, a n d on his replying in th e affirm ative, I said , “ A n d I also love m in e .” I th en th rew m yself on m y knees a t M a q u in a ’s feet, a n d im plored h im , w ith te a rs in m y eyes, to sp a re m y fa th e r’s life, if th e m an o n b o a rd sho u ld prove to b e h im , telling him th a t if h e killed my fa th e r, it w as m y w ish th a t h e sh o u ld kill m e to o , a n d th a t if he d id n o t, I w o u ld kill m y s e lf - a n d th a t h e w ould th u s lose my services; w h ereas, by sparing m y fa th e r’s life, h e w ould preserve m ine, w hich w o u ld be o f g re a t a d v an tag e to h im , by m y rep airin g a n d m ak in g a rm s for him . M a q u in a a p p e a re d m oved by m y e n tre aties, a n d p rom ised not to p u t th e m an to d e a th if he sho u ld b e m y father. H e then ex p lain ed to his peo p le w hat I h a d said , a n d o rd e re d m e to go on b o a rd and tell th e m an to c o m e on sh o re . T o m y u n sp eak ab le jo y , on going in to th e hold, 1 fo u n d th a t m y co n je ctu re w as true. T h o m p so n w as th ere . H e had escaped w ith o u t any injury, except­ ing a slight w o u n d in th e nose, given him by o n e o f th e savages w ith a knife, as h e a tte m p te d to c o m e on d eck , d u rin g th e scuffle. F in d in g the savages in possession o f th e ship, as he a fterw ards inform ed m e, he secreted h im self in th e h o ld , hop in g for som e ch an ce to m a k e his escape; b u t th a t, th e Indian w ho c am e on b o a rd in th e nig h t a p p ro ac h in g th e place w h ere he w as, he

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su p p o sed h im self discovered, a n d , being d e te rm in e d to sell his life as dearly as possible, as soon as h e c am e w ithin his reach , he k n o c k ed him d o w n , b u t th e In d ia n , im m ed iately sp ringing up, ran o ff a t full speed. I inform ed h im , in a few w o rd s, th a t all o u r m en h a d been killed; th a t th e king h a d preserved m y life, a n d h a d c o n se n te d to sp a re his on th e su p position th a t h e w as m y fa th e r, an o p in io n w hich h e m u st b e careful not to undeceive th em in, as it w as his only safety. A fte r giving him his c u e, 1 w ent o n sh o re w ith him , a n d p resen ted him to M a q u in a , w h o im m ediately knew him to be th e sa il-m a k er, and w as m u ch pleased , o b serv in g th a t h e could m a k e sails for his canoe. H e th e n to o k us to his h ouse, and o rd e re d so m e th in g for us to eat. O n th e 24th a n d 25th, th e natives w ere busily e m p lo y ed in tak in g th e carg o o u t o f th e sh ip , strip p in g her o f her sails and rigging, c u ttin g aw ay th e spars a n d m asts, a n d in sh o rt, ren d erin g h e r as c o m p lete a w reck as possible, th e m u sk ets, a m m u n itio n , clo th , a n d all th e p rin cip al articles ta k e n fro m her, being d e p o s­ ited in th e k in g ’s house. W hile they w ere th u s o c cu p ied , each o n e tak in g w h a t he lik ed , m y c o m p a n io n a n d m yself being obliged to a id th e m , I th o u g h t it best to secure the acco u n ts a n d p a p e rs o f th e sh ip , in h o p es th a t on som e future day I m ig h t h av e it in m y p o w e r to re sto re them to th e ow ners. W ith this view I to o k possession o f th e c a p ta in ’s w riting-desk, w hich c o n ta in e d th e m ost o f th em , to g e th e r w ith so m e p a p e r a n d im plem ents for w riting. I h a d also th e good fo rtu n e to find a blan k a c c o u n t-b o o k , in w hich I resolved, should it be p e rm itte d m e, to w rite a n a cc o u n t o f o u r c a p tu re , a n d th e m ost re m a rk a b le occu rren ces th a t I sho u ld m eet w ith d u rin g m y stay a m o n g th ese p eople, fondly in dulging the h o p e th a t it w ould not be long b e fo re so m e vessel w ould a rriv e to release us. I likew ise found in th e cabin a sm all v olum e o f serm ons, a B ible, a n d a C o m m o n P ra y e rb o o k o f th e C h u rc h o f E ngland, w hich fu rnished m e a n d m y c o m ra d e g re at c onsolation in th e m idst o f o u r m ournful se rv itu d e , a n d e nabled m e, u n d e r th e fav o u r o f D ivine P rovidence, to su p p o rt w ith firm ness th e m iseries o f a life w hich I m ight o th erw ise h a v e fo u n d b e yond my stren g th to en d u re. A s th ese p eople set no value u p o n things o f this kind, 1 found no difficulty in a p p ro p ria tin g th e m to m yself, by p u ttin g th em in m y chest, w hich, th o u g h it h a d b e en b ro k e n op en and rifled by th e savages, as 1 still had th e key, I w ith o u t m uch difficulty secured. In this I also p u t som e sm all tools b elonging to th e ship, w ith se v e ra l o th e r a rtic le s , p a rtic u la r ly a j o u r n a l k e p t by th e

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seco n d m ate, M r. In g rah am , a n d a collection o f draw ings and views o f places tak e n by him , w hich I had th e g o o d fo rtu n e to p reserve, a n d o n m y arriv al a t B oston, I gave th em to a c o n n ec ­ tion o f his, th e H o n o u ra b le Ju d g e D aw es, w ho sent th em to his fam ily in N ew Y o rk . O n th e 26th, tw o ships w ere seen sta n d in g in for F riendly C o v e . A t th e ir first a p p e a ra n c e th e in h ab itan ts w ere th ro w n into g re a t co n fu sio n , b u t, soon collecting a n u m b e r o f m u sk ets and blu n d erb u sses, ran to th e sh o re , from w hence they k e p t up so brisk a fire a t th em , th a t they w ere evidently afraid to a p p ro ac h n e are r, an d , a fte r firing a few ro u n d s o f g ra p e-sh o t, w hich d id no h a rm to any o n e, they w ore sh ip and sto o d o u t to sea. These ships, as I afte rw a rd s learned, w ere th e M a r y a n d J u n o o f Bos­ to n . T h ey w ere scarcely o u t o f sight w hen M a q u in a expressed m uch regret th a t h e had p e rm itte d his p eople to fire a t th em , b ein g a p p reh e n siv e th at they w ould give in fo rm a tio n to o th e rs in w h at m an n e r they had been received, a n d p revent th em from com ing to tra d e w ith him . A few days a fte r h earin g o f th e c a p tu re o f th e sh ip , there arriv e d at N o o tk a a g re a t n u m b e r o f canoes filled w ith savages from n o less th an tw enty trib e s to th e n o rth and so u th . A m ong th o s e fro m th e n o rth w e re th e A i- tiz -z a r ts ,2 S c h o o -m a d -its ,3 N e u - w it-tie s ,4 S a v in n a r s ,5 A h -o w z -a rts ,6 M o -w a tc h -its ,7 S u th se tts,8 N e u c h a d -lits,9 M ic h -la -its,10 and C a y -u -q u e ts,11 th e m o st o f w h o m w ere con sid ered as trib u ta ry to N o o tk a . F ro m th e south, th e A y tc h -a rts,12 a n d E sq u i-a te s ,13 also trib u ta ry , w ith th e K la2 i.e. Ehetisat. 3 it is n o t p o ssib le to trace th is as a trib a l n am e. It m ay be a g eo g rap h ic place n am e, a village n am e, o r th e n am e o f a c h ief o r prom inent m em ber o f the g roup alluded to. 4 i.e. Newhittie. 5 probably a geographic place, village, o r personal nam e; it cannot be traced as a tribal nam e. 6 i.e. A housat. 7 i.e. M oachat. 8 i.e. Seshat; while Jew itt says they are a northern group, they were in fact from the southern part o f N ootka territory around Barclay Sound and the Alberni Canal. , i.e. N uchatlet. 10 i.e. M uchlat. 11 i.e. K ayoquot. 12 possibly Echachats. 13 i.e. H esquiat.

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o o -q u a te s,u a n d th e W ic k a n n ish ,15 a large a n d pow erful trib e a b o u t tw o h u n d re d m iles d istan t. T hese last w ere b e tte r clad th a n m ost o f th e o th ers, a n d their canoes w ro u g h t w ith m uch g re a te r skill; they a re fu rnished with sails as well as paddles, a n d , w ith th e ad v an tag e s o f a fair breeze, a re usually b u t tw e n ty -fo u r h o u rs on th eir passage. M a q u in a, w ho w as very p ro u d o f his new acq u isitio n , w as desiro u s o f w elcom ing these visito rs in th e E u ro p ean m a n n e r. H e accordingly o rd e re d his m en, as th e canoes a p p ro a c h e d , to assem ­ ble on th e beach w ith loaded m u sk e ts a n d blun d erb u sses, placing T h o m p so n a t th e c a n n o n , w hich h a d been b ro u g h t from th e ship a n d laid u p o n tw o long sticks o f tim b e r in fro n t o f th e village; th en , tak in g a sp eak in g tru m p e t in his h a n d , h e ascended w ith m e th e r o o f o f his house, a n d beg an d ru m m in g o r beating u p o n the b o a rd s w ith a stick m o st violently. N o th in g co u ld b e m o re lu d icro u s th an th e a p p e a ra n c e o f this m otley g ro u p o f savages collected on th e sh o re , dressed as they w ere w ith th e ir ill-gotten finery in th e m o st fantastic m a n n e r, som e in w o m e n ’s sm ocks, tak e n from o u r cargo, o th e rs in K o ts a c k s , 16 (or cloaks) o f blue, re d , o r yellow b ro a d clo th , w ith stockings draw n over th e ir h ead s, a n d th e ir necks hung ro u n d w ith n u m b ers o f pow d erh orns, sh o t-b ag s, a n d c arto u ch -b o x es, som e o f th em h aving no less th an ten m uskets apiece on th e ir sh o u ld ers, a n d five o r six d aggers in th e ir girdles. D iverting indeed w as it to see th em all sq u a tte d upon th e b e a c h , h o ld in g th e ir m u s k e ts p e r p e n d ic u la rly w ith th e b u tt pressed upon th e sa n d , instead o f against th e ir sh o u ld ers, a n d in this p o sitio n aw aitin g th e o rd e r to fire. M a q u in a , a t last, called to th em w ith his tru m p e t to fire, w h ic h th e y d id in th e m o st a w k w a rd a n d tim id m a n n e r, w ith th e ir m uskets h a rd pressed u p o n th e g ro u n d as a b o v e-m en tio n ed . A t th e sam e m o m e n t th e c a n n o n w as fired by T h o m p so n , im m e­ d iate ly on w hich they threw them selves b a ck a n d began to roll a n d tu m b le o v er th e sand as if they h a d been sh o t, w h en , s u d ­ 14 i.e. Clayoquot. 15 W ickannish, also given by Jew itt as W ickanninish, cannot be traced as a tribal nam e. However, it was a com m on personal nam e, and so probably identifies a village or tribelet by th e nam e o f its chief. 16 i.e. an “ Indian blanket” throw n over the shoulders and pinned in front; the longer form s were w orn over the left shoulder and passed u n d er the right arm p it in o rd er to leave the right hand free for work. Even in Jew itt's tim e the ko tsa c k (or several variant spellings) was usually o f trade cloth, although the traditional cedar bark cloth blankets (som ew hat m ore w aterproof than trad e cloth) w ere also extensively used and were know n by the sam e word.

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d e n ly s p rin g in g u p , th e y b e g a n a so n g o f tr iu m p h , a n d , ru n n in g back w ard and forw ard u p o n th e sh o re , w ith th e w ildest g esticu la­ tions, bo asted o f th eir exploits, a n d exhibited as tro p h ie s w hat they h a d taken from us. N o tw ith stan d in g th e unp leasan tn ess o f m y situ a tio n , a n d th e feelings th a t this display o f o u r spoils excited, I could not avoid laughing a t th e stra n g e a p p e a ra n c e o f these savages, th eir aw kw ard m o v em en ts, a n d th e sin g u lar c o n ­ trast o f th e ir dress a n d arm s. W hen th e c erem ony w as co n clu d ed , M a q u in a invited th e stran g ers to a feast a t his h ouse, consisting o f w hale-b lu b b er, sm oked h errin g sp aw n , a n d d rie d fish and train -o il, o f w hich they a te m o st plentifully. T h e feast being o ver, th e tray s o u t o f w hich they a te, a n d o th e r things, w ere im m ed iately rem o v ed to m ak e room for th e d a n ce , w hich w as to close th e e n te rta in m e n t. T his w as p e rfo rm e d by M a q u in a ’s s o n , th e y o u n g p rin c e S a tsat-sok-sis, w hom I have a lre ad y spoken of, in th e follow ing m an n er: T h re e o f th e principal chiefs, d re st in th eir o tte r-sk in m antles, w hich they w ear only on e x tra o rd in a ry o ccasions a n d a t festivals, having th eir h e ad s covered o v er w ith w h ite do w n a n d th e ir faces highly p a in te d , c am e forw ard into th e m iddle o f th e ro o m , each fu rnished w ith a bag filled w ith w hite d o w n , w hich they scattered a ro u n d in such a m an n e r as to rep resen t a fall o f sn o w .17 T hese w ere follow ed by th e you n g p rin ce , w ho w as dressed in a long piece o f yellow c lo th , w rap p ed loosely a ro u n d him , a n d d e co ra te d w ith sm all bells, w ith a cap on his head to w hich w as fasten ed a c u rio u s m ask in im itatio n o f a w o lfs h e ad , w hile th e re a r was b ro u g h t up by th e king h im self in his ro b e o f se a -o tte r sk in , with a sm all w histle in his m o u th a n d a rattle in his h a n d , w ith w hich he k e p t tim e to a so rt o f tu n e on his w histle. A fter passing very rapidly in th is o rd e r a ro u n d th e h ouse, each o f th em seated him self, except th e prince, w ho im m ediately began his dance, w hich principally consisted in sp ringing up into th e a ir in a squat p o stu re , and constantly tu rn in g a ro u n d on his heels w ith g re a t sw ift­ ness in a very n a rro w circle. T h is d a n ce , w ith a few intervals o f rest, w as c o n tin u e d for a b o u t tw o h o u rs, d u rin g w hich th e chiefs k e p t up a c o n stan t d ru m m in g w ith sticks o f a b o u t a foot in length on a long hollow p la n k , w hich w as, tho u g h a very noisy, a m o st doleful k in d o f m usic. T his th ey a cc o m p a n ied w ith songs, th e king h im self acting 17 W hite eagle dow n plays a prom inent role in N orthw est Coast Indian rites and cerem onies. It connotes peace, harm ony, gentleness, and “ sacredness” .

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a s ch o rister, w hile th e w om en a p p la u d e d each feat o f activity in th e d a n c e r, by re p e a tin g th e w o rd s , W o c a sh ! W o c a sh T y e e !'*. th a t is. G o o d ! very g o o d , Prince! A s soon as th e d an ce w as finished, M a q u in a began to give p re sen ts to th e strangers, in th e n a m e o f his so n Sat-sat-sok-sis. T hese w ere pieces o f E u ro p ean clo th , g enerally o f a fa th o m 19 in' length, m uskets, po w d er, sh o t, etc. W h en ev er he gave them any­ thin g , they h a d a pecu liar m a n n e r o f sn atch in g it from him w ith a very stern a n d surly look, re p ea tin g each tim e th e w ords, W ocash T y e e. T h is I u n d e rsto o d to b e th e ir cu sto m , a n d w as con sid ered as a co m p lim e n t, w hich, if o m itte d , w ould be supposed as a m ark o f d isreg ard for th e presen t. O n th is occasion M a q u in a gave away no less th an o n e h u n d red m u sk ets, th e sam e n u m b er o f lookingglasses, four h u n d re d y a rd s o f c lo th , and tw enty casks o f pow der, besides o th e r things. A fte r receiving these presents, th e stra n g ers re tired on board th e ir can o es, fo r so n u m ero u s w ere they th a t M a q u in a w ould not suffer any but th e chiefs to sleep in the houses; an d , in o rd e r to p rev en t th e p ro p e rty from being pillaged by th em , he o rd ered T h o m p so n a n d m yself to keep g u a rd d u rin g th e n ight, arm ed w ith cutlasses a n d pistols. In this m a n n e r tribes o f savages from vario u s p a rts o f the co ast c o n tin u e d com ing for several days, bringing w ith them b lu b b er, oil, h e rrin g spaw n , d rie d fish, a n d clam s, for w hich they received in re tu rn presents o f clo th , etc., a fte r w hich they in general im m ediately retu rn ed h o m e .20 I o b serv ed th a t very few, if, a n y , o f th e m , except th e chiefs, had a rm s, w hich, I a fterw ards lea rn ed , is th e custom w ith th ese p eople, w henever they com e up o n a friendly visit o r to tra d e , in o rd e r to show , o n their a p p ro a c h , th at th eir in tentions a re pacific.

1^ Tyee is not a N o o tk an . but a Chinook Jargon w ord. It can mean " c h i e f , “ no b le", "m an o f the upper class." 19 “ fathom " here is not the standard six feet o f nautical usage, b ut a variable fur-trade cloth o r line m easure o f three to four and on e half to five feet. :o W hat Jew itt has described here in the last two pages or so m ay have been a potlatch o r som ething closely related to it. The “ prince’s" dance was undoubtedly the display o f a crest o r privilege. If the event was indeed a potlatch, then Jew itt's account is on e o f the earliest known o f this institution.

5. Burning of the Vessel Commencement of Jew itt’s Journal E a r l y o n the m o rn in g o f th e 19th th e sh ip w as discovered to be on fire. T his w as ow ing to o n e o f th e savages h aving g o n e on b o a rd w ith a fireb ra n d at night fo r th e p u rp o se o f p lu n d er, som e sp a rk s from w hich fell into th e hold, a n d , c o m m u n ica tin g w ith som e com bustibles, soon e n v elo p ed th e w hole in flam es. T he natives reg retted th e loss o f th e sh ip th e m o re as a g re a t p a rt o f her carg o still re m a in e d on b o a rd . T o m y co m p a n io n a n d m yself it w as a m ost m elancholy sight, for w ith h e r d isa p p ea red fro m o u r eyes every trace o f a civilised c o u n try ; but th e d isa p p o in tm e n t we e x p erienced w as still m o re severely felt, for w e h a d calculated on h aving th e provision to ourselves, w hich w ould h av e fu rnished us w ith a stock for years, as w h a tev e r is cu red w ith s a lt,1 to g eth e r w ith m ost o f o u r o th e r articles o f food, a re n ev er eaten by these p eople. I had luckily saved all m y tools, excepting th e anvil and th e bellow s, w hich w as a tta ch e d to th e forge, and from th eir w eight had n o t been b ro u g h t on sh o re . W e have also th e good fo rtu n e , in loo k in g over w h at h a d been tak e n from th e sh ip , to discover a box o f c hocolate a n d a case o f p o rt w ine, w hich, as the In d ian s w ere n o t fond o f it, p ro v e d a g re at co m fo rt to us for so m e tim e; a n d from o n e o f th e natives I o b tain e d a N a u tic al A lm an ack w hich h a d belonged to th e c a p ta in , a n d w hich w as o f g re at use to m e in determ in in g th e tim e. A b o u t tw o days after, on exam ining th eir booty, th e savages fo u n d a tierce o f ru m , w ith w hich they w ere highly delig h ted , as they have b e co m e very fond o f sp iritu o u s liq u o rs since th eir in terco u rse w ith th e w hites. T h is w as to w ard s evening, and M a q u in a , having assem bled all th e m en a t his house, gave a feast, a t w hich they d ra n k so freely o f th e rum , th a t in a sh o rt tim e they b e ca m e so extrem ely wild a n d fran tic th a t T h o m p so n a n d myself, a p p reh e n siv e for o u r safety, th o u g h t it p ru d e n t to retire privately into th e w oods, w here w e c o n tin u e d till p a st m idnight. O n o u r re tu rn w e found th e w om en g o n e , w ho are alw ays

' the N ootka, and several other northern N orth A m erican groups had a distaste for salt.

BU R NIN G OF THE VESSEL

4 1

very tem p e ra te , d rin k in g n o th in g b u t w a ter, having q u itte d the h o u se a n d g one to th e o th e r h u ts to sleep, so terrified w ere they a t th e co n d u ct o f th e m en, w ho lay all stretch ed o u t on th e floor in a sta te o f c o m p lete in to x ic atio n . H ow easy in this situ atio n w ould it have been for us to h a v e d isp a tc h ed o r m a d e ourselves m asters o f o u r enem ies had th e re been any sh ip n e ar to w hich we could have escaped, b u t as w e w ere situ ate d th e a tte m p t w ould h a v e been m adness. T h e w ish o f revenge w as, how ever, less strongly im pressed on m y m in d th a n w h at a p p e a re d to b e so e v id e n t a n in te rp o sitio n o f D ivine Providence in o u r favour. H ow little can m an p e n e tra te its designs, and how frequently is th a t in te n d e d as a blessing w hich he view s as a curse. T h e b u rn in g o f o u r sh ip , w hich w e h a d lam ented so m uch, as d epriving us o f so m an y com forts, now a p p e a re d to us in a very different light, for, h a d th e savages g o t possession o f th e ru m , o f w hich th e re w ere nearly tw enty p u n c h eo n s on b o a rd ,2 w e m u st inevitably h a v e' fallen a sacrifice to th eir fury in som e o f th e ir m o m en ts o f into x icatio n . T h is cask, fo rtu n ately , a n d a case o f gin, w as all the spirits they o b ta in e d from th e sh ip . T o p rev en t th e recurrence o f sim ilar dan g er, 1 ex am in ed th e c ask , a n d , finding still a c o n sid e ra ­ ble q u a n tity rem aining, I bored a sm all hole in th e b o tto m w ith a g im b le t, w hich before m o rn in g , to m y g re at jo y , co m pletely e m p ­ tie d it. By th is tim e th e w o u n d in m y h e ad began to b e m uch b etter, so th a t I could enjoy som e sleep, w hich 1 h a d been alm ost d e prived o f by th e p ain , and th o u g h I w as still feeble from the loss o f blood a n d m y sufferings, I fo u n d m yself sufficiently well to go to w ork at m y tra d e , in m ak in g for th e king and his wives b racelets a n d o th e r sm all o rn a m e n ts o f c o p p e r o r steel, a n d in rep airin g th e a rm s, m ak in g use o f a large sq u a re sto n e for th e anvil, a n d h e atin g m y m etal in a co m m o n w o o d fire. T h is was very gratifying to M a q u in a , a n d his w om en p articu larly , and secured m e th eir goodw ill. In th e m ea n tim e, g re at n u m b e rs from th e o th e r trib e s kept c ontinually flocking to N o o tk a , b ringing w ith th em , in exchange for s h ip 's p lu n d er, such q u a n titie s o f p ro v isio n , th a t, n o t­ w ith stan d in g the little success th a t M a q u in a m et w ith in w haling this season, and th e ir g lu tto n o u s w aste, alw ays eating to excess w hen they have it, regardless o f th e m o rrow , seldom d id the natives experience any w ant o f fo o d d u rin g th e su m m er. A s to m yself a n d c o m p a n io n , w e fared as they d id , nev er w an tin g for 2 tw enty puncheons o f rum is a large am ount; w ithout doubt m uch of this was intended for use in trading for furs.

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THE ADV ENTURES AND SUFFERINGS OF JO H N R. JEW IT T

such p rovision as they h ad , th o u g h w e w ere obliged to e at it c o o k ed in th e ir m an n e r, a n d w ith train-oil as a sauce, a c irc u m ­ sta n ce not a little unp leasan t, b o th from th eir uncleanly m o d e o f co o k in g a n d m an y o f th e a rticles o f th eir food, w hich to a E u ro p ean are very disgusting; b u t, as th e saying is, h u n g e r will break th ro u g h sto n e walls, a n d we fo und, a t tim es, in th e blu b b er o f sea a nim als a n d th e flesh o f th e d o g -fish ,3 lo ath so m e as it generally w as, a very acc ep ta b le repast. B ut m uch o ften e r w o u ld p o o r T h o m p so n , w ho w as no fa v o u rite w ith th em , have suffered from h u n g e r had it n o t been for m y furnishing him w ith p ro v isio n . T h is I w as enabled to do from m y w o rk , M a q u in a allow ing m e th e privilege, w hen not em ployed fo r him , to w ork fo r m yself in m ak in g bracelets and o th e r o rn a m e n ts o f c o p p er, fish-hooks, daggers, etc., e ith e r to sell to th e tribes w h o visited us o r for o u r ow n chiefs, w ho on these occasions, besides supplying m e w ith as m uch as I w ished to eat, an d a sufficiency for T h o m p s o n , alm ost alw ays m ad e m e a p re ­ sent o f a E u ro p e a n g a rm e n t, ta k e n from th e ship, o r som e fath o m s o f c lo th , w hich w ere m ad e up by m y c o m ra d e, and en ab led us to go co m fo rtab ly clad for so m e tim e; o r sm all bundles o f penknives, razo rs, scissors, etc., for o n e o f w hich w e could alm o st alw ays p ro c u re from th e natives tw o o r th ree fresh salm on, co d , o r halib u t; o r d ried fish, clam s, a n d h e rrin g spaw n from the stra n g e r trib es; a n d had w e only been p e rm itte d to co o k them a fte r o u r ow n w ay, as we h a d po ts a n d o th e r utensils b elonging to th e ship, w e sh o u ld not h av e had m uch cause o f c o m p la in t in this respect; b u t so ten acio u s are these p e o p le o f th e ir custom s, p a rtic ­ ularly in th e article o f food a n d cooking, th a t th e king alw ays o bliged m e to give w hatever p rovision I b o u g h t to th e w om en to co o k . A nd o n e d ay , finding T h o m p so n a n d m yself on th e sh o re em ployed in boiling dow n se a -w ate r into salt, on being told w hat it w as he w as very m uch displeased, a n d , tak in g th e little w e had p ro c u re d , th rew it into th e sea. In o n e instance alo n e, as a p a rtic u la r fav o u r, h e allow ed m e to boil so m e salm o n in m y own w ay, w hen I invited him a n d his queen to e at w ith m e; they tasted it, b u t d id not like it, a n d m ad e th eir m eal o f so m e o f it th a t I had c o o k ed in th e ir c o u n try fashion. In M ay th e w e ath e r b ecam e unco m m o n ly m ild a n d pleasant, a n d so forw ard w as vegetation, th a t I picked plenty o f stra w b e r­ ries by th e m id d le o f th e m o n th . O f this fruit th e re a re g reat q u a n titie s o n this co ast, a n d I fo u n d them a m o st d elicious treat. M y health now had b ecom e a lm o st re-established, m y w ound being so far h ealed th a t it gave m e no fu rth e r tro u b le . I had never 1 i.e. the m ud-shark (Squatus sp.), the flesh o f which is very oily.

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failed to w ash it regularly once a day in sea w ater, a n d to d ress it w ith a fresh le a f o f to b acco , w hich I o b ta in e d from th e natives, w ho h a d tak e n it from th e sh ip , b u t m ad e n o use o f it. T h is was all th e dressing I gave it. except applying to it tw o o r th re e tim es a little loaf su g ar, w hich M a q u in a gave m e, in o rd e r to rem ove som e p ro u d flesh, w hich p revented it from closing. M y cure w ould dou b tless have been m uch so o n e r effected had I h a d been in a civilised c o u n try , w here 1 could h av e had it dressed by a su rg eo n a n d p ro p e rly a tte n d e d to . B ut alas! 1 h a d no go o d S a m aritan , w ith oil a n d w ine, to b in d up m y w o u n d s, and fo rtu n a te m ight I even esteem m yself th a t I w as p e rm itte d to dress it myself, for th e utm o st th a t I could expect from th e natives w as co m p assio n for m y m isfortunes, w hich I indeed experienced from th e w o m e n , particu larly th e q u e en , o r fav o u rite wife o f M a q u in a , th e m o th e r o f S atsat-sok-sis, w ho used frequently to p o in t to m y h e ad , a n d m anifest m u ch k indness a n d solicitu d e for m e. I m ust do M a q u in a th e ju s tic e to acknow ledge, th a t he alw ays a p p e a re d desiro u s o f sp a rin g m e any la b o u r w hich he believed m ig h t b e hurtful to m e, frequently in q u irin g in an affec­ tio n a te m an n e r if m y head p a in e d m e. A s fo r th e oth ers, so m e o f th e chiefs excepted, th ey c are d little w h at b ecam e o f m e, and p ro b a b ly w ould h a v e been g ra tified w ith m y death . M y health being a t length re-established a n d m y w ound h ealed , T h o m p s o n becam e very im p o rtu n a te for m e to begin m y jo u rn a l, a n d as 1 h a d no ink, p ro p o se d to cu t his finger to supply m e w ith blood for th e p u rp o se w h en ev er I sho u ld w ant it. O n the 1st o f J u n e I accordingly co m m en ced a regular diary, but had no occasion to m a k e use o f th e e x p e d ie n t suggested by m y c o m ra d e, hav ing found a m uch b e tte r su b stitu te in th e expressed ju ic e o f a c ertain p lan t, w hich furnished m e w ith a bright g reen c o lo u r, and, a fte r m ak in g a n u m b e r o f trials, I a t length succeeded in o b ta in ­ ing a v ery to le ra b le in k , by b o ilin g th e ju ic e o f th e b la c k b e rry w ith a m ix tu re o f finely p o w d e red c h arco al, and filtering it th ro u g h a cloth. T his I afte rw a rd s preserved in b ottles, a n d found it an sw e r very well, so tru e is it th a t “ necessity is th e m o th e r o f in v e n tio n .” As for quills, I found no difficulty in p ro c u rin g them w h en ev er I w a n ted , from th e cro w s a n d ravens w ith w hich the beach w as alm o st alw ays c overed, a ttrac ted by th e offal o f w hales, seals, etc., a n d w hich w ere so ta m e th at I could easily kill them w ith stones, w hile a large clam -shell furnished m e w ith an in k ­ sta n d .4 T h e ex trem e solicitu d e o f T h o m p so n th a t I should begin m y 4 Jew itt's inventiveness here is rem iniscent o f Robinson U ndoubtedly A lsop’s editing accented such events.

C rusoe.

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T H E A D V E N T U R E S A N D S U F F E R I N G S O F J O H N R. J E W I T T

jo u rn a l m ight b e c onsidered as sin g u lar in a m an w ho n e ith e r knew how to re ad o r w rite, a circu m stan ce, by th e w ay, very u n co m m o n in a n A m erican , w ere w e less a c q u a in te d w ith th e force o f h ab it, he having been for m any y ears a t sea, a n d accus­ to m e d to c o n sid er th e k eep in g o f a jo u rn a l as a th in g in d isp en s­ able. T h is m an w as b o rn in P h ilad elp h ia, and a t eight y ears old ran aw ay from his friends a n d e n te red as a c ab in boy on b o a rd a sh ip b o u n d to L o n d o n . O n his arrival th ere, finding h im self in distress, he engaged as an a p p re n tic e to th e c ap tain o f a collier, from w hence h e w as im pressed o n b o a rd an E nglish m an -o f-w ar, a n d c o n tin u e d in th e B ritish naval service a b o u t tw enty-seven years, du rin g w hich he w as p re se n t at th e en g agem ent u n d e r L ord H ow e w ith th e F ren ch fleet in J u n e 1794, a n d w hen p e ac e w as m a d e betw een E ngland an d F ra n c e , w as discharged. H e w as a very stro n g a n d pow erful m a n , a n ex p ert boxer, a n d perfectly fearless; indeed, so little w as his d re a d o f d a n g er, th a t w hen irrita te d h e w as w holly regardless o f his life. O f this th e follow ing will furnish a sufficient proof: O n e evening a b o u t th e m id d le o f A pril, as I w as a t th e house o f o n e o f th e chiefs, w here I h a d been e m p lo y ed on so m e w ork for h im , w o rd w as b ro u g h t m e th a t M a q u in a w as going to kill T h o m p so n . I im m ediately h u rried h o m e, w here I fo u n d th e king in th e act o f presen tin g a loaded m u sk et a t T h o m p so n , w ho w as sta n d in g before him w ith his b re a st b a red a n d called o n him to fire. I instantly step p ed up to M a q u in a , w ho w as fo am in g w ith rage, a n d , ad d ressin g him in so o th in g w o rd s, begged him for m y sak e n o t to kill m y father, a n d a t length succeeded in tak in g the m u sk et from him a n d p ersu ad in g him to sit dow n. O n in q u irin g into th e cause o f his anger, I learned th a t, while T h o m p so n w as lighting th e lam p s in th e k in g ’s ro o m , M a q u in a having su b stitu te d o u rs fo r th e ir pine to rch es, so m e o f th e boys beg an to tease h im , running a ro u n d him a n d pulling him by the tro u se rs, a m o n g th e m ost fo rw ard o f w hom w as th e y o u n g prince. T h is caused T h o m p so n to spill th e oil, w hich th rew him in to such a p a ssio n , th a t, w ith o u t carin g w h a t h e d id , h e struck th e prin ce so violent a blow in his face w ith his fist as to k n o c k him d o w n . T he sen satio n excited a m o n g th e savages by a n act w hich w as consid­ ered as a highest indignity, a n d a p ro fa n a tio n o f th e sacred person o f m ajesty, m ay b e easily conceived. T h e king w as im m e­ diately a c q u a in te d w ith it, w h o , o n com ing in a n d seeing his s o n ’s face covered w ith b lo o d , seized a m u sk et a n d began to lo ad it, d e te rm in e d to ta k e in stan t revenge o f th e a u d ac io u s o ffen d e r, and h a d 1 arrived a few m o m en ts la te r th a n I d id , m y com p an io n w ould certain ly h a v e p a id w ith his life for his rash a n d violent

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co n d u ct. I fo u n d th e u tm o st difficulty in pacifying M a q u in a , w ho for a long tim e a fte r could not forgive T h o m p so n , b u t w ould repeatedly say, “ Jo h n , y o u d ie - T h o m p s o n kill.” But to a p p ease th e king w as not all th a t w as necessary. In co n seq u en ce o f th e insult offered to th eir prince, th e w hole tribe held a council, in w hich it w as unan im o u sly resolved th a t T h o m p ­ so n should b e p u t to d e ath in th e m ost cruel m a n n e r. I how ever interceded so strenuously w ith M a q u in a for his life, telling him th a t if m y fath er w as killed, I w as d e te rm in e d not to survive him , th a t h e refused to deliver him up to th e vengeance o f his people, saying, th a t for J o h n ’s sak e they m u st con sen t to let him live. T he p rin ce , w ho, a fte r I had succeeded in calm ing his father, gave m e a n a cc o u n t o f w h at h a d h a p p en e d , told m e th a t it w as w holly out o f re g ard to m e, as T h o m p so n w as m y father, th a t his life had been sp a re d , for th a t if any o n e o f th e trib e sho u ld d a re to lift a h and ag ain st him in an g er, he w ould m ost certain ly b e p u t to d e ath . Y et even th is n a rro w escape p ro d u c ed n o t m uch effect on T h o m p so n , o r induced him to restrain th e violence o f his tem p e r. F o r, n o t m an y w eeks a fte r, he w as g u ilty o f a sim ilar indiscretion, in strik in g th e eldest son o f a chief, w h o w as a b o u t eighteen years o ld, a n d , a ccording to th e ir c u sto m , w as con sid ered as a T y ee, o r chief, him self, in consequence o f his having p ro v o k e d him by calling him a w hite slave. T his a ffa ir caused g re a t c o m m o tio n in th e village, a n d th e trib e w as very cla m o ro u s for his d e a th , but M a q u in a w ould n o t consent. I used frequently to re m o n stra te w ith him on th e im p ru d en ce o f his co n d u ct, a n d beg him to g o v e rn his te m p e r b etter, telling him th a t it w as o u r d u ty , since o u r lives w ere in th e p o w e r o f these savages, to d o n o th in g to e x asp era te th em . B ut all I could say o n this p o in t availed little, fo r so b itte r w as th e h ate h e felt for th e m , w hich h e w as n o w ay b ack w a rd in m anifesting b o th by h is looks a n d actio n s, th a t he d eclare d h e never w ould su b m it to th eir insults, a n d th a t h e h a d m uch ra th e r b e killed th a n be obliged to live a m o n g th em ; a d d in g th a t h e only w ished h e h a d a g o o d vessel a n d som e g u n s, a n d h e w ould d e stro y th e w hole o f th e cu rsed race; for to a b ra v e sa ilo r like h im , w ho h a d fought the F re n c h a n d S p a n iard s w ith glory, it w as a p u n ish m en t w orse th an d e a th to be a slave to such a p o o r, ig n o ran t, despicable set o f beings. A s for m yself, I th o u g h t very differently. A fte r re turning th an k s to th a t m erciful Being w ho h a d in so w onderful a m an n e r softened th e h e arts o f th e savages in m y fav o u r, I h a d d e term in ed from th e first o f m y cap tu re to a d o p t a con ciliatin g co n d u ct

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to w ard s th em , a n d c o n fo rm m yself, as far as w as in m y p o w e r, to th eir custom s a n d m ode o f th in k in g , tru stin g th a t th e sam e divine g o o d n ess th a t h a d rescued m e fro m d e a th , w ould n o t alw ays suffer m e to languish in captiv ity a m o n g th ese heathens. W ith this view , I so u g h t to gain th e ir good-w ill by alw ays e n d e a v o u rin g to a ssu m e a c h e e rfu l c o u n te n a n c e , a p p e a r in g pleased w ith th e ir sp o rts a n d bu ffo o n tric k s, m aking little o rn a ­ m en ts for th e w ives and c hildren o f th eir chiefs, by w hich m eans 1 b ecam e q u ite a fav o u rite w ith th em , a n d fish-hooks, daggers, etc., for them selves. A s a fu rth e r re co m m e n d a tio n to th eir fav o u r, a n d w hat m ight eventually p ro v e o f the utm o st im p o rta n c e to us, 1 resolved to learn th eir lan g u a g e 5 w hich in th e course o f a few m o n th s’ resi-‘ d e n ce I so far succeeded in acq u irin g as to b e able in g e n era l to m ak e m yself well u n d ersto o d . 1 likew ise trie d to p e rsu ad e T h o m p so n to learn it, as w hat m ight prove necessary to h im . But he refused, saying th a t he ha te d b o th th em a n d th e ir c u rsed lingo, a n d w ould have noth in g to d o w ith it. By pursu in g this con ciliato ry p lan , so far d id I g a in the good-w ill o f th ese savages, p a rticu la rly th e chiefs, th a t I scarcely ever failed experiencing k in d tre a tm e n t from th em , a n d w as received w ith a sm ile o f w elcom e at th eir houses, w here 1 was alw ays su re o f having so m e th in g given m e to e at, w h en ev er they had it, and m an y a good m eal h a v e I had from th em , w hen they them selves w ere sh o rt o f pro v isio n s a n d suffering fo r th e w ant o f them . A nd it w as a co m m o n p ractice w ith m e, w hen w e had n o th in g to eat a t hom e, w hich h a p p e n e d n o t un freq u en tly du rin g m y stay a m o n g th em , to g o a ro u n d th e village, a n d on n oticing a sm o k e from a n y o f th e h o u ses, w hich d e n o te d th a t th ey w ere c o o k in g , e n te r in w ith o u t c erem o n y , a n d ask them for som ething, w hich I w as nev er refused. Few n a tio n s, indeed, a re th ere so very ru d e a n d unfeeling, 5 Jew itt certainly acquired som e o f the N ootka language, but m any o f the w ords and expressions he says are N ootkan are in fact Chinook Jargon. Jew itt’s decision to learn the language m arks the beginning o f his “ initiatio n ,” his progressive but never com plete'assim ilation to N oo tk an society. T his elem ent o f “ in itiatio n " is recurrent in captiv­ ity narratives, and is one o f the principle elem ents o f interest to the reader: it allows m uch m ore o f a literary treatm ent than the more dispassionate “ narrative o f quest” so typical o f explorer journals (cf. M aurice H odgson, “ Initiation and Q uest: Earlv C anadian Jo u rn als," Canadian Literature, no. 38 (A utum n 1968)..pp. 29-40).

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w hom c o n stan t m ild tre a tm e n t, a n d an a tte n tio n to please, will n o t m ollify a n d o b tain from so m e re tu rn o f k in d a tte n tio n . T his th e tre a tm e n t I received from th ese p e o p le m ay exem plify, fo r not n u m ero u s, even a m o n g th o se calling them selves civilised, are th e re instances to be found o f p erso n s d ep riv in g them selves o f food to give it to a stra n g er, w h a tev e r m ay b e his m erits. It m ay p e rh a p s be as well in th is place to give a d esc rip tio n o f N o o tk a ; som e acco u n ts o f th e trib e s w ho w ere accu sto m ed to visit us; a n d th e m an n e rs a n d c u sto m s o f th e people, as fa r as I h ith e rto h a d a n o p p o rtu n ity o f o b serv in g them .

6 Description of Nootka Sound Manner of Building Houses Furniture - Dresses T h e village o f N o o tk a is situ ate d in betw een 49 and 50 d eg . N . la t.,1 at th e b o tto m o f F riendly C ove, on th e w est o r north-w estside. It consists o f a b o u t tw e n ty houses o r h u ts, on a sm all hill, w hich rises w ith a gentle ascen t from th e sh o re. F riendly C ove, w hich affords g o o d a n d secure a n ch o ra g e for ships close in with th e sh o re , is a sm all h a rb o u r o f n o t m o re th a n a q u a rte r o r h a lf a m ile in length, a n d a b o u t h a lf a m ile o r th re e -q u a rte rs b ro ad , form ed by th e line o f co ast on th e east a n d a long p o in t o r h e ad lan d , w hich extends as m u ch as th ree leagues into th e S ound, in nearly a w esterly d irec tio n . T h is, as well as I can ju d g e from w h at I have seen o f it, is in general from o n e to tw o m iles in b re a d th , a n d m ostly a rocky a n d u n p ro d u c tiv e soil, w ith b u t few trees. T h e easte rn a n d w estern shores o f this h a rb o u r a re steep a n d in m any p a rts rocky, th e tree s gro w in g q u ite to th e w a te r’s edge, b u t th e b o tto m to th e n o rth and no rth -w est is a fine sandy beach o f h a lf a m ile o r m o re in extent. F ro m th e village to th e n o rth a n d n o rth -e a st extends a plain, th e soil o f w hich is very excellent, a n d w ith p ro p e r cu ltivation m ay be m ad e to p ro d u c e a lm o st any o f o u r E u ro p ea n vegetables; this is but little m o re th an h a lf a m ile in b re a d th , a n d is te rm i­ n a te d by the seacoast, w hich in th is place is lined w ith rocks and reefs, and c a n n o t be a p p ro a c h e d by ships. T h e co ast in the n e ig h b o u rh o o d o f N o o tk a is in general low , a n d b u t little bro k en into hills a n d valleys. T h e soil is g o o d , well covered w ith fine forests o f p in e, sp ru c e, beech, a n d o th e r trees, a n d a b o u n d s with stream s o f th e finest w ater, th e general a p p e a ra n c e being th e sam e fo r m any m iles a ro u n d . T h e village is situ ate d on th e g ro u n d occupied by th e S p a n ­ iards, w hen they kept a g a rriso n here; th e fo u n d a tio n s o f the church and th e g o v e rn o r’s h o u se are y et visible, a n d a few E u ro ­ p e an p lan ts a re still to be fo u n d , w hich c o n tin u e to b e selfp ro p a g a te d , such as o n io n s, peas, and tu rn ip s, but th e tw o last 1 “ The village of Nootka” is Yuquot, located at approximately 49° 35’ N. lat., 126° 37’ W. long.

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a re q u ite sm all, particu larly th e tu rn ip s, w hich a ffo rd e d us n o th in g b u t th e to p s for eatin g . T h e ir fo rm er village sto o d on the sam e sp o t, b u t th e S p a n iard s, finding it a c o m m o d io u s situ atio n , d e m o lish e d th e houses, and forced th e in h a b ita n ts to retire five o r six m iles into th e c o u n try .2 W ith g re a t so rro w , as M a q u in a told m e, did they find them selves co m p elled to q u it th e ir a n cien t place o f residence, b u t w ith equal jo y did they repossess them selves o f it w hen th e S panish g arrison w as expelled by th e English. T h e houses, as I have o b se rv ed , a re a b o u t tw enty in n u m b er, b uilt nearly in a line. T hese are o f different sizes, a ccording to the ra n k o r quality o f th e T y e e , o r chief, w ho lives in th em , each h aving o n e, o f w hich he is c o n sid ere d as th e lo rd . T h ey vary not m uch in w id th , being usually from thirty-six to forty feet w ide, b u t a re o f very differen t lengths, th a t o f th e king, w hich is m uch th e longest, being a b o u t one h u n d re d a n d fifty feet, w hile the sm allest, w hich co n ta in only tw o fam ilies, d o n o t exceed forty feet in length; th e h o u se o f th e king is also d istin g u ish ed from the o th e rs by being higher. T h e ir m eth o d o f building is as follows: they erect in the g ro u n d tw o very large posts, a t such a d istan ce a p a rt as is in ten d ed fo r th e length o f th e h o u se . O n th ese, w hich are o f equ al height, a n d hollow ed o u t at th e u p p e r en d , they lay a large sp ar for th e rid g e-p o le o f th e b uilding, or, if th e length o f th e house re q u ire s it, tw o o r m o re, su p p o rtin g th eir ends by sim ilar up rig h t posts; these sp ars a re so m etim es o f an a lm o st in credible size, h aving m yself m easu red o n e in M a q u in a ’s h ouse, w hich I found to b e o n e h u n d re d feet long a n d eight feet four inches in c irc u m ­ ference. A t equal distances from th ese tw o po sts, tw o o th e rs are placed on each sid e, to form th e w idth o f th e building; th ese are ra th e r sh o rte r th a n th e first, a n d on them are laid in like m an n e r spars, but o f a sm aller size, h a v in g th e u p p e r p a r t hew ed fiat, w ith a n a rro w ridge o n th e o u te r sid e to su p p o rt th e ends o f the planks. T h e ro o f is form ed o f p in e 3 p la n k s w ith a b ro a d fe ath er edge, so as to lap well o v er each o th e r, w hich a re laid lengthw ise from th e ridge-pole in th e c en tre, to th e beam s a t th e sides, a fte r which the to p is covered w ith p lan k s o f eight feet b ro a d , w hich form a kind o f coving pro jectin g so far o v e r th e ends o f th e p lan k s th at form th e roof, as co m pletely to exclude th e ra in . O n th ese they 2 i .e . f u r th e r u p

N o o tk a

S o u n d ; s m a ll v illa g e s a r e

kno w n to

have

e x is te d in th is re g io n . 3 J e w itt o f te n r e f e r s t o w o o d e n ite m s m a d e b y th e N o o t k a a s b e in g ol “ p i n e ” ; a l m o s t c e r ta in ly in n e a r l y a ll c a s e s th i s w a s in fa c t c e d a r .

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lay large sto n e s to p revent th e ir being displaced by th e w ind. T he ends o f th e p lan k s are not secu red to th e beam s on w hich they are laid by any fastening, so th a t in a high storm I have often know n all th e m en obliged to tu rn o u t a n d go upon th e ro o f to p rev en t them from being blow n off, carrying large sto n es and pieces o f rock w ith them to secure th e b o a rd s, alw ays stripping them selves n a k ed on these occasions, w h a tev e r m ay be th e sever­ ity o f the w e ath e r, to p re v en t th e ir g a rm e n ts from being w et and m u d d ied , as th ese storm s a re a lm o st alw ays a cc o m p a n ied w ith heav y rains. T h e sides o f th eir houses a re m uch m o re op en and exposed to th e w eather; th is p ro ceed s from th e ir not being so easily m ad e close as the roof, b ein g bu ilt w ith planks o f a b o u t ten feet long a n d fo u r o r five w ide, w hich they place betw een stanch eo n s o r sm all p o sts o f th e heig h t o f th e roof; o f th ese th ere are fo u r to each range o f b o a rd s, tw o at each en d , and so n e a r each o th e r as to leave space en o u g h fo r a d m ittin g a p lank. T h e planks o r b o a rd s w hich they m ak e use o f for building th e ir houses, and for o th e r uses, they p ro c u re o f different lengths as occasion re q u ire s, by sp littin g them o u t w ith h a rd w o o d en w edges from p in e lo g s, a n d a fte rw a rd s d u b b in g th e m d o w n w ith th e ir c h is e l,4 w ith m uch p a tie n ce , to th e thickness w a n ted , ren d erin g them q u ite sm o o th . T h ere is b u t o n e e n tra n ce ; th is is placed usually a t th e end, th o u g h so m etim es in th e m iddle, as w as th a t o f M a q u in a ’s. T h ro u g h th e m id d le o f th e b uilding, from o n e end to th e oth er, ru n s a passage o f a b o u t eight o r nine feet b ro a d , on each sid e o f w hich th e several fam ilies th a t occupy it live, each h a v in g its p a rticu la r fireplace, but w ith o u t a n y k in d o f wall o r se p a ra tio n to m ark th eir respective lim its; th e c h ie f having his a p a rtm e n t at the u p p e r end, a n d th e next in ran k o p p o site on th e o th e r sid e. T hey h a v e no o th e r flo o r th an th e g ro u n d ; th e fireplace o r hearth co nsists o f a n u m b e r o f sto n es loosely p u t to g eth e r, b u t th ey are w holly w ith o u t a ch im n ey , n o r is th ere a n y open in g left in the roof, b u t w h en ev er a fire is m a d e , th e p lan k im m ediately o v er it is th ru st asid e, by m eans o f a p o le, to give vent to th e sm oke. T h e height o f th e houses in g e n era l, from th e g ro u n d to the cen tre o f th e roof, does not exceed ten feet, th at o f M a q u in a ’s was n o t far from fo u rteen ; th e s p a r fo rm in g th e ridge-pole o f the la tte r w as p a in te d in red and black circles a ltern ately , by w ay o f o rn a m e n t, a n d th e large posts th a t su p p o rte d it had th e ir tops curiously w ro u g h t o r carved, so as to re p re se n t h u m an h e ad s o f a m o n stro u s size, w hich w ere p a in te d in th eir m an n e r. T h ese were 4 i.e . s to n e a d z e s .

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5 1

n o t, how ever, c o n sid ere d as o bjects o f a d o ra tio n , b u t m erely as o rn a m e n ts .5 T h e fu rn itu re o f these p eople is very sim ple, a n d consists only o f boxes, in w hich they p u t th e ir clothes, furs, a n d such things as they hold m o st valuable; tu b s for keeping th eir pro v isio n s o f spaw n a n d b lu b b er in; trays from w hich they eat; bask ets fo r th eir d rie d fish a n d o th e r p u rp o ses, a n d bags m ad e o f b a rk m attin g , o f w hich they also m ak e th e ir beds, sp re ad in g a piece o f it u p o n th e g ro u n d w hen they lie d ow n, a n d using no o th e r bed covering than th eir g arm en ts. T h e boxes are o f p in e ,6 w ith a to p th a t sh u ts over, and instead o f nails o r pegs, a re fastened w ith flexible tw ings; they are extrem ely sm ooth a n d high polished, a n d som etim es o rn a m e n te d w ith row s o f very sm all w hite sh ells.7 T h e tu b s are o f a sq u a re form , secured in th e like m an n e r, a n d o f v a rio u s sizes, som e being ex trem ely large, h aving seen them th a t w ere six feet long by fo u r b ro a d a n d five d e ep . T h e trays a re hollow ed out w ith th e ir chisels from a solid block o f w ood, a n d th e bask ets and m ats a re m ad e from th e bark o f trees. F ro m b ark they likewise m ak e th e cloth for th eir g a rm e n ts, in th e follow ing m anner: - A q u a n tity o f this b ark is tak e n a n d put into fresh w a ter, w here it is k e p t fo r a fo rtn ig h t, to give it tim e to c o m pletely soften; it is then tak e n o u t a n d b eaten upon a plank, w ith an in stru m e n t m a d e o f b o n e , o r so m e very h ard w ood, having grooves o r hollow s on o n e sid e o f it, care being ta k e n to keep th e m ass c o n stan tly m oistened w ith w a ter, in o rd e r to se p a ­ ra te , w ith m o re ease, th e h ard a n d w o o d y from th e so ft and fibrous p a rts, w hich, w hen c o m p leted , they parcel o u t into skeins, like th re a d . T hese they lay in th e a ir to bleach, a n d afte rw a rd s dye them black o r red, as suits th eir fancies, th eir n a tu ra l co lo u r being a pale yellow . In o rd e r to form th e cloth, th e w o m en , by w hom th e w hole o f this process is p e rfo rm e d , ta k e a c ertain n u m b e r o f these skeins and tw ist them to g e th e r, by rolling them w ith th eir h an d s u p o n th eir knees into h a rd rolls, w hich a re a fterw ards con n ected by m eans o f a stro n g th re a d , m ad e for th e p u rpose. T h e ir dress usually consists o f b u t a single g a rm e n t, w hich is a loose cloak o r m an tle (called k u ts a c k ) in o n e piece, reaching nearly to th e feet. T h is is tied loosely o v er th e right o r left sh o u ld e r, so as to leave th e a rm s a t full liberty. 5 th e s e c a r v e d h o u s e p o le s a r e n o t t o b e c o n f u s e d w ith f r e e s ta n d in g to t e m p o le s . 6 i.e . c e d a r . 7 t h e “ w h ite s h e lls ” r e p e a te d ly m e n tio n e d b y J e w itt a r c a l m o s t c e r ­ ta in ly s n a il o p e r c u l a , a s c a n b e s e e n in m a n y m u s e u m s p e c im e n s .

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T h o se o f th e c om m on p e o p le are p a in te d red w ith o c h re the b e tte r to k e ep o u t th e ra in , b u t th e chiefs w ear th em o f their native co lo u r, w hich is a pale yellow , o rn a m e n tin g them with b o rd e rs o f th e se a -o tter skin, a k in d o f g rey cloth m ad e o f the h a ir o f som e a n im a l8 w hich they p ro c u re from th e trib es to the so u th , o r th e ir ow n cloth w ro u g h t o r p a in te d w ith v a rio u s figures in red o r b lack , representing m e n ’s h ead s, th e sun a n d m o o n , fish a n d anim als, w hich are frequently executed w ith m uch skill. T hey have also a g ird le o f th e sam e k in d for securing this m an tle o r k u ts a c k a ro u n d th em , w hich is in general still m o re highly o r n a ­ m en ted , a n d serves them to w ear th eir d aggers and knives in. In w in ter, how ever, they so m etim es m ak e use o f a n a d d itio n a l g a r­ m en t, w hich is a k in d o f h o o d , w ith a hole in it for th e p u rp o se o f a d m ittin g th e h ead , a n d falls o v er th e breast a n d b ack , as low as th e shoulders; th is is b o rd e re d b o th a t to p and b o tto m w ith fur, a n d is n e v er w orn except w h e n they go o u t. T h e g a rm e n ts o f th e w om en vary not essentially fro m th o se o f th e m en, th e m an tle having holes in it for th e p u rp o se o f a d m it­ ting th e a rm s, a n d being tie d close u n d e r th e chin instead o f over th e sho u ld er. T h e chiefs have also m antles o f th e se a -o tte r skin, b u t these are only p u t on u p o n e x tra o rd in a ry occasions; a n d one th a t is m ad e from th e sk in o f a c ertain large a n im a l, w hich is b ro u g h t fro m th e so u th by th e W ic k an n in ish a n d K la-iz-zarts. T h is they p re p a re by dressing it in w arm w ater, scraping o ff th e h a ir a n d w h at flesh a d h ere s to it carefully w ith sh a rp m usselshells,9 and sp re a d in g it o u t in th e sun to d ry on a w o o d en fram e so as to p re serv e th e sh ap e. W h en d ressed in th is m a n n e r it becom es perfectly w hite, a n d as p liab le as th e best d e e r’s leath er, but alm o st as thick again. T h ey th en p a in t it in differen t figures w ith such p a in ts as they usually em p lo y e in d e c o ra tin g th eir perso n s; th ese figures m ostly re p re se n t h u m a n heads, canoes em ployed in c atch in g w hales, etc. T h is sk in is called m e ta m e lth ,10 a n d is p ro b ab ly g o t from an * probably th e hair o f dogs dom esticated by the Salish for their wool. “ T he tribes to the S o u th " m ay m ean o th er N ootkan groups, who had in turn acquired the dog wool in trad e from Southern V ancou­ ver Island Salish groups. Dog wool was often m ixed w ith m ountain goat w ool by the Salish. 9 i.e. th e very heavy large shells-of M ytilu s californianus o r California m ussel, extensively used for m aking scrapers in aboriginal times. M any have been recovered in N orthw est C oast archaeological sites. M ost scrapers o f this m aterial were ground unifacially in order to produce a sharp working edge. 10 possibly the anim al alluded to is the w apiti, Cervus canadensis.

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an im al o f th e m o o se kind; it is highly prized by these p e o p le , is th eir g re a t w ar dress, a n d only w o rn w hen they w ish to m a k e the best p ossible display o f them selves. S trips o r b an d s o f it, p ainted a s a b o v e, a re also som etim es used by them for g irdles o r the b o rd e rin g o f th e ir cloaks, and also fo r bracelets a n d a n k le o rn a ­ m en ts by som e o f th e in ferio r class. O n th e ir h ead s, w hen they go o u t upon any excursion, p a rtic ­ ularly w haling o r fishing, they w e a r a k in d o f c a p o r b o n n e t in form n o t unlik e a large su g a r lo a f w ith th e to p c u t off. T h is is m a d e o f th e sam e m aterials w ith th e ir clo th , but is in general o f a closer tex tu re, a n d by w ay o f tassel h a s a long strip o f th e skin o f th e m eta m e lth a tta c h e d to it, co v ered w ith row s o f sm all w hite shells o r b ead s. T h o se w orn by th e co m m o n p e o p le a re p ainted entirely red, the chiefs having th eirs o f differen t colours. T h e one w o rn by th e king, a n d w hich serves to designate him from all the o th e rs, is longer a n d b ro a d e r a t th e b o tto m ; th e to p , instead o f being flat, having u p o n it a n o rn a m e n t in th e figure o f a sm all u rn . It is also o f a m uch finer te x tu re th an th e o th ers, a n d plaited o r w ro u g h t in black a n d w hite strip es, w ith th e re p re se n tatio n in fro n t o f a c an o e in p u rsu it o f a w hale, w ith th e h a rp o o n e r sta n d in g in th e p ro w p re p are d to strik e. T h is b o n n e t is called

Seeya-poks.11 T h e ir m o d e o f living is very s i m p le - t h e i r food consisting alm o st w holly o f fish, o r fish sp a w n fresh o r d ried , th e b lu b b er o f th e w hale, seal, o r sea-cow , m ussels, clam s, a n d b erries o f various kinds; all o f w hich a re eaten w ith a p ro fu sio n o f train -o il for sauce, n o t excepting even th e m o st delicate fru it, as straw b erries a n d raspberries. W ith so little variety in th e ir fo o d , no g re at secret can be expected in th e ir c o o k ery . O f th is, indeed, they m ay b e said to know b u t tw o m eth o d s, viz. by b oiling a n d steam ing, a n d even th e la tte r is not very frequently p ra ctised by th e m . T h e ir m o d e o f boiling is as follows: - In to o n e o f th e ir tu b s 12 th ey p o u r w ater sufficient to cook th e q u a n tity o f p rovision w a n ted . A n u m b e r o f h e ated sto n es a re then p u t in to m ak e it boil, w hen th e salm o n o r o th e r fish a re p u t in w ith o u t a n y o th e r p re p a ra tio n th an so m e ­ tim es c u ttin g o ff th e heads, tails, a n d fins, th e boiling in the 11 S e e y a -p o k s is p ro b ab ly n o t a N o o tk a n w o rd , b u t C h in o o k Ja rg o n . T he D ictionary o f the Cltonook Jargon, or Indian Trade Language, o f the N orth Pacific C oast, T . H ibben and C o ., V ictoria, 1899, gives two glosses for “ h at” : seahpo' and seahpult, obviously closely related to Jew itt’s gloss. 12 m ost likely a kerfed and sewn cedar box.

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m ea n tim e being k e p t up by th e ap p lic atio n o f th e h o t stones, a fte r w hich it is left to co o k until th e w hole is nearly red u ced to o n e m ass. It is th en tak e n o u t a n d d istrib u te d in th e tray s. In a sim ilar m an n e r they co o k th e ir b lu b b er a n d spaw n, sm o k e d or d rie d fish, a n d , in fine, a lm o st e verything th ey e at, n o th in g going do w n w ith th em lik e b ro th . W h en th ey co o k th eir fish by ste am , w hich are usually the h eads, tails, a n d fins o f th e sa lm o n , co d , a n d h a lib u t, a large fire is k in d le d , u p o n w h ich th e y p la c e a b e d o f s to n e s , w h ic h , w hen th e w o o d is b u r n t d o w n , b e c o m e s p e rfe c tly h e a te d . L a y e rs o f green leaves o r p in e boughs a re th en placed u p o n th e stones, and th e fish, clam s, etc., being laid u p o n th em , w ater is p o u re d over th em , and th e w hole closely covered w ith m ats to k e ep in the steam . T h is is m u ch th e best m o d e o f c o o k in g , a n d clam s and m ussels d o n e in this m an n e r a re really excellent. T hese, as I have said , m ay b e con sid ered as th e ir only kinds o f cookery; th o u g h I h av e, in a very few instances, know n them dress th e roe o r spaw n o f th e salm on a n d th e h e rrin g , w hen first tak e n , in a different m an n e r; this w as by ro a stin g th em , th e fo rm er being su p p o rte d betw een tw o split pieces o f p in e, and th e o th e r h aving a sharp stick run th ro u g h it, w ith o n e e n d fixed in th e g ro u n d ; sp ra ts are also roasted by th em in th is w ay, a n u m b e r being sp itte d upon o n e stick; a n d this kind o f food, w ith a little salt, w ould b e found n o c o n te m p tib le eating even to an E u ro p ean . A t th eir m eals they seat them selves u p o n th e g ro u n d , w ith th e ir feet cu rled up u n d e r th e m , a ro u n d th eir trays, w hich are g enerally a b o u t th ree feet long by o n e b ro a d , a n d from six to eight inches d e ep . In e atin g they m ak e use o f noth in g b u t their fingers, except for the so u p o r oil, w hich they lade o u t w ith clam -shells. A ro u n d o n e o f these tray s from fo u r to six p erso n s will seat them selves, co nstantly d ip p in g in th eir fingers o r clam -shells one a fter th e o th e r. T h e king a n d chiefs a lo n e have se p a ra te trays, from w hich no o n e is p e rm itte d to e at w ith them except th e q u e e n , o r p rin cip al w ife13 o f th e chief; a n d w henever th e king o r o n e o f th e chiefs wishes to distinguish any o f his p e o p le w ith a special m ark o f favour on these occasions, h e calls him a n d gives him som e o f th e choice bits from his tray. T h e slaves eat a t th e sam e tim e, a n d o f th e sam e p rovisions, faring in this respect as well as th e ir m asters, being seated w ith th e fam ily, a n d only feeding from se p a ra te trays. u polygyny was probably n ot extensive, but confined to wealthy m em ­ bers o f the upper class.

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W h en ev er a feast is given by th e king o r any o f th e chiefs, th e re is a perso n w ho acts as a m a s te r o f cerem o n ies, a n d w hose business it is to receive th e gu ests as they e n te r th e h ouse, a n d p o in t o u t to th em th e ir respective seats, w hich is regulated with g re a t punctiliousness as regards ran k ; th e kin0 occupying th e hig h est o r th e se a t o f h o n o u r, his son o r b ro th e r sittin g next him , a n d so on w ith th e chiefs a cc o rd in g to th e ir quality; th e priv ate perso n s b elonging to th e sam e fam ily bein g alw ays placed to g eth e r, to p re v en t any co n fu sio n . T h e w om en a re seldom invited to th eir feasts, a n d only a t th o se tim e s w hen a general in v itatio n is given to th e village. A s, w h en ev er they co o k , they alw ays calculate to h a v e an a b u n d a n c e for all th e guests, a p rofusion in th is respect being c o n sid ere d as th e highest luxury, m u ch m o re is usually set before th em th an they can e at. T h a t w hich is left in th e k in g ’s tra y , he sends to his h o u se for his fam ily by one o f his slaves, as d o th e chiefs th eirs; w hile those w ho e at from th e sam e tray , a n d w ho gen erally belong to th e sam e fam ily, ta k e it h o m e as c o m m o n sto c k , o r each o n e receives his p o rtio n , w hich is d istrib u te d on th e sp o t. T h is cu sto m a p p e a re d very sin g u lar to m y c o m p a n io n a n d m yself, a n d it w as a m ost a w k w ard th in g for us, a t first, to h av e to lug h o m e w ith us, in o u r h an d s o r a rm s, th e b lu b b er o f fish th a t w e received a t these tim es, b u t w e so o n b ecam e re co n ­ ciled to it, and w ere very glad o f a n o p p o rtu n ity to d o it.

7. Appearance of the Natives Ornaments - Otter-Hunting Fishing - Canoes I n p o in t o f p e rso n al a p p e a ra n c e th e p e o p le o f N o o tk a a re am ong th e best-lo o k in g o f any o f th e trib e s th a t I have seen. T h e m en a re in general from a b o u t five feet six to five feet eight inches in height: re m a rk ab ly stra ig h t, o f a g o o d form , ro b u st a n d strong, w ith th eir lim bs in general well tu rn e d a n d p ro p o rtio n e d , except­ ing th e legs a n d feet, w hich a re clum sy a n d ill fo rm ed , ow ing, no d o u b t, to th e ir p ractice o f sittin g on th e m , tho u g h I have seen instances in w hich they w ere very well sh a p e d ; this defect is m ore p a rticu la rly a p p a re n t in th e w o m en , w ho are for th e m o st p a rt o f th e tim e w ithin d o o rs, a n d c o n stan tly sittin g w hile em ployed in th e ir coo k in g a n d o th e r o c cu p a tio n s. T h e only in stance o f d efo rm ity th a t I saw a m o n g st them w as a m an o f dw arfish sta tu re ; he w as th irty y ears old, a n d b u t th ree feet th ree inches high; h e h a d , how ever, no o th e r defect th an his d im in u tiv e size, b ein g well m ad e , a n d as stro n g a n d a b le to b e a r fatigue as w hat they w ere in general. T h e ir c o m plexion, w hen freed from th e p a in t a n d oil with w hich th eir skins are g enerally co v ered , is a brow n, so m ew h at inclining to a c o p p e r cast. T h e sh a p e o f th e face is oval; the featu res are to lerab ly regular, th e lips being thin a n d th e teeth very w hite a n d even; th eir eyes a re black but ra th e r sm all, a n d the nose pretty well form ed, being n e ith e r fiat n o r very p ro m in e n t; th e ir h a ir is black, long, and coarse, b u t they have no beard, co m pletely e x tirp atin g it, as well as th e h a ir from th e ir bodies, M a q u in a bein g th e only e x ce p tio n , w ho suffered his b e a rd to g ro w on his u p p e r lip in th e m a n n e r o f m u stach io s, w hich was c onsidered as a m ark o f dignity. A s to th e w om en, they a re m uch w h iter, m an y o f them not being d a rk e r th an those in so m e o f th e so u th e rn p a rts o f E urope. T h ey are in general very w ell-looking, a n d som e q u ite h an d so m e. M a q u in a 's fa v o u rite wife in p a rticu la r, w ho w as a W ickinninish princess, w ould be c onsidered as a beautiful w om an in any c o u n ­ try. She w as u n c o m m o n ly well fo rm ed , tall, and o f a m ajestic a p p ea ran c e; h e r skin re m a rk ab ly fair for o n e o f these p e o p le , with c o n sid erab le c o lo u r, her features h a n d so m e, a n d h e r eyes black,

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soft, a n d languishing; her h a ir w as very long, th ic k , a n d black , as is th a t o f th e fem ales in general, w hich is m uch softer th a n th a t o f th e m en ; in th is they ta k e m u ch pride, frequently oiling and plaitin g it carefully in to tw o b ro a d plaits, ty in g th e e n d s w ith a strip o f th e cloth o f th e c o u n try , a n d letting it han g do w n b efore on each side o f th e face. T h e w om en keep th eir g a rm e n ts m u ch n e a te r a n d c lean er th an th e m en , a n d are extrem ely m o d est in th e ir d e p o rtm e n t and dress; th e ir m an tle, o r k u ts a c k , w hich is lo n g er th an th a t o f th e m en, reaching q u ite to th eir feet a n d com pletely enveloping th em , being tied close u n d e r th e c h in , a n d b o u n d w ith a g ird le o f th e sam e cloth o r o f se a -o tte r sk in a ro u n d th e ir w aists; it h a s also loose sleeves, w hich reach to th e elbow s. T h o u g h fond o f o rn a ­ m en tin g th e ir persons, they a re by n o m eans so p a rtial to p a in t as th e m en , m erely co lo u rin g th e ir eyebrow s black a n d d raw in g a b rig h t red strip e from each c o rn e r o f th e m o u th to w a rd s th e ear. T h e ir o rn a m e n ts consist chiefly o f ear-rings, necklaces, bracelets, rings for th e fingers a n d ankles, a n d sm all nose-jew els (th e latter are , how ever, w holly c o nfined to th e w ives o f th e king o r chiefs); th ese are principally m a d e o u t o f c o p p e r o r brass, highly polished a n d o f vario u s form s a n d sizes; th e nose-jew el is usually a sm all w hite sh e ll1 o r b e ad su sp en d ed to a th rea d . T h e w ives o f th e co m m o n p e o p le frequently w ear for b ra c e ­ lets a n d a n k le rings strip s o f th e c o u n try cloth o r sk in o f the m eta m e lth p a in te d in figures, a n d th o se o f th e king o r principal chiefs, bracelets a n d necklaces consisting o f a n u m b e r o f strings o f Ife -w a w ,2 an article m uch prized by th em , a n d w hich m ak e s a very h a n d so m e a p p ea ran c e. T h is Ife -w a w , as th ey term it, is a k in d o f shell o f a dazzling w hiteness a n d as sm o o th as ivory; it is o f a cylindrical form , in a slight d e g ree cu rv ed , a b o u t th e size o f a g o o se quill, hollow , th ree inches in length a n d grad u ally tap erin g to a p o in t, w hich is bro k en o ff by th e natives as it is ta k e n from th e w ater; this th ey afte rw a rd s strin g u p o n th rea d s o f b a rk and sell it by th e fath o m ; it fo rm s a k in d o f circulating m ed ium 1 N ose pendants often consisted o f a disc o f polished abalone shell (H a lio iis k a m isch a ika n a ) perforated to accept a loop o f thread for fastening into the pierced nasal septum . : i.e. the tooth-shell o r dentalium shell ( Dentalium pretiosum ), which played such a prom inent role in N orthw est C oast cultures as units of value o r w ealth. Its principal source was in trad e with the groups resident on C ape Flattery an d the southern coast o f Juan de Fuca Strait. It was also to be found in deep w ater o ff the west coast o f V ancouver Island. Jew itt is inconsistent in his spelling o f the nam e for dentalia.

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a m o n g th ese n a tio n s, five fa th o m s being c o n sid ere d as th e price o f a slave, th e ir m o st valuable species o f p ro p e rty . It is principally o b ta in e d from th e A itizzarts, a p e o p le living a b o u t th irty o r forty m iles to th e n o rth w a rd , w ho collect it from th e reefs a n d sunken rocks w ith w hich th e ir coast a b o u n d s, th o u g h it is also b ro u g h t in c o n sid erab le q u a n tity from th e so u th . T h e ir m o d e o f tak in g it has been th u s described to m e : - T o o n e end o f a pole is fastened a piece o f p lan k , in w hich a c o n sid era b le n u m b e r o f p in e pegs a re inserted, m ad e sh a rp a t the ends; above th e p lan k , in o rd e r to sink it, a sto n e o r so m e w eight is tied, and th e o th e r end o f th e pole su sp en d ed to a long rope; this is let do w n perp en d icu larly by the Ife -w a w fishers in those places w here th a t su b stan ce is fo u n d , w hich are usually from fifty to sixty fa th o m s d eep . O n finding th e b o tto m , they raise th e pole u p a few feet a n d let it fall; this th ey rep eat a n u m b er o f tim es, as if so u n d in g , w hen they d ra w it up a n d ta k e o ff th e Ife -w a w w hich is fo u n d ad h erin g to th e p o in ts. T h is m eth o d o f p ro c u rin g it is very lab o rio u s a n d fatiguing, especially as th ey seldom ta k e m ore th an tw o o r th re e o f these shells a t a tim e , a n d frequently none. T h o u g h th e w om en, as I h av e said , m ak e but little use o f p a in t, th e very reverse is th e case w ith th e m en. In d e co ra tin g th e ir heads a n d faces they place th eir p rin cip al p rid e, a n d n o n e o f o u r m ost fashionable beaus w hen p re p arin g for a g ra n d ball can b e m o re p a rticu la r; for I have k n o w n M a q u in a , a fte r h aving been em ployed m o re th an an h o u r in p a in tin g his face, ru b th e w hole off, a n d reco m m en ce th e o p e ra tio n anew , w hen it did n o t entirely please him . T h e m a n n e r in w hich they p a in t them selves frequently varies, according to th e occasion, b u t it o fte n e r is th e m ere d ic ta te o f w h im . T h e m o st usual m eth o d is to p a in t th e eyebrow s black in form o f a h alf-m o o n and th e face red in sm all sq u ares, w ith the arm s a n d legs a n d p a rt o f th e b o d y red; so m etim es o n e h a lf o f the face is p a in te d red in sq u a res a n d th e o th e r black; at others d o tte d w ith sp o ts o f red a n d black instead o f sq u a res, w ith a variety o f o th e r devices, such as p a in tin g o n e h a lf o f th e face and bo d y red a n d th e o th e r black. B ut a m eth o d o f p a in tin g w hich they so m etim es em ployed, an d w hich they w ere m uch m o re p a rticu la r in, w as by laying on th e face a q u a n tity o f b e a r’s g re ase o f a b o u t o n e-eig h th o f an inch thick; this they raised up in to ridges resem bling a sm all b e ad in jo in e r ’s w ork w ith a stick p re p are d for th e p u rp o se , a n d then p a in te d them re d , w hich gave th e face a very sin g u lar a p p ea ran c e. O n e x tra o rd in a ry occasions th e king a n d principal chiefs used to strew o v er th e ir faces, a fte r p a in tin g , a fine black shining

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p o w d e r p ro c u re d from som e m in e ral, as M a q u in a told m e it w as g ot from th e rocks. T h is they call p e lp e h h 3 a n d value it highly, as, in th e ir o p in io n , it serves to set o ff th eir looks to g re at a d v an tag e, g litte rin g e sp e c ia lly in th e su n lik e silv e r. T h is a rtic le is b ro u g h t them in bags by th e N e w ch e m a ss,4 a very savage n a tio n w h o live1 a long w ay to th e n o rth , from w h o m they likew ise receive a su p e rio r k in d o f red p a in t, a species o f very fine and rich ochre, w hich they hold in m uch e stim a tio n . N o tw ith sta n d in g this custom o f p a in tin g them selves, they m a k e it a n in v a ria b le p ra c tic e , b o th in s u m m e r a n d w in te r, to b a th e o n c e a day, a n d so m etim es o ftener; but as th e p a in t is put o n w ith o il, it is n o t m u ch d is c o m p o s e d th e re b y , a n d w h e n e v e r th ey w ish to w ash it off, they re p a ir to som e piece o f fresh w ater a n d sc o u r them selves w ith sand o r rushes. In dressing th e ir h e ad s on occasion o f a festival o r a visit, they a re full as p a rtic u la r a n d a lm o st as long as in p a in tin g . T h e h a ir, a fte r b ein g well oiled, is carefully g a th e re d u p o n th e to p o f th e h e ad a n d secu red by a piece o f p in e o r sp ru ce bough w ith the green leaves u p o n it. A fte r having it p roperly fixed in this m a n ­ n e r, th e king a n d principal chiefs used to strew all o v er it th e w hite dow n o b ta in e d from a species o f large b row n eagle w hich a b o u n d s o n this co ast, and w hich they a re very p a rtic u la r in a rra n g in g so as not to have a single feath er o u t o f place, occa­ sionally w etting th e h a ir to m ak e it a d h ere . T h is, to g eth e r w ith th e b o u g h , w hich is som etim es o f c o n sid era b le size a n d stuck over w ith feathers by m eans o f tu rp e n tin e , gives them a very sin g u lar a n d g ro tesq u e a p p ea ran c e, w hich they, how ever, th in k very b ecom ing, a n d th e first thing th ey d o , on learn in g th e arriv al o f stra n g ers, is to g o a n d d e co ra te them selves in this m an n er. T h e m en also w ear bracelets o f p a in te d lea th e r o r c o p p e r and large earrin g s o f th e latter, b u t th e o rn a m e n t on w hich they a p p e a r to set th e m ost value is th e nose-jew el, if such an a p p ella ­ tio n m ay be given to th e w o o d e n stick w hich som e o f them em ploy for this p u rp o se . T h e k in g and chiefs, ho w ev er, w ear them o f a differen t form , being e ith e r sm all pieces o f polished c o p p e r o r brass, o f w hich I m ad e m an y for them in th e sh a p e o f h e arts a n d d ia m o n d s, o f a tw isted conical shell a b o u t h a lf a n inch in le n g th , o f a b lu ish c o lo u r a n d v ery b rig h t, w h ich is b ro u g h t from th e s o u th .5 T hese a re su sp en d e d by a sm all w ire o r strin g toth e hole in th e gristle o f th e nose, w hich is fo rm ed in infancy by 1i.e. black mica. 4 possibly the N im pkish. 5 probably olivella shells (Olive/la biplicala).

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b o rin g it w ith a p in , th e hole bein g afte rw a rd s enlarged by the re p ea te d insertion o f w o o d en pegs o f a n increased size, until it b eco m es a b o u t th e d iam e te r o f a pip e-stem , th o u g h so m e have them o f a size nearly sufficient to a d m it th e little finger. T h e co m m o n class, w ho c a n n o t read ily p ro c u re th e m ore expensive jew els th a t I have m e n tio n e d , su b stitu te fo r them , usually, a sm o o th , ro u n d stick , so m e o f w hich a re o f a n alm o st in credible length, fo r I h av e seen them projecting n o t less than e ig h t o r n in e inches b e yond th e face on each side; this is m ade fast o r secured in its place by little w edges on each side o f it. T h e se “ sp rit-sail-y ard fellow s,” as m y m essm ate used to call th em , w hen rigged out in th is m a n n e r, m a d e q u ite a stran g e show , and it w as his d elight, w h en ev er h e saw o n e o f them com ing to w ard s us w ith an a ir o f co n seq u en ce p ro p o rtio n e d the length o f his stick, to put up his h a n d sud d en ly as h e w as passing h im , so as to strik e th e stick , in o rd e r, as he said, to b ra ce him u p sh a rp to th e w ind; this used to m ak e them very an g ry , but n o th in g w as m o re re m o te fro m T h o m p s o n ’s ideas th an a w ish to cu ltiv ate th eir favour. T h e natives o f N o o tk a a p p e a r to have b u t little in clin atio n for th e chase, th o u g h som e o f them w ere ex p ert m ark sm en , a n d used so m etim es to sh o o t d u ck s a n d geese; b u t th e seal a n d th e seao tte r form th e principal o bjects o f th eir h u n tin g , p a rticu la rly th e latter. O f this a n im a l, so m uch no ted fo r its valuable sk in , the follow ing d e sc rip tio n m ay n o t b e u ninteresting: - T h e se a -o tte r is nearly five feet in length, exclusive o f th e tail, w hich is a b o u t tw elve inches, a n d is very thick a n d b ro a d w here it jo in s the b o d y , b u t g ra d u ally tap e rs to th e en d , w hich is tip p e d w ith w hite. T h e c o lo u r o f th e rest is a sh in in g , silky black, w ith th e exception o f a b ro a d w hite stripe on th e to p o f th e h e ad . N o th in g can be m o re b eautiful th an o n e o f these an im a ls w hen seen sw im m ing, especially w hen on the lo o k -o u t for any object. A t such tim es it raises its h e ad q u ite above th e su rface, a n d th e c o n tra st betw een th e shining black a n d th e w hite, to g e th e r w ith its sh a rp e ars a n d a long tuft o f h a ir rising from th e m id d le o f its fo reh ead , w hich looks like th re e sm all h o rn s, re n d e r it q u ite a novel a n d attractiv e ob ject. T hey a re in general very tam e , a n d will p e rm it a c an o e o r b o a t to a p p ro a c h very n e a r b e fo re they dive. I w as to ld , how ever, th a t they a re becom e m u ch m o re shy since they have been accu sto m ed to sh o o t th em w ith m uskets, th a n w hen they used only arrow s. T h e sk in is held in g re a t e stim a tio n in C h in a , m o re especially th a t o f th e tail, th e fur o f w hich is finer a n d closer set th an th a t

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on th e b o d y . T h is is alw ays c u t o ff and sold sep arately by th e natives. T h e value o f a skin is d e te rm in e d by its size, th a t being con sid ered as a p rim e sk in w hich will reach , in length, from a m a n ’s chin to his feet. T h e food o f th e se a -o tte r is fish, w hich he is very d e x te ro u s in tak in g , being a n excellent sw im m er, w ith feet w ebbed like those o f a goose. T h ey a p p e a r to b e w holly con fin ed to th e seacoast, a t least to th e salt w a ter. T h ey have usually th ree o r fo u r you n g a t a tim e, but I k n o w not how often they breed, n o r in w h a t place they d ep o sit th e ir y oung, th o u g h I have fre­ q uently seen them sw im m ing a ro u n d th e m o th e r w hen no longer than rats. T h e flesh is eaten by th e n atives, c o o k ed in th eir usual m o d e by boiling, a n d is far p re fe ra b le to th a t o f th e seal, o f w hich they m ak e m uch account. B ut if n o t g re at h u n ters, th e re a re few p oeple m o re ex p ert in fishing. T h e ir Tines are generally m ad e from th e sinew o f th e w hale, a n d a re extrem ely strong. F o r th e h o o k , they usually m ak e use o f a stra ig h t piece o f h ard w o o d , in th e low er p a rt o f w hich is inserted, a n d well secured w ith th re a d o r w hale sinew , a b it o f b one m ad e very sh a rp a t th e p o in t a n d b e ard e d ; but I used to m ak e for th em h o o k s from iro n , w hich they p re fe rre d , not only as being less liable to b re a k , but m o re c erta in o f securing th e fish. C o d , h a lib u t, a n d o th e r sea fish w ere n o t only cau g h t by them w ith hooks, b u t even salm on. T o ta k e this la tte r fish, they p ractise th e follow ing m eth o d : O n e perso n seats h im self in a sm all can o e , a n d , baitin g his hook w ith a sp ra t, w hich they a re alw ays careful to p ro c u re as fresh as possible, fastens his line to th e h a n d le o f th e p addle; this, as he plies it in th e w ater, keeps th e fish in c o n stan t m o tio n , so as to give it th e a p p e a ra n c e o f life, w hich th e salm on seeing, leaps a t it a n d is instantly h o o k e d , a n d , by a sudden a n d d e x te ro u s m otion o f th e p a d d le , d ra w n o n b o a rd . 1 have know n som e o f th e natives ta k e no less th an eight o r ten salm o n o f a m o rn in g , in this m an n e r, a n d have seen from tw enty to th irty canoes a t a tim e in F rie n d ly C o v e th u s em ployed. T h ey a re likew ise little less skilful in ta k in g th e w hale. T his they kill w ith a k in d o f jav e lin o r h a rp o o n th u s c o n stru cted and fitted: th e b a rb s a re form ed o f b o n e , w hich are sh a rp en e d on th e o u te r side, a n d hollow ed w ith in , for th e p u rp o se o f fo rm in g a socket for th e staff; th ese are th e n secured firm ly to g eth e r w ith a w hale sinew , th e p o in t being fitted so as to receive a piece o f m ussel-shell, w hich is g ro u n d to a very sh a rp edge, a n d secu red in its p lac e by m e a n s o f t u r p e n t i n e .6 T o th is h e a d o r p ro n g is 6 i.e. boiled pine pilch.

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fasten ed a stro n g line o f w hale sinew a b o u t n in e feet in length, to th e end o f w hich is tied a b a rk ro p e from fifty to sixty fathom s long, having from tw enty to th irty seal-skin floats o r buoys a tta c h e d to it a t certain intervals, in o rd e r to check th e m o tio n o f th e w hale a n d o b stru c t his diving. In th e so c k e t o f th e h a rp o o n a sta ff o r p o le o f a b o u t ten feet long, grad u ally tap e rin g from the m id d le to e ac h e n d , is p la c e d ; th is th e h a r p o o n e r h o ld s in his h a n d , in o rd e r to strik e th e w hale, a n d im m ediately d e tach es it as so o n as th e fish is struck. T h e w hale is con sid ered as th e k in g ’s fish, and no o th e r p e rs o n , w h e n h e is p re s e n t, is p e r m itte d to to u c h h im u n til th e royal h a rp o o n has first d raw n his blo o d , how ever n e a r h e m ay a p p ro a c h ; a n d it w ould be c o n sid ere d a lm o st a sacrilege fo r any o f th e co m m o n p e o p le to strik e a w hale b efore h e is killed, p a rticu la rly if a n y o f th e chiefs sh o u ld b e p re sen t. T h e y a lso kill th e p o rp o ise a n d sea-cow 7 w ith h a rp o o n s, b u t this in ferio r gam e is n o t in terd icted th e low er class. W ith re g ard to th eir can o es, som e o f th e h a n d so m est to be found on th e w hole co ast a re m a d e a t N o o tk a , th o u g h very fine ones a re b ro u g h t by th e W ic k in n in ish a n d th e K la-iz-zarts, who h a v e them m o re highly o rn a m e n te d . T h ey a re o f all sizes, from such as a re c ap a b le o f hold in g o n ly -o n e person to th e ir largest w a r canoes, w hich will carry fo rty m en , a n d are ex trem ely light. O f these, th e largest o f any th a t I ever saw w as o n e b elonging to M a q u in a , w hich I m easu red , a n d found to b e forty-tw o feet from stem to ste rn . T h ese a re m a d e o f p in e ,8 hollow ed o u t from a tre e , w ith th eir chisels solely, w hich a re a b o u t th re e inches b ro a d and six in length, a n d set into a h a n d le o f very h a rd w ood. T h is in stru m e n t w as fo rm erly m ad e o f flint, o r so m e hard sto n e g ro u n d do w n to as sh a rp a n edge as possible, but since they h av e learn ed th e use o f iro n , th ey have alm ost all o f th em o f th a t m eta l. Instead o f a m allet for strik in g this chisel, they m ak e use o f a sm o o th ro u n d stone, w hich th ey hold in th e p alm o f th e h a n d . W ith this sam e aw k w a rd in stru m e n t they not only excavate th eir canoes a n d trays a n d sm o o th th e ir planks, b u t cu t dow n such trees as th ey w ant, e ith e r for b uilding, fuel, o r o th e r p u r­ poses, a la b o u r w hich is m ostly d o n e by th eir slaves. T h e felling o f trees, as practised by them is a slow a n d m ost ted io u s process, th ree o f them being generally from tw o to three days in c u ttin g dow n a large o n e ; y et so a tta c h e d w ere they to th eir ow n m e th o d , th a t n o tw ith sta n d in g they saw T h o m p s o n fre­ 7 probably the sea-lion ( Eum etopias stelleri). h n o t in fact pine, but cedar (T huja gigantea or Thuja plicata).

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quen tly , w ith o n e o f o u r axes, o f w hich th ere w as a n u m b e r saved, fell a tre e in less tim e th an they could have g o n e ro u n d it with th eir chisels, still they could n o t be p ersu ad e d to m ak e use o f them . A fte r hollow ing o u t th eir c an o e s, w hich they d o very neatly, they fashion th e o u tsid e, a n d slightly b u rn it, for the p u rp o se o f rem oving any splinters o r sm all p o in ts th a t m ight o b stru c t its p assage th ro u g h th e w a ter, a fte r w hich they ru b it o v er th o r­ oughly w ith rushes o r coarse m ats, in o rd e r to sm o o th it, w hich n o t only renders it a lm o st as sm o o th as glass, b u t form s a b e tte r security for it from th e w eather; this o p e ra tio n o f b u rn in g and ru b b in g do w n th e b o tto m s o f th e ir c an o es is practised as o ften as they a c q u ire a n y c o n sid erab le d e g ree o f roughness from use. T h e o u tsid e by this m eans becom es q u ite black, a n d to c o m p le te th eir w o rk they p a in t th e inside o f a b rig h t red, w ith o chre o r som e o th e r sim ilar su b stan ce; the p ro w s a n d stern s are alm o st alw ays o rn a m e n te d w ith figures o f d u ck s o r som e o th e r k in d o f b ird , the fo rm e r being so fashioned as to rep resen t th e h ead , and th e latter th e tail; these a re se p a ra te pieces from th e can o e , a n d a re fas­ ten e d to it w ith sm all flexible tw igs o r b ark c o rd . S om e o f these can o es, p a rticu la rly those em ployed in w haling, which will hold a b o u t ten m en , a re o rn a m e n te d w ithin a b o u t tw o inches below th e gunw ale w ith tw o p arallel lines on each sid e o f very sm all w hite shells,9 ru n n in g fore and aft, w hich has a very p re tty effect. T h e ir w ar canoes h av e no o rn a m e n t o f th is k ind, b u t a re p a in te d on th e o u tsid e w ith figures in w hite chalk, rep re­ sen tin g eagles, w hales, h u m a n h ead s, etc. T h ey a re very dex tero u s in th e use o f th e ir p addles, w hich a re very neatly w ro u g h t, and a re five feet long, w ith a sh o rt h a n d le and a b lad e seven inches b ro a d in th e m iddle, tap e rin g to a sh a rp p o in t. W ith these they will m ak e a c an o e skim very sw iftly on th e w a ter, w ith scarcely any noise, w hile they k e ep tim e to th e stro k e o f th e p a d d le with th e ir songs.

” probably in fact snail opercula.

8 Music - Musical Instruments Slaves - Neighbouring Tribes Trade with T h ese-A rm y T h e y have a n u m b e r w hich they sing o n v a rio u s o c c a s io n s - a s w a r,* w haling a n d fishing, a t th e ir m arriages a n d feasts, a n d at p ub lic festivals o r solem nities. T h e language o f th e m ost o f these a p p e a rs to b e very different in m an y respects from th a t used in th e ir co m m o n c o n v ersa tio n , w hich leads m e to believe e ith e r th at th ey h a v e a d iffere n t m o d e o f expressing them selves in p o e try , or th a t they b o rro w th e ir songs from th eir neighbours; a n d w h at the m o re p a rticu la rly induces m e to th e la tte r o p in io n is, th a t w hen­ ever a n y o f th e N ew chem ass, a p e o p le from th e n o rth w a rd , and w h o speak a very differen t language, a rriv e d , th ey used to tell m e th a t th ey expected a new so n g , a n d w ere a lm o st alw ays su re to h av e o n e. T h e ir tu n es a re generally so ft and p lain tiv e, a n d th o u g h not possessing g re a t variety, are n o t deficien t in h a rm o n y . T h eir singing is g enerally a cc o m p a n ied w ith several ru d e k in d s o f in stru ­ m ental m usic, a m o n g th e m o st p ro m in e n t o f w hich is a k in d o f a d ru m . T h is is n o th in g m o re th a n a long plan k hollow ed o u t on th e u n d e r sid e a n d m ad e q u ite th in , w hich is b e a t u p o n by a stick o f a b o u t a fo o t long, a n d ren d ers a so u n d n o t unlik e b e atin g on th e h e ad o f a n em p ty cask, b u t m uch louder. B ut th e tw o m o st fav o u rite in stru m e n ts a re th e rattle a n d th e p ip e o r w histle; these a re , ho w ev er, only used by th e k in g , th e chiefs, o r so m e p a rtic u la r p e rso n s. T h e fo rm e r is m ad e o f dried se a lsk in , so as to represent a fish, a n d is filled w ith a n u m b e r o f sm all sm o o th pebbles; it has a sh o rt h a n d le , a n d is p a in te d red. T h e w histle is m a d e o f b o n e , g enerally th e leg o f a d e er;; it is sh o rt, but em its a very shrill so u n d . T h ey have likew ise a n o th e r k in d o f m usic, w hich they m a k e use o f in d ancing, in th e m an n e r o f c asta n ets. T h is is p ro d u c ed by a n u m b e r o f m u ssel1 o r cockle-, shells tied to g e th e r and sh ak en to a k in d o f tu n e , w hich is a cc o m p a n ied w ith th e voice. * A sp ecim en o f o n e o f th e ir w ar-songs will be fo u n d a t th e en d o f this work. 1 probably C alifornia mussel (M y tilu s calijornianus). probably pecten shells (P ecten caurinus).

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T h e ir slaves, as I have o b se rv ed , form th eir m ost valuable species o f p ro p e rty . T h ese are o f b o th sexes, being e ith e r captives tak e n by them selves in w ar, o r p u rc h ase d from th e n e ig hbouring tribes, a n d w ho reside in th e sa m e h ouse, fo rm in g as it w ere a p a rt o f th e fam ily, a re usually k in d ly tre a te d , e a t o f th e sam e food, a n d live as well as th e ir m asters. T h ey a re com pelled, h ow ever, at tim es to la b o u r severely, as n o t only all th e m enial offices a re p erfo rm e d by th em , such as b ringing w ater, cutting w ood, and a variety o f o th ers, b u t they are o bliged to m a k e th e canoes, to assist in building a n d rep airin g th e houses, to supply th eir m asters w ith fish, a n d to a tte n d them in w a r a n d to fight for them . N o n e b u t th e king a n d chiefs have slaves, th e co m m o n people being p re v en ted from hold in g th em , e ith e r from th e ir inability to p u rch ase th e m , o r, as I am ra th e r inclined to th in k , from its being con sid ered as th e privilege o f th e fo rm er a lo n e to have th em , especially as all th o se m ad e p riso n e rs in w a r belong e ith e r to th e king o r th e chiefs w ho have c a p tu re d th em , each o n e hold in g such as have been tak e n by h im self o r his slaves. T h ere is p ro b a b ly , how ever, som e little d istin c tio n in fav o u r o f th e king, w ho is alw ays th e c o m m a n d er o f th e ex p ed itio n , as M a q u in a had nearly fifty, m ale a n d fem ale, in his h ouse, a n u m b e r co n stitu tin g a b o u t o n e h a lf o f its in h a b ita n ts, c o m p re h en d in g those o b ta in e d by w a r a n d p u rch ase; w hereas n o n e o f th e o th e r chiefs h a d m o re th an tw elve. T h e fem ales are em ployed prin cip ally in m an u fa ctu r­ ing cloth, in c ooking, collecting b erries, etc., a n d w ith re g ard to food a n d living in general have n o t a m uch h a rd e r lot th a n th eir m istresses, th e principal difference consisting in th ese p o o r u n fo r­ tu n a te c rea tu re s being c onsidered as free to any o n e , th e ir m asters p ro stitu tin g them w h en ev er they th in k p ro p e r for th e p u rp o se o f g ain . In this w ay m an y o f them a re b ro u g h t o n b o a rd th e ships and offered to th e crew s, from w hence a n o p in io n a p p e a rs to have been form ed by som e o f o u r n av ig ato rs injurious to the chastity o f th eir fem ales, th an w hich n o th in g can b e m o re g e n e r­ ally u n tru e , as p e rh ap s in n o p a rt o f th e w orld is th a t v irtu e m ore prized. T h e houses a t N o o tk a , as a lre a d y sta te d , a re a b o u t tw enty, w ith o u t c o m p risin g th o se in h ab ited by th e K la h a rs,3 a sm all tr ib e ' th a t h a s b e e n c o n q u e re d a n d in c o r p o r a te d in to th a t o f N o o tk a , tho u g h they m ust be con sid ered as in a sta te o f vassalage, as th ey are n o t p e rm itte d to have any chiefs a m o n g th e m , a n d live by them selves in a c luster o f sm all houses a t a little d istan c e fro m the village. T h e N o o tk a trib e , w hich consists o f a b o u t five h u n d re d 3 K lahoose?

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w a rrio rs, is n o t only m o re n u m ero u s th an alm ost any o f the n eig h b o u rin g trib e s, b u t far exceeds them in th e stre n g th and m artial sp irit o f its people; a n d in fact th e re are b u t few n atio n s w ithin a h u n d re d m iles e ith e r to th e n o rth o r so u th b u t are c onsidered as trib u ta ry to them . In giving so m e account o f th e trib es th a t w ere accu sto m ed to visit N o o tk a , I shall c o m m e n ce a t th e so u th w a rd w ith th e Klaiz-zarts, a n d th e W ick in n in ish , prem isin g th a t in p o in t o f personal a p p e a ra n c e th e re prevails a w onderful diversity betw een th e var­ ious trib es on th e coast, w ith th e exception o f th e feet a n d legs, w hich a re badly shaped in a lm o st all o f them from th eir p ractice o f sittin g on them . T h e K la-iz-zarts a re a n u m e ro u s a n d pow erful trib e , living nearly th ree h u n d re d m iles to th e so u th ,4 a n d are said to consist o f m o re th a n a th o u sa n d w a rrio rs. T h ey a p p e a r to b e m ore civilised th an any o f th e o th ers, being b e tte r a n d m o re neatly d ressed, m o re m ild and affab le in th e ir m an n ers, re m a rk a b le for th e ir sp rightliness and vivacity, a n d c eleb rated for th e ir singing a n d d ancing. T h ey exhibit also g re a te r m ark s o f im p ro v e m en t in w hatever is w ro u g h t by th em ; th e ir can o es, tho u g h n o t su p e rio r to those o f N o o tk a in p o in t o f form a n d lightness, are m o re highly o rn a m e n te d , and th eir w eap o n s a n d to o ls o f every kind have a m uch h ig h er finish a n d display m o re skill in th e w o rk m a n ­ ship. T h e ir cast o f c o u n te n an c e is very d ifferent from th a t o f the N o o tk ia n s, th e ir faces being very b ro a d , w ith a less p ro m in e n t nose a n d sm aller eyes, a n d th e to p o f th e h e ad flattened as if it h a d been pressed dow n w ith a w e ig h t.5 T h e ir co m plexion is also* m uch fairer, a n d th eir sta tu re sh o rte r, tho u g h they are well fo rm ed a n d strongly set. T h ey have a custom w hich a p p ea rs to b e pecu liar to th e m , as I never ob serv ed it in a n y o f th e o th e r tribes, w hich is to pluck o u t not only th eir beards a n d th e h a ir from th e ir bod ies, b u t also th e ir eyebrow s, so as n o t to leave a vestige rem aining. T h ey were also in general m o re skilful in p a in tin g a n d d e co ra tin g them selves, a n d I have seen som e o f th em w ith n o less than a dozen holes in each o f th e ir e ars, to w hich w ere su sp en d ed strings o f sm all beads a b o u t tw o inches in length. T h e ir language is th e sam e as spoken a t N o o tk a , b u t th e ir p ro n u n c ia tio n is m uch m o re h o a rse and 4 Jewitt is in error. T he K lahousats lived to the north o f N ootka Sound. ' Jew itt vaguely hints at cranial deform ation. In fact this was most probably the case, for cranial deform ation was quite extensively practiced on the N orthw est C oast.

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g u ttu ra l. T hese peo p le are not o n ly very ex p ert in w haling, but are g re a t h u n ters o f th e se a -o tte r a n d o th e r an im als, w ith w hich th eir c o u n try is said to a b o u n d , a n d th e m eta m e lth , a large anim al o f th e d e er k in d ,6 th e skin o f w hich I h a v e a lready spoken of, a n o th e r 7 o f a light grey c o lo u r, w ith 'v e ry fine h a ir, from which they m an u fa ctu re a h a n d so m e clo th , th e b eaver, a n d a species o f large wild c at o r tig e r c a t.8 T h e W ick in n in ish ,9 th eir n e ig h b o u rs on th e n o rth , are a b o u t tw o h u n d re d m iles from N o o tk a . T h e y a re a ro b u st, stro n g , and w arlike people, b u t con sid ered by th e N o o tk ia n s as th eir inferiors in co u rag e. T h is trib e is m o re n u m ero u s th an th a t o f N o o tk a , am o u n tin g to betw een six and seven h u n d red w arriors. T h o u g h n o t so civilised as th e K la-iz-zarts, a n d less skilful in th eir m a n u ­ factures, like them they em ploy them selves in h u n tin g , as well as in w haling a n d fishing. T h e ir faces a re b ro a d , b u t less so th a n th e K la-iz-zarts, w ith a d a rk e r co m p lex io n and a m uch less o p e n and pleasing expression o f co u n te n an c e , w hile th eir heads p re sen t a very differen t form , being pressed in a t th e sides a n d lengthened to w ard s th e to p so m e w h a t in th e shape o f a su g a r loaf. T hese p e o p le are very freq u e n t visitors a t N o o tk a , a close frien d sh ip subsisting betw een th e tw o n a tio n s, M a q u in a ’s A rc o m a h o r queen, Y -y a -tin tla -n o , bein g th e d a u g h te r o f th e W ickinninish king. T h e K la -o o -q u a tes a d joining th em on th e n o rth are m u ch less n u m ero u s, th e ir force n o t exceeding fo u r h u n d re d fighting m en; they are also b e h in d them in th e a rts o f life. T h ese a re a fierce, b old, a n d e n te rp risin g p eople, a n d th ere w ere n o n e th a t visited N o o tk a , w hom M a q u in a used to b e m o re on his g u a rd against, o r view ed w ith so m uch suspicion. T h e E sh q u ates a re a b o u t th e sam e num b er; th ese are c o n sid ere d as trib u ta ry to M a q u in a . T h e ir co ast a b o u n d s w ith rivers, c reek s, a n d m arshes. T o th e n o rth th e nearest trib e o f a n y im p o rta n ce is the A itizzarts; these, how ever, d o n o t exceed th ree h u n d re d w arriors. In a p p e a ra n c e th ey greatly resem ble th e p e o p le o f N o o tk a , to 6 probably the wapiti (Cervus canadensis). 1 possibly a species o f m arm ot. * probably the cougar. 9 it has already been indicated that the nam e W ickinninish, which Jew itt uses as a tribal nam e is in fact m ore probably the personal nam e o f the chief o f the g roup alluded to. T his ch ief is probably the sam e one referred to by M eares in 1788 as having political dom i­ nance over the territory betw een C layoquot Sound in the north to N itinat in the south.

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w hom they a re con sid ered as trib u ta ry , th e ir m an n ers, dress, and style o f living also being very sim ila r. T hey reside a t a b o u t forty m iles’ d istance up the S o u n d . A c o n sid era b le w ay fa rth e r to the n o rth w a rd a re th e C ay u q u ets; these a re a m uch m o re n u m ero u s trib e th an th a t o f N o o tk a , b u t th o u g h t by th e latter to b e d efi­ cient in c o u rag e and m artial sp irit, M a q u in a having frequently told m e th a t th e ir h e arts w ere a little like th o se o f birds. T h ere a re also b o th at th e n o rth a n d so u th m an y o th er in tervening trib e s, but in general sm all in n u m b er a n d insignifi­ c an t, all o f w h o m , as well as th e ab o v e m en tio n ed , speak th e sam e language. B ut th e N ew chem ass, w ho c o m e from a g re a t w ay to th e n o rth w a rd , a n d from som e d istan ce inland, as 1 w as to ld by M a q u in a , speak q u ite a d ifferent lan g u a g e,10 alth o u g h it is well u n d e rsto o d by those o f N o o tk a . T hese w ere the m o st savagelo o k in g a n d u g ly m en th a t 1 e v e r sa w , th e ir c o m p le x io n bein g m u ch d a rk er, th e ir sta tu re sh o rte r, a n d th e ir h a ir c o arse r, than th a t o f th e o th e r n a tio n s, a n d th e ir dress a n d a p p e a ra n c e d irty in a n e x tre m e . T h e y w e a r th e ir b e a rd s lo n g lik e Je w s, a n d h a v e a very m o ro se a n d surly co u n te n an c e . T h e ir usual dress is a k o ts u k m ad e o f w olf-skin, w ith a n u m b e r o f th e tails a tta c h e d to it, o f w hich I have seen no less th an ten on o n e g a rm e n t, h an g in g from th e to p to th e b o tto m ; tho u g h they so m etim es w ear a sim ilar m an tle o f b a rk cloth, o f a m uch c o arser tex tu re th a n th a t o f N o o tk a , th e o riginal o f w hich a p p e a rs to be th e sam e, tho u g h fro m th e ir v ery g re a t filth in e s s it w as a lm o s t im p o s sib le to d is ­ co v er w h at it h a d been. T h e ir m o d e o f dressing th e h a ir also varies essentially from th a t o f th e o th e r tribes, for th ey suffer th a t on th e back o f the head to hang loose, a n d bind th e o th e r o v er th e ir fo reh ead s in the m an n e r o f a fillet, w ith a strip o f th eir c o u n try cloth, o rn a m e n te d w ith sm all w h ite shells. T h e ir w e ap o n s a re th e c h e e to lth , o r w ar-club, w hich is m a d e from w halebone, daggers, bow and arro w s, a n d a kind o f sp e a r p o in te d w ith bo n e o r c o p p e r. T hey b ro u g h t w ith th em no furs for sale, excepting a few w olf-skins, th eir m erch an d ise consisting principally o f th e black sh in in g m in­ eral called p e lp e lth , a n d th e fine red p a in t, w hich they carefully k e p t in close m at bags, som e sm all d ried sa lm o n , clam s, a n d roes o f fish, w ith occasionally a little co arse m attin g clo th . T h ey w ere accustom ed to rem ain a m uch longer tim e a t N o o tk a th a n the o th e r tribes, in o rd e r to recover from th e fatigue o f a long jo u rn e y , p a rt o f w hich w as o v erlan d , a n d o n these occasions tau g h t th eir songs to o u r savages. 10 i.e. one o f the K wakiutl languages.

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T h e tra d e o f m o st o f th e o th e r trib e s w ith N o o tk a w as p rin c ip a lly tr a in - o il, seal o r w h a le ’s b lu b b e r, fish fresh o r d rie d , h errin g o r salm o n sp aw n , clam s and m ussels, a n d th e y a m a ," a species o f fruit w hich is pressed a n d d ried , clo th , se a -o tte r skins, and slav es.F ro m th e A itizzarts a n d th e C au y q u ets, particu larly th e form er, th e best Ife-w haw a n d in th e g re atest q u a n titie s w as o b tain e d . T h e E sh q u ates fu rnished us w ith w ild d u ck s a n d geese, particu larly th e latter. T h e W ickinninish a n d K la-iz-zarts b ro u g h t to m ark e t m an y slaves, th e best se a -o tte r skins, g re a t q u a n titie s o f oil, w hale sinew , a n d cakes o f th e y a m a , highly o rn a m e n te d can o es, so m e Ife-w haw , red o c h re a n d pelp elth o f an inferior quality to th a t o b ta in e d from th e N ew chem ass, but particu larly th e so m uch valued m etam elth , a n d a n excellent ro o t called by th e K la-iz-zarts Q u a w n o o se.'2 T h is is th e size o f a sm all o n io n , but ra th e r longer, being o f a ta p e rin g form like a p ear, a n d o f a brow nish co lo u r. It is c o o k ed by steam , is alw ays b ro u g h t in bask ets ready p re p are d for eatin g , a n d is in tru th a very fine vegetable, being sw eet, m ealy, a n d o f a m ost a g reeab le flav o u r. It w as highly esteem ed by th e n ativ es, w ho used to e at it, as they did e verything else, w ith train -o il. F ro m th e K la-iz-zarts w as also received, th o u g h in no g re at q u a n tity , a cloth m an u fa ctu re d by them from th e fur alread y spoken of, w hich feels like w ool a n d is o f a grey colour. M any o f th e articles th u s b ro u g h t, particu larly th e p rovisions, w ere c onsidered as presents, o r trib u ta ry offerings, but this m ust be view ed as little m o re th an a n om inal a ck n o w led g m en t o f su p e rio rity , as th ey rarely failed to g et th e full a m o u n t o f the value o f th e ir p resen ts. I have know n eighteen o f th e g re at tubs, in w hich they k e ep th eir p rovisions, filled w ith spaw n b ro u g h t in this w ay. O n these o ccasions a g re a t feast is alw ays m ad e , to w hich n o t only th e strangers, b u t th e w hole village, m en, w om en, an d c h ild ren , a re generally invited, a n d I have seen five o f the largest tu b s em ployed a t such tim e , in co o k in g a t th e k in g ’s house. A t these feasts they g en erally indulge in eating to an excess, m aking up in th is respect for th eir w a n t o f ineb riatin g liquors, w hich they kn o w no m eth o d o f p re p arin g in any form , th eir only d rink being w ater. W h en ev er they c am e to visit o r trad e , it w as th eir general custom to sto p a few m iles d istan t, u n d e r th e lee o f som e b lu ff o r 11 m ost probably salal (Gaullheria shallon). 12 i.e. cam ass ( Cam assia esculenia). T hese bulbs were quite widely used for food on the N orthw est C oast. M ost groups prepared it by steam ing in an earth oven.

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rock, and rig them selves o u t in th eir best m an n e r, by p ain tin g a n d dressing th e ir heads. O n th e ir first com ing on sh o re , they w ere invited to e at by th e king, w hen they b ro u g h t to him such articles as h e w an ted , a fte r w hich th e rest o f th e in h a b ita n ts were p e rm itte d to pu rch ase, th e stra n g ers being careful to keep them in th e ir c a n o e s u n til so ld , u n d e r s tric t g u a rd to p re v e n t th e ir b ein g sto len , th e d isp o sitio n o f these p eople for thieving bein g so g reat, th a t it is necessary to k e ep a w atchful eye u p o n them . T his w as th e ir usual m o d e o f traffic, but w h en ev er they w ished to p u rc h ase any p a rtic u la r ob ject, as, for instance, a c ertain slave, o r som e o th e r th in g o f w hich they w ere very desir­ ous, the c an o e th a t cam e for this p u rp o se w ould lie o ff a little d istan ce from th e sh o re, a n d a k in d o f a m b a ssad o r o r re p re se n ta ­ tive o f th e k in g o r c h ie f by w hom it w as sen t, dressed in their best m an n e r, a n d w ith his h e ad covered w ith th e w h ite dow n, w ould rise, a n d , a fter m aking k n o w n th e o bject o f his m ission in a p o m p o u s speech, hold up sp ecim en s o f such articles as he w as instructed to o ffer in p a y m e n t, m en tio n in g th e n u m b e r o r q u a n ­ tity o f each, w h en , if th e b a rg ain w as co n clu d ed , th e exchange w as im m ediately m ade. O n th eir visits o f frien d sh ip o r traffic, th e chiefs a lo n e used to sleep on shore; th is w as g enerally at th e h o u se o f th e king o r the head chief, th e o th e rs passing th e night on b o a rd o f th eir canoes, w hich w as d o n e n o t only fo r th e p re serv a tio n o f th e ir p ro p e rty , but because they w ere n o t p e rm itte d to rem ain on sh o re , lest they m ight excite so m e d istu rb an c e o r c o m m it d e p red a tio n s. All th ese p e o p le generally go arm e d , th e co m m o n class w ear­ ing only a d a g g er su sp en d ed from th e ir neck beh in d , w ith a string o f m e ta m e lth ,13 a n d som etim es th ru st in th eir girdles. T h e chiefs, in a d d itio n to th e dagger, carry th e ch eeto lth , o r w ar-clu b , sus­ p e n d ed in th e sam e m a n n e r b en ea th th e ir m antles; this, in the h a n d s o f a stro n g m an , is a pow erful w e ap o n , in th e m an a g em e n t o f w hich so m e o f th e o ld e r chiefs are very d exterous. It is m ade from th e b o n e o f a w hale, a n d is very heavy. T h e b lad e is a bout eighteen inches long and th re e b ro a d , till it a p p ro ac h es n e ar the p o in t, w here it e x p an d s to th e b read th o f fo u r inches. In the m iddle, from w hence it slopes o ff g ra d u ally to an edge on each side, it is from o n e to tw o inches in thickness. T h is blade is usually covered w ith figures o f th e su n a n d m o o n , a m a n ’s head, etc.; a n d th e hilt, w hich is m a d e to re p re se n t th e h e ad o f a m an o r som e a n im a l, is curiously set w ith sm all w hite shells, a n d has a b a n d o f m e ta m e lth fa s te n e d to it, in o r d e r to slin g it o v e r th e 13 wapiti skin.

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sh o u ld e r. S om e o f th e tribes h a v e also a k in d o f sp e a r headed w ith c o p p e r o r th e b o n e o f th e stin g ray, w hich is a d an g ero u s w eapon; this is, how ever, not u sual, and only c arried by th e chiefs. T h e bow a n d a rro w a re still used by a few, b u t sin ce th e in tro d u c tio n o f firearm s a m o n g th em , this w eapon has been m ostly laid aside.

9. Situation of the Author Removal to Tashees - Fishing Parties B u t to re tu rn to o u r u n h a p p y situ a tio n . T h o u g h m y c o m ra d e and m yself fared as w ell, a n d even b e tte r th an w e could have expected a m o n g these p e o p le , c o n sid erin g th eir cu sto m s a n d m o d e o f liv­ ing, y e t o u r fears lest no sh ip w o u ld c o m e to o u r release, a n d th at w e should nev er m o re behold a C h ristia n c o u n try , w ere to us a so u rc e o f c o n sta n t p ain . O u r p rin cip al c o n so latio n , in this gloom y sta te , w as to go on Sundays, w h en ev er th e w e ath e r w o u ld perm it, to th e b o rd e rs o f a freshw ater p o n d a b o u t a m ile from th e village, w h ere, a fte r b a th in g a n d p u ttin g on clean clothes, w e w ould seat ourselves u n d e r th e sh a d e o f a b eau tifu l p in e , w hile 1 re ad som e ch ap ters in th e Bible, a n d th e p ra y ers a p p o in te d by o u r C hurch for th e d ay , e n d in g o u r d e v o tio n s w ith a fervent p ra y er to th e A lm ighty, th a t H e w ould deign still to w atch o v er a n d preserve o u r lives, rescue us from th e h a n d s o f th e savages, a n d p e rm it us once m o re to b e h o ld a C h ristia n land. In this m a n n e r w ere th e g re a te r p a rt o f o u r S undays passed at N o o tk a ; a n d I felt g ra tified to H eaven th a t, a m id st o u r o th e r sufferings, w e w ere at least allow ed th e pleasu re o f offerin g up o u r dev o tio n s u n m o lested , for M a q u ia n a , on m y e x plaining to him as well as w as in m y p o w e r th e reason o f o u r th u s re tirin g at this tim e , far from objecting, readily c o n sen ted to it. T h e p o n d ab o v e m en tio n ed w as sm all, not m o re th an a q u a rte r o f a m ile in b re a d th , a n d o f no g re a t length, th e w ater being very clear, tho u g h n o t o f g re a t d e p th , a n d b o rd e re d by a beautiful forest o f pine, fir, elm , a n d b e e c h ,1 free from b u sh e s a n d , u n d erw o o d - a m o st delightful re tre a t, w hich w as re n d ere d still m o re a ttra c tiv e by a g re a t n u m b e r o f birds th a t freq u e n ted it, p articu larly th e h u m m in g -b ird . T h ith e r w e used to go to w ash o u r c lothes, a n d felt secure fro m a n y in tru sio n from th e natives, as they rarely visited it, except fo r th e p u rp o se o f cleansing th e m ­ selves o f th eir p a in t. 1 elm and beech do not occur in N ootka territory. Q uite likely Jewitt confused them with species o f ash and alder, which figure prom i­ nently am ong the deciduous trees o f the area.

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In July w e a t length th o u g h t th a t th e h o p e o f delivery w e had so long anxiously indulged w as on th e p o in t o f being g ra tified . A s h ip a p p e a r e d in th e o ffin g ; b u t, a la s! o u r fo n d h o p e s v a n is h e d alm ost as soon as form ed; for, instead o f sta n d in g in for the sh o re, she passed to th e n o rth w a rd , a n d soon d isa p p ea red . I shall n ot a tte m p t to d escrib e o u r d isa p p o in tm e n t m y h e art sank w ith in m e, and I felt as th o u g h it w as m y d estin y never m o re to b ehold a C h ristia n face. F o u r day s after th e re occu rred a tre m e n ­ d o u s sto rm o f th u n d e r a n d lightning, d u rin g w hich th e natives m anifested g re at ala rm and te rro r, th e w hole trib e hurry in g to M a q u in a ’s h ouse, w here, instead o f keeping w ithin, they seated them selves on th e roof, am id th e severest o f th e tem p est, d ru m ­ m ing u p o n th e b o a rd s, a n d lo o k in g up to heaven, w hile th e king b e a t th e long hollow p lan k , singing, an d , as he afte rw a rd s told m e, begging Q u a h o o tze , th e n a m e they give to G o d , n o t to kill th em , in w hich h e w as a c c o m p a n ie d by th e w hole trib e ; this singing a n d d ru m m in g w as c o n tin u e d until th e sto rm a b a te d . A s th e su m m e r drew n e ar its close, w e began to suffer from th e fre q u e n t w a n t o f fo o d , w h ic h w as p rin c ip a lly o w in g to M a q u in a and th e chiefs being o u t w haling, in w hich he w ould not p e rm it T h o m p so n a n d m yself to jo in , lest w e sho u ld m a k e o u r escape to som e o f th e n e ig h b o u rin g trib e s. A t these tim es th e w om en seldom o r ever c ook a n y p ro v isio n , a n d w e w ere often hungry, b u t w ere som etim es fo rtu n a te e n ough to p ro c u re secretly a piece o f sa lm o n , som e o th e r fish, sp aw n , o r even b lu b b er, w hich, by boiling in salt w ater, w ith a few o n io n s and tu rn ip s, the rem ain s o f th e Spanish g a rd en , o r you n g n ettles o r o th e r herbs, fu rnished us a delicious rep ast in private. In th e m ea n tim e, w e freq u en tly received acco u n ts from the trib es w ho cam e to N o o tk a , b o th from th e n o rth a n d so u th , o f th e re being vessels on th e c o ast, a n d w ere advised by th e ir chiefs to m ak e o u r escape, w ho also p ro m ised us th e ir aid, a n d to put us o n b o a rd . T hese stories, how ever, as I afte rw a rd s lea rn ed , w ere a lm o st all o f th em w ith o u t any fo u n d a tio n , and m erely invented by th ese peo p le w ith a view to g et us into th e ir pow er, in o rd e r to m ak e slaves o f us them selves, o r to sell us to oth ers. But I w as still m o re strongly solicited to leave N o o tk a by a w o m a n . T h is w as a W ickinninish princess, a y o u n g er sister o f M a q u in a ’s wife, w ho w as th ere on a visit. I had th e g o o d fo rtu n e, if it m ay b e so called, to b e co m e q u ite a fa v o u rite w ith her. She a p p e a re d m u ch in te re s te d fo r m e , a sk e d m e m an y q u e s tio n s respecting m y c o u n try , if I h a d a m o th e r a n d sister at h o m e , and if they w ould n o t grieve for m y absence. H e r co m plexion w as fairer th an th a t o f th e w om en in g e n era l, a n d her featu res m o re

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regular, a n d sh e w o u ld have been q u ite h a n d so m e had it n o t been for a defect in o n e o f h e r eyes, th e sig h t o f w hich h a d been injured by so m e accid en t; th e reaso n , as M a q u in a to ld m e, why she h a d n o t been m arried , a defect o f this k in d being by these savages con sid ered as alm ost an in su p e rab le objectio n . She urged m e rep eated ly to re tu rn w ith h e r, telling m e th a t th e W ickinninish w ere m uch b e tte r th an th e N o o tk ia n s; th a t h e r fath er w o u ld treat m e m o re kindly th a n M a q u in a , give m e b e tte r food a n d clothes, a n d finally p u t m e on b o a rd o n e o f m y ow n co u n try vessels. I felt, how ever, little disposed to acc o m p a n y h e r, c o n sid erin g my situ a tio n w ith M a q u in a full as eligible as it w ould b e w ith W ick­ in n in ish , if n o t b e tte r, n o tw ith sta n d in g all she said to th e c o n ­ trary . O n the 3 rd o f S e p tem b e r th e w hole trib e q u itte d N o o tk a , a cc o rd in g to th e ir c o n stan t p ra ctic e , in o rd e r to pass th e a u tu m n a n d w in ter o f T ash e e s2 a n d C o o p te e , th e latter lying a b o u t thirty m iles up th e S o u n d , in a d e ep bay, th e nav ig atio n o f w hich is very d an g ero u s, from th e g re a t n u m b e r o f reefs a n d rocks with w hich it a b o u n d s. O n th ese o ccasions ev ery th in g is tak e n w ith th em , even the p la n k s o f th e ir h o u ses, in o rd e r to cover th eir new dw ellings. T o a E u ro p e a n su c h a re m o v a l exhibits a scene q u ite novel and stran g e; c an o e s piled up w ith b o a rd s a n d boxes, a n d filled w ith m en , w om en, a n d ch ild ren , o f all ra n k s a n d sizes, m ak in g th e air reso u n d w ith th e ir cries a n d songs. A t th ese tim es, as well as w hen they have occasion to go so m e d istan ce from th eir h o u ses, th e infants a re usually susp ended across th e m o th e r’s sh o u ld ers, in a kind o f cradle o r h am m o ck , fo rm ed o f b a rk , o f a b o u t six inches in d e p th , a n d o f th e length o f th e child, by m ea n s o f a lea th e r b a n d inserted th ro u g h lo o p s on its edges; this th ey also k e ep th em in w hen at hom e, in o rd e r to preserve them in a straig h t p o sitio n , a n d p re v en t any d isto rtio n o f th e lim bs, m ost p ro b ab ly a p rin cip al cause o f these p e o p le being so seldom d e fo rm e d o r c ro o k ed . T h e long b o at o f o u r sh ip having been re p aired a n d furnished w ith a sail by T h o m p so n , M a q u in a gave us th e d irection o f it, we being b e tte r a c q u a in te d w ith m an ag in g it th an his p e o p le , a n d , a fte r loading h e r as d e ep as sh e co u ld sw im , w e p ro c ee d ed in c o m p a n y w ith th em to th e n o rth , q u ittin g N o o tk a w ith heavy he arts, as w e co u ld en te rta in no h o p es o f release until o u r re tu rn , no ships ever c o m in g to th a t p a rt o f th e coast. P assing C o o p tee , which is situ ate d o n th e so u th e rn b a n k , ju st w ithin th e m o u th o f : i.e. Tahsis.

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a sm all riv er flow ing from th e east in a n a rro w valley a t th e foot o f a m o u n ta in , we p roceeded a b o u t fifteen m iles up this stre am to T ashees, betw een a range o f lofty hills on each side, w hich extend a g r e a t d is ta n c e in la n d , a n d a re c o v e re d w ith th e fin e s t fo re st trees o f th e c o u n try . Im m ediately on o u r arriv al, w e all w en t to w ork very diligently in covering th e houses w ith th e p lan k s we h a d b ro u g h t, th e fram es being read y erected , th ese peo p le never p re te n d in g to rem o v e th e tim b e r. In a very sh o rt tim e th e w ork w as c o m p le te d , a n d we w ere estab lish ed in o u r new residence. T ash ees is pleasan tly situ ate d , a n d in a m ost secure positio n fro m th e w in te r s to rm s , in a sm a ll vale o r h o llo w on th e so u th sh o re, a t th e fo o t o f a m o u n ta in . T h e sp o t on w hich it sta n d s is level, a n d th e soil very fine, th e c o u n try in its vicinity a b o u n d in g w ith th e m o st ro m an tic view s, ch arm in g ly diversified, a n d fine stream s o f w a ter falling in b eau tifu l cascades from th e m o u n ta in s. T h e river a t this place is a b o u t tw e n ty rods in w idth, a n d , in its d eep est p a rt, from nine to tw elve feet. T his village is th e extrem e p o in t o f n a v ig a tio n , as, im m ed iately beyond, th e river becom es m uch m o re shallow , a n d is b ro k e n into falls a n d ra p id s. T he houses h e re are placed in a line lik e those a t N o o tk a , b u t closer to g eth e r, th e situ a tio n being m o re c o nfined; they a re also sm aller, in consequence o f w hich w e w ere m uch cro w d ed , a n d in co m ­ m o d ed for ro o m . T h e principal o b jec t in c o m in g to this place is th e facility it affo rd s these p e o p le o f pro v id in g th eir w inter stock o f p rovisions, which consists principally o f sa lm o n , and th e spaw n o f th a t fish; to w hich m ay be a d d ed herrings a n d sprats, a n d h errin g spaw n. T h e la tte r , h o w e v e r, is a lw ay s p ro c u re d by th e m a t N o o tk a , previous to th e ir q u ittin g it. A t th e seasons o f spaw ning, w hich a re early in sp rin g a n d th e last o f A u g u st, they collect a g re at q u a n tity o f pine bran ch es, w hich th ey place in differen t p a rts o f th e C ove a t th e d e p th o f a b o u t ten feet, a n d secure th em by m eans o f heavy stones. O n th ese th e h errin g d ep o sit th e ir spaw n in im m en se q u a n titie s; th e bushes a re then tak e n up, th e spaw n strip p ed from th e bran ch es, a n d , a fte r being w ashed a n d freed from th e p in e leaves by th e w o m en , is d rie d a n d p u t u p in bask ets for use. It is con sid ered as th eir g re atest delicacy, and e aten b o th c o o k ed a n d raw; in th e fo rm er case, being bo iled and e aten w ith train -o il, a n d in th e la tte r, m ixed up w ith cold w ater alo n e. T h e salm on are tak e n a t T ashees, principally in p o ts o r w e a rs .3 T h e ir m e th o d o f ta k in g th e m in w e a rs is t h u s : - A p o t i i.e. traps and weirs.

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o f tw enty feet in length, a n d from fo u r to five feet d ia m e te r a t the m o u th , is fo rm ed o f a g re a t n u m b e r o f p in e splinters, w hich are strongly secured, a n inch and a h a lf from each o th er, by m eans o f h o o p s m a d e o f flexible tw igs, a n d places a b o u t eight inches a p art. A t th e e n d it ta p e r s a lm o s t to a p o in t, n e a r w h ic h is a sm all w icker d o o r fo r th e p u rp o se o f tak in g o u t th e fish. T h is p o t o r w e a r is p lac ed a t th e fo o t o f a fall o r r a p id , w h e re th e w a te r is n o t very d e ep , a n d th e fish, d riven from ab o v e w ith long poles, a re in te rc e p te d a n d c a u g h t in th e w e a r, fro m w h e n ce th e y are ta k e n into th e canoes. In this m a n n e r I have seen m o re than seven h u n d re d salm o n cau g h t in th e space o f fifteen m in u te s. I have also so m e tim es know n a few o f th e strip ed bass ta k e n in this m a n n e r, but rarely. A t such tim es th ere is g re at feasting a n d m errim en t am ong th em . T he w om en and fem ale slaves being busily em ployed in c o o k in g , o r in cu rin g th e fish for th eir w in ter stock, w hich is do n e by cuttin g o ff th e heads a n d tails, splitting th em , tak in g o u t the back b o n e , a n d hanging them up in th eir houses to dry . T h ey also d ry th e h a lib u t a n d cod, b u t these, instead o f curing w hole, they cu t up into sm all pieces fo r th a t p u rp o se , a n d expose to th e sun. T h e spaw n o f th e salm o n , w hich is a principal article o f th eir p rovision, they ta k e o u t, a n d , w ith o u t any o th e r p re p a ra tio n , th ro w it into th e ir tubs, w h ere th ey leave it to stand a n d ferm ent, for, tho u g h they frequently e at it fresh, th ey esteem it m u ch m ore w hen it has a cq u ired a stro n g taste , a n d o n e o f th e g reatest favours they can c onfer on any p erso n , is to invite him to eat Q u a k a m iss, th e n a m e they give this food, tho u g h scarcely a n y ­ th in g can b e m o re re p u g n an t to a n E u ro p ean p a la te, th an it is in this state; a n d w henever they to o k it o u t o f these large re ce p ta ­ cles, w hich they are alw ays careful to fill, such w as th e stench w hich it exhaled, on being m o v ed , th a t it w as alm ost im possible for m e to a b id e it, even a fte r h a b it h a d in a g reat degree dulled th e delicacy o f m y senses. W hen boiled it b ecam e less offensive, th o u g h it still re ta in e d m uch o f th e p u trid sm ell, a n d so m e th in g o f th e taste. Such is th e im m ense q u a n tity o f these fish, a n d they a re taken w ith such facility, th at I have know n u pw ards o f tw enty-five h u n d re d b ro u g h t into M a q u in a ’s house a t once; a n d at o n e o f th eir g re at feasts, h a v e seen o n e h u n d red o r m o re c o o k ed in one o f th eir largest tubs. I used frequently to go o u t w ith M a q u in a upon th ese fishing p arties, a n d w as alw ays su re to receive a h a n d so m e p re sen t o f sa lm o n , w hich I h a d th e privilege o f calling m ine; I also w ent w ith him several tim es in a can o e , to strik e th e salm o n , w hich I

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have a tte m p te d to d o m yself, b u t co u ld never succeed, it req u irin g a deg ree o f a d ro itn ess th a t I did n o t possess. I w as also p e rm itte d to go o u t w ith a g u n , a n d w as several tim es very successful in sh o o tin g w ild d u ck s a n d teal, w hich a re very n u m ero u s here, th o u g h ra th e r shy. T h ese they c o o k ed in th e ir usual m a n n e r, by boiling, w ith o u t any fa rth e r dressin g th a n sk in n in g th em . In m an y respects, how ever, o u r situ atio n w as less p leasan t here th an a t N o o tk a . W e w ere m o re in co m m o d ed for ro o m , the houses n o t being so spacious, n o r so well a rra n g e d , a n d as it w as c older, w e w ere com pelled to be m uch m o re w ith in d o o rs. W e, how ever, did not neglect on S u n d ay s, w hen th e w e ath e r w ould a d m it, to re tire into th e w oods, a n d , by th e side o f som e stre am , a fte r b a th in g , re tu rn o u r th an k s to G o d fo r p reserving us, and offer u p to H im o u r cu sto m ary d e v o tio n s. I w as, how ever, very a p p reh en siv e, soon a fte r o u r arriv al at this place, th a t I should b e d ep riv e d o f th e satisfactio n o f keeping m y jo u rn a l, as M a q u in a o n e d ay , o bserving m e w ritin g , inq u ired o f m e w h a t I w as d o in g , and w hen I e n d ea v o u red to explain it, by telling him th a t I w as keeping a n a cc o u n t o f th e w e a th e r, he said it w as n o t so , a n d th a t I w as sp eak in g b a d a b o u t h im , and telling how h e h a d tak e n o u r sh ip a n d killed th e crew , so as to inform m y co u n try m en , a n d th a t if h e ever saw m e w riting in it ag ain , he w ould th ro w it into th e fire. I w as m u ch rejoiced th at he d id no m o re th a n th re a te n , a n d b ecam e very c au tio u s a fte r­ w ard s n o t to let him see m e w rite. N o t long a fte r, I finished so m e daggers fo r h im , w hich I p olished highly; these pleased him m uch, a n d h e g a v e m e d ire c ­ tio n s to m a k e a c h ee to lth , in w hich I succeeded so far to his satisfaction, th a t he gave m e a p re sen t o f cloth sufficient to m ak e m e a c o m p lete suit o f ra im en t, besides o th e r things. T h o m p so n also, w ho had b e co m e ra th e r m o re o f a fav o u rite than form erly, since he h a d m a d e a fine sail for his can o e , and som e g a rm e n ts for him o u t o f E u ro p e a n clo th , a b o u t this tim e co m p leted a n o th e r, w hich w as th o u g h t by th e savages th e m ost su p e rb dress. T h is w as a k o ts u k o r m an tle, a fathom sq u a re, m ad e entirely o f E u ro p ea n vest p a tte rn s o f th e gayest colours. T h ese w ere sew ed to g e th e r in a m a n n e r to m ak e th e best show , a n d b o u n d w ith a d e ep trim m in g o f th e finest o tte rsk in , w ith which th e arm -h o les w ere also b o rd e re d ; w hile th e b o tto m w as fu rth e r em bellished w ith five o r six row s o f gilt b u tto n s, placed as near as possible to each o th er. N o th in g could exceed th e p rid e o f M a q u in a w hen he first put on this royal ro b e , d e co ra te d , like th e co at o f Jo se p h , w ith all the colours o f th e ra in b o w , a n d g litterin g w ith th e b u tto n s , w hich as

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he stru tte d a b o u t m ade a tin k lin g , w hile h e repeatedly exclaim ed, in a tra n s p o rt o f e x u lta tio n , “ K lew sh ish K o is u k - w ick k u m a la c k N o o tk a ." 4 - “ A fine g a rm e n t - N o o tk a c a n 't m a k e th e m .” M a q u in a , w ho knew th a t th e chiefs o f th e trib es w ho cam e to visit us had en d ea v o u red to p e rsu ad e m e to escape, frequently cau tio n ed m e n o t to listen to th em , saying th at, sho u ld I m ake th e a tte m p t, a n d h e w ere to ta k e m e, he should certain ly put m e to d e ath . W hile here, h e gave m e a b o o k , in w hich I found the nam es o f seven persons b elonging to th e ship M a n c h e ste r, o f P h ilad elp h ia, C a p ta in B r i a n - v i z . D aniel S m ith, Lew is G illo n , Ja m es T o m , C lark , Jo h n s o n , Ben, and Ja c k . T h ese m en, as M a q u in a in fo rm e d m e, ran aw ay from th e sh ip a n d cam e to him , b u t th a t six o f them so o n a fte r w ent o ff in th e nig h t, w ith an in ten tio n to g o to th e W ick in n in ish , b u t w ere sto p p e d by the E shquates, a n d se n t back to h im , a n d th a t h e o rd e re d them to be p u t to d e a th ; a n d a m o st cruel d e a th it w as, as 1 w as told by one o f th e natives, fo u r m en holding o n e o f th em on th e g ro u n d , and forcing op en his m o u th , w hile they c h o k ed him by ram m ing sto n es do w n his th ro at. A s to Ja c k , th e boy, w ho m a d e n o a tte m p t to g o off, M a q u in a a fte rw a rd s sold him to th e W ic k in n in ish . 1 w as inform ed by th e Princess Y u q u a th a t h e w as q u ite a sm all boy, w ho cried a g re at d eal, being p u t to h ard la b o u r b e yond his stren g th by th e native, in c u ttin g w o o d a n d bringing w a ter, and th a t w hen h e h e a rd o f th e m u rd e r o f o u r c rew , it h a d su c h an effect on him , th a t he fell sick, and d ied shortly a fte r. O n learning th e m elancholy fa te o f this u n fo rtu n a te lad, it again aw ak e n e d in m y bosom those feelings th a t I h a d ex p erienced a t th e shocking d e a th o f m y p o o r co m rad es.

4 once again, this statem ent is not N o o tk a, b ut C hinook Jargon.

10. Conversations with Maquina Fruits - Religious Ceremonies Visit to Upquesta T h e king, finding th a t I w as d e siro u s o f learning th e ir language, w as m uch delig h ted , a n d to o k g re a t pleasure in conversing with m e. O n o n e o f these occasions he explained to m e his reasons for cuttin g o ff o u r ship, saying th at h e b o re no ill will to m y c o u n try ­ m en, but th a t he had been several tim es tre a te d very ill by them . T h e first in ju ry o f w h ic h h e h a d c a u s e to c o m p la in w as d o n e him by a C a p ta in T aw n in g to n , w ho c o m m a n d ed a sch o o n e r w hich passed a w inter a t F riendly C ove, w h e re he w as well tre a te d by th e in h ab itan ts. T h is m an , tak in g a d v an tag e o f M a q u in a ’s a b se n c e , w h o h a d g o n e to th e W ic k in n in ish to p r o ­ cure a wife, a rm e d h im self a n d crew , a n d en tered th e house, w here th e re w ere n o n e but w o m en , w hom he th rew into th e g re atest c o n ste rn a tio n , a n d , search in g th e chests, to o k aw ay all th e skins, o f w hich M a q u in a had no less th an forty o f th e best; and th a t a b o u t th e sam e tim e , fo u r o f th eir chiefs w ere b a rb a ­ rously killed by a C a p ta in M a rtin e z, a S p a n ia rd .1 T h a t so o n afte r, C a p ta in H a n n a , o f th e S e a O tte r ,2 in conse­ 1 probably the person m eant is Don Estevan M artinez. He erected a small fort on an island at the m outh o f Friendly Cove, establishing Spanish sovereignty in the area. His ship was the corvette Prince.su, which arrived in the Friendly Cove area in early M ay, 1789. T here M artinez seized four British trading vessels then trading under the flag o f Portugal. A kinsm an o f M aquinna was slain by one o f the Spanish officers un d er M artin ez' com m and. 2. T he arrival o f the S ea O tier, a small vessel outfitted in C hina, at N o o tk a in A ugust, 1785, really m arks the beginning o f the m aritim e fur-trade, for the S ea O tter was apparently the first trading vessel to en ter N ootka Sound after C aptain C o o k ’s exploratory voyage. A com prehensive listing o f trading vessels, and som e o f the incidents betw een them and the N orthw est C oast Indians may be found in three excellent papers by F. W . Howay: ( I) “ Early Days o f the M aritim e F u r-T rad e on the N orthw est C oast,” Canadian H istorical Review, vol. 4 (1923), pp. 26-44; (2) “ Indian A ttacks upon M ari­ tim e T raders o f th e N orthw est C oast, 1785-1805,“ Canadian H istor­ ical Review, vol. 6 (1925), pp. 287-309; (3) “ A Listing o f T rading Vessels in the M aritim e F u r-T rade, 1785-1807,” Proceedings o f the R o ya l S o ciety o f Canada, series 3, vol. 25, sec. 2 (1931), p. 44.

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qu e n ce o f o n e o f th e natives h aving stolen a chisel from th e carp e n te r, fired upon th eir c an o e s w hich w ere alo n g sid e, a n d killed u pw ards o f tw enty o f th e natives, o f w hom several w ere T y e e s o r chiefs; a n d th a t h e him self, being on b o a rd th e vessel, in o rd e r to escap e w as obliged to leap from th e q u a rte r-d e c k , and sw im for a long w ay u n d e r w ater. T hese injuries had excited in th e breast o f M a q u in a an a rd en t desire o f revenge, th e stro n g est passion o f th e savage h e a rt, and th o u g h m an y y e ars had elapsed since th eir com m ission, still they w ere n o t fo rg o tte n , a n d the w an t o f a fav o u rab le o p p o rtu n ity a lo n e p re v en ted him from so o n e r avenging th em . U n fo rtu n ate ly fo r us, th e long-w ished-for o p p o rtu n ity a t length p resen ted itself in o u r sh ip , w hich M a q u in a finding n o t g u a rd e d w ith th e usual vigilance o f th e N o rth -W e st tra d e rs, a n d feeling his desire o f revenge rek in d led by th e insult offered him by C a p ta in Salter, form ed a plan fo r attack in g , a n d on his re tu rn called a council o f his chiefs, a n d co m m u n ica te d it to th e m , a cq u a in tin g th em w ith th e m a n n e r in w hich he h a d been tre a te d . N o less d e siro u s o f avenging this a ffro n t offered th eir king th a n th eir fo rm er injuries, they readily a g ree d to his p ro p o sa l, w hich w as to go o n b o a rd w ith o u t a rm s as u sual, but u n d e r differen t p retexts, in g reat n u m b ers, a n d w ait for his signal for th e m o m e n t o f a tta ck in g th eir u n suspecting victim s. T h e execution o f this schem e, as th e re a d e r know s, w as un h ap p ily to o successful. A n d h e re 1 can n o t b u t indulge a reflection th a t h a s frequently occu rred to m e on th e m an n e r in w hich o u r p e o p le behave to w ard s th e natives. F o r, th o u g h they a re a thievish race, yet 1 h a v e no d o u b t th a t m an y o f th e m elancholy disasters h a v e p rin ci­ pally arisen fro m th e im p ru d e n t c o n d u ct o f som e o f th e c ap tain s a n d crew s o f th e ships em ployed in th is tra d e , in e xasperating th em by insulting, p lu n d erin g , a n d even killing them on slight g ro u n d s. T h is, as n o th in g is m o re sacred w ith a savage th an the p rin cip le o f revenge, a n d no p e o p le a re so im p a tie n t u n d e r insult, induces th em to w reak th e ir vengeance u p o n th e first vessel o r b o a t’s crew th a t offers, m ak in g th e in n o ce n t to o frequently suffer fo r th e w rongs o f th e guilty, as few o f them kn o w how to d is c r im in a te b e tw e e n p e rs o n s o f th e sa m e g e n e ra l a p p e a r a n c e , m o re especially w hen sp eak in g th e sam e language. A n d to this c ause do I believe m u st principally b e ascribed th e sanguinary d isp o sitio n w ith w hich these p e o p le a re re p ro a c h ed , as M aq u in a repeatedly told m e th a t it w as n o t his w ish to h u rt a w hite m an, a n d th a t h e nev er sho u ld have d o n e it, th o u g h ever so m uch in his pow er, h a d they n o t injured him .

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A n d w ere th e co m m a n d ers o f o u r ships to tre a t th e savages with ra th e r m o re civility than they so m etim es d o , I am inclined to th in k they w ould find th eir a cc o u n t in it; not th a t I should reco m m en d to them a c onfidence in th e g o o d faith and friendly professions o f th ese p eople, so as in any degree to re m it th eir vigilance, b u t, on th e c o n tra ry , to be strictly on th eir g u a rd , and suffer b u t a very few o f them to c o m e on b o a rd th e sh ip , and a d m it n o t m any o f th e ir canoes alongside a t a tim e; a p re ca u tio n th a t w ould have been th e m ea n s o f p rev en tin g som e o f th e u n fo rtu n a te events th a t have o c cu rre d , and if a tte n d ed to, m ay in fu tu re preserve m an y a valuable life. Such a reg u latio n , to o , from w hat I kn o w o f th eir disposition a n d w ants, w ould p ro d u c e no serious difficulty in tra d in g w ith th e savages, a n d they w ould soon becom e perfectly reconciled to it. A m o n g th e pro v isio n s w hich th e In d ian s p ro c u re a t T ashees, I m ust n o t o m it m en tio n in g a fru it th a t is very im p o rta n t, as fo rm in g a g re a t article o f th eir fo o d . T h is is w h at is called by them th e Y a m a ,3 a species o f b erry th a t grow s in bunches like* cu rran ts, u p o n a bush from tw o to th ree feet high, w ith a large, ro u n d , a n d sm o o th leaf. T h is b erry is black, a n d a b o u t th e size o f a pistol sh o t, but o f ra th e r a n o b lo n g sh ap e, and op en a t th e top like th e blue w h o rtleb erry . T h e ta s te is sw eet, b u t a little acrid, an d w hen first g a th e red , if eaten in any g re at q u a n tity , especially w ith o u t oil, is a p t to p ro d u c e colics. T o p ro c u re it, large c o m p a ­ nies o f w om en go o u t on th e m o u n ta in s, a cc o m p a n ied by arm ed m en to p ro tec t th em a gainst w ild beasts, w here they frequently rem ain for several days, kindling a fire a t n ight, a n d sheltering them selves u n d e r sh ed s c o n stru cted o f boughs. A t these parties they collect g re at q u a n titie s. I h a v e know n M a q u in a ’s queen and h e r w om en re tu rn lo ad e d , b ringing w ith them u pw ards o f twelve bushels. In o rd e r to preserve it, it is pressed in th e bunches betw een tw o planks, a n d d ried a n d p u t aw ay in b askets for use. It is alw ays e aten w ith oil. O f b erries o f vario u s kinds, such as straw b erries, raspberries, blackberries, etc., th e re are g re a t q u a n titie s in th e c o u n try , o f w hich th e natives a re very fond, g a th e rin g them in th eir seasons, an d eating th em w ith oil, but th e y a m a is th e only o n e th a t they preserve. Fish is, how ever, th e ir g re at article o f food, as alm o st all th e o th ers, excepting th e y a m a , m ay b e con sid ered as accidental. T hey nevertheless a re far from disrelishing m ea t, for instance. i.e. salal (Gaultheria shallon).

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venison a n d b e a r’s flesh. W ith regard to th e latter, they have a m o st s in g u la r c u sto m , w h ic h is, th a t a n y o n e w h o e a ts o f it is o bliged to a b sta in from e atin g any k in d o f fresh fish w h atev er for th e term o f tw o m o n th s, as they have a su p erstitio u s b e lie f that, should any o f th e ir p eople, a fte r tasting b e a r’s flesh, e at o f fresh salm o n , co d , etc., th e fish, th o u g h a t ever so g re at a d istan ce off, w ould com e to th e know ledge o f it, a n d be so m uch offended th e re a t as not to allow them selves to be tak e n by a n y o f the in h ab itan ts. T h is I h a d an o p p o rtu n ity o f observing w hile at T ashees, a b e a r having been killed early in D ecem ber, o f w hich not m o re th an ten o f th e natives w ould e at, being p re v en ted by th e p ro h ib itio n an n ex ed to it, w hich also w as th e reaso n o f m y c o m ra d e a n d m yself n o t tastin g it, on being told by M a q u in a the consequences. A s th ere is so m e th in g q u ite c u rio u s in th eir m an a g em e n t o f th is a n im a l, w hen they h av e killed o n e, I shall give a d escription o f it. A fte r well cleansing th e b e a r from th e d irt a n d b lo o d with w hich it is generally co v ered w hen killed, it is b ro u g h t in and seated o p p o site th e king in an u p rig h t p o stu re , w ith a c h ie fs b o n n e t, w ro u g h t in figures, on its h e ad , a n d its fur p o w d e red over w ith th e w hite dow n. A tra y o f p rovision is then set before it, and it is invited by w ords a n d gestures to e at. T his m o ck cerem ony over, th e reason o f w hich I co u ld never learn , th e a n im al is taken a n d sk in n ed , a n d th e flesh a n d en trails boiled up into a so u p , no p a rt but th e p au n ch being rejected. T h is dressing th e b ear, as they call it, is a n occasion o f g reat rejoicing th ro u g h o u t th e village, all th e in h a b ita n ts being invited to a g reat feast at the k in g ’s h ouse, th o u g h but few o f th e m , in co n seq u en ce o f th e p e n alty , will v e n tu re to eat o f th e flesh, but generally c o n te n t them selves w ith th e ir fav o u rite dish o f herring spaw n a n d w a ter. T h e feast on th is occasion w as closed by a d a n c e fro m S a t-s a t-s o k -s is , in th e m a n n e r I h a v e a lre a d y described, in th e course o f w hich h e repeatedly shifted his m ask for a n o th e r o f a different form . A few day s a fte r, a second b e ar w as tak e n , like th e form er, by m eans o f a tra p . T h is 1 had th e curio sity to g o a n d see a t the place w h ere it w as caught, w hich w as in th e follow ing m an n er: O n th e edge o f a sm all stream o f w ater in th e m o u n ta in s w hich th e salm on ascen d , and n e ar th e sp o t w h ere th e b e a r is accus­ to m e d to w atch fo r th em , w hich is k n o w n by its trac k , a tra p o r box a b o u t th e height o f a m a n ’s h e ad is built o f p o sts a n d planks w ith a flat to p , on w hich a re laid a n u m b e r o f large stones o r rocks. T h e to p a n d sides are then carefully covered w ith tu rf, so as to resem ble a little m o u n d , a n d w holly to exclude th e light, a

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n a rro w e n tra n ce o f th e height o f th e building only being left, ju st sufficient to a d m it th e h e ad a n d sh o u ld ers o f th e beast. O n the inside, to a large plank th at covers th e to p is su sp en d ed by a stro n g cord a salm o n , th e plank bein g left loose, so th a t a forcible pull will b ring it d o w n . O n c o m in g to its usual h a u n t, th e bear e n ters th e tra p , a n d , in e n d ea v o u rin g to pull aw ay th e fish, brings d ow n th e w hole covering w ith its load o f sto n es upon its head, and is alm o st alw ays c rushed to d e a th o n th e sp o t, o r so w o u n d e d as to b e u n a b le to escape. T h ey a re alw ays careful to e x am in e th ese tra p s every d ay , in o rd e r, if a b e a r b e c au g h t, to b ring it im m ediately, for it is n o t a little sin g u lar th a t th ese peo p le will e at no kind o f m eat th a t is in th e least ta in te d , o r n o t perfectly fresh, w hile, on th e c o n tra ry , it is h ardly possible fo r fish to b e in to o p u trid a sta te for th em , and I have frequently know n th em , w hen a w hale h a s been driven ash o re, b ring pieces o f it ho m e w ith them in a sta te o f offensive­ ness in su p p o rtab le to anyth in g b u t a crow , a n d d e v o u r it w ith high relish, c o n sid erin g it as p re fe ra b le to th a t w hich is fresh. O n th e m o rn in g o f th e 13th o f D ecem b er, co m m en ced w hat to us a p p e a re d a m o st sin g u lar farce. A p p a ren tly w ith o u t any previous notice, M a q u in a d ischarged a pistol close to his so n ’s ear, w ho im m ediately fell dow n as if killed, upon w hich all the w om en o f th e h o u se set up a m ost lam en tab le cry, tearin g h a n d ­ fuls o f h a ir from th eir heads, a n d exclaim ing th a t th e p rin ce was d ead . A t th e sam e tim e a g reat n u m b e r o f th e in h ab itan ts rushed into th e h ouse, a rm e d w ith th e ir daggers, m u sk ets, etc., inquiring th e cause o f th e ir o u tcry . T hese w ere im m ediately follow ed by tw o o th ers dressed in w olf-skins, w ith m asks o v er th eir faces rep resen tin g th e head o f th a t a n im a l; th e latter c am e in on their hands a n d feet in th e m an n e r o f a beast, a n d , tak in g up th e p rince, carried him o ff upon th e ir backs, re tirin g in th e sam e m an n e r they e n te red . W e saw n o th in g m o re o f th e c erem o n y , as M a q u in a c am e to us, a n d , giving us a q u a n tity o f d rie d provision, o rd e re d us to q u it th e h ouse, a n d n o t re tu rn to th e village before th e e x p ira tio n o f seven days, fo r th a t if we a p p e a re d w ithin th a t p erio d , h e should kill us.4 A t any o th e r season o f th e y e a r such an o rd e r w ould by us 4 apparently Jew itt did not fully understand what was happening here. H e describes the beginning o f the N ootkan W inter Cerem onial, from which he and T hom pson w ere sent out since they were not initiated. M aquinna’s com m and for them to retire from the village for seven days was probably in fact a ritual seclusion after which Jew itt and Thom pson are in som e sense considered to be initiates, because they are allowed to observe the rem ainder o f the cerem onial.

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have been c o n sid ere d as a n indulgence, in enabling us to pass o u r tim e in w h a tev e r w ay w e w ished; a n d even now , furnished as we w ere w ith sufficient p rovision for th a t term , it w as n o t very u n p lea sa n t to us, m o re p a rticu la rly T h o m p so n , w ho w as alw ays desiro u s to k e ep as m uch as p o ssib le o u t o f th e society a n d sight o f th e n atives, w hom he d e te sted . T a k in g w ith us o u r provisions, a b u n d le o f clothes, a n d o u r axes, w e obeyed th e d irec tio n s o f M a q u in a, a n d w ith d rew into th e w oods, w h ere w e built ourselves a cabin to sh e lte r us, w ith th e b ran ch es o f trees, a n d , keeping up a g o o d fire, secu red ourselves p retty well fro m th e c o ld . H ere w e passed th e prescribed p e rio d o f o u r exile, w ith m o re c o n te n t than m uch o f th e tim e w hile w ith th e m , em ploying th e d a y in reading a n d praying fo r o u r release, o r in ram b lin g a ro u n d a n d exploring th e c o u n try , th e soil o f w hich w e fo u n d to b e very g o o d , a n d th e face o f it, beautifully d iversified w ith hills and valleys, refreshed w ith th e finest stream s o f w ater, a n d a t n ig h t enjoyed co m fo rtab le rep o se upon a bed o f soft leaves, w ith o u r g a rm e n ts sp re ad over us to p ro te c t us from th e cold. A t th e end o f seven days w e re tu rn e d , and fo u n d several o f th e p eople o f A i-tiz-zart w ith th e ir k in g o r c h ie f a t T ashees, w ho h a d been inv ited by M a q u in a to a tte n d th e close o f th is p e rfo rm ­ an ce , w hich I now lea rn ed w as a c eleb ra tio n , held by them a n n u ally , in h o n o u r o f th eir g od, w h o m th ey call Q u a h o o tze , to re tu rn him th e ir th a n k s for his p ast, a n d im plore his future favours. It term in a te d on th e 21st, th e day a fte r o u r re tu rn , w ith a m o st e x tra o rd in a ry e x h ib itio n . T h re e m en , each o f w hom had tw o b ay o n ets ru n th ro u g h his sid e s,5 betw een th e ribs, a p p are n tly regardless o f th e p a in , traversed th e ro o m , b ackw ards a n d fo r­ w ards, singing w ar-songs, a n d exulting in this display o f firm ness. O n th e a rriv a l o f th e 25th, we co u ld n o t b u t call to m ind th a t this, being C h ristm a s, w as in o u r c o u n try a day o f th e g reatest fe stiv ity , w h e n o u r fe llo w -c o u n try m e n , a sse m b le d in th e ir ch u rch es, w as celeb ratin g th e g o o d n e ss o f G o d a n d th e praises o f th e S aviour. W h a t a reverse did o u r situ a tio n offer! - captives in a savage lan d , a n d slaves to a set o f ig n o ran t beings, u n a cq u a in te d w ith religion o r h u m an ity , h ardly w ere w e p e rm itte d to offer up o u r d e v o tio n s by o u rse lv e s in th e w o o d s , w h ile w e fe lt even grateful for this privilege. T h ith e r, w ith th e k in g ’s perm issio n , we w ithdrew , a n d , a fte r re ad in g th e service a p p o in te d fo r th e day, sung th e hym n o f th e N a tiv ity , fervently pray in g th a t H eaven in 5 m ost probably an exam ple o f the theatrical illusions which formed such an im portant part o f N orthw est C oast Indian W inter C erem o­ nials.

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its g o o d n e ss w o u ld p e rm it us to c eleb ra te th e next festival o f this k in d in so m e C h ristia n land. O n o u r re tu rn , in o rd e r to c o n fo rm as m uch as w as in o u r po w er to th e custom o f o u r c o u n try , w e w ere desiro u s o f h a v in g a b e tte r su p p e r th an usual. W ith th is view , w e b o u g h t fro m o n e o f th e natives so m e d ried clam s a n d o il, a n d a ro o t called K le tsu p ,6 w hich w e c o o k ed by steam in g , a n d found it very p a la tab le. T his ro o t consists o f m an y fibre, o f a b o u t six inches long, a n d o f th e size o f a crow quill. It is sw eet, o r a n a g reeab le taste , n o t un lik e th e Q uaw noose, a n d it is eaten w ith oil. T h e p lan t th a t p ro d u c es it I have never seen. O n th e 31st all th e trib e q u itte d T ash ees for C o o p te e , w h ith er th ey g o to pass th e re m a in d e r o f th e w in ter, a n d c o m p le te th eir fishing, tak in g o ff everything w ith them in th e sam e m a n n e r as at N o o tk a . W e arriv e d in a few h o u rs at C o p te e , w hich is a b o u t fifteen m iles, a n d im m ediately set a b o u t covering th e houses, w hich w as soon c o m p leted . T h is place, w hich is th e ir g re a t h errin g a n d sp ra t fishery, sta n d s ju s t w ithin th e m o u th o f th e river, o n th e sam e sid e w ith T ashees, in a very n a rro w valley a t th e fo o t o f a high m o u n ta in . T h o u g h nearly as secure as T ash ee s from th e w in ter sto rm s, it is by n o m eans so p leasantly situ a te d , tho u g h to us it w as a m uch m o re agreeable residence, as it b ro u g h t us n e are r N o o tk a , w here we w ere im p a tie n t to re tu rn , in h o p es o f finding so m e vessel th ere , o r h e arin g o f th e arriv al o f o n e near. T h e first sn o w th a t fell this season w as th e d a y a fte r o u r arriv a l, on N e w Y e a r’s D ay; a d a y th a t, like C h ristm as, b ro u g h t w ith it p ainful recollections, b u t at th e sam e tim e led us to indulge th e h o p e o f a m o re fo rtu n a te y e ar th an th e last. E arly o n th e m o rn in g o f th e 7th o f Ja n u a ry , M a q u in a to o k m e w ith h im in his c a n o e o n a v isit t o U p q u e s ta , c h ie f o f th e A i-T iz -za rts, w h o had invited h im to a tte n d an exh ib itio n a t his village, sim ilar to th e o n e w ith w hich he had been e n te rta in ed at T ash ee s. T h is place is betw een tw e n ty a n d th irty m iles d ista n t up th e S o u n d , a n d sta n d s on th e b a n k s o f a sm all river a b o u t th e size o f th a t o f C o o p tee , ju st w ith in its e n tra n ce , in a valley o f m uch g re a te r e x te n t th an th a t o f T ashees; it consists o f fou rteen o r fifteen houses, built and d isp o se d in th e m an n e r o f th o se at N o o tk a . T h e trib e , w hich is c o n sid ere d as trib u ta ry to M a q u in a , a m o u n ts to a b o u t th r e e h u n d re d w a rrio rs , a n d th e in h a b ita n ts , 6 m ost probably bracken roots, which w ere widely used as food on the N orthw est C oast. T he nam e given by Jew itt, kletsup, is possibly a C hin o ok Jargon word.

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bo th m en a n d w om en, are a m o n g th e best-lo o k in g o f any people on th e coast. O n o u r arrival w e w ere received a t th e sh o re by th e in h a b it­ a n ts, a few o f w h o m w ere a rm e d w ith m uskets, which they fired, w ith lo u d sh o u ts a n d exclam atio n s o f W ocash, w ocash! W e w ere w elcom ed by th e c h ie f s m essenger, o r m aste r o f cerem o n ies, dre sse d in his best g a rm e n ts, w ith his h a ir p o w dered w ith w hite d o w n , and h o ld in g in his h a n d th e ch eeto lth , the badge o f his office. T h is m an preced ed us to th e c h ie f s house, w h ere h e in tro d u c e d and p o in te d o u t to us o u r respective seats. O n e n te rin g , th e visitors to o k o ff th e ir h ats, w hich th ey alw ays w e a r on sim ila r occasions, a n d M a q u in a his o u te r robes, o f w hich he h a s several on w henever he pay s a visit, a n d seated h im self n e ar th e chief. A s 1 w as dressed in E u ro p e a n clothes, I b ecam e q u ite an o b je c t o f c u rio s ity to th e s e p e o p le , v ery few o f w h o m h a d even seen a w hite m a n . T h ey c ro w d ed a ro u n d m e in n u m b ers, taking h o ld o f m y clothes, exam ining m y face, h a n d s, a n d feet, a n d even o p e n in g m y m o u th to see if I h a d a to n g u e, for, n o tw ith sta n d in g I had by th is tim e becom e well a c q u a in te d w ith th e ir language, I preserved th e strictest silence, M a q u in a on o u r first lan d in g having en jo in ed m e n o t to speak until h e sho u ld direct. H aving u n d e rg o n e th is e x am in atio n for som e tim e , M a q u in a a t length m a d e a sign to m e to speak to th em . O n h e arin g m e ad d ress them in th e ir ow n language, they w ere greatly a stonished a n d delig h ted , a n d told M a q u in a th a t they now perceived th a t I w as a m an like them selves, except th a t 1 w as w hite, a n d looked like a seal, a llu d in g to m y blue ja c k e t a n d trousers, w hich they w an ted to p e rsu a d e m e to ta k e off,, as th ey did n o t like their a p p ea ran c e. M a q u in a in th e m e a n tim e gave an a cco u n t to the c h ie f o f th e sch em e he h a d fo rm ed for su rp risin g o u r sh ip , and th e m an n e r in w hich h e a n d his p e o p le h a d c arried it into e xecution, w ith such p a rtic u la r a n d h o rrid d etails o f th a t tran sac ­ tio n as chilled th e b lood in m y veins. T rays o f boiled herring spaw n a n d train -o il w ere so o n a fte r b ro u g h t in a n d placed before us, n e ith e r th e c h ie f o r any o f his peo p le e atin g at th e sa m e tim e, it being c o n tra ry to th e ideas o f hospitality e n te rta in ed by these n a tio n s, to e at any p a rt o f th e food th a t is p ro v id ed for strangers, alw ays w aiting until their visitors have finished, before th ey have th e ir ow n b ro u g h t in. T h e follow ing day closed th eir festival w ith an ex h ib itio n o f a sim ila r kind to th a t w hich h a d been given a t T ashees, b u t still m o re cruel: th e different trib es a p p e a rin g on th ese occasions to

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e n d ea v o u r to surpass each o th e r in th eir p roofs o f fo rtitu d e and e n d u ra n c e o f p a in . In the m o rn in g , tw enty m en e n te red th e c h ie fs h ouse, w ith each an a rro w run th ro u g h th e flesh o f his sides a n d e ith e r a rm , w ith a co rd fastened to th e end, w hich, as th e p e rfo rm e rs a d v an ced , singing a n d b o a stin g , w as forcibly d ra w n back by a p erson h aving h o ld o f it. A fte r this p e rfo rm an ce w as c lo sed ,7 w e re tu rn e d to C o o p te e , w hich w e reached a t m id ­ n ight, o u r m en keeping tim e w ith th eir songs to th e stro k e o f th eir paddles. T h e natives now began to ta k e th e h errin g and sp ra t in im m ense q u a n titie s, w ith som e sa lm o n , and th ere w as n o th in g but feasting from m o rn in g till night. T h e follow ing is th e m eth o d th ey em ploy to ta k e th e h erring. A stick o f a b o u t seven feet long, tw o inches b ro a d , a n d a h a lf an inch thick, is fo rm ed from som e h a rd w ood, o n e side o f w hich is set w ith sh a rp tee th , m ad e from w h aleb o n e, a t a b o u t h a lf a n inch a p a rt. Provided w ith this in stru m e n t,8 th e fisherm an seats h im self in th e p ro w o f a can o e , w hich is p a d d le d by a n o th e r, a n d w h e n ­ ever he com es to a shoal o f h errin g s, w hich co v er th e w a ter in g re at q u a n titie s, he strikes it w ith b o th h an d s u p o n th e m , a n d at th e sam e m o m e n t, tu rn in g it up, brin g s it o v er th e side o f th e canoe, into w hich he lets those th a t a re ta k e n d ro p . It is a sto n ish ­ ing to se e h o w m a n y a r e c a u g h t by th o s e w h o a re d e x te ro u s at this k in d o f fishing, as they seld o m fail, w hen th e sh o als are n u m ero u s, o f tak in g as m any as ten o r tw elve at a stro k e , a n d in a very sh o rt tim e will fill a c an o e w ith th em . S p rats are likew ise cau g h t in a sim ilar m an n e r.

7 apparently w hat has ju st been described is another perform ance o f the W inter Cerem onial. s this is the “ herring rak e,” now quite com m only used by both Indians and non-Indians for catching small schooling fish for fresh bait. T he teeth are now m ade o f sharpened nails.

11 Return to Nootka (Friendly Cove) - Death of Maquina’s Nephew - Insanity of Tootoosch - an Indian Mountebank b o u t th e beg in n in g o f F e b ru a ry , M a q u in a gave a g re a t feast, at w hich w ere p re sen t not only all th e in h a b ita n ts, b u t o n e h u n d red p erso n s from A i-tiz-zart, a n d a n u m b e r from W ick in n in ish w ho had been invited to a tte n d it. It is cu sto m a ry w ith them to give a n a n n u al e n te rta in m e n t o f this k in d , a n d it is asto n ish in g to see w h a t a q u a n tity o f p ro v is io n is e x p e n d e d , o r r a th e r w a ste d , on such a n occasion, w hen they alw ays e at to th e g reatest excess. It w as a t this feast th a t I saw u p w a rd s o f a n h u n d re d salm o n c o o k ed in o n e tu b . T h e w hole residence o f C o o p te e presents an alm ost u n in te rru p te d succession o f feasting a n d g o rm an d isin g , a n d it w o u ld seem as if the p rin cip al o bject o f these p e o p le w as to c o n su m e th eir w hole stock o f p ro v isio n b e fo re leaving it, tru stin g entirely to th e ir success in fishing a n d w haling, for a supply at N o o tk a . O n th e 25th o f F e b ru a ry w e q u itte d C o o p tee , a n d re tu rn e d to N o o tk a . W ith m uch jo y did T h o m p so n a n d m yself a g ain find ourselves in a place w here, n o tw ith sta n d in g th e m elancholy recol­ lections w hich it excited, w e h o p e d before long to see som e vessel a rriv e to o u r relief, and for this w e b ecam e th e m o re solicitous, as o f late we had b ecom e m uch m o re a p p reh e n siv e o f o u r safety, in c o n seq u en ce o f in fo rm a tio n b ro u g h t M a q u in a a few days before w e left C o o p te e , by som e o f th e C a y u q u ets, th a t th e re w ere tw e n ty ships at th e n o rth w a rd , p re p a rin g to com e a g ain st him , w ith an in te n t o f destroying him and his w hole trib e , for cutting o ff th e B oston. T his sto ry , w hich w as w holly w ith o u t fo u n d a tio n , a n d discov­ ered afte rw a rd s to have been invented by these p eople, for the p u rp o se o f d isq u ietin g h im , threw him into g re a t a la rm , and, n o tw ith sta n d in g all I could say to con v in ce him th a t it w as an u n fo u n d e d re p o rt, so g re a t w as his jea lo u sy o f us, especially after it had been c onfirm ed to him by som e o th e rs o f th e sam e n a tio n , th a t h e tre a te d us w ith m u ch h arshness, a n d kept a very suspi­ cious eye u p o n us.

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N o th in g , in d ee d , could b e m o re u n p lea sa n t th an o u r p resen t s itu a tio n , w hen I reflected th a t o u r lives w ere a lto g e th e r d e p e n d ­ en t on th e will o f a savage, on w hose cap rice a n d suspicions no ra tio n a l calculation co u ld b e m ad e . N o t long a fte r o u r re tu rn , a so n o f M a q u in a ’s sister, a boy o f eleven y ears o ld , w ho had been for som e tim e declining, died. Im m ed iately o n his d e a th , w hich w as a b o u t m id n ig h t, all th e m en a n d w om en in th e h o u se set up lo u d cries a n d shrieks, w hich, a w ak e n in g T h o m p so n a n d m yself, so d istu rb ed us th a t w e left the h o u se . T h is lam e n ta tio n w as k e p t up du rin g th e re m a in d e r o f the nig h t. In th e m o rn in g , a g re a t fire w as kin d led , in w hich M a q u in a b u rn e d , in h o n o u r o f th e deceased, ten fa th o m s o f c lo th , and b u ried w ith him ten fa th o m s m o re, eight o f Ife-w h aw 1 fo u r p rim e se a -o tte r sk in s, a n d tw o sm all tru n k s, c o n ta in in g o u r u n fo rtu n a te c a p ta in ’s clothes a n d w atch. T h is b o y w as con sid ered as a T y ee, o r chief, being th e only son o f T o o to o sch , o n e o f th eir p rin cip al chiefs, w ho had m arried M a q u in a ’s sister, w hence a ro se th is c ere m o n y o n his in te rm en t: it being an established cu sto m w ith th e se p e o p le , th a t w h en ev er a c h ie f dies, his m ost valuable p ro p e rty is b u rn e d o r b u ried w ith him ; it is, how ever, w holly co n fin e d to th e chiefs, a n d a p p e a rs to b e a m ark o f h o n o u r a p p ro p ria te to th e m . In this instance, M a q u in a furnished th e articles, in o rd e r th a t his nephew m ight have th e p ro p e r h o n o u rs ren d ere d him . T o o to o sch , his father, w as esteem ed th e first w a rrio r o f the trib e , a n d w as o n e w ho h a d b e en particu larly active in th e d estru ctio n o f o u r sh ip , having killed tw o o f o u r p o o r co m ra d es, w ho w ere ash o re, w hose nam es w ere H all a n d W o o d . A b o u t th e tim e o f o u r rem oval to T ashees, w hile in th e e n jo y m en t o f th e highest health , h e w as suddenly seized w ith a fit o f d e liriu m , in w hich h e fancied th a t he saw th e ghosts o f those tw o m en constantly sta n d in g by him , a n d th re a te n in g h im , so th a t he w ould ta k e no fo o d , except w h at w as forced into his m o u th . A sh o rt tim e b efore this h e h a d lost a d a u g h te r o f a b o u t fifteen y ears o f age, w hich afflicted him greatly, a n d w h e th er his insanity, a d iso rd e r very u n c o m m o n a m o n g st th ese savages, no in stance o f th e k in d having o c cu rre d w ithin th e m em o ry o f th e oldest m an a m o n g st th em , p ro c ee d ed from this cause, o r th a t it w as th e special in te rp o sitio n o f a n all-m erciful G o d in o u r fav o u r, w ho by this m ea n s th o u g h t p ro p e r to induce these b a rb a ria n s still fu rth er to respect o u r lives, o r th a t, for h id d e n pu rp o ses, th e S u p rem e D isp o ser o f events so m e tim es p e rm its th e spirits o f th e 1 dentalia shells (D entalium p retiosum ).

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d e a d to revisit th e w orld, a n d h a u n t th e m u rd e re r, I kn o w not, b u t his m in d , from this p e rio d until his d e a th , w hich to o k place b u t a few w eeks a fte r th a t o f his son, w as incessantly occupied w ith th e im ages o f th e m en w h o m he h a d killed. T h is circu m stan ce m ad e m u ch im pression upon th e tribe, particu larly th e chiefs, w hose u niform o p p o sitio n to p u ttin g us to d e a th , a t th e vario u s councils th a t w ere held on o u r a cc o u n t, I co u ld not b u t in p a rt a ttrib u te to this cause; a n d M a q u in a used frequently, in speaking o f T o o to o s c h ’s sickness, to express m uch satisfactio n th a t his h an d s h a d n o t been sta in e d w ith th e blood o f any o f o u r m en. W hen M a q u in a w as first inform ed by his sister o f th e stran g e c o n d u ct o f h e r h u sb a n d , he im m ed iately w en t to his h ouse, tak in g us w ith him ; suspecting th a t his disease h a d been caused by us, a n d th a t th e g h o sts o f o u r c o u n try m en had been called th ith e r by us, to to rm e n t him . W e found him raving a b o u t Hall a n d W o o d , saying th a t th ey w ere p e s h a k , th a t is, bad. M a q u in a th en placed som e p ro v isio n b e fo re him , to see if he w o u ld e at. O n perceiving it, he p u t forth his h a n d to ta k e som e, b ut instantly w ith d rew it w ith signs o f h o rro r, saying th e H all and W o o d w ere th e re , and w ould n o t let him e at. M a q u in a then, p o in tin g to us, asked if it w as n o t J o h n a n d T h o m p so n who tro u b le d him . “ tVi/c,” h e re p lie d , - th a t is, n o ; “J o h n k lu s h is h - T h o m p so n k lu sh ish ,,2 - J o h n a n d T h o m p so n are b o th g o o d ; th en , tu rn in g to> m e, a n d p a ttin g m e on th e sh o u ld e r, h e m a d e signs to m e to eat. 1 tried to p e rsu ad e him th a t H all a n d W o o d w ere not th e re , and th a t no n e w ere n e a r him b u t ourselves; h e said , “ I kn o w very well y o u d o not see th em , b u t I d o .” A t first M a q u in a e n d ea v o u red to con v in ce him th a t h e saw n o th in g , a n d to laugh him o u t o f his belief, b u t, finding th a t all w as to no p u rp o se , he at length b ecam e serio u s, a n d a sk e d m e if 1 h a d ever seen a n y o n e affected in this m a n n e r, a n d w h at w as the m a tte r w ith h im . I gave him to u n d e rsta n d , poin tin g to his head, th a t his b rain w as injured, a n d th a t he d id n o t see things as form erly. Being c onvinced by T o o to o s c h 's c o n d u ct th a t w e h a d no agency in his in d isp o sitio n , on o u r re tu rn h o m e M a q u in a asked m e w h at w as d o n e in m y c o u n try in sim ilar cases. I told him th a t such p erso n s w ere closely confined, a n d so m e ­ tim es tied u p a n d w hip p ed , in o rd e r to m ak e them b etter. A fte r p o n d e rin g for so m e tim e, h e said th a t he sh o u ld be glad 2 C hinook Jargon, not N ootkan.

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to d o an y th in g to relieve h im , a n d th a t h e should be w h ip p e d , a n d im m ediately gave o rd ers to so m e o f his m en to g o to T o o to o sc h ’s h ouse, b in d him , a n d b ring him to his, in o rd e r to u n d e rg o th e o p e ra tio n . T h o m p so n w as th e perso n selected to a d m in iste r this rem edy, w hich he u n d e rto o k very readily, a n d for th a t p u rp o se p ro v id ed h im self w ith a g o o d n u m b e r o f sp ru ce bran ch es, w ith w hich he w h ip p ed him m ost severely, laying it on w ith th e best will im ag in ­ able, w hile T o o to o sch displayed th e g reatest rage, kicking, sp it­ ting, a n d a tte m p tin g to b ite all w h o cam e n e a r h im . T h is w as to o m uch for M a q u in a , w h o a t length, unab le to e n d u re it longer, o rd e re d T h o m p so n to desist a n d T o o to o sch to be carried back, saying th a t if th ere w as no o th e r way o f cu rin g him b u t by w h ip p in g , he m u st rem ain m ad. T h e ap p lic atio n o f th e w hip p ro d u c ed no beneficial effect on T o o to o sch , for h e afte rw a rd s b e ca m e still m o re d eranged; in his fits o f fury so m etim es seizing a c lu b a n d beating his slaves in a m o st dread fu l m a n n e r, a n d strik in g a n d sp ittin g at all w ho cam e n e a r him , till at length his w ife, n o longer d a rin g to rem ain in the h o u se w ith him , c am e w ith h e r son to M a q u in a ’s. T h e w haling season now c o m m e n ce d , a n d M a q u in a w as o u t a lm o st every day in his c an o e in p u rsu it o f th em , b u t for a c o n sid era b le tim e w ith no success, o n e day b re ak in g th e sta ff o f his h a rp o o n , a n o th e r a fte r having b e en a long tim e fast to a w hale, th e w eapon draw in g , ow ing to th e b re ak in g o f th e shell w hich fo rm ed its p o in t, w ith several such like accid en ts, arising fro m the im perfection o f th e instru m en t. A t these tim es he alw ays re tu rn e d very m orose a n d o u t o f tem p e r, u p b ra id in g his m en w ith having vio lated th eir oblig atio n to c o n tin e n ce p re p a ra to ry to w haling. In th is sta te o f ill-h u m o u r he w ould give us very little to e a t, w hich, a d d ed to th e w om en n ot co o k in g w hen th e m en are aw ay, reduced us to a very low fare. In co n seq u en ce o f th e re p ea te d o ccurrence o f sim ilar acci­ d e n ts, I p ro p o se d to M a q u in a to m ak e him a h a rp o o n o r foreg a n g e r3 o f steel, w hich w ould b e less liable to fail him . T h e ideap leased h im , a n d in a sh o rt tim e I co m p leted o n e for h im , w ith w hich h e w as m uch delig h ted , a n d th e very next day w ent o u t to m a k e a tria l o f it. H e succeeded w ith it in tak in g a w hale. G re a t w as th e jo y th ro u g h o u t th e village as soon as it w as know n th a t th e k in g had 3 i.e. a foreshaft interposed betw een the harpoon shaft and the detach­ able, socketed harpoon head.

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secu red th e w hale, by notice from a perso n sta tio n e d a t the h e a d la n d in th e offing. All th e c an o e s w ere im m ediately lau n ch ed , a n d , furnished w ith h a rp o o n s a n d sealskin floats, h asten e d to assist in b uoying it u p a n d tow ing it in. T h e b ringing in o f this fish ex h ib ited a scene o f universal festivity. A s so o n as th e canoes a p p e a re d a t th e m o u th o f th e C ove, th o se o n b o a rd o f them singing a triu m p h to a slow air, to w hich they k e p t tim e w ith th e ir p addles, all w ho w ere on shore, m en , w o m e n , a n d ch ild ren , m o u n te d th e roofs o f th e ir h o u ses to c o n g ratu la te th e k in g on his success, d ru m m in g m ost furiously on th e plan k s, a n d exclaim ing W ocash - w ocash, T yee! T h e w hale, o n being draw n on sh o re , w as im m ed iately cut u p , a n d a g re a t feast o f th e b lu b b e r given a t M a q u in a ’s h o u se , to w hich all th e village w ere invited, w ho ind em n ified them selves for th e ir L en t by e atin g as usual to excess. I w as highly praised for •the g o o d n ess o f m y h a rp o o n , a n d a q u a n tity o f b lu b b er given m e, w hich I w as p e rm itte d to co o k as I p leased; th is I boiled in salt w a ter w ith so m e you n g n ettles a n d o th e r greens fo r T h o m p so n a n d m yself, a n d in th is w ay w e fo u n d it to le rab le food. T h e ir m e th o d o f p ro c u rin g th e oil, is to skim it from the w ater in w hich th e b lu b b er is b o ile d , a n d w hen cool, p u t it up in to w hale b lad d e rs for use;4 a n d o f th ese I have seen th em so* large as, w h e n filled, w ould re q u ire no less th a n five o r six m en to c arry . Several o f th e chiefs, a m o n g w hom w ere M a q u in a ’s b ro th ­ ers, w ho, a fte r th e king h a s c a u g h t th e first w hale, a re privileged to ta k e them also, w ere very d e siro u s, o n discovering th e su p e ri­ o rity o f m y h a rp o o n , th a t I sho u ld m a k e so m e for th em , b u t this M a q u in a w ould n o t p e rm it, reserving fo r h im self th is im proved w e ap o n . H e, how ever, gave m e d irec tio n s to m ak e a n u m b er m o r e fo r h im s e lf, w h ich I e x e c u te d , a n d a ls o m a d e h im se v e ra l lances, w ith w hich h e w as greatly pleased. A s th ese p e o p le have som e very sin g u lar ob serv an ces p re p a ra ­ to ry to w haling, an a cc o u n t o f them will, 1 p resu m e, n o t prove u n in te restin g , especially as it m ay serve to give a b e tte r id ea o f th e ir m an n e rs. A sh o rt tim e before leaving T ashees, th e king m akes a p o in t o f passing a d a y a lo n e o n th e m o u n ta in , w h ith er he goes very privately early in th e m o rn in g , and does n o t return till late in th e evening. T h is is d o n e , as I afte rw a rd s lea rn ed , for th e p u rp o se o f singing a n d pray in g to his G o d fo r success in w h alin g th e ensuing season. A t C o o p te e th e sam e c ere m o n y is p e rfo rm e d , a n d a t N o o tk a a fte r th e re tu rn th ith e r, w ith still g re a te r so lem n ity , as fo r th e next tw o days he a p p e a rs very 4 this is the “ train-oil” to which Jew itt so often refers.

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th o u g h tfu l a n d g loom y, scarcely sp eak in g to any o n e , a n d o bserves a m o st rigid fast. O n th ese occasions he has alw ays a b ro a d red fillet m ad e o f b ark b o u n d a ro u n d his h ead , in to k en o f h u m iliatio n , w ith a large b ra n ch o f green sp ru c e on th e to p , a n d his g re a t rattle in his hand. In a d d itio n to this, for a w eek b e fo re c o m m e n cin g th eir w haling, b o th h im self a n d th e crew o f his c an o e o bserve a fast, e atin g b u t very little, a n d going in to th e w a ter several tim e s in the c o u rse o f each day to b a th e , singing a n d ru b b in g th e ir bodies, lim bs, a n d faces w ith shells a n d b u sh es, so th a t on th eir re tu rn I have seen them lo o k as tho u g h they had been severely to rn w ith briers. T hey a re likew ise obliged to a b stain from any co m m erce w ith th eir w om en for th e like p e rio d , th e la tte r restrictio n being c o n sid ere d as indisp en sab le to th e ir success. E arly in Ju n e , T o o to o sch , th e crazy chief, d ied . O n being a c q u a in te d w ith his d e a th , th e w h o le village, m en , w o m e n , and c h ild ren , set u p a lo u d cry, w ith every testim o n y o f th e g reatest grief, w hich they c o n tin u e d for m o re than th re e h o u rs. A s so o n as he w as dead , th e body, a ccording to th eir c u sto m , w as laid o u t on a p lan k , having th e h e ad b o u n d ro u n d w ith a red b ark fillet, w hich is w ith them a n em blem o f m o u rn in g a n d sorrow . A fter lying so m e tim e in th is m an n e r, h e w as w rap p ed in an o tte r-sk in robe, a n d , th re e fa th o m s o f Ife-w h aw 5 being p u t a b o u t his neck, he w as placed in a large coffin o r box o f a b o u t three feet deep , w hich w as o rn a m e n te d on th e o u tsid e w ith tw o row s o f th e sm all w h ite shells.6 In th is, th e m o st valuable articles o f his p ro p e rty w ere placed w ith h im , a m o n g w hich w ere n o less th an tw entyfo u r p rim e se a -o tte r skins. A t nig h t, w hich is th e ir tim e fo r in terrin g th e d ead , th e coffin w as b o rn e by eight m en w ith tw o poles th ru st th ro u g h ropes passed a ro u n d it, to th e place o f b u rial, a cc o m p a n ied by his wife a n d fam ily, w ith th e ir h a ir cu t sh o rt in to k en o f grief, all th e in h a b ita n ts jo in in g th e procession. T h e place o f burial w as a large cavern on th e side o f a hill at a little d istan ce from th e village, in w hich, a fte r d ep o sitin g the coffin carefully, all th e a tte n d a n ts re p aired to M a q u in a ’s house, w here a n u m b e r o f articles b elonging to th e deceased, consisting o f b lan k e ts, pieces o f cloth, etc., w ere b u rn e d by a person a p p o in te d by M a q u in a for th a t p u rp o se , dressed a n d p a in te d in th e highest style, w ith his head co v ered w ith w hite d o w n , w h o , as h e p u t in th e several pieces o n e by o n e, p o u re d u p o n them a 5 d e n t a l i a s h e lls (Dentalium 6 s n a il o p e r c u l a .

pretiosum).

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q u a n tity o f oil to increase th e flam** in th e intervals betw een m ak in g a speech a n d playing o ff a variety o f buffoon tric k s, and th e w h o le closed w ith a feast, a n d a d an ce from Sat-sat-sok-sis, th e k in g ’s son. T h e m an w ho p erfo rm e d th e c erem ony o f b u rn in g on this occasio n w as a very sin g u lar c h a ra c te r n a m e d K in n eclim m ets. H e w as held in high estim a tio n by th e king, th o u g h o n ly o f the c o m m o n class, p ro b ab ly from his tale n t for m im icry a n d b u ffo o ­ nery, a n d m ig h t b e c o n sid ere d as a kind o f k in g ’s jeste r, o r ra th e r, as co m b in in g in his p erson th e c h a ra c te r o f a buffoon w ith th a t o f m a ste r o f cerem o n ies a n d p u b lic o ra to r to his m ajesty, as he was th e o n e w ho a t feasts alw ays reg u lated th e places o f th e guests, d elivered speeches on receiving o r re tu rn in g visits, besides a m u s­ ing th e c o m p a n y at all th eir e n te rta in m e n ts, w ith a variety o f m o n k ey p ra n k s a n d an tic g estu res, w hich ap p ea red to th ese sav­ ages th e heig h t o f w it a n d h u m o u r, b u t w ould be c o n sid ere d as ex trem ely low by th e least p olished people. A lm ost all th e kings o r h e a d chiefs o f th e p rin cip al tribes w ere a cc o m p a n ied by a sim ilar c h a ra c te r, w ho a p p e a re d to be a tta c h e d to th e ir dignity, a n d a re called in th eir lan g u ag e C lim m er-habbee. T h is m an K in n eclim m ets w as particu larly o d io u s to T h o m p ­ so n , w ho w ould never jo in in th e laugh a t his tricks, b u t w hen he b e g an , w ould a lm o st alw ays q u it th e h o u se w ith a very surly look, a n d an exclam atio n o f “ C u rse d fool!” w hich M a q u in a , w ho th o u g h t n o th in g co u ld equal th e cleverness o f his C lim m e rh a b b e e, used to re m a rk w ith m uch d issatisfactio n , ask in g m e w hy T h o m p ­ son never laughed, o bserving th a t I m ust have h a d a very goodtem p e re d w o m a n indeed for m y m o th e r, as m y fath er w as so very ill-natured a m an. A m o n g th o se pe rfo rm a n ce s th a t g a in e d him th e g re atest a p p la u se w as his talent o f e atin g to excess, for I have know n him d e v o u r at o n e m eal no less th a n seventy-five large h errings; a n d at a n o th e r tim e , w hen a g re a t feast w as given by M a q u in a , he u n d e rto o k , a fte r d rin k in g th ree p in ts o f oil by w ay o f a w h e t, to eat fo u r d ried sa lm o n , a n d five q u a rts o f spaw n, m ixed up w ith a gallon o f tra in -o il, a n d actually succeeded in sw allow ing th e g re a te r p a rt o f this m ess, until his sto m ach b ecam e so o v erloaded a s to discharge its c o n te n ts in th e dish. O n e o f his e x hibitions, how ever, h a d nearly cost him his life; this w as on th e occasion o f K la -q u a k e e -n a , o n e o f th e chiefs, h aving b o u g h t him a new wife, in celeb ra tio n o f w hich h e ra n th re e tim es th ro u g h a large fire, a n d b u rn e d h im self in such a m a n n e r th a t he w as not ab le to stir fo r m o re th a n fo u r w eeks. T hese feats o f savage skill w ere m uch

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p raised by M a q u in a , w h o n ev er failed to m ak e him p re sen ts o f cloth, m uskets, etc., on such occasions. T h e d e a th o f T o o to o sch increased still m o re th e d isq u ietu d e w hich his d e liriu m had excited a m o n g th e savages, a n d all those chiefs w ho had killed o u r m en b ecam e m uch a la rm e d lest they should be seized w ith th e sam e d iso rd e r a n d d ie like him ; m ore particularly, as I h a d told M a q u in a th a t I believed his insanity w as a p u n ish m en t inflicted on him by Q u a h o o tz e , for his cruelty in m u rd erin g tw o in n o ce n t m en w ho h a d nev er injured him .

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12 War with the A-Y-Charts - a Night Attack - Proposals to Purchase the Author O ur situ a tio n h a d now b ecom e u n p leasan t in th e ex tre m e . T he su m m e r w as so far advanced th a t we nearly d esp aired o f a ship arriv in g to o u r relief, a n d w ith th a t e x p ec ta tio n alm ost relin­ q u is h e d th e h o p e o f e v e r h a v in g it in o u r p o w e r to q u it th is savage land. W e w ere tre a te d , to o , w ith less indulgence than before, b o th T h o m p so n a n d m yself bein g obliged, in a d d itio n to o u r o th e r em p lo y m en ts, to p erfo rm th e lab o rio u s task o f cutting a n d collecting fuel, w hich w e h a d to b rin ^ on o u r sh o u ld e rs from nearly th re e m iles’ d istan ce, as it consisted w holly o f d ry leaves, all o f w hich n e a r th e village h a d been c onsum ed. T o add to this, w e suffered m uch a b u se from th e co m m o n p eople, w h o , w hen M a q u in a o r so m e o f th e chiefs 'w e re not p re sen t, w ould insult us, calling us w retched slaves, ask in g us w here w as o u r T yee o r c a p ta in , m aking gestures signifying th at his h e ad h a d been cut off, a n d th a t they w ould d o th e like to us; th o u g h they g enerally to o k g o o d care a t su ch tim es to k e ep well o u t o f T h o m p s o n ’s reach, as they h a d m o re th an o n ce ex p eri­ enced, to th e ir co st, th e stren g th o f his fist. T h is c o n d u ct w as not only pro v o k in g a n d g ra tin g to o u r feelings in th e highest degree, b u t it c onvinced us o f th e ill d isp o sitio n o f these savages to w ard s us, a n d ren d ere d us fearful lest they m ight a t som e tim e o r o th e r p e rsu ad e o r force M a q u in a a n d th e chiefs to p u t us to d e ath . W e w ere also often b ro u g h t to g re at distress for th e w ant o f p rovisions, so far as to be red u ced to collect a scanty supply o f m ussels a n d lim p ets from th e rocks, a n d som etim es even c o m ­ pelled to p a rt w ith som e o f o u r m ost necessary articles o f clothing in o rd e r to p u rc h a se food for o u r subsistence. T h is w as, how ever, principally ow ing to th e in h a b ita n ts th e m ­ selves experiencing a g re at scarcity o f pro v isio n s this season; there having been, in th e first place, but very few salm on c au g h t at F rie n d ly C o v e , a m o st u n u s u a l c irc u m s ta n c e , as th e y g e n e ra lly a b o u n d th e re in th e spring, w hich w as by th e natives a ttrib u te d to th eir having been d riven aw ay by th e blood o f o u r m en w ho had been th ro w n into th e sea, w hich w ith tru e savage inconsistencyexcited th eir m u rm u rs a g ain st M a q u in a , w ho had p ro p o se d c u t­

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tin g o f f o u r s h ip . R e ly in g on th is su p p ly , th e y h a d in th e m o st in co n sid erate m a n n e r sq u a n d e re d aw ay th eir w in ter stock o f p ro ­ visions, so th a t in a few days a fte r th e ir re tu rn it w as entirely expended. N o r w ere th e king a n d chiefs m u ch m o re fo rtu n a te in th eir w haling, even a fte r I h a d fu rnished M a q u in a w ith th e im proved w eap on for th a t p u rp o se ; b u t fo u r w hales h aving been taken d u rin g th e season, w hich closes th e last o f M ay, including o n e th a t h a d b e e n stru c k by M a q u in a a n d e s c a p e d , a n d w as a f te r ­ w ard s d riven on sh o re a b o u t six m iles from N o o tk a in alm ost a sta te o f p u trid ity . T h ese affo rd e d b u t a sh o rt supply to a p o p u la tio n , including all ages a n d sexes, o f n o less th a n fifteen h u n d re d persons, a n d o f a c h a ra c te r so very im p ro v id e n t, th a t, a fte r feasting m o st g lu tto n ­ ously w henev er a w hale w as c au g h t, they w ere several tim es, for a w eek to g eth e r, reduced to th e necessity o f e atin g b u t once a day, a n d o f collecting cockles a n d m ussels from th e rocks fo r th eir food. A n d e v en a fte r th e c o d a n d h a lib u t fish in g c o m m e n c e d , in J u n e , in w hich th ey m et w ith to le rab le success, such w as th e savage c ap rice o f M a q u in a , th a t h e w ould o ften give us b u t little to e a t, finally o rd e rin g us to buy a c an o e a n d fishing im plem ents a n d g o o u t ourselves a n d fish, o r w e should have n o th in g . T o do this w e w ere com pelled to p a rt w ith o u r g re atco a ts, w hich w ere not o n ly im p o rta n t to us as g a rm e n ts, b u t o f w hich w e m a d e o u r beds, sp re ad in g th em u n d e r us w h e n w e slept. F ro m o u r w a n t o f skill, how ever, in this new em p lo y , w e m et w ith no success; on discovering w hich, M a q u in a o rd e re d us to re m a in a t hom e. A n o th e r thing, w hich to m e in p a rtic u la r p ro v e d a n alm ost c o n stan t source o f vexation a n d d isg u st, a n d w hich living am ong them had n o t in th e least reconciled m e to , w as th eir ex trem e filthiness, n o t only in e atin g fish, especially th e w hale, w hen in a sta te o f offensive p u trid ity , b u t w hile a t th eir m eals, o f m ak in g a practice o f ta k in g th e verm in from th eir heads o r clothes and eatin g th em , by tu rn s th ru stin g th e ir fingers in to th eir h a ir and into th e d ish , a n d sp re ad in g th eir g a rm e n ts o v er th e tu b s in w hich th e p rovision w as c o o k in g , in o rd e r to set in m o tio n th e ir in h a b it­ an ts. F o rtu n a te ly for T h o m p so n , h e reg ard ed this m uch less than m yself, a n d w hen I used to p o in t o u t to him any instance o f their filthiness in this respect, he w ould laugh a n d reply, “ N ever m in d , Jo h n , th e m o re g o o d things th e b e tte r.” I m u st, ho w ev er, do M a q u in a th e ju stic e to sta te , th a t h e w as m uch n e a te r b o th in his person a n d e atin g th an w ere th e o th e rs, as w as likew ise his q u e en ,

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ow ing, no d o u b t, to his in terco u rse w ith foreigners, w hich had given him ideas o f cleanliness, for I never saw e ith e r o f th em eat a n y o f th e s e a n im a ls , b u t, o n th e c o n tr a r y , th e y a p p e a r e d n o t m uch to relish this taste in o th ers. T h e ir g a rm e n ts, also w ere m uch cleaner, M a q u in a h aving been accu sto m ed to give his aw ay w hen they b e ca m e soiled, till a fte r he discovered th a t T h o m p so n a n d m yself k e p t ours clean by w ashing th e m , w hen he used to m ak e T h o m p so n do the sam e for him . Y et a m id st this sta te o f e n d u ra n c e a n d d isa p p o in tm en t, in h earin g rep eated ly o f th e arrival o f ships a t th e n o rth a n d so u th , m o st o f w hich pro v ed to b e idle re p o rts, w hile e x p ec ta tio n w as alm o st w earied o u t in looking for th em , w e did not w holly d e sp o n d , relying on th e m ercy o f th e S u p re m e Being, to offer up to w hom o u r dev o tio n s on th e days a p p o in te d for H is w orship was o u r c h ie f c onsolation a n d su p p o rt, tho u g h w e w ere so m e ­ tim es obliged, by o u r task m a ste rs, to infringe u p o n th e S ab b ath , which w as to m e a source o f m uch regret. W e w ere, nevertheless, tre a te d a t tim e s w ith m uch kindness by M a q u in a , w h o w ould give us a plenty o f th e best th a t he had to e at, a n d occasionally, so m e sm all p resen t o f cloth for a g a r­ m en t, p ro m isin g m e th a t, if any sh ip should a rriv e w ithin a h u n d red m iles o f N o o tk a , h e w ould send a -c a n o e w ith a letter from m e to th e c a p ta in , so th a t he m ight com e to o u r release. T hese flattering prom ises a n d m ark s o f a tte n tio n w ere, how ever, at those tim es w hen he th o u g h t h im self in personal d a n g e r from a m u tin o u s sp irit, w hich th e scarcity o f provisions had excited am o n g th e natives, w ho, like tru e savages, im p u ted all their pu b lic calam ities, o f w hatever k in d , to th e m isconduct o f th eir c h ie f, o r w h e n h e w as a p p re h e n s iv e o f a n a tta c k fro m s o m e o f th e o th e r tr ib e s , w h o w e re ir r ita te d w ith h im for c u ttin g o f f th e B o s to n , as it h a d p re v e n te d sh ip s fro m c o m in g to tr a d e w ith th e m , a n d w ere constantly a larm in g him w ith idle stories o f vessels th a t w ere p re p arin g to c o m e a gainst him a n d ex te rm in a te b o th him a n d his people. A t such tim es, he m ad e us keep g u a rd over him b o th night an d day, a rm e d w ith cutlasses a n d pistols, being a p p are n tly afraid to tru st any o f his ow n m en. A t o n e tim e, it w as a general revolt o f his p e o p le th at he a p p re h e n d e d ; th en th ree o f his principal chiefs, a m o n g w hom w as his elder b ro th e r, h a d co n sp ired to tak e aw ay his life; a n d a t length h e fancied th a t a sm all p a rty o f K la o o q u ates, betw een w hom a n d th e N o o tk ia n s little friendship subsisted* h a d c o m e to N o o tk a , u n d e r a p re te n ce o f tra d e , for the sole p u rp o se o f m u rd erin g him and his fam ily, telling us, p ro b ab ly to sh a rp en o u r vigilance, th a t th eir in ten tio n w as to kill us lik e­

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wise; a n d so strongly w ere his fears excited on this occasion, th a t he n o t only o rd e re d us to keep n e a r him arm ed by day, w henever h e w en t o u t, and to p a tro l a t night before his h o u se w hile they re m a in e d , b u t to c o n tin u e th e s a m e g u a rd for th re e days after they w ere gone, a n d to fire, a t o n e a n d at fo u r in th e m o rn in g , o n e o f th e g re a t gu n s, to let them k now , if, as h e suspected, they w ere lu rk in g in th e n e ig h b o u rh o o d , th a t he w as on his gu ard . W hile h e w as th u s favourably disp o sed to w a rd s us, I to o k an o p p o rtu n ity to inform him o f th e ill-trea tm e n t th a t w e frequently received from his p eople, a n d th e insults th a t w ere offered us by som e o f th e stra n g e r trib es in calling us w hite slaves, a n d loading us w ith o th e r o p p ro b rio u s term s. H e w as m uch displeased, and said th a t his subjects should not be allow ed to tre a t us ill, and th a t if a n y o f th e stran g ers did it, h e w ished us to p unish the offen d ers w ith d e ath , a t th e sa m e tim e d irectin g us, fo r o u r security, to go constantly arm e d . T h is perm ission w as soon im p ro v ed by T h o m p so n to th e best advan tag e; for a few days a fte r, h aving g o n e to th e p o n d to wash so m e o f o u r clothes, a n d a b la n k e t fo r M a q u in a, several W ic k in ­ ninish w ho w ere then a t N o o tk a cam e th ith e r, a n d , seeing him w ashing th e clothes, and th e b la n k e t sp read u p o n th e grass to dry, they b e g an , a ccording to c u sto m , to insult h im , a n d one o f th em , bolder th an th e o th ers, w alked o v e r th e b lan k e t. T h o m p so n was highly incensed, a n d th rea te n e d th e Indian w ith d e ath if he re p ea te d th e offence, b u t he, in c o n te m p t o f th e th re a t, tram p led upon th e b lan k e t, w hen, d ra w in g his cutlass, w ith o u t fu rth er cerem o n y , T h o m p so n cu t off his h e ad , on seeing w hich th e o th ers ran o ff at full sp eed . T h o m p so n th e n , g ath e rin g up th e clothes a n d b lan k e t, on w hich w ere th e m a rk s o f th e In d ia n ’s d irty feet, a n d tak in g w ith him th e h ead , re tu rn e d a n d inform ed th e king o f w hat h a d passed, w ho w as m uch pleased, a n d highly co m m en d ed his c o n d u ct. T his had a fav o u rab le effect for us, not only on the stra n g e r trib e s but th e in h a b ita n ts them selves, w ho tre a te d us afterw ards w ith less disrespect. In th e la tte r p a r t o f July, M a q u in a inform ed m e th a t he was going to w ar w ith th e A -y -c h a rts, a trib e a b o u t fifty m iles to th e so u th , on a cco u n t o f so m e co n tro v ersy th a t had arisen th e p re ce d ­ ing su m m er, a n d th a t I m u st m a k e a n u m b er o f daggers for his m en, a n d ch ee to lth s for his chiefs, w hich h aving c o m p le te d , he w ished m e to m ak e for his ow n use a w eapon o f q u ite a different form , in o rd e r to disp atch his enem y by o n e blow on th e head , it being th e calculation o f these n a tio n s, on going to w ar, to su rp rise th eir ad v ersaries w hile asleep. T h is w as a steel dagger, o r m ore p roperly a sp ik e , o f a b o u t six inches long, m ad e very sh arp , set at

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right angles in a n iron h a n d le o f fifteen inches long, term in atin g a t th e low er end in a cro o k o r tu rn , so as to p re v en t its being w renched from th e h a n d , a n d at th e u p p e r in a ro u n d k n o b o r h e ad , from w hence th e spike p ro tru d e d . T h is in stru m e n t I pol­ ished highly, a n d , th e m o re to p lease M a q u in a, fo rm ed on the b a ck o f th e k n o b th e resem b lan ce o f a m a n ’s h e ad , w ith the m o u th o p e n , su b stitu tin g for eyes black b ead s, w hich I fastened in w ith red sealing-w ax. T h is pleased him m u ch , a n d w as greatly a d m ired by his chiefs, w h o w a n ted m e to m a k e sim ilar on es for th em , but M a q u in a w o u ld n o t suffer it, reserving fo r h im self a lo n e this w eapon. W h en th ese peo p le have finally d e te rm in e d o n w ar, they m a k e it a n in variable p ra ctic e , for th ree o r fo u r w eeks p rio r to th e e x p ed itio n , to g o in to th e w a ter five o r six tim es a d ay , w hen th ey w ash a n d scrub them selves from h e ad to fo o t w ith bushes interm ixed w ith briers, so th a t th eir b o d ies and faces will o ften be entirely covered w ith b lo o d . D u rin g this severe exercise, they are c o ntinually exclaim ing, " W o c a s h , Q u a h o o tze, T e e ch a m m e ah w elth, w ik -e tish t a u - i l t h - K a r su b m a te m a s - W ik-sish to ha u k m a t e m a s - I y a -is h k a h -sh ittle - A s-sm o o tish warich m a te m a s ” ; w hich signifies, “ G o o d o r g re a t G o d , let m e l i v e - N o t be sick — F in d th e en em y - N o t fear him - F in d him asleep, a n d kill a g reat m an y o f th e m .” 1 D u rin g th e w hole o f this p e rio d th ey have no in te rco u rse with th e ir w om en, a n d for a w eek b efore se ttin g o u t, ab stain from feasting o r a n y k in d o f m e rrim e n t, a p p ea rin g th o u g h tfu l, gloom y, a n d m orose, a n d for th e th ree last days a re alm ost co n stan tly in th e w ater, b o th by day a n d n ight, scru b b in g a n d lacerating th e m ­ selves in a terrib le m an n e r. M a q u in a , h aving inform ed T h o m p so n a n d m yself th a t h e sho u ld ta k e us w ith him , w as very solicitous th a t w e sh o u ld b a th e a n d sc ru b ourselves in th e sa m e w ay w ith th e m , telling m e th a t it w ould h a rd e n o u r skins, so th a t the w eap o n s o f th e enem y w ould not pierce th e m , b u t as w e felt no g re at in clination to a m u se ourselves in this m a n n e r, w e declined it. T h e e x p ed itio n consisted o f forty can o es, carrying fro m ten to tw enty m en eac h . T h o m p so n a n d m yself a rm e d ourselves w ith cutlasses a n d pistols, b u t th e natives, a lth o u g h they h a d a plenty o f E u ro p ean a rm s, to o k w ith them only th e ir d aggers a n d cheetolths, w ith a few bow s a n d arro w s, th e latter being a b o u t a yard in length, a n d p o in te d w ith c o p p e r, m ussel-shell, o r b one; th e

1at least part o f this expression is C hinook Jargon and not N ootkan.

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bow s a re fo u r feet a n d a h a lf long, w ith strin g s m ad e o f w hale sinew . T o go to A -y -c h art, w e asc en d e d , from tw e n ty to th irty m iles, a river a b o u t th e size o f th at o f T ashees, th e b an k s o f w hich are high a n d covered w ith w o o d .A t m id n ig h t w e c am e in sight o f the village, w hich w as situ ate d on th e w est ban k n e a r th e sh o re , on a steep hill difficult o f access, a n d well calculated for d efence. It consisted o f fifteen o r sixteen houses, sm aller th an th o se at N o o tk a , a n d built in th e sam e style, b u t co m p actly placed . By M a q u in a ’s directio n s, th e a tta ck w as d e ferre d until th e first a p p e a ra n c e o f d a w n , as he said th a t w as th e tim e w hen m en slept th e soundest. A t length, all being ready for th e a tta c k , w e landed w ith the g re atest silence, a n d , g o in g a ro u n d so as to com e upon th e foe in th e re ar, cla m b ere d up th e hill, a n d w hile th e natives, as is th eir c u sto m , e n te red th e several h u ts creeping on all-fours, m y c o m ­ ra d e a n d m yself sta tio n e d ourselves w ith o u t to intercep t those w ho should a tte m p t to escape o r c o m e to th e a id o f th eir friends. I w ished, if possible, not to sta in m y h a n d s in th e blood o f any fellow -creature, a n d tho u g h T h o m p so n w ould gladly have p u t to d e ath all th e savages in the c o u n try , h e w as to o b rave to th in k o f a tta ck in g a sleeping enem y. H aving e n te red th e houses, o n th e w ar-w h o o p being given by M a q u in a as h e seized th e head o f th e c h ie f a n d g av e him th e fatal blow , all p ro ceed ed to th e w ork o f d e ath . T h e A -y -ch arts, being th u s su rp rised , w ere u nable to m a k e resistance, a n d , w ith the exception o f a very few w ho w ere so fo rtu n a te as to m a k e th eir escape, w ere all killed, o r ta k e n p riso n e rs on c o n d itio n o f b e co m ­ ing slaves to th e ir c ap to rs. I h a d th e g o o d fo rtu n e to ta k e four captives, w hom M a q u in a , as a fa v o u r, p e rm itte d m e to co n sid er as m in e, a n d occasionally em ploy them in fishing for m e. A s for T h o m p so n , w ho th irste d for revenge, he h a d no w ish to ta k e any priso n ers, b u t w ith his cutlass, th e only w eap o n he w ould em ploy a gainst th em , succeeded in killing seven sto u t fellows w ho cam e to a tta ck him , an act w hich o b ta in e d him g re a t c red it with M a q u in a and th e chiefs, w ho a fte r this held him in m uch h igher e stim a tio n , a n d gave him th e a p p ellatio n o f “ C h e h ie l-su m a -h a r,” it being th e n a m e o f a very c eleb ra ted w a rrio r o f th eir n a tio n in an cien t tim es, w hose exploits w ere th e c o n sta n t th em e o f th eir praise. A fte r h aving p u t to d e ath all th e old a n d infirm o f e ith e r sex, as is th e b a rb a ro u s practice o f th ese people, a n d destro y ed the buildings, w e re -e m b ark e d w ith o u r b o o ty in o u r c an o e s for N o o tk a , w here w e w ere received w ith g re at d e m o n stra tio n s o f jo y

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by th e w om en a n d children, a cc o m p a n y in g o u r w ar-song w ith a m o st furious d ru m m in g on th e houses. T h e next day a g re a t feast w as given by M a q u in a in c eleb ra tio n o f his victory, w hich was te rm in a te d , as usual, w ith a d a n ce by S at-sat-sok-sis. R ep eated a p p lic atio n s had been m ad e to M a q u in a by a n u m ­ b e r o f kings o r chiefs to p u rc h ase m e, especially a fte r h e had show ed them th e h a rp o o n 1 h a d m a d e for h im , w hich h e took m uch prid e in, b u t he co n stan tly refused to p a rt w ith m e on any term s. A m o n g these, th e king o f th e W ickinninish w as p a rtic u ­ larly solicitous to o b tain m e, h aving tw ice ap p lie d to M a q u in a for th a t p u rp o se , o n c e in a very form al m an n e r, by se n d in g his m essenger w ith fo u r can o es, w h o , as he a p p ro ac h ed th e shore, d e co ra te d in th e ir highest style, w ith th e w hite do w n on his head, etc., declared th a t h e cam e to buy “ T o o te y o o h a n n is ,” th e nam e by w hich I w as know n to th em , for his m aste r, and th a t h e had b ro u g h t fo r th a t p u rp o se fo u r yo u n g m ale slaves, tw o highly o rn a m e n te d can o es, such a n u m b e r o f th e sk in s o f m e ta m e lth ,2 a n d o f th e q u a r tla c k , o r se a -o tte r, and so m an y fath o m s o f cloth a n d o f Ife-w h aw ,3 w hile, as h e m en tio n ed th e different articles, they w ere p o in te d o u t o r held up by his a tte n d a n ts; b u t even this tem p tin g offer h a d no influence on M a q u in a , w ho in th e latter p a rt o f th e su m m e r w as again very strongly urged to sell m e by U latilla, or, as h e is g enerally called, M ach ee U latilla, c h ie f o f the K laizzarts, w h o had c o m e to N o o tk a on a visit. T h is chief, w ho co u ld sp e a k to le rab le E nglish, h a d m uch m o re th e a p p e a ra n c e o f a civilised m an th a n any o f th e savages th a t I saw . H e a p p e a re d to be a b o u t th irty , w as ra th e r sm all in his p erso n , b u t extrem ely well fo rm ed , w ith a skin alm o st as fair as th a t o f a n E u ro p ea n , good features, a n d a c o u n te n an c e expres­ siv e o f c a n d o u r a n d a m ia b le n e s s , a n d w h ic h w as a lm o s t alw ay s b rig h te n ed w ith a sm ile. H e w as m uch n e a te r b o th in his dress a n d person th a n any o f th e o th e r chiefs, seldom w earing p ain t, except upon his eyebrow s, w hich, a fte r th e custom o f his c o u n try , w ere plucked o u t, and a few strip s o f th e pelp elth 4 on th e lower, p a rt o f his face. H e alw ays tre a te d m e w ith m uch k in d n ess, was fond o f conversing w ith m e in E nglish and in his ow n language, a sk in g m e m any q u e stio n s relativ e to m y c o u n try , its m anners, cu sto m s, etc., a n d a p p e a re d to ta k e a stro n g interest in m y fate, telling m e th a t if h e could p e rsu a d e M a q u in a to p a rt w ith m e, he w ould put m e on b o a rd th e first sh ip th a t cam e to his c o u n try , a : i.e. w apiti. ' dentalia shells (D entalium pretiosum ). 4 m arm ot?

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prom ise w hich, from his su b seq u e n t co n d u ct, 1 h av e g o o d reason to th in k he w ould have p e rfo rm e d , as m y deliverance a t length from captivity a n d suffering w as, u n d e r th e fav o u r o f D ivine P rovidence, w holly ow ing to h im , th e only letter th a t ever reached a n E u ro p ea n o r A m e ric an vessel o u t o f sixteen th a t I w ro te at differen t tim es a n d sent to v a rious p a rts o f th e coast, h aving been delivered by him in p e rso n . So m uch pleased w as I w ith th is m a n ’s b e h a v io u r to m e w hile a t N o o tk a , th a t I m a d e for him a ch eeto lth , w hich I b u rn ish e d highly, a n d e ngraved w ith figures. W ith th is h e w as greatly d e lig h ted . I also w ould have m ad e for him a h a rp o o n , w ould M a q u in a have c o n s e n te d .. W ith hearts full o f dejection a n d alm ost lost to h o p e , n o ship having a p p e a re d o ff N o o tk a this se a so n , did m y c o m p a n io n and m yself acc o m p a n y th e tribe on th e ir rem oval in S e p tem b e r to T ash ees, relinquishing in co n seq u en ce for six m o n th s even th e rem o test e x p ec ta tio n o f relief.

13. Marriage of the A u th o r-H is Illness - Dismisses His Wife Religion of the Natives Climate S o o n a fte r o u r e stab lish m en t th ere , M a q u in a inform ed m e th a t h e a n d his chiefs h a d held council b o th before a n d a fte r q u ittin g N o o tk a , in w hich they had d e te rm in e d th a t I m ust m arry o n e o f th e ir w om en, urging as a reason to induce m e to c o n se n t, th a t, as th e re w as now no p ro b a b ility o f a sh ip com ing to N o o tk a to release m e, th a t I m ust c o n sid er m yself as destin ed to pass th e re m a in d e r o f m y life w ith th e m , th a t th e so o n e r 1 c o n fo rm e d to th e ir c u sto m s th e b e tte r, a n d th a t a w ife a n d fam ily w o u ld render m e m ore c o n te n te d a n d satisfied w ith th e ir m o d e o f living. I re m o n stra te d a gainst th is decision, b u t to n o p u rp o se , for he told m e th a t, sh o u ld I refuse, b o th T h o m p so n a n d m yself w ould be p u t to d e a th ; telling m e, ho w ev er, th a t if th e re w ere n o n e o f the w om en o f his trib e th a t p leased m e, he w ould go w ith m e to so m e o f th e o th e r tribes, w h e re h e w o u ld p u rch ase fo r m e such a o n e as I sh o u ld select. R ed u ced to th is sa d extrem ity, w ith death on th e o n e sid e a n d m atrim o n y on th e o th e r, I th o u g h t p ro p e r to ch o o se w h a t a p p e a re d to m e th e least o f th e tw o evils, and co n se n t to b e m a rrie d , on c o n d itio n th at, as I did n o t fancy any o f th e N o o tk a w om en, I should be p e rm itte d to m a k e choice o f o n e from so m e o th e r trib e . T h is b ein g settled, th e next m o rn in g by daylight, M a q u in a, w ith a b o u t fifty m en in tw o canoes, set out w ith m e for A i-tiz -za rt, tak in g w ith him a q u a n tity o f cloth, a n u m b e r o f m uskets, se a -o tte r skins, etc., fo r th e p u rc h ase o f m y b rid e. W ith th e a id o f o u r pad d les a n d sails, being favoured w ith a fair b reeze, w e a rriv e d som e tim e b e fo re su n set at th e village. O u r arrival excited a general a la rm , a n d th e m en h asten e d to the sh o re, arm ed w ith th e w eap o n s o f th e ir c o u n try , m ak in g m any w a rlik e d e m o n stra tio n s, a n d displaying m uch zeal a n d activity. W e, in th e m ea n tim e, rem ain ed quietly seated in o u r canoes, w h e re w e re m a in e d for a b o u t h a lf an h o u r, w hen th e m essenger o f th e chief, dressed in th e ir best m a n n e r, cam e to w elcom e us a n d invite us o n sh o re to e at. W e follow ed him in procession to

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th e c h ie f s h o u se , M a q u in a a t o u r h e ad , ta k in g care to leave a sufficient n u m b e r in th e b o a ts to p ro tec t th e p ro p e rty . W h en we c am e to th e h ouse, w e w ere u sh e red in w ith m uch cerem o n y , and o u r respective seats p o in te d o u t to us, m in e being next to M a q u in a by his request. A fte r having been regaled w ith a feast o f h errin g spaw n and o il, M a q u in a asked m e if I saw a n y a m o n g th e w om en w h o w ere p re se n t th a t I liked. I im m ed iately p o in ted o u t to a yo u n g girl o f a b o u t seventeen, th e d a u g h te r o f U p q u e sta , th e chief, w ho was sittin g n e ar him by h e r m o th e r. O n this, M a q u in a , m ak in g a sign to his m en, aro se, a n d , tak in g m e by th e h a n d , w alked in to th e m id d le o f th e ro o m , a n d se n t o ff tw o o f his m en to b ring the boxes c o n ta in in g th e presents fro m th e c an o e s. In th e m ean tim e, K in n eclim m ets, th e m aste r o f cerem o n ies, w h o m I have already sp o k e n of, m a d e h im self ready fo r th e p a rt he w as to a ct, by pow d erin g his h a ir w ith w h ite d o w n . W h en th e chests w ere b ro u g h t in, specim ens o f th e several a rticles w ere ta k e n o u t, and sh o w ed by o u r m en , o n e o f w h o m held u p a m u sk et, a n o th e r a skin, a th ird a piece o f cloth, etc. O n this K in n eclim m ets ste p p ed fo rw a rd , a n d ad d ressin g th e chief, in fo rm ed him th at all th ese belonged to m e, m en tio n in g the n u m b e r o f each k in d , a n d th a t th ey w ere o ffered to him for the p u rc h a se o f his d a u g h te r E u-sto ch -ee-ex q u a, as a w ife fo r m e. As he sa id this, th e m en w ho held u p th e vario u s articles w alked up to th e chief, a n d w ith a very stern a n d m o ro se look, th e c o m p li­ m en ta ry o n e on th ese occasions, th rew th em a t his feet. Im m e d i­ ately on w hich, all th e trib e , b o th m en a n d w om en, w h o w ere assem bled o n th is occasion, set up a cry o f K la c k -k o -T y e e , th at is, “ T h a n k ye, c h ie f.” H is m en , a fte r th is cerem o n y , h aving re tu rn e d to th e ir places, M a q u in a rose, a n d , in a speech o f m o re th an h a lf an h o u r, said m uch in m y p ra ise to th e A i-tiz -za rt chief, telling him th a t I w as as g o o d a m an as them selves, differing from them only in being w h ite, th a t I w as besides a c q u a in te d w ith m an y things o f w hich they w ere ig n o ran t; th a t I knew how to m ak e daggers, cheetolths, a n d h a rp o o n s, a n d w as a very valuable p e rso n , w hom he was d e te rm in e d to k e ep alw ays w ith him ; p ra isin g m e a t th e sam e tim e for th e g o o d n ess o f m y te m p e r, a n d th e m a n n e r in w hich I had c o n d u cted m yself since I had been w ith th em , o bserving that all th e p e o p le o f N o o tk a , a n d even th e ch ild ren , loved m e. W hile M a q u in a w as sp e a k in g , his m aste r o f cerem o n ies was co n tin u ally sk ip p in g a b o u t, m ak in g th e m ost e x trav ag an t gestures, a n d e x c la im in g “ IV o c a sh !” W h e n h e h a d c e a se d , th e A i- tiz -z a rt c h ie f aro se; a m id st th e a cclam atio n s o f his p e o p le , a n d beg an w ith

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se ttin g forth th e m any good qualities a n d acco m p lish m en ts o f his d a u g h te r; th a t he loved h e r greatly, a n d as she w as his only o n e , he co u ld n o t th in k o f p a rtin g w ith h e r. H e sp o k e in this m a n n e r for s o m e tim e , b u t fin ally c o n c lu d e d by c o n s e n tin g to th e p ro p o s e d u n io n , requesting th a t she m ig h t b e well used a n d k indly tre a te d by h e r h u sb a n d . A t th e close o f th e speech, w hen th e c h ie f beg an to m an ifest a d isp o sitio n to con sen t to o u r u n io n , K in n elcim m ets again beg an to call o u t as loud as h e could baw l, “ W ocash \" c u ttin g a th o u sa n d capers a n d spinning h im self a ro u n d on his heel like a top. W h en U p q u e sta had finished his sp eech , h e d irec te d his p eople to carry back th e p resen ts w hich M a q u in a had given him , to m e, to g eth e r w ith tw o y o u n g m ale slaves to assist m e in fishing. T hese, a fte r having been placed before m e, w ere by M a q u in a ’s m en ta k e n o n b o a rd th e canoes. T h is c erem ony being o v e r, w e w ere invited by o n e o f th e p rin cip al chiefs to a feast at his h ouse, o f K lu ssa m it, o r d ried h e rrin g , w here, after th e eating w as over, K inneclim m ets am u sed th e c o m p a n y very highly with his tric k s, a n d th e even in g 's e n te rta in m e n t w as closed by a new w ar-song from o u r m en , a n d o n e in re tu rn from th e A i-tiz-zarts, acco m p an ied w ith expressive gestu res, and w ielding o f th eir w e ap ­ ons. A fte r this o u r c o m p a n y re tu rn e d to lodge at U p q u e sta ’s, except a few w ho w ere left on b o a rd th e c an o es to w atch the p ro p e rty . In th e m o rn in g I received from th e c h ie f his d a u g h te r, w ith a n earn e st req u est th a t I w ould use h e r well, w hich I pro m ised him ; w h en , tak in g leave o f her p a ren ts, she a c c o m p a ­ nied m e w ith a p p a re n t satisfaction on b o a rd o f th e canoe. T h e w ind being ah ea d , th e natives w ere obliged to have recourse to th e ir p addles, a cc o m p a n y in g them w ith th eir songs, in tersp ersed w ith th e w itticism s a n d buffo o n ery o f K in n eclim ­ m ets, w ho, in his capacity o f k in g ’s ste ersm a n , o n e o f his func­ tio n s w hich I fo rg o t to e n u m e ra te , n o t only g u id ed th e c o u rse o f th e can o e , b u t regulated th e singing o f th e b o a tm e n . A t a b o u t five in th e m o rn in g w e reached T ashees, w here w e found all the in h a b ita n ts collected o n th e sh o re to receive us. W e w ere w elcom ed w ith loud sh o u ts o f jo y , a n d e xclam ations o f “ W o c a sh !" a n d th e w o m en , tak in g m y b rid e u n d e r th eir charge, c o n d u cted h e r to M a q u in a ’s house, to b e k e p t w ith them for ten days; it being a n universal custom , as M a q u in a inform ed m e, th a t no in te rco u rse should ta k e place betw een th e new m a r­ ried p a ir d u rin g th a t p erio d . A t n ig h t M a q u in a gave a g re a t feast, w hich w as succeeded by a d a n ce , in w hich all th e w om en jo in e d , a n d th u s end ed th e festivities o f m y m arriag e. T h e term o f m y p ro b a tio n bein g over, M a q u in a assigned m e

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as an a p a rtm e n t th e space in th e u p p e r p a rt o f his house betw een him a n d his e ld e r b ro th e r, w hose room w as o p p o site, H ere I established m yself w ith m y fam ily, consisting o f m yself a n d wife, T h o m p so n , a n d th e little S at-sat-sok-sis, w ho h a d alw ays been strongly a tta c h e d to m e, a n d now solicited his fath er to let him live w ith m e, to w hich he c o n se n te d . T h is boy w as h a n d so m e, ex trem ely well fo rm ed , am ia b le , and o f a p lea sa n t, sprightly d isp o sitio n . I used to ta k e a p lea su re in d e co ra tin g him w ith rings, bracelets, ear-jew els, etc., w hich I m ad e for him o f c o p p er, a n d o rn a m e n te d a n d p olished th em in m y b e st m a n n e r. I w as also very careful to k e ep him free from v erm in o f every k in d , w ashing him a n d co m b in g his h a ir every d ay . T hese m a rk s o f a tte n tio n w ere not only very pleasing to th e c hild, w ho delig h ted in being k e p t n eat a n d clean, as well as in being dressed o ff in his finery, b u t w as highly gratifying b o th to M a q u in a and his q u e e n , w ho used to express m uch satisfaction at m y care o f him . In m ak in g m y d o m estic e stab lish m en t, I d e te rm in e d , as far as possible, to live in a m o re c o m fo rtab le a n d cleanly m a n n e r than th e o th ers. F o r th is p u rp o se I e rected w ith p lan k s a p a rtitio n o f a b o u t th re e feet high betw een m in e a n d th e ad jo in in g ro o m s, and m ad e th ree b e d stea d s o f th e sa m e, w hich I covered w ith b o a rd s, for m y fam ily to sleep on, w hich I fo u n d m uch m o re co m fo rtab le th an sleeping o n th e floor a m id st th e dirt. F o rtu n a te ly , I found m y In d ian princess b o th a m ia b le and in te llig e n t, fo r o n e w h o se lim ite d s p h e re o f o b s e r v a tio n m u st necessarily give rise to b u t a few ideas. She w as extrem ely ready to agree to an y th in g th a t I p ro p o se d relative to o u r m o d e o f living, w as very a tte n tiv e in k eep in g her g a rm e n ts and perso n neat an d clean, a n d a p p e a re d in every respect so licitous to please m e. She w as, as I have said , a b o u t seventeen; her p e rso n was sm all b u t well fo rm ed , as w ere h e r features; h e r com p lex io n was, w ith o u t e xception, fa ire r th a n any o f th e w om en, w ith c o n sid e ra ­ ble co lo u r in h e r cheeks, her h a ir long, black, a n d m u ch softer th an is usual w ith th em , and h e r teeth sm all, even, a n d o f a dazzling w hiteness; while th e expression o f h e r c o u n te n an c e in d i­ cated sw eetness o f tem p e r a n d m odesty. She w ould indeed have been con sid ered as very p retty in any c o u n try , a n d , excepting M a q u in a ’s q u e en , w as by far th e h a n d so m est o f a n y o f their w om en. W ith a p a rtn e r possessing so m any a ttra c tio n s , m any m ay be a p t to con clu d e th a t I m ust h av e found m yself h a p p y , - a t least, c o m p a rativ ely so; b u t for oth erw ise w as it w ith m e. A com pulsory m arriag e w ith th e m ost beautiful a n d accom plished p erson in the

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w orld can never prove a so u rce o f real happiness; a n d , in m y situ atio n , I could n o t but view this c o n n ectio n as a c h ain th a t was to b in d m e do w n to this savage lan d , a n d p revent m y ever again seeing a civilised c o u n try ; especially w hen, in a few days after, M a q u in a inform ed m e th a t th e re h a d been a m eetin g o f his chiefs, in w hich it had been d e te rm in e d th a t, as I h a d m arried o n e o f th eir w o m e n , 1 m u st be con sid ered as o n e o f th em , and c o n fo rm to th e ir custom s, a n d th a t in fu tu re n e ith e r m yself nor T h o m p so n should w ear o u r E u ro p ea n clothes, but dress in kuts a k s 1 like them selves. T h is o rd e r w as to m e m o st p ain fu l, b u t I p ersu ad e d M a q u in a a t length so far to relax in it as to p e rm it m e to w ear those I h a d at p re sen t, w hich w ere alm ost w orn o u t, and not to com pel T h o m p so n to c h a n g e his dress, observing th a t, as he w as a n old m an , such a ch an g e w ould cause his death . T h e ir religious c e le b ra tio n ,2 w hich th e last y e ar to o k p lace in D ecem b er, w as in this co m m en ced on th e 15th o f N o v e m b er, and c o n tin u e d for fou rteen days. A s 1 w as now con sid ered as o n e o f th em , instead o f being o rd e re d to th e w oods, M a q d in a directed T h o m p so n a n d m yself to rem ain a n d p ray w ith th em to Q uah o o tze to be g o o d to th em , a n d th a n k him for w hat he h a d done. It w as o p e n ed in m uch th e sa m e m a n n e r as th e fo rm er. A fter w hich, all th e m en a n d w om en in th e village assem bled at M a q u in a ’s h ouse, in th e ir p lain e st dresses, and w ith o u t an y kind o f o rn a m e n ts a b o u t th em ,, having th eir h e ad s b o u n d a ro u n d with th e red fillet, a to k en o f dejection a n d h u m iliatio n , a n d their co u n te n an c e s expressive o f seriousness a n d m elancholy. T h e p e r­ fo rm an ces d u rin g th e c o n tin u a n ce o f this celeb ratio n consisted alm o st w holly in singing a n u m b e r o f songs to m ou rn fu l airs, the king regulating th e tim e by b e atin g on his hollow plank o r d ru m , a cc o m p a n ied by o n e o f his c h ie fs's e a te d n e ar him w ith th e great ra ttle. In th e m e a n tim e they a te b u t seldom , a n d then very little, retiring to sleep late, and rising at th e first a p p e a ra n c e o f daw n, a n d even in te rru p tin g this sh o rt p e rio d o f rep o se by gettin g up at m id n ig h t a n d singing. T h e c ere m o n y w as te rm in a te d by an exhib itio n o f a sim ilar 1 Je w itt is in co n sisten t in his spelling o f several Indian w o rd s. T he ku tsa k (also k o lsa ck) is the blanket w orn over the shoulders. ; the W inter C erem onial, see also C hapter X . N ote that Jew itt says “ I was now considered one o f th em ” ; he may m ean that he was now m ore generally accepted in N ootkan society, but m ost probably since h e was asked “ to rem ain and p ra y ," he was considered to have been initiated into the W inter C erem onial after his seclusion during that o f the previous year.

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c h ara cte r to th e o n e o f th e last y e a r, b u t still m o re cruel. A boy o f tw elve y ears o ld , w ith six b a y o n ets run in to his flesh, one th ro u g h each a rm a n d thig h , a n d th ro u g h each side close to the ribs, w as carried a ro u n d th e ro o m su sp en d ed u p o n th em , w ith o u t m anifesting a n y sy m p to m s o f p a in .3 M a q u in a , on m y inquiring th e reason o f th is display, in fo rm ed m e th a t it w as a n a n cien t c u sto m o f this n a tio n to sacrifice a m an a t th e close o f this solem nity , in h o n o u r o f th e ir G o d , b u t th a t his fath er h a d a b o l­ ished it, a n d su b stitu te d this in its place. T h e w hole closed on the evening o f th e 29th, w ith a g re a t feast o f salm o n spaw n a n d oil, at w hich th e n atives, as usual, m a d e up fo r th e ir late a b stin en ce. A few days afte r, a c irc u m stan c e o ccu rred , w hich, from its singularity, I c a n n o t fo rb ea r m en tio n in g . I w as sent for by my n e ig h b o u r Y ealthlow er, th e k in g ’s elder b ro th e r, to file his teeth, w hich o p e ratio n having been p e rfo rm e d , he inform ed m e th a t a new wife, w hom h e had a little tim e b e fo re p u rch ased , having refused to sleep w ith him , it w as his in te n tio n , p ro v id ed she persisted in h e r refusal, to b ite o ff her nose. I e n d ea v o u red to d issu ad e him from it, b u t h e w as d e te rm in e d , a n d , in fact, p e r­ form ed his savage th re a t th a t very n ight, saying th a t sin ce she w ould not be his w ife, she should not b e th a t o f any o th e r, a n d in th e m o rn in g sent h e r back to h e r father. T h e in h u m a n a ct did n o t, ho w ev er, p ro ceed from any in n ate cruelty o f d isp o sitio n o r m alice, as he w as far from bein g o f a b a rb a ro u s tem p e r; but such is th e desp o tism exercised by these savages o v er th e ir w om en, th a t h e no d o u b t con sid ered it as a ju st p u n ish m en t for h e r offence, in bein g so o b stin ate a n d perverse; as he afte rw a rd s told m e, th a t in sim ilar cases th e h u sb a n d had a rig h t w ith them to disfigure his w ife in th is w ay o r so m e o th e r, to p rev en t h e r every m arrying again. A b o u t th e m iddle o f D e ce m b er, w e left T ash ees for C o o p tee . A s usual a t th is season, w e found th e herrings in g re a t p len ty , and h e re th e sam e scene o f rio to u s feasting th a t I w itnessed last year w as renew ed by o u r im p ro v id e n t natives, w ho, in a d d itio n to th e ir usual fare, h a d a plentiful supply o f w ild geese, w hich w ere b ro u g h t us in g re at q u a n titie s by th e E shquates. T h ese, as M a q u in a inform ed m e, w ere cau g h t w ith nets m ad e from b a rk in th e fresh w aters o f th a t c o u n try . T h o se w ho tak e them m ake choice for th a t p u rp o se o f a d a rk a n d rain y night, an d , w ith th eir c an o e s stuck w ith lighted to rch e s, p ro ceed w ith as little noise as possible to th e place w here th e geese a re collected, w ho, dazzled probably an o th er exam ple o f W inter C erem onial theatrical perform ­ ance.

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by th e light, suffer them selves to be a p p ro ac h ed very n ear, w hen th e net is th ro w n o v er th em , a n d in this m a n n e r from fifty to sixty, o r even m o re, will so m etim es be tak e n a t o n e cast. O n th e 15th o f Ja n u a ry 1805, a b o u t m id n ig h t, I w as th ro w n in to c o n sid erab le alarm , in co n se q u en c e o f a n eclipse o f the m o o n , being a w ak e n e d from m y sleep by a g re at o u tcry o f th e in h ab itan ts. O n g o in g to discover th e cause o f this tu m u lt, I found th em all o u t o f th eir h o u ses, b earing lighted to rch es, sin g ­ ing a n d beating upon pieces o f p lan k ; and w hen I asked th em the reason o f this p ro c ee d in g , they p o in te d to th e m o o n , a n d said th at a g re at cod-fish w as e n d ea v o u rin g to sw allow her, a n d th at they w ere driving him aw ay. T h e orig in o f this su p e rstitio n I could n o t discover. T h o u g h , in so m e respects, m y situ a tio n w as ren d ered m ore co m fo rtab le since m y m arriag e, as I lived in a m o re cleanly m an n e r, and h a d m y food b e tte r a n d m o re neatly c o o k ed o f w hich, besides, I h a d alw ays a plenty, m y slaves generally fu rn ish ­ ing m e, a n d U p q u e sta never failing to send m e a n a m p le supply by th e canoes th a t c am e from A i-tiz-zart; still, from m y being o bliged a t this season o f th e y e ar to change m y accustom ed clothing, a n d to d ress like th e n ativ es, w ith only a piece o f cloth o f a b o u t tw o y a rd s long th ro w n loosely a ro u n d m e, m y E u ro p ean clothes having been for som e tim e entirely w orn o u t, I suffered m o re th an I can express from th e cold, especially as I was com pelled to p e rfo rm th e la b o rio u s task o f c u ttin g a n d bringing th e firew ood, w hich w as re n d ere d still m o re o ppressive to m e, from m y c o m ra d e, for a c o n sid era b le p a rt o f th e w in ter, not having it in his po w er to lend m e his aid, in co nsequence o f an a tta ck o f th e rh e u m a tism in o n e o f his knees, w ith w hich he suffered fo r m o re th an fo u r m o n th s, tw o o r th ree w eeks o f which he w as so ill as to b e u n d e r th e necessity to leave th e house. T h is sta te o f suffering, w ith th e little h o p e I now h a d o f ever escaping from th e savages, beg an to re n d e r m y life irksom e to m e; still, how ever, I lost n o t m y c onfidence in th e a id o f the S u p re m e Being, to w hom , w h en ev er th e w e ath e r and a su sp en ­ sio n from th e tasks im posed on m e w ould p e rm it, I nev er failed regularly on S undays to retire to th e w o o d to w orship, taking T h o m p so n w ith m e w hen he w as ab le to go. O n th e 20th o f F e b ru a ry , w e re tu rn e d to o u r su m m e r q u a r­ ters a t N o o tk a , b u t on m y p a rt, w ith far differen t sensations than th e last spring, being now alm ost in d e sp a ir o f any vessel arriving to release us, o r o u r bein g p e rm itte d to d e p a rt if th e re sh o u ld . S oon after o u r re tu rn , as p re p a ra to ry to th e w haling season, M a q u in a o rd e re d m e to m ake a g o o d n u m b e r o f h a rp o o n s for h im self a n d his chiefs, several o f w hich I h a d com pleted, w ith

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som e lances, w hen, on th e 16th o f M a rch , I w as ta k e n very ill w ith a violent colic, caused, I p re su m e, from having suffered so m u ch from th e cold, in going w ith o u t p ro p e r clo th in g . F o r a n u m b e r o f h o u rs I w as in g re a t p a in , a n d expected to die, a n d on its leaving m e, I w as so w eak as scarcely to b e ab le to sta n d , w hile I h a d n o th in g co m fo rtin g to tak e , n o r anyth in g to d rin k but cold w ater. O n th e day follow ing, a slave belonging to M a q u in a died, and w as im m ediately, as is th e ir custom in such cases, tossed uncerem oniously o u t o f d o o rs, from w hence h e w as ta k e n by so m e o th ers a n d th ro w n into th e w ater. T h e tre a tm e n t o f this p o o r c re a tu re m ad e a m elancholy im pression upon m y m in d , as I could n o t b u t th in k th a t such p ro b a b ly w ould b e m y fate sh o u ld I d ie a m o n g these h eath en s, a n d so far from receiving a decent b u rial, th a t I sh o u ld n o t even b e allow ed th e co m m o n privilege o f having a little e a rth th ro w n o v er m y rem ains. T h e feebleness in w hich th e violent a tta ck o f m y d iso rd e r had left m e, th e dejection I felt a t th e a lm o st hopelessness o f my situ a tio n a n d th e w an t o f w arm clothing a n d p ro p e r nursing, tho u g h m y In d ian w ife, as far as she knew how , w as alw ays ready, even solicitous, to d o ev erything fo r m e she c ould, still k e p t m e very m u ch indisposed, w hich M a q u in a perceiving, he finally told m e th a t if I d id n o t like living w ith m y w ife, a n d th at w as th e cause o f m y being so sa d , I m ig h t p a rt w ith h e r. T his p ro p o sa l I readily accepted, a n d th e next d a y M a q u in a se n t her back to her father. O n p a rtin g w ith m e she discovered m uch e m o tio n , begging m e th a t I w ould suffer her to re m a in till I had recovered, as there w as no o n e w ho w ould ta k e so g o o d care o f m e as herself. But w hen I told h e r she m ust go, for th a t I did not th in k I should ever g et well, w hich in tru th I b u t little expected, a n d th a t her fa th e r w ould ta k e good c a re o f h e r a n d tre a t h e r m uch m ore k indly th an M a q u in a, she to o k a n affectio n ate leave, telling m e th a t she h o p ed I sh o u ld so o n g et b etter, a n d left her tw o slaves to ta k e c a re o f m e. T h o u g h I rejoiced a t her d e p a rtu re , I w as greatly affected w ith th e sim p le expressions o f h e r regard for m e, a n d co u ld not b u t feel strongly interested fo r th is p o o r girl, w ho in all her c o n d u ct to w ard s m e had disco v ered so m uch m ildness a n d a tte n ­ tio n to m y w ishes; a n d h a d it n o t been th a t I c onsidered h e r as a n alm o st in su p e rab le o bstacle to m y being p e rm itte d to leave the c o u n try , I should no d o u b t have felt the d e p riv a tio n o f h e r society a real loss. A fte r her d e p a rtu re , I requested M a q u in a th a t, as I had p a rte d w ith m y w ife, h e w ould p e rm it m e to resu m e my E u ro p ea n dress, as, o therw ise, from not h aving been accustom ed

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to dress like th e m , I sho u ld certain ly die. T o th is h e con sen ted , a n d I once m o re b ecam e c o m fo rtab ly clad. C h a n g e o f clo th in g , b u t, m o re th an all, th e hopes w hich I now beg an to indulge th a t in th e course o f th e su m m e r I should be ab le to escape, in a sh o rt tim e re sto red m e to health , so far th a t I co u ld again go to w o rk in m ak in g h a rp o o n s for M a q u in a , w ho pro b ab ly , fearing th a t h e should h a v e to p a rt w ith m e, d e te rm in e d to p ro v id e h im self w ith a g o o d stock. I shall n o t, how ever, long d e ta in th e re a d e r w ith a d e ta il o f occu rren ces th a t intervened betw een this p e rio d and th a t o f m y escape, w hich from th a t dull unifo rm ity th a t m ark s th e savage life, w o u ld b e in a m ea su re b u t a re p etitio n , n o r dwell u p o n th a t m ental to rtu re I e n d u re d from a c o n stan t conflict o f h o p e and fear, w hen th e form er, alm ost w earied o u t w ith re p ea te d d isa p ­ p o in tm e n t, offered to o u r sin k in g hearts no p ro sp e ct o f release b u t d e ath , to w hich w e w ere c o n stan tly exposed from th e b ru tal ignorance and savage d isp o sitio n o f th e c o m m o n p eople, w h o , in th e v a rio u s councils th a t w ere held this season to d e te rm in e w hat to d o w ith us in case o f th e arriv al o f a sh ip , w ere alm o st alw ays fo r p u ttin g us to d e a th , expecting by th a t m ea n s to conceal th e m u rd e r o f o u r crew a n d to th ro w th e blam e o f it on so m e o th e r trib e . T hese b a rb a ro u s sen tim en ts w ere, how ever, universally o p p o se d by M a q u in a a n d his chiefs, w ho w ould n o t co n se n t to o u r being injured. B ut, as so m e o f th eir c u sto m s a n d tra its o f n a tio n a l c h a ra c te r w hich I th in k deserving o f n otice h av e not been m en tio n ed , I shall p ro ceed to give a n a cc o u n t o f them . T h e office o f k in g o r c h ie f is, w ith th o se p eople, h ered itary , a n d d escends to th e eldest son, o r, in failure o f m ale issue, to the eld er b ro th e r, w ho in th e regal lin e is c o n sid ere d as th e second person in th e k in g d o m . A t feasts, as I have observed, th e king is alw ays placed in th e highest o r seat o f h o n o u r, and th e chiefs a cc o rd in g to th e ir respective ra n k s, w hich a p p e a r in general to be d e te rm in e d by th eir affinity to th e royal fam ily; they a re also d esig n ated by th e e m bellishm ents o f th eir m antles o r k u tsak s. T he king, o r h e ad T y e e , is th e ir le a d e r in w ar, in th e m an a g em e n t o f w hich h e is perfectly a b so lu te . H e is also p resid en t o f their councils, w hich are alm ost alw ays regulated by his o p in io n . But h e has n o k in d o f p o w e r o v er th e p ro p e rty o f his subjects, n o r can h e re q u ire th em to c o n trib u te to his w ants, being in this respect no m o re privileged th an any o th e r p erso n . H e h as, in co m m o n w ith his chiefs, th e right o f holding slaves, w hich is not enjoyed by p riv ate individuals, a reg u latio n p ro b a b ly arising from th e ir having been originally c aptives tak e n in b a ttle, th e spoils o f w a r being u n d e rsto o d as a p p e rta in in g to th e king, w ho receives

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an d a p p o rtio n s th em a m o n g his several chiefs a n d w arrio rs a cc o rd in g to th e ir ran k a n d deserts. In co n fo rm ity w ith this idea, th e p lu n d e r o f th e B o sto n was all d ep o sited in M a q u in a ’s h o u se , w ho d istrib u te d p a rt o f it a m o n g his chiefs, a ccording to th e ir respective ra n k s o r d e g ree o f fav o u r w ith him , giving to o n e th re e h u n d re d m uskets, to a n o th e r o n e h u n d re d a n d fifty, w ith o th e r things in like p ro p o rtio n . T h e king is, how ever, obliged to su p p o rt his d ignity by m ak in g fre­ q u e n t e n te rta in m e n ts, and w h en ev er h e receives a large supply o f p ro v isio n , he m ust invite all th e m en o f his trib e to his h o u se to e at it u p , o therw ise, as M a q u in a told m e, h e w ould n o t be con sid ered as co n d u ctin g h im self like a T y e e, a n d w ould b e no m o re th o u g h t o f th an a c o m m o n m an . W ith regard to th e ir r e lig io n .- T h e y believe in th e existence o f a S u p rem e Being, w hom they call Q u a h o o tze, a n d w h o , to use M a q u in a ’s exp ressio n , w as o n e g re a t T y e e in th e sky, w ho gave th em th e ir fish, a n d could ta k e th em fro m th e m , a n d w as th e g re atest o f all kings. T h e ir usual place o f w o rsh ip a p p e a re d to be th e w a ter, for w h en ev er they b a th e d , they a d d ressed so m e w ords in fo rm o f p ra y e r to th e G o d a b o v e , e n tre a tin g th a t h e w ould p reserve th em in h e alth , give th e m g o o d success in fishing, etc. T h ese p rayers w ere re p ea te d w ith m uch m o re energy on p re p a r­ ing for w haling o r for w ar, as I h a v e alread y m en tio n ed . S om e o f th em w ould so m e tim es go several m iles to b a th e , in o rd e r to d o it in secret; th e re aso n for th is I co u ld n ev er learn, th o u g h I am in d u ced to th in k it w as in co nsequence o f som e fam ily o r p riv ate q u a rre l, a n d th a t they d id n o t w ish w h a t they said to b e h e ard ; w hile a t o th e r tim es they w ould re p a ir in th e sam e secret m a n n e r to th e w o o d s to pray. T h is w as m o re p a rtic u ­ larly th e case w ith th e w o m en , w ho m ig h t also h av e been p ro m p te d by a se n tim e n t o f decency to re tire for th e p u rp o se o f b a th in g , as they a re re m a rk ab ly m o d est. I o n c e fo u n d o n e o f o u r w o m e n m o re th a n tw o m iles from th e village on h e r knees in th e w o o d s, w ith h e r eyes sh u t a n d her face tu rn e d to w a rd s heaven, u tte rin g w ords in a lam e n ta b le to n e, a m o n g st w hich I distinctly h e a rd , W ocash A h -w e lth , m ean in g “ g o o d L o rd ,” a n d w hich has nearly th e sam e signification w ith Q u a h o o tze . T h o u g h I cam e very n e ar her, she a p p e a re d n o t to n o tice m e, b u t c o n tin u e d her d evotions. A n d I have frequently seen the w om en go a lo n e into th e w o o d s, evidently fo r th e p u rp o se o f ad d ressin g them selves to a su p e rio r Being, a n d it w as alw ays very percep tib le on th eir retu rn w hen they h a d been th u s em ployed, from th eir silence a n d m elancholy looks.

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T h ey h av e no belief, h o w e v er, in a sta te o f fu tu re existence, as I discovered in co n v ersatio n w ith M a q u in a a t T o o to o s c h ’s d e a th , on m y a tte m p tin g to con v in ce him th a t he still existed, and th a t h e w ould again see him a fte r his d e a th ; b u t he could c o m p re ­ h end no th in g o f it, a n d , p o in tin g to th e g ro u n d , said th a t there w as th e end o f h im , a n d th a t h e w as like th a t. N o r d o they believe in g hosts, n o tw ith sta n d in g th e case o f T o o to o sch w ould a p p e a r to c o n tra d ic t this a sse rtio n , b u t th a t w as a re m a rk ab le instance, a n d such a o n e as h a d never been know n to occur b efore; yet fro m th e m u m m eries p erfo rm e d o v er th e sick, it is very a p p a re n t th a t they believe in th e agency o f sp irits, as they a ttrib u te diseases to so m e evil o n e th a t has e n te red th e b o d y o f th e p a tie n t. N e ith e r have they any priests, unless a k in d o f c o n ju re r m ay b e so c onsidered w h o sings a n d prays o v e r th e sick to driv e aw ay th e evil spirit. O n th e b irth o f tw ins, they have a m o st sin g u lar custom , w hich, I p re su m e, has its origin in som e religious o p in io n , but w h at it is, I co u ld never satisfactorily learn. T h e fath er is p ro h ib ­ ited for th e space o f tw o y ears from e atin g any kind o f m ea t, o r fresh fish, d u rin g w hich tim e he does no k in d o f lab o u r w hatever, being supplied w ith w h at he h a d occasion for from th e trib e . In th e m ean tim e, h e a n d his w ife, w h o is also o bliged to c o n fo rm to th e sam e ab stin en ce, w ith th e ir ch ild ren , live entirely se p a ra te from th e o th ers, a sm all hut bein g built fo r th eir a cc o m m o d a tio n , a n d h e is nev er invited to any o f th e feasts, except such as consist w holly o f d rie d p ro v isio n , w h e re h e is tre a te d with g re a t respect, and seated a m o n g th e chiefs, th o u g h n o m o re h im self th a n a p riv a te individual. Such b irth s a re very ra re a m o n g th em ; an instance o f the kind, how ever, occu rred w hile I w as a t T ash ees the last tim e , but it w as th e only o n e know n since th e reign o f th e fo rm er king. T he fa th e r alw ays a p p e a re d very th o u g h tfu l a n d g loom y, n ev er a sso ­ ciated w ith th e o th e r in h ab itan ts, a n d w as a t n one o f th e feasts, b u t such as w ere entirely o f d rie d p ro v isio n , a n d o f this h e ate n ot to excess, a n d constantly re tired b efore th e a m u sem en ts c o m ­ m en ced . H is d ress w as very p la in , and h e w o re a ro u n d his head th e red fillet o f b a rk , th e sym bol o f m o u rn in g a n d d e v o tio n . It w as his daily p ractice to re p a ir to th e m o u n ta in , w ith a c h ie fs rattle in his h a n d , to sing and p ra y , as M a q u in a in fo rm ed m e, for th e fish to c o m e into th e ir w aters. W hen n o t th u s em p lo y ed , he k e p t c o ntinually a t h o m e, ex cep t w hen sent for to sing and p erfo rm his cere m o n ie s over th e sick, bein g con sid ered as a sacred c h ara cte r, a n d o n e m uch in favour w ith th e ir gods. T h ese p e o p le a re rem ark ab ly healthful, a n d live to a very

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adv an ced age, h aving q u ite a y o u th fu l a p p e a ra n c e for th e ir years. T h ey have scarcely a n y disease b u t th e colic, th eir rem edy for w h ic h is fric tio n , a p e rs o n r u b b in g th e b o w e ls o f th e sic k v io ­ le n tly , u n til th e p a in h a s s u b s id e d , w h ile th e c o n ju re r, o r h o ly m a n , is e m p lo y e d , in th e m e a n tim e , in m a k in g his g e s tu re s , singing, a n d re p ea tin g c ertain w o rd s, a n d blow ing o ff th e evil sp irit, w hen th e p a tie n t is w ra p p ed u p in a b earsk in , in o rd e r to p ro d u c e p e rsp iratio n . T h e ir c u re for th e rh e u m a tism , o r sim ilar pains, w hich I saw applied by M a q u in a in th e case o f T h o m p so n , to w hom it gave relief, is by cuttin g o r scarifying th e p a rt affected. In dressing w o u n d s, they sim ply w ash th em w ith salt w a ter, and b in d them up w ith a strip o f c lo th , o r th e b ark o f a tree. T h ey are, how ever, very e x p ert a n d successful in th e c u re o f fractu red o r d islocated lim bs, red u cin g th em very dex tero u sly , a n d , a fte r bin d in g th em up w ith b a rk , su p p o rtin g th em w ith blocks o f w o o d , so as to p res­ erve th e ir p o sitio n . D u rin g th e w hole tim e I w as a m o n g th e m , but five n a tu ra l d e a th s o ccu rred , T o o to o sch a n d his tw o infant ch ild ren , a n infant son o f M a q u in a , a n d th e slave w hom I have m en tio n ed , a c ir­ cu m sta n ce n o t a little re m a rk a b le in a p o p u latio n o f a b o u t fifteen h u n d re d ; a n d as respects c h ild -b irth , so light d o they m a k e o f it, th a t I h a v e seen th e ir w o m en , th e d a y afte r, em ployed as usual, as if little o r n o th in g h a d h ap p en e d . T h e N o o tk ia n s in th eir c o n d u c t to w a rd s each o th e r a re in general pacific a n d inoffensive, a n d a p p e a r by no m ea n s an ill-tem pered race, fo r I d o n o t recollect any instance o f a violent qu a rre l betw een any o f th e m en , o r th e m en a n d th e ir wives, w hile I w as w ith th em , th a t o f Y ealth lo w er excepted. B ut w hen they are in th e least offended, they a p p e a r to be in th e m ost violent rage, acting like so m an y m aniacs, fo am in g at th e m o u th , kicking a n d sp ittin g m o st furiously; but this is ra th e r a fashion w ith them th an a d e m o n stra tio n o f m alignity, as in th eir public speeches they use th e sam e v iolence, a n d he is e steem ed th e g re atest o ra to r w ho baw ls th e lou d est, sta m p s, tosses h im self a b o u t, foam s, a n d spits th e m ost. In sp eak in g o f th e ir reg u latio n s, I have o m itted m en tio n in g th a t, on a tta in in g th e age o f se v e n te en , th e eldest son o f a c h ie f is con sid ered as a c h ie f him self, a n d th a t w henever th e fa th e r m akes a p re sen t, it is alw ays d o n e in th e n a m e o f his eldest so n , o r, if he has n o n e , in th a t o f his d a u g h te r. T h e chiefs frequently p u rc h ase 4 4 th at is, m ake the first presentation o f bridc-w ealth; “ purchase” is an in ap p rop riate w ord here.

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th eir wives a t th e age o f eight o r te n , to p rev en t th eir being engaged by o th e rs, th o u g h th ey do n o t ta k e them fro m their p a re n ts until they are sixteen. W ith regard to clim ate, th e g re a te r p a rt o f th e spring, su m ­ m er, a n d a u tu m n is very p lea sa n t, th e w eath er being a t n o tim e oppressively h o t, a n d th e w in ters unco m m o n ly m ild for so high a latitu d e , at least, as far as m y experience w ent. A t T ash ee s and C o o p tee , w here w e passed th e coldest p a rt o f th e se a so n , the w in ter did n o t set in till late in D ecem b er, n o r have I e v er yet know n the ice, even on th e fresh -w ater p o n d s, m o re th a n tw o or th ree inches in thickness, o r a snow exceeding fo u r inches in d e p th ; but w h at is w an tin g in snow , is am p ly m ad e up in ra in , as I have frequently know n it, d u rin g th e w in te r m o n th s, rain alm ost incessantly for five o r six days in succession.

14. Arrival of the Brig “ Lydia” stratagem of the Author - Its Success I t w as now past m id su m m er, a n d th e hopes w e had indulged o f o u r release b ecam e d aily m o re fa in t, for tho u g h w e had h e ard o f no less th an seven vessels on th e co ast, yet n o n e a p p e a re d inclined to v en tu re to N o o tk a . T h e d e stru ctio n o f th e B oston , th e largest, strongest, a n d best e q u ip p e d ship, w ith th e m ost valuable carg o o f any th a t had e v er b e e n fitte d fo r th e N o r th - W e s t tr a d e , h a d in s p ire d th e c o m m a n d ers o f o th e rs w ith a general d re ad o f c o m in g th ith e r, lest they should share th e sam e fate; a n d th o u g h in th e letters I w rote (im p lo rin g those w ho should receive them to c o m e to the re lief o f tw o u n fo rtu n a te C h ristia n s w ho w ere suffering a m o n g h e ath en ), I stated th e cause o f th e Boston's c a p tu re , a n d th a t th ere w as not th e least d a n g e r in com ing to N o o tk a , p ro v id ed they w ould follow th e d irec tio n s 1 laid d o w n , still I felt very little e n co u ra g e ­ m en t th a t any o f these letters w ould com e to h a n d ; w hen, o n the m o rn in g o f th e 19th o f July, a day th a t will b e ever held by m e in g rateful rem e m b ra n c e o f th e m ercies o f G o d , w hile I w as em ployed w ith T h o m p so n in forging d aggers for th e k ing, m y ears w ere saluted w ith th e jo y fu l so u n d o f th ree can n o n , a n d the c rie s o f th e in h a b ita n ts , e x c la im in g " 'W e e n a , weena M a m eth-lee!" - th a t is, “ S tran g ers W hite m e n !” Soon after, several o f o u r p e o p le c am e ru n n in g into the house, to inform m e th a t a vessel u n d e r full sail w as com ing into th e h a rb o u r. T h o u g h m y h e art b o u n d e d w ith jo y , I repressed m y feelings, a n d , affecting to pay no a tte n tio n to w h at was said , told T h o m p so n to be on his g u a rd , a n d not b e tra y any jo y , as o u r release, a n d p e rh a p s o u r lives, d e p en d e d o n o u r cond u ctin g o u r­ selves so as to ind u ce th e natives to su ppose we w ere not very an x io u s to leave th em . W e c o n tin u e d o u r w ork as if noth in g had h a p p en e d , w hen, in a few m in u te s after, M a q u in a cam e in, a n d , seeing us a t w ork, ap p ea red m uch su rp rise d , and asked m e if did n o t k n o w th a t a vessel had com e. I answ ered in a careless m a n n e r, th a t it w as no th in g to m e. “ H ow , J o h n ,” said he, “ you n o g lad go b o a rd ? ” I replied th a t I cared very little a b o u t it, as I had becom e reconciled to their

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m an n e r o f living, and had no w ish to g o aw ay. H e th en told m e th a t h e had called a council o f his p eople respecting us, a n d th a t w e m ust leave o ff w ork a n d b e p resen t a t it. T h e m en having assem bled a t M a q u in a ’s h ouse, he asked th em w hat w as th eir o p in io n should be d o n e w ith T h o m p so n and m yself, now a vessel h a d a rriv e d , and w h e th er he had n o t b etter go on b o a rd him self, to m a k e a trad e, a n d p ro c u re such articles as w ere w a n ted . Each o n e o f th e trib e w ho w ished, gave his o p in io n . Som e w ere for p u ttin g us to d e a th , and p re te n d in g to th e stran g ers th a t a differen t n a tio n h a d c u t o ff th e B o sto n ; while o th ers, less b a rb aro u s, w ere for sending us fifteen o r tw enty m iles back into th e c o u n try , until th e d e p a rtu re o f th e vessel. T hese, how ever, w ere th e sen tim en ts o f th e c o m m o n people, th e chiefs o pposing o u r being p u t to d e a th , o r injured, a n d several o f th em , a m o n g th e m ost forw ard o f w hom w ere Y ealth lo w er and th e young c h ie f T o o w in n ak in n ish , w ere for im m ediately releasing us; but this, if he could avoid it, by no m eans a p p e a re d to accord w ith M a q u in a ’s w ishes. H aving m en tio n ed T o o w in n ak in n ish , I shall briefly observe th a t he w as a yo u n g m an o f a b o u t tw en ty -th ree y ears old, the only son o f T o o p ee sh o ttee , th e oldest a n d m o st respected c h ie f o f th e trib e . H is son h a d alw ays been re m a rk ab ly kind a n d friendly to m e, a n d I had in retu rn frequently m a d e for him daggers, cheeto lth s, a n d o th e r things, in m y best m a n n e r. H e w as o n e o f the h a n d so m est m en a m o n g th e m , very am iable, and m u ch m ild er in his m an n e rs th an any o f th e o th ers, as well as n e ater b o th in his p e rso n a n d h ouse, at least his apartm ent,- w ith o u t even excepting M a q u in a. W ith reg ard , how ever, to M a q u in a ’s going on b o a rd the vessel, w hich he discovered a stro n g in clin atio n to d o , th ere was but o n e o p in io n , all re m o n stra tin g a gainst it, telling him th a t the c a p ta in w o u ld kill him o r k e e p h im p ris o n e r, in c o n s e q u e n c e o f his having destro y ed o u r ship. W hen M a q u in a had heard their o p in io n s, he told them th a t he w as n o t afraid o f being h u rt from going on b o a rd th e vessel, b u t th at he w ould, how ever, as it respected th at, be guided by Jo h n , w hom he had alw ays found tr u e . H e th e n tu rn e d to m e , a n d a sk e d m e if 1 th o u g h t th e re w ould be a n y d a n g e r in his going on b o a rd . I answ ered, th at I w as n o t su rp rised a t the advice his p eople had given h im , u n a c ­ q u a in te d as they w ere w ith th e m an n e rs o f th e w hite m en , and ju d g in g them by th eir ow n; b u t if they had been w ith them as m u ch as I h ad , o r even him self, they w ould think very different. T h at he had alm ost alw ays ex p erienced g o o d and civil trea tm e n t from th em , n o r had he any reaso n to fear th e c o n tra ry now , as

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they nev er a tte m p ted to harm th o se w ho did n o t injure th em ; and if he w ished to go on b o a rd , he m ight d o it, in m y o p in io n , with security. A fte r reflecting a few m o m en ts, he said, w ith m uch a p p a re n t satisfactio n , th at if I w ould w rite a letter to th e c ap tain , telling him g o o d o f him , th a t he h a d tre a te d T h o m p so n and m yself kindly since we had been w ith him , a n d to use him well, he w ould go. It m ay easily be supposed th a t I felt m uch jo y a t this d e te rm i­ n a tio n , b u t, k n ow ing th a t th e least in cau tio n m ight a n n ih ilate all m y hopes o f escape, w as careful not to m anifest it, and to treat his g oing o r staying as a m a tte r perfectly indifferent to m e. I told him th a t, if he w ished m e to w rite such a le tte r, I had no objectio n , as it w as th e tru th , oth erw ise I could n o t have d o n e it. I then p roceeded to w rite th e re co m m e n d a to ry letter, w hich th e re ad e r will n atu rally im agine w as o f a so m e w h a t different te n o r from th e o n e he had re q u ire d ; for if d e ce p tio n is in any case w a rran ta b le , it w as certainly so in a situ atio n like ours, w here th e only ch an ce o f regaining th a t freedom o f w hich w e had been so unjustly d e p riv e d , d e p en d e d u p o n it; a n d I tru st th a t few, even o f th e m ost rigid, will c o n d em n m e w ith severity for m aking use o f it, on an occasion w hich a ffo rd e d m e th e only ho p e o f ever m o re b eholding a C h ristia n c o u n try , a n d preserving m yself, if not from d e a th , at least from a life o f c o n tin u e d suffering. T h e letter w hich I w rote w as nearly in th e follow ing term s: -

T O C A P T A IN _______ O F T H E B R IG _______ N o o t k a , J u ly 1 9 , 1 8 0 5 . T h e b e are r o f this letter is th e Indian king by the nam e o f M a q u in a. H e w as th e instigator o f th e c a p tu re o f th e ship B o sto n , o f B oston, in N o rth A m erica, Jo h n Salter, c a p ta in , an d o f th e m u rd e r o f tw e n ty -fiv e m e n o f h e r c re w , th e tw o o n ly survivors being now on sh o re - W h erefo re I h o p e you will tak e care to confine him a ccording to his m erits, p u ttin g in y o u r d ead-lights, and keeping so g o o d a w atch o v er him , th a t he c a n n o t escape from y ou. By so d o in g , we shall be able to ob tain o u r release in the course o f a few hours. S

ir ,

R . J e w i t t , A rm o u r e r o f th e "B oston," f o r h im se lf , a n d J o h n T h o m p s o n , S a il-m a k e r o f th e s a id ship. J

ohn

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I have been asked how I d a re d to w rite in this m an n er: m y answ er is, th a t from m y long residence a m o n g these p eo p le, I knew th a t I had little to a p p reh e n d from th eir a n g er on hearing o f th eir king being confined, w hile they knew his life d e p en d e d up o n m y release, a n d th a t they w ould so o n e r have given up five h u n d re d w hite m en , then have had him injured. T h is will serve to explain th e little ap p reh e n sio n I felt at th eir m enaces afterw ards, for o therw ise, sw eet as lib erty w as to m e, I sho u ld h ardly have ven tu red on so h aza rd o u s an ex p erim en t. O n m y giving th e letter to M a q u in a, h e asked m e to explain it to him . T h is I d id line by line, as he p o in ted them o u t w ith his finger, but in a sense very differen t from th e real, giving him to u n d e rsta n d th a t I had w ritten to th e c ap tain th at, as he h a d been kin d to m e since I had been tak e n by him , th a t it w as m y wish th a t th e c ap tain should tre a t him accordingly, and give him w hat m olasses, biscuit, and ru m he w an ted . W hen I had finished, placing his finger in a significant m an ­ ner on m y n a m e a t th e b o tto m , and eyeing m e w ith a look th a t seem ed to read m y in m o st th o u g h ts, he said to m e, “ Jo h n , you no lie?” N ever did I u n d e rg o such a scrutiny, o r ever experience g re a te r a p p reh e n sio n s th a n I felt at th a t m o m e n t, w hen m y des­ tiny w as su sp en d e d on th e slightest th re a d , and the least m ark o f em b a rra ssm e n t o n m ine, o r suspicion o f trea ch e ry on his part, w ould p ro b a b ly have ren d ere d m y life th e sacrifice. F o rtu n a te ly I w as ab le to preserve m y c o m p o su re, a n d m y being p a in te d in th e In d ia n m an n e r, w hich M a q u in a h a d since m y m arriag e req u ired o f m e, p re v en ted any change in m y c o u n te ­ n an ce from being n oticed, a n d I replied w ith c onsiderable p ro m p ­ titu d e , loo k in g a t him in m y tu rn , w ith all th e c onfidence I could m u ster, “ W hy d o y o u ask m e such a q u e stio n , Tyee? H ave y o u ever k n o w n m e to lie?” “ N o .” “ T h en how can you su p p o se I should tell you a lie now , since I have never d o n e it?” A s I w as sp eak in g , h e still c ontinued looking at m e w ith the sam e p iercing eye, b u t, observing nothing to excite his suspicion, h e told m e th a t he believed w h a t I said w as tru e, a n d th a t he w ould go on b o a rd , a n d gave o rd e rs to get read y his canoe. H is chiefs again a tte m p te d to d issu ad e him , using, every a rg u m e n t fo r th a t p u rp o se , w hile his wives crow ded a ro u n d h im , begging him on th e ir knees n o t to tru st h im self w ith th e w hite m en. F o rtu n a te ly for m y c o m p a n io n and m yself, so stro n g w as his w ish o f going on b o a rd th e vessel, th a t h e w as d e af to th eir so licitations, a n d , m ak in g no o th e r reply to th em th an

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“ J o h n no lie ,” left th e house, tak in g four p rim e sk in s w ith him as a p re sen t to th e c ap tain . Scarcely had th e c an o e p u t off, w hen he o rd e re d his m en to sto p , an d , calling to m e, asked m e if I did n o t w an t to go on b o a rd w ith him . Suspecting this as a q u e stio n m erely in ten d ed to e n sn are m e, I replied th a t I h a d no w ish to d o it, n o t having any desire to leave th em . O n g oing on b o a rd the brig, M a q u in a im m ediately g av e his p re sen t o f skins and m y letter to th e c a p ta in , w ho, on read in g it, asked him into th e cab in , w here h e gave him so m e biscuit an d a glass o f ru m , a t th e sam e tim e privately d irectin g his m ate to go fo rw ard, a n d re tu rn w ith five o r six o f th e m en arm e d . W hen they a p p e a re d , th e c ap tain told M a q u in a th a t he w as his p riso n er, a n d should c o n tin u e so , until th e tw o m en , w hom he k n e w to be on sh o re , w ere released, a t th e sam e tim e o rd e rin g him to be p u t in irons, a n d th e w indow s secured, w hich w as instantly d o n e , and a cou p le o f m en placed as a g u a rd over him . M a q u in a w as greatly surprised and terrified a t this recep tio n ; he, how ever, m ad e no a tte m p t to resist, b u t req u ested th e c ap tain to perm it o n e o f his m en to com e and see him . O ne o f them w as a c c o rd ­ ingly called, and M a q u in a said som eth in g to him w hich the c ap tain did not u n d e rstan d , but su p p o sed to b e a n o rd e r to release us, w hen, th e m an re tu rn in g to th e canoe, it w as p ad d led o ff w ith th e u tm o st ex p en d itio n to th e shore. A s th e c an o e a p p ro ac h ed , th e in h ab itan ts, w ho had all col­ lected upon th e beach, m anifested som e u neasiness at n o t seeing th eir king on b o a rd , b u t w hen, o n its arriv al, they w ere told th a t th e c ap tain had m ad e him a p riso n e r, and th a t Jo h n had sp o k e bad a b o u t him in th e letter, they all, b o th m en a n d w o m en , set up a lo u d how l, a n d ran b ack w ard s and forw ards upon th e shore like so m an y lunatics, scratching th e ir faces, a n d tearin g th e h air in handfuls from th eir heads. A fter they had beat a b o u t in this m a n n e r for som e tim e , th e m en ran to th eir h u ts fo r th e ir w eapons, as if p re p arin g to attack a n invading enem y; w hile M a q u in a ’s wives and th e rest o f th e w o m e n c a m e a ro u n d m e , a n d , th ro w in g th e m se lv e s o n th e ir k nees, begged m e w ith tea rs to sp a re his life; and S at-sat-sok-sis, w ho k e p t constantly w ith m e, tak in g m e by th e h a n d , w ept b itterly , a n d jo in e d his e n tre aties to theirs, th a t 1 w ould not let th e w hite m en kill his father. I told th em n o t to afflict them selves, th a t M a q u in a ’s life w as in no d a n g er, n o r w ould the least harm b e d o n e to him . T h e m en w ere, how ever, extrem ely exasperated w ith m e, m o re p articularly th e co m m o n p e o p le , w ho cam e running in the

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m o st fu rious m a n n e r to w ard s m e, b ran d ish in g th eir w eap o n s, and th rea te n in g to cu t m e in pieces no bigger th an th eir th u m b -n a ils, w hile o th ers declared they w ould b u m m e alive over a slow fire su sp en d ed by m y heels. A ll th is fury, how ever, caused m e but little a larm , as I felt c onvinced they w ould n o t d a re to execute th eir th rea ts w hile th e king w as on b o a rd th e brig. T h e chiefs to o k no p a rt in this violent c onduct, but cam e to m e, a n d inq u ired th e reason why M a q u in a had been th u s treated , a n d if the c ap tain intended to kill him . I told them th a t if they w ould silence th e p eople, so th a t I co u ld be h e ard , I w ould explain all to th em . T hey im m ediately p u t a sto p to th e noise, w hen I inform ed them th a t th e c a p ta in , in confining M a q u in a, had d o n e it only in o rd e r to m ak e them release T h o m p so n and m yself, as h e well knew w e w ere w ith them ; a n d if they w ould d o th a t, th eir king w ould receive no injury, b u t be well trea te d , o th erw ise he w ould be k e p t a p riso n er. A s m an y o f them did not a p p e a r to be satisfied w ith this, and began to re p ea t th eir m u rd e ro u s th rea ts - “ Kill m e ,” said I to th e m , “ if it is y o u r w ish,” thro w in g o pen th e bearskin w hich I w ore. “ H ere is m y breast. I am only o n e a m o n g so m an y , and can m ake no resistance; b u t unless you w ish to see y o u r king h an g in g by his neck to th a t p o le ,” p o in tin g to th e y a rd -a rm o f the brig, “ a n d th e sailors firing at him w ith bullets, y o u will not do it.” “ O h n o ,” w as th e general cry, “ th a t m ust never be; b u t w hat m ust we d o ? ” I told th em th a t th eir best p lan w ould be to send T h o m p so n on b o a rd , to d e sire th e c ap tain to use M a q u in a well till I w as released, w hich w ould be so o n . T his they w ere perfectly w illing to d o , and i directed T h o m p so n to go on b o a rd . But he objected, saying th a t he w ould not leave m e a lo n e w ith the savages. I told him not to be u n d e r any fear for m e, for th a t if I could get him off, I could m an a g e well en o u g h for m yself; and th a t 1 w ished him , im m ediately on g e ttin g on board th e brig, to see th e c ap tain , a n d request him to keep M a q u in a close till I was released, as I w as in no d a n g e r while he had him safe. W h en 1 saw T h o m p so n off, I asked th e natives w h at they intended to d o w ith m e. T hey said I m ust talk to th e c ap tain ag ain , in a n o th e r letter, a n d tell him to let his b o a t c o m e on sh o re w ith M a q u in a , and th a t I should be ready to ju m p in to the b o a t at the sam e tim e M a q u in a should ju m p on sh o re. I told them th at th e c a p ta in , w ho knew th a t they had killed m y sh ip ­ m ates, w ould nev er tru st his m en so n e ar th e sh o re, for fear they could kill them to o , as they w ere so m uch m o re n u m ero u s, but th a t if they w ould select any th ree o f th eir n u m b e r to go w ith m e

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in a can o e , w hen we c am e w ithin hail, I w ould desire th e cap tain to send his boat w ith M a q u in a, to receive m e in exchange for him . T h is a p p ea red to please th em , a n d a fte r som e w hispering a m o n g th e chiefs, w ho, from w h at w ords I o v e rh ea rd , concluded th a t if th e c ap tain should refuse to send his b o a t w ith M a q u in a, the th ree m en w ould have no difficulty in b ringing m e back w ith th em , they agreed to m y p ro p o sa l, a n d selected th ree o f th eir sto u test m en to convey m e. F o rtu n a te ly , having been for som e tim e accustom ed to see m e a rm e d , and suspecting no design on m y p a rt, they p a id no a tte n tio n to th e p istols th a t I had a b o u t m e. A s I w as g o in g in to th e c an o e , little S at-sat-sok-sis, w ho could not b e ar to p a rt w ith m e, asked m e, w ith a n affecting sim plicity, since I w as going aw ay to leave him , i f th e w hite m en w ould n o t let his fath er com e o n sh o re , and n o t kill him . I told him n o t to b e co n cern ed , for th a t no o n e should in ju re his father, w hen, tak in g an affectionate leave o f m e, a n d again begging m e not to let th e w hite m en h u rt his fa th e r, he ran to c o m fo rt his m o th e r, w ho w as a t a little d istan c e, w ith th e assurances I had given him . O n e n te rin g th e can o e , I seated m yself in th e p ro w facing th e th ree m en , h aving d e te rm in e d , if it w as practicab le, from th e m o m e n t I fo u n d M a q u in a w as se c u re d , to g et on b o a rd th e vessel before h e w as released, hop in g by th a t m eans to b e en ab led to o b ta in th e re sto ratio n o f w hat p ro p e rty belonging to th e B oston still rem ain ed in th e possession o f th e savages, w hich I th o u g h t, if it could be d o n e , a d u ty th a t I ow ed to th e ow ners. W ith feelings o f jo y im possible to b e described did I q u it th e savage shore, c o n fid e n t now th a t n o th in g co u ld th w a rt m y escape, o r p revent th e execution o f th e plan th a t 1 h a d fo rm ed , as th e m en a p p o in te d to convey a n d g u a rd m e w ere arm ed w ith n o th in g but th eir paddles. A s w e cam e w ithin hail o f th e brig, they a t once ceased paddling, w hen, presen tin g m y p istols a t th em , I o rd e re d them instantly to go o n , o r I w ould sh o o t th e w hole o f th em . A pro ceed in g so w holly unexpected th rew them into g re a t c o n ste rn a ­ tio n , a n d , resum ing th eir p addles, in a few m o m e n ts, to m y inexpressible d elight, I once m o re found m yself a longside o f a C h ristian ship, a h a ppiness w hich I h a d alm ost d esp aired o f ever again enjoying. All th e crew cro w d ed to th e sid e to see m e as th e c an o e cam e up, and m anifested m u ch jo y a t m y safety. I im m e d i­ ately leaped on b o a rd , w here I w as w elcom ed by th e c a p ta in , Sam uel H ill, o f th e brig L y d ia o f B oston, w ho c o n g ratu la ted m e

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on m y escape, inform ing m e th a t he h a d received m y letter o f K lo iz -z a rt1 from th e c h ie f M ach ee U latilla, w ho c am e o ff h im self in h is c a n o e to d e liv e r it to h im , o n w h ic h h e im m e d ia te ly p ro ceed ed h ith e r to aid m e. I re tu rn e d him m y th an k s in th e best m a n n e r I could for his h u m a n ity , th o u g h I h a rd ly knew w h at 1 said , such w as th e a g ita te d sta te o f th an k fu ln ess to th e S uprem e Being w ho h a d so m ercifully preserv ed m e, a n d g ra titu d e to those w h o m H e had ren d ered in stru m e n tal in m y delivery, th a t I have no d o u b t th a t, w h at w ith m y stra n g e d ress, being p a in te d w ith red an d black from h e ad to fo o t, having a b e arsk in w ra p p ed a ro u n d m e, a n d m y long h a ir, w hich 1 w as n o t allow ed to c u t, fastened on th e to p o f m y head in a large bun ch , w ith a sprig o f green sp ru c e, I m ust have a p p e a re d m o re like o n e d e ran g e d th an a ra tio n al c rea tu re , as C a p ta in Hill a fte rw a rd s told m e th a t he nev er saw an y th in g in th e fo rm o f m an look so wild as I did w hen I first cam e on b o ard . T h e c ap tain then asked m e into th e cab in , w h e re I found M a q u in a in iro n s, w ith a g u a rd o v e r h im . H e looked very m elan ­ choly, but on seeing m e his c o u n te n a n c e b rig h ten ed up, and he expressed his pleasu re w ith th e w elcom e o f " W o c a sh , J o h n ," w h en , tak in g him by th e h a n d , I a sk e d th e c a p ta in ’s perm ission to ta k e o ff his irons, assuring him th at, as I w as w ith h im , th ere w as no d a n g e r o f his being in th e least tro u b le so m e . H e a c c o rd ­ ingly c o n se n te d , a n d I felt a sincere pleasu re in freeing from fetters a m an w ho, th o u g h h e had caused th e d e a th o f m y p o o r co m ra d es, had nevertheless alw ays pro v ed m y friend a n d p ro tec ­ to r, a n d w h o m I had req u ested to b e th u s tre a te d , only w ith a view o f securing m y liberty. M a q u in a sm iled, and a p p e a re d m uch pleased a t this m ark o f a tte n tio n from m e. W h en I h a d freed the king from his irons, C a p ta in Hill w ished to learn th e pa rticu la rs o f o u r c ap tu re, observing th a t a n a cco u n t o f th e d e stru ctio n o f the sh ip a n d h e r crew h a d been received at B oston b e fo re h e sailed, b u t th a t n o th in g m o re w as kn o w n , except th a t tw o o f th e m en w e re liv in g , fo r w h o se r e s c u e th e o w n e rs h a d o ffe re d a lib e ral rew ard, a n d th a t h e h a d been ab le to get n o th in g o u t o f th e old m an , w hom th e sailors h a d supplied so plentifully w ith g ro g as to b ring him to o m uch by th e h e ad to give any in fo rm a tio n . I gave him a c o rre c t sta te m e n t o f th e w hole p roceeding, to g eth e r w ith th e m a n n e r in w hich m y life a n d th a t o f my c o m ra d e had been preserved. O n h earin g m y story, h e w as greatly irrita te d a gainst M a q u in a , a n d said h e o u g h t to b e killed. I observed th a t, how ever ill he m ig h t have acted in tak in g o u r ship, 1 an o th er spelling variant o f C lahousat.

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yet th a t it m ight p e rh a p s be w rong to ju d g e an u n in fo rm e d savage w ith th e sa m e severity as a civilised p e rso n , w ho h a d th e light o f religion a n d th e law s o f society to g u id e h im . T h a t M a q u in a ’s c o n d u ct in tak in g o u r sh ip arose from an insult th a t h e th o u g h t he h a d re c e iv e d fro m C a p ta in S a lte r, a n d fro m th e u n ju s tifia b le c o n d u ct o f so m e m asters o f vessels w ho h a d ro b b e d h im , and, w ith o u t p ro v o c atio n , killed a n u m b e r o f his p e o p le . B esides, th at a regard fo r th e safety o f o th e rs o u g h t to p re v en t his b ein g put to d e a th , as I had lived long en o u g h w ith th ese p e o p le to know th a t revenge o f an injury is held sacred by th e m , a n d th a t they w ould n o t fail to retaliate, should w e kill th e ir king, on th e first vessel o r b o a t’s crew th a t should give them a n o p p o rtu n ity ; a n d th a t, th o u g h he m ig h t c o n sid er executing him as b u t a n act o f ju stic e , it w ould p ro b a b ly cost th e lives o f m an y A m ericans. T h e c ap tain a p p e a re d to b e c onvinced from w h a t I said o f th e im policy o f tak in g M a q u in a ’s life, a n d said th a t h e w ould leave it w holly w ith m e w h e th er to sp a re o r kill h im , as h e w as resolved to in cu r no cen su re in e ith e r case. I replied th a t I m ost certainly should never ta k e th e life o f a m an w ho h a d preserved m in e, had I no o th e r re aso n , b u t as th ere w as so m e o f th e B o sto n ’s p ro p e rty still re m a in in g o n sh o re , I c o n sid ere d it a d u ty th a t I o w e d to th o se w h o w ere in terested in th a t sh ip , to try to save it for th em , a n d w ith th a t view I th o u g h t it. w ould be well to keep h im on bo a rd till it w as given u p . H e co n cu rre d in this p ro p o sa l, saying, if th e re w as a n y o f th e p ro p e rty left, it m ost certain ly o u g h t to be got. D u rin g this co n v ersatio n M a q u in a w as in g re a t anxiety, as, from w h at E nglish he kenw , he perfectly co m p re h en d e d th e su b ­ jec t o f o u r d e lib e ra tio n ; co n stan tly in te rru p tin g m e to in q u ire w h at w e h a d d e te rm in e d to d o w ith h im , w h a t th e c ap tain said , if his life w ould b e sp a red , a n d if I d id n o t th in k th a t T h o m p so n w ould kill him . I pacified him as well as I w as able, by telling him th a t h e had n o th in g to fear from th e c a p ta in , th a t he w ould not b e h u rt, a n d th a t if T h o m p so n w ished to kill him , h e w ould not be allow ed to d o it. H e w o u ld then re m in d m e th a t I w as in d eb te d to him for m y life, a n d th a t I o u g h t to d o by him as he had d o n e by m e. I assured him th a t such w as m y in te n tio n , a n d 1 req u ested him to re m a in q u iet, a n d n o t ala rm him self, as no harm w as in te n d e d h im . But I found it extrem ely difficult to convince him o f th is, as it acco rd ed so little w ith th e ideas o f revenge e n te rta in ed by th e m . I told h im , ho w ev er, th a t h e m ust re sto re all th e p ro p e rty still in his possession belonging to th e ship. T h is he w as perfectly read y to d o , h a p p y to escap e on such term s. B ut as it w as now p a st five, a n d to o late fo r th e articles to be

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collected a n d b ro u g h t off, I told him th a t he m ust c o n te n t him self to rem ain o n b o a rd w ith m e th a t nig h t, a n d in th e m o rn in g he sho u ld be set on sh o re as so o n as th e things w ere delivered. T o this h e agreed, on c o n d itio n th a t I w ould rem ain w ith him in the cab in . I th en w ent u p o n d eck , a n d th e c an o e th a t b ro u g h t m e having been se n t back, I hailed th e in h a b ita n ts a n d told th em that th e ir king h a d ag reed to stay on b o a rd till th e next d ay , w hen he w ould re tu rn , b u t th a t no c an o e s m ust a tte m p t to com e n e a r the vessel d u rin g th e n ig h t, as th e y w o u ld b e fire d u p o n . T h e y a n sw e red , “ W oho, w oho" - V ery well, very w ell.” I then re tu rn e d to M a q u in a , but so g re a t w ere his terro rs, th a t h e w ould n o t allow m e to sleep, c o n stan tly d istu rb in g m e w ith his q u e stio n s, a n d re p ea tin g , “ Jo h n , y o u k now , w hen you w as alo n e, a n d m o re th a n five h u n d re d m en w ere y o u r enem ies, I w as y o u r frien d , a n d p re v en ted th em from p u ttin g y o u and T h o m p so n to d e a th , a n d now I a m in th e p o w e r o f y o u r friends, y o u o u g h t to d o th e sam e by m e .” I assured him th a t h e w ould be d e ta in e d on b o a rd no longer than w hilst th e p ro p e rty was released, a n d th a t as so o n as it w as d o n e , h e w ould be set at liberty. A t d a y b rea k I hailed th e natives, a n d told th em th a t it was M a q u in a ’s o rd e r th a t they sh o u ld b ring o ff th e c an n o n and a n ch o rs, a n d w hatever rem ain ed w ith th em o f th e carg o o f the ship. T h is they set a b o u t d o in g w ith th e utm o st e x p ed itio n , tra n s­ p o rtin g th e c an n o n a n d an ch o rs by lashing to g e th e r tw o o f their largest can o es, a n d covering th em w ith plan k s, a n d in th e course o f tw o ho u rs they delivered e verything on b o a rd th a t I could recollect; w ith T h o m p s o n ’s a n d m y chest, c o n ta in in g th e p a p ers o f th e sh ip , etc. W h en ev erything b elonging to th e sh ip h a d been restored, M a q u in a w as p e rm itte d to re tu rn in his canoe, w hich had been sent for him , w ith a p resen t o f w h at sk in s he had collected, which w ere a b o u t sixty, for th e c a p ta in , in a ck n o w led g m en t o f his having sp ared his life, a n d allow ed him to d e p a rt u n h u rt. Such w as also th e tra n sp o rt h e felt w hen C a p ta in Hill cam e in to th e c ab in , a n d told him th a t he w as a t liberty to g o , th a t he th rew o ff his m an tle, w hich consisted o f fo u r o f th e very best skins, a n d gave it to him as a m ark o f his g ra titu d e ; in re tu rn for w hich th e c ap tain p resen ted him w ith a new g re atco a t a n d hat, w ith w hich h e a p p e a re d m u ch delig h ted . T h e c ap tain th en desired m e to inform him th a t he sh o u ld re tu rn to th a t p a rt o f th e coast in N o v e m b er, a n d th a t h e w ished him to keep w h at sk in s he sho u ld get, w hich h e w ould buy o f h im . T h is M a q u in a pro m ised , saying to m e a t th e sam e tim e , “ J o h n , y o u know I shall b e then

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a t T ashees, b u t w hen y o u com e, m a k e p o w ,” w hich m eans, fire a g u n , “ to let m e know , a n d I will c o m e d o w n .” W h en h e c am e to th e side o f th e brig, h e sh o o k m e cordially by th e h a n d , a n d told m e th a t h e h o p e d I w ould com e to see him again in a big ship, and b ring m uch plen ty o f b lan k e ts, biscuit, m olasses, a n d rum , for him a n d his son, w h o loved m e a g re at deal; a n d th a t he w ould keep all th e furs h e got fo r m e, o bserving a t th e sam e tim e, th a t h e sh o u ld never m o re ta k e a le tte r o f re co m m e n d a tio n from any o n e, o r ever tru st h im self o n b o a rd a vessel unless 1 was th ere. T h en , grasping b o th m y h a n d s w ith m uch e m o tio n , w hile th e tea rs trickled dow n his cheeks, h e b a d e m e farew ell, a n d stept into th e c an o e , w hich im m ediately p a d d le d him on shore. N o tw ith stan d in g m y jo y a t m y deliverance, a n d th e pleasing a n tic ip a tio n I felt o f o n c e m o re b e h o ld in g a civilised c o u n try , and again being p e rm itte d to offer u p m y d e v o tio n s in a C h ristia n ch u rch , 1 could n o t av o id experien cin g a p ainful se n sa tio n on p a rtin g w ith th e savage chief, w h o h a d preserved m y life, a n d in general tre a te d m e w ith kindness, a n d , c o n sid erin g th eir ideas and m an n ers, m uch b e tte r th an could have been expected. M y pleasu re w as also greatly d a m p e d by a n u n fo rtu n a te accident th a t o ccurred to T o o w in n a k in n ish . T h a t interesting yo u n g c h ie f h a d c o m e on b o a rd in th e first c an o e in th e m o rn in g , a n xious to see a n d c o m fo rt his king. H e w as received w ith m uch k in d n ess by C a p ta in H ill, from th e fav o u rab le a cc o u n t I gave o f h im , a n d invited to rem ain on b o a rd . A s th e m uskets w ere d elivered, h e w as in th e cabin w ith M a q u in a , w here w as a lso the c ap tain , w h o , on receiving th em , sn a p p e d a n u m b e r in o rd e r to try th e locks; unluckily o n e o f th em h a p p en e d to b e loaded w ith sw an sh o t, a n d , going off, d ischarged its c o n te n ts into th e body o f p o o r T o o w in n ak in n ish , w ho w as sittin g o p p o site. O n h earin g th e re p o rt, 1 instantly ran into the c ab in , w here I fo u n d him w eltering in his b lo o d , w ith th e c a p ta in , w ho w as greatly shocked at th e a ccident, e n d ea v o u rin g to assist him . W e ra is e d him u p , a n d d id e v e ry th in g in o u r p o w e r to a id and com fort him , telling him th a t w e felt m uch g rieved a t his m isfo rtu n e, a n d th a t it w as w holly u n in te n tio n a l; this h e told m e he w as perfectly satisfied of, a n d w hile w e dressed a n d b o u n d up his w ounds, in th e best m an n e r w e co u ld , h e b o re th e pain w ith g re at calm ness, a n d , bid d in g m e farew ell, w as p u t on b o a rd one o f th e c an o e s and ta k e n on sh o re , w here, a fte r languishing a few days, he expired. T o m e his m isfo rtu n e w as a so u rce o f m uch affliction, as h e had no sh a re in th e m assacre o f o u r crew , w as o f a m o st a m ia b le c h a ra c te r, and h a d alw ays tre a te d m e w ith the g reatest kindness a n d hospitality.

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T h e brig being u n d e r w eigh, im m ed iately on M a q u in a ’s q u it­ ting us, w e p ro ceed ed to th e n o rth w a rd , constantly keeping the sh o re in sight, a n d touching a t v a rio u s places for th e p u rp o se o f trading. H aving alread y exceeded th e b o u n d s I h a d prescribed myself, I shall n o t a tte m p t any a cc o u n t o f o u r voyage u p o n th e c o ast, or a descrip tio n o f th e vario u s n a tio n s w e m et w ith in th e co u rse o f it, a m o n g w h o m w ere a p e o p le o f a very sin g u lar ap p ea ran c e, called by th e sailors th e W o o d en -lip s.2 T h ey have m an y skins, and* th e tra d e is principally m an a g ed by th e ir w o m en , w ho a re not only ex p ert in m ak in g a b a rg a in , b u t as dex tero u s in th e m an ag e­ m en t o f th eir canoes as th e m en a re elsew here. A fter a p e rio d o f nearly fo u r m o n th s from o u r leaving N o o tk a , w e re tu rn e d from th e n o rth w a rd to C o lu m b ia R iver, for th e p u rp o s e o f p r o c u rin g m a s ts , e tc ., fo r o u r b rig , w h ic h h a d su ffe re d ' co n sid erab ly in her sp ars d u rin g a gale o f w ind. W e p ro ceed ed a b o u t ten m iles up th e river to a sm all In d ian village, w here w e h e a rd from th e in h a b ita n ts th a t C a p ta in s C lark and L ew is, from th e U n ited S tates o f A m e ric a, had been th e re a b o u t a fortn ig h t b efo re, on th e ir jo u rn e y o v erlan d , a n d had left several m edals w ith th em , w hich they show ed u s.3 T he riv er at th is placeis o f c o n sid era b le b re a d th , a n d b o th sides o f it from its e n tra n ce covered w ith forests o f th e forests o f th e very finest p in e tim b e rs, fir, a n d sp ru ce, in terspersed w ith th e Indian settlem ents. F ro m th is place, a fte r pro v id in g ourselves w ith sp ars, we sailed for N o o tk a , w here w e a rriv e d in th e la tte r p a rt o f N o v e m ­ b e r. T h e trib e bein g a b se n t, th e ag reed signal w as given, by firing a can n o n , a n d in a few h o u rs a fte r a can o e a p p e a re d , w hich lan d ed a t th e village, a n d , p u ttin g th e king on sh o re, c am e o ff to th e brig. In q u iry w as im m ed iately m a k e by K in n eclim m ets, w ho w as o n e o f th e th ree m en in th e canoe, if Jo h n w as th e re , as th e king h a d so m e skins to sell th em if h e w as. I then w en t forw ard a n d invited th em on b o a rd , w ith w hich they readily com plied, telling m e th a t M a q u in a h a d a n u m b e r o f skins w ith him , but th a t he w ould n o t c o m e on b o a rd unless I w ould g o on sh o re for him . T h is I a g ree d to, p ro v id ed they w ould rem ain in th e brig in th e m ea n tim e. T o this they c o n se n te d , a n d th e c a p ta in , taking them into th e c ab in , tre a te d th em w ith b read and m olasses. I then 2 i.e. th e H aida. T he nam e “ w ooden-lips” derives from the Haida practice o f w earing labrets, oval w ooden discs inserted in a perfora­ tion in the lower lip. 3 probably th e village was one o f the C latsop groups o f the lower C olum bia.

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w ent on sh o re in th e can o e , n o tw ith sta n d in g th e rem o n stran ces o f T h o m p so n a n d th e c a p ta in , w h o , th o u g h h e w an ted th e skins, advised m e by no m ea n s to p u t m yself in M a q u in a ’s pow er; b u t I a s s u re d h im th a t I h a d n o fe a r as lo n g as th o s e m en w e re on bo ard . A s I lan d ed , M a q u in a cam e u p a n d w elcom ed m e w ith m uch joy: o n in q u irin g for th e m en, 1 to ld him th a t they w ere to rem ain till m y re tu rn . “ A h , J o h n ,” said he, “ I see y o u a re afraid to tru st m e, b u t if they h a d c o m e w ith y o u , I should n o t have h u rt you, th o u g h I should h a v e ta k e n g o o d care n o t to let you go on b o a rd o f a n o th e r vessel.” H e th en to o k his chest o f skins, a n d , ste p p in g into th e canoe, I p a d d le d him alo n g sid e th e brig, w here h e w as received a n d tre a te d by C a p ta in Hill w ith th e g re atest cord iality , w ho b o u g h t o f him his skins. H e left us m uch pleased w ith his re ce p tio n , inquiring o f m e how m an y m o o n s it w o u ld be b e fo re I sh o u ld c o m e b a c k a g a in to see h im a n d h is s o n ; sa y in g th a t he w ould keep all his furs for m e , a n d th a t as so o n as m y so n , w ho w as th en a b o u t five m o n th s old, w as o f a su itab le age to tak e from his m o th e r, he w o u ld send fo r h im , a n d ta k e care o f him as his o w n. A s s o o n as M a q u in a h a d q u itte d u s, w e g o t u n d e r w e ig h , a n d s to o d a g a in to th e n o r th w a rd . W e c o n tin u e d on th e c o ast until th e 11th o f A u g u st, 1806,4 w h en , having co m p le te d o u r trad e , w e sailed fo r C h in a , to th e g re a t jo y o f all o u r crew , and p a rtic u ­ larly so to m e. W ith a degree o f satisfactio n th a t I can ill express, d id I q u it a co ast to w hich 1 w as resolved n o th in g should again te m p t m e to re tu rn , a n d as th e to p s o f th e m o u n ta in s sank in th e blue w aves o f th e ocean, I seem ed to feel m y h e a rt lightened o f an op p ressiv e load. W e h a d a p ro sp e ro u s passage to C h in a , a rriv in g at M a c a o in D ecem b er, from w hence th e brig p ro ceed ed to C a n to n . T h e re I h a d th e g o o d fo rtu n e to m eet a to w n sm an a n d an old a c q u a in t­ an ce in th e m ate o f a n English E ast In d iam an , nam ed J o h n H ill, w hose fa th e r, a w ealthy m erc h an t in H ull in th e Baltic tra d e , was a n e x t-d o o r n e ig h b o u r to m in e. S hortly a fte r o u r arriv al, th e c a p ta in bein g o n b o a rd o f an E nglish ship, a n d m en tio n in g his 4 1806 m ay b e a m isprint for 1807, by inference from Jew itt's pre­ vious rem arks about the Lewis and C lark expedition. On the other h an d , Jew itt dates th eir d ep artu re from C hina as F ebruary. 1807. T he consistency in Jew itt’s dating argues against a m isprint. H e may sim ply have m ade an erro r o f a year during conversations with his editor, R ichard A lsop. In any case, the dates given by Jew itt for the d ep artu re o f th e Lewis and C lark expedition d o not accord well with the dates given in the jo u rn als o f that expedition.

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h aving had th e g o o d fo rtu n e to lib e rate tw o m en o f th e B o sto n 's crew from th e savages, a n d th a t o n e o f th em w as nam ed Je w itt, m y fo rm e r a c q u a in ta n ce im m ed iately c o m e on b o a rd th e brig to see m e. W o rd s can ill express m y feelings on seeing him . C ircu m ­ sta n ce d as I w as, a m o n g p erso n s w ho w ere e n tire stran g ers to m e, to m eet th u s in a foreign land w ith o n e betw een w hom and m yself a c o n sid era b le intim acy h a d su b sisted , w as a pleasu re th at those a lo n e w ho have been in a sim ilar situ atio n can p roperly estim ate. H e a p p e a re d on his p a rt no less h ap p y to see m e, w hom h e su p p o sed to be dead , as th e a cco u n t o f o u r cap tu re had been received in E ngland so m e tim e before his sailing, and all m y friends su p p o sed m e to have b e en m u rd ere d . F ro m this young m an 1 received every a tte n tio n a n d a id th a t a feeling h e art inter­ ested in th e fate o f a n o th e r could confer. H e supplied m e w ith a new suit o f clothes a n d a h a t, a sm all su m o f m oney for my n ecessary expenses, and a n u m b e r o f little articles for sea sto re s on m y voyage to A m erica. I also g av e him a letter fo r m y father, in w hich I m en tio n ed m y w o n d erfu l p reserv atio n and escape th ro u g h th e h u m an ity o f C a p ta in Hill, w ith w hom 1 should re tu rn to B oston. T h is letter he enclosed to his fa th e r by a sh ip th a t was ju s t sailing, in co n seq u en ce o f w hich it w as received m uch earlier th a n it oth erw ise w ould have b een . W e left C h in a in F e b ru a ry 1807, a n d , a fte r a p leasant voyage o f o n e h u n d re d a n d fourteen d a y s, a rriv e d a t B oston. M y feelings on once m o re finding m yself in a C h ristia n c o u n try , a m o n g a p e o p le sp eak in g th e sa m e language w ith m yself, m ay be m ore readily conceived than expressed. In th e p o st office in th a t place I fo u n d a letter fo r m e from m y m o th e r, acknow ledging th e receipt o f m in e fro m C h in a , e x p re s s in g th e g re a t jo y o f m y fa m ily on h earing o f m y being alive a n d well, w hom they had for a long tim e given up for d e ad , a n d req u estin g m e to w rite to th em on receiving h e r letter, w hich I accordingly d id . W hile in B oston I w as tre a te d w ith m uch kin d n ess a n d h o sp itality by th e ow ners o f th e sh ip B o sto n , M essrs. F ra n c is a n d T h o m a s A m o ry o f that place, to w hom I feel m yself u n d e r g re at ob lig atio n s for th eir g o o d n ess to m e, a n d th e a ssistan ce w hich they so readily afforded a stra n g e r in distress.

Original Appendix 1. T h e “ B o sto n ’s ” C rew N am es o f th e C rew o f th e S hip B o sto n , belonging to B oston in M assach u setts, o w ned by M essrs. F . a n d T . A m o ry , M erch an ts o f th a t place - All o f w hom , excepting tw o, w ere on th e 22nd o f M a rch , 1803, b arb aro u sly m u rd ere d by th e savages o f N o o tk a . John Salter, B. Delouisa, W illiam Ingraham , Edward T hom pson, A dam Siddle, Philip Brown, John D orthy, A braham W aters, Francis Duffield, John W ilson (blackm an) W illiam Caldw ell, Joseph M iner, W illiam Robinson, Thom as W ilson. Andrew- Kelly, Robert Burton, Jam es M ’Clay, T hom as Platten, T hom as N ew ton, Charles Bates, John Hall, Sam uel W ood, Peter A lstrom , Francis M arten, Jupiter Senegal (blackm an) John T hom pson, John R . Jew itt,

C aptain, C hief M ate. Second M ate. Boatswain. C arpenter. Joiner. Blacksmith. Steward. T ailor. Cook. Seam an. D itto. Ditto. Ditto. D itto. Ditto. D itto. D itto. D itto. D itto. Ditto. D itto. D itto. D itto. Ditto. Sail M aker, Philadelphia, who escaped - s in c e dead. A rm ourer, o f Hull (England),

o f Boston, D itto, o f New Y ork, o f Blyth (England), o f Hull, ditto, o f C am bridge (M ass.), o f Situate, ditto, o f Philadelphia, o f Penton (England), o f Virginia, o f Boston, o f N ew port, o f L eigh1 (Scotland), o f Air,-’ ditto. D itto, d itto . o f the Isle o f M an, o f D ublin, o f Blacknev. N orfolk, Eng. o f Hull. o f St. Jam es D eeping, Eng. o f Newcastle, o f G lasgow (Scotland), N orw egian, Portuguese,

the w riter o f the Journal from w hence this N arrative is taken, and w ho at present, M arch 1815, resides in M iddletow n, in the State o f C onnecticut. 1 Leith. 2 Ayr.

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I I. W a r-S o n g o f T h e N o o tk a T rib e C o m m en c in g w ith a C horus re p e a te d a t th e e n d o f each line. H a h -y ee h a h y a r h a r, h e y a r hah. H a h -y ah hee y a r h a r - h e y a r hah. lye ie ee y a h h a r - ee yie h ah . le y a r ee y a r h a h - ee y a r yah. le y a r ee I y a r y a r hah - Ie y a r ee yee yah! Ie-yee m a hi-chili at-sish K la -h a - H a h -y e-h ah . Q u e n o k a r p a rts arsh w aw - Ie yie-yar. W aw -h o o n a k s sa r hasch - Y a r-h a h . I-yar hee I-yar. W aw h o o naks a r hasch y ak -q u ee ts sish ni-ese, W aw h a r. H ie yee a h -h a h . R e p ea te d o v er a n d over, w ith g estu res a n d b ran d ish in g o f w e ap ­ ons. N o te. Ie -y e e m a hi-ch ill signifies, “ Y e d o n o t k n o w .” It a p p e a rs to be a p oetical m o d e o f expression, th e c o m m o n o n e for “ Y o u d o not k n o w ” bein g W ik -k u m -a ta s h ; from th is, it w ould seem th a t they have tw o languages, o n e for th e ir songs a n d a n o th e r for co m m o n use. T h e general m ean in g o f th is first sta n za a p p ea rs to be, “ Y e little know , ye m en o f K la h a r, w h at v aliant w arrio rs w e are. P oorly can o u r foes c o n te n d w ith us, w hen w e c o m e on w ith o u r d a g g ers,” etc. T h e N o o tk ia n s have no songs o f a n h istorical n a tu re , n o r do they a p p e a r to h av e any tra d itio n respecting th eir origin.

II I. A L ist o f W o rd s In th e N o o tk ia n Language, th e m o st in use. C heck-up ..................................................... M an. K loots-m ah.......................................................W om an. N oow exa, ......................................................F ather. H oom a-hexa, .............................................. M other. T anassis............................................................. Child. K atlahtik, ......................................................Brother.

ORI GI NAL APPENDI X

K loot-chem -up, . . Tanassis-check-up, Tanassis-kloots-m ah, T au-hat-se-tee, . . K assee......................... H ap-se-up, . . . . N eetsa......................... P arpce......................... Chee-chee.................. C h o o p ......................... K ook-a-nik-sa. . . Klish-klin................... O op-helth................... T ar-to o se.................... Sie-yah........................ T o o p - e l t h ,............... C ha-hak...................... M cet-la....................... Q ueece........................ N oot-chee, . . . . Kla-tur-m iss, . . . Een-nuk-see, . . . M ook-see................... M uk-ka-tee................ W ik.............................. H e - h o , ..................... K ak-koelth, . . . . M ah-hack.................. Klack-e-m iss, . . . Q u a r t - l a k , .............. C oo-coo-ho-sa, . . M oo-w atch................ S o-har......................... T oosch-qua................ Pow-ee........................ K loos-a-m it............... C hap-atz..................... O o-w ha-pa................. C hee-m e-na, . . . . C hec-m en................... Sick-a-m inny, . . . T ooph elth.................. C ham -m ass................ C ham -m as-sish, . . oot-sus, .................. C hce-pokes................ Hah-welks, . . . . N ee-sim -m er-hise, .

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Sister. Son. D aughter. Head. Eyes. Hair. Nose. Ears. Teeth. Tongue. Hands. Feet. Sun o r M oon. Stars. Sky. Sea. Fresh water. Rain. Snow. M ountain o r hilT. Earth. F ire or fuel Rock. H ouse. No. Yes. Slave. W hale. Oil. Sea-otter. Seal. Bear. Salmon. Cod. Halibut H erring. Canoe. Paddle. Fish-hook. Fish-hooks. Iron. Cloth. Fruit. Sweet o r pleasant to the taste. Powder. C opper. Hungry. Enough.

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C h a t- t a - y e k ,.................. Klick-er-yek, .............. Q u ish-ar............................ M a r - m e t - t a ,.................. Pook-shit-tle..................... Een-a-qui-shit-tle, . . . A r - t e e s e ,......................... M a-m ook-su-m ah, . . Sm ootish-check-up, . . C ha-alt-see k lat-tur wah, M a-k o o k ........................... K ah-ah-pah-chilt, . . . 0 0 -n a h Iy ah -ish ............................ K o-m m e-tak.................... 1-yee.m a h a k , .............. E m -m a-chap..................... K le-w har, ...................... M ac-kam -m ah-sish, . . K ah-ah-coh....................... Sah-w auk, ...................... A t t - l a , ............................. K at-sa, ......................... M o o h................................. Soo-chah........................... N o o -p o o ............................ A t-tle-poo......................... A t-lah-quelth.................... Saw -w auk-quelth, . . . Hy-o, ............................. S a k - a i t z , ......................... Soo-jew k........................... H y-e-oak, ......................

Knife o r dagger. Rings. Sm oke. G oose o r duck. T o blow. T o kindle a fire. T o bathe. To go to fish. W arrior. G o off, o r go away. T o sell. G ive m e som ething. How m any. M uch. I understand. I do not understand. T o play. T o laugh. D o you want to buy. Bring it. O ne. Tw o. Three. F our. Five. Six. Seven. Eight. N ine. Ten Tw enty. O ne hundred. O ne thousand.

O RI GI NAL APP ENDI X

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N o te s to J e w i t t ’s A ppendices It is difficult in m any cases to follow Je w itt’s o rth o g ra p h y , but checking his list o f “ N o o tk ia n w o rd s” a gainst N o o tk a n a n d C h i­ n o o k Ja rg o n d ictio n aries show s th a t a n u m b e r o f th e w ords in his list are in fact C h in o o k Ja rg o n . A t least th e follow ing fifte e n ' glosses given by Je w itt are d e finitely C h in o o k Ja rg o n o r co n ta in Ja rg o n affixes: w om an child sister son d a u g h te r nose w ater no iron to go to fish to sell m uch I u n d e rstan d do y o u w an t to buy bring it. T rib a l and P la c e nam es

Place:

T ribal:

Je w itt’s gloss C o o p te e K laiz-zart T ash ees A i-tiz-zarts A h -o w z-arts A ytch-arts C a y -u -q u ets E squi-ates K lahars K la-izz-zarts K la -o o -q u a tes M ich-la-its M o-w atch-its N eu -ch ad -lits N eu-w it-ties N ew chem ass

M o d e rn equivalent ? C lah o u sat T ahsis E hetisat A h o u sat E chachats? K ayoquot H esq u iat K lahoose? K lah o u sats C lay o q u o t M u ch lat M oachat N u c h atlet N e w h ittie ?

T H E A D V E N T U R E S A N D S U F F E R I N G S O F J O H N R. J E W I T T

Savin-nars S ch o o -m ad -its S uth-setts W ick an n ish o r W ick an n in ish

? ? Seshat P ro b ab ly n o t a tribal n a m e , b u t ra th e r th a t o f th e c h ie f identified by M eares (1788) as having political d o m in a tio n o v e r the te rrito ry betw een C lay u q u o t S ound in th e n o rth to N itin a t in the so u th .

Editor’s Appendix A: “ T h e P o o r A rm o u re r B oy, A S o n g 1” N o th ru sh th a t e ’e r p ip ’d its sw eet note from the thorn W a s so g lad so m e a n d lively as m e, “ T ill lu r ’d by fa lse c o lo u rs , in life ’s bloom ing m orn I tem p ted m y fo rtu n e a t sea. M y fa th e r he w ept a s his blessing he gave, W h en I left him “ m y tim e to em ploy In c lim a te s re m o te on th e ru d e o c ea n w ave, B eing but a p o o r A rm o u rer Boy. W h ilst a m id st e ac h new scene th ese “ m ax im s o f o ld ” U pheld m e w hen g rie f did o p p re ss; T h a t a fa ir re p u ta tio n is b e tte r th a n gold, And c o u rag e will co n q u er d istre s s: “ S o co n ten ted I b ra v ’d th e rude s to rm , dry o r w et, B uoy’d up w ith h o p e s” lig h t p a in te d to y , In th in k in g th a t F o rtu n e w ould c e rta in ly yet D eign to sm ile on th e A rm o u re r Boy. W ith o u r sh ip , on re tu r n , w ith rich e s full fra u g h t, W e h o p ’d soon fo r B oston to ste e r, M y h e a rt it w ith e x sta c y le a p ’d a t th e th o u g h t, “ M y e y es d ro p p ’d through p le a su re a t e a r .” “ B u t, a la s ! ad v erse fa te so h a r d ” and untrue “ D id ail these gay p ro sp e cts d e s tro y ” , F o r b u rn ’d w as o u r ship and m u rd e r’d o u r crew , A nd w ounded th e A rm o u re r B oy. F o r a long tim e in pain and sick n ess I p in ’d , W ith no one to feel fo r m y w oe, No m o th e r, m y w ounds, a s she s o o th ’d m e, to bind, N o siste r h e r a id to bestow ! By sav a g es fierce fo r y e a rs held a sla v e, D id a fflictio n m y p o o r h e a rt a n n o y , T ill H o p e d ro p p ’d h e r a n c h o r a t la s t on th e grave A s th e b irth o f the A rm o u rer Boy.

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From sla v ’ry e s c a p ’d , I , jo y fu l, once m ore H a il’d a civ iliz’d la n d , b u t alone And a s tra n g e r w as I on a fa r-d ista n t shore From th a t w hich m y childhood had know n. “ I f such be life ’s fa te , w ith e m o tio n I c rie d ,” O f so rro w so g re a t th e a llo y ; “ H eav en g ra n t th a t sole blessing th a t n e ’e r is d e n ie d .” T o the frien d less P o o r A rm o u re r Boy!

1 A discussion o f this broadside and Richard A lsop’s relationship to it m ay be found in Edm ond S. M eany Jr.. “ T he L ater Life o f Jo h n R. Jew itt.” B ritish C olum bia H istorical Q uarterly, vol. 4 no. 3 (1940), pp. 143-161.

Editor’s Appendix B T E X T O F T H E P L A Y B IL L A D V E R T IS IN G T H E A R M O U R E R S E S C A P E , 1817.' P hilad elp h ia T h ea tre , Illu m in ated w ith G a s. F rid a y Evening, M a rc h 21, 1817. W ill be p resen ted a fa v o u rite C o m ed y , called the

BUSY BODY. Sir G coijc Airy. Sir Francis G ripe, M arplot, (w ith the epilogue.) Charles, Sir Jealous Traffic, W hisper, Mr. Barren. M r. Burke. M r. W ood. M r. Abercrom bie. Mr. Francis. M r. T . Jefferson. Butler, Servant to Sir Francis. Servant to Sir Jealous. M iranda, Isabinda, Patch. Sccniwell. M r. H alhw ell. [M S. to m .) [M S. to m .j M rs. Entwisle. M rs. Jefferson. M rs. Francis. M rs. Jackson. AFTER W H IC H ,

NEVER PERFORM ED, W IL L BE PRESENTED A N E W HISTORICAt MELQ-DRAMA, IN TW O ACTS, C A LLED THE

a r m o u r e r ’s e s c a p e

;

O r, th re e years a t N o o tk a Sound. [ F o u n d e d o n th e in te re s tin g n a r ra tiv e o f J o h n R. Jew itt-, a rm o u re r o f th e S hip B oston, c ap tu red by th e Savages at N o o tk a . In th is little D ra m a, is a tte m p te d a n a cc u rate sketch o f th is u n fo rtu n a te circu m stan ce; th e sufferings a n d perils o f Je w itt a n d his c o m p a n io n s, a n d th e ir pro v id en tial escape. A t th e sam e tim e p a in s have been ta k e n to represent faithfully th e costum e, m an n ers, cerem o n ies a n d su p e rstitio n s o f these e x tra o rd in a ry p e o p le , by as rigid an ad h ere n ce to the n a rra ­ tive as th e stage will p e rm it.]

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T he M U S IC co m piled a n d a rra n g e d by M r. Lefolle. T h e N ew Scenes a n d D e c o ra tio n s by M essrs. W arren a n d R einagle, a n d th e D resses by M r. H a rb au g h a n d assistants. THE DANCES C orrectly g o t up by

M

r

. F

u n d e r th e d irectio n o f

r a n c is

J

e w it t

M

r

.

.

T he p a rt o f th e A rm o u re r w ill be p e rfo rm e d b y J . R . J e w itt. C aptain o f the Boston. T h e Mate, T hom pson, M r. Robertson. Mr. Jackson. M r. Jefferson. Sailor. Sailors, & c. Mr. Hathwell. N A T IV E S . M aquina, (king o r th e N o o t k i a n s ,) ............................................................ T yee. (the prince, h is s o n . ) ........................................................................... Yealth Lower, (brother to the k i n g . ) ......................................................... T ootooch , (a ch ief warrior.) ....................................................................... M achee U tilla. (king o f th e K liz z a r ts .)..................................................... K inneclim m ets, (the k in g's b uffoon.) ..................................................... Indian C hiefs.......................................................................................................... A reom ah............................................................................................................. Y uqua. (her sister, a W ickinnish p r i n c e s s .) ...................................... Indian W om en. Children. & c „ & c THE

. . . . Mr. Barrett. M aster J. Jefferson. ...............M r. W illis. . . . M r. Steward. . Mr. T . Jefferson. M r. A bercrom bie. .............. (M S . torn .| . . M rs. Jefferson. . . . M rs. Harris.

P R IN C IP A L S C E N E S A R E : — S C E N E F IR S T ,

A B a y n e a r th e V illage o f N o o tka . T h e ship B oston is seen lying a t an ch o r, C lose to sh o re, a n d m o o red to a tree. In this scene is exhibited th e treach ery o f M a q u in a a n d his people; th e d e stru ctio n o f th e crew , except J o h n R. Je w itt, and T h o m p so n . SCENE SEC O N D ,

V iew o f P a rt o f th e Village o f N o o tk a . T h e artifice by w hich J e w i t t a tte m p ts to preserve T h o m p s o n ’ s life is successful. Scene 3d, a w o o d . T h e p a rt o f th e crew w hich had lan d e d for p rovisions, surprized & sla u g h te red by th e savages.

e d i t o r ’s a p p e n d i x b

141

SCENE FOURTH,

In te r io r o f M a q u in a 's H ouse. T he king, his chiefs, a n d w om en assem bled. In this scene will be a tte m p ted a n a cc u rate re p re se n tatio n o f th e S in g u l a r C

ustoms

F u n e ra l

C

and

C

e r em o n ie s

e r e m o n ie s

o v er th e

scene

f if t h

of the

Body

of a

N

o o t k ia n s

C

.

h ie f,

,

T h e Village o f N o o tk a . T h e M o o n in E c l i p s e - t h e c o n ste rn a tio n o f th e n atives, & c. D u rin g th e scene th e sh ip is discovered a t a d istan c e, o n f i r e , a n d is w holly c o n su m ed . A n a tte m p t to a tta c k th e N o o tk ia n s, By th e A y ch arts (a n eig h b o u rin g trib e ,) w ho a re discovered and d e fea te d ; th e ir m o d e o f a p p ro ac h accurately re p resen ted , & c. c t S e c o n d , S c e n e F i r s t , T h e N o o tk ian s, d u rin g this scene, e n te r fantastically d ressed, in th e h a b its o f th e m u rd ere d crew , a n d p a rt o f th e goo d s belonging to th e ship, a rm e d aw kw ardly w ith guns, pistols, &c.

A

A P rocession o f th e K la izza rts, A m o re civilized n a tio n , h ead e d by M ach ee U tilla th e ir k ing, (by w hose frien d sh ip Je w itt w as en ab led to c o m m u n ica te to his deliverers his situ a tio n ,) follow ed by som e o f th e W ykinnish, E squates, A ttiz a rts, C ay u q u its, a n d o th e r trib e s, a rm e d w ith clubs, bow s, a n d arrow s. T he L ud icro u s C e re m o n ies o f th e Bear. A

W

ar

D

ance

by th e N o o tk ian s.

JEW IT T, TH E ARMOURER,

S in g s th e N o o tk ia n W ar Song. is com pelled to select a W i f e , a n d chooses the Princess Y u q u a . D ance o f y o u n g N o o tk ia n girls. C hiefs en ter, m ask ed w ith heads o f anim als, to carry them o ff th e girls a re rescued, a n d a general D a n ce succeeds. T

he

A

rm ourer

Last scenc,

the sh o re.

A N A M E R IC A N B R IG , AT A LITTLE DISTANCE.

142 M

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a q u i n a is seized by th e C a p ta in , as a hostag e for th e safety o f th e A rm o u re r & T h o m p so n , W h o are a t length released, and M a q u in a restored.

E n d o f th e M e lo -D r a n ta th e S o n g o f th e A r m o u r e r B o y , W IL L BE SUNG B Y MR. JEW IT T .

Box O n e D o llar - Pit 75 cents - G allery 50 C en ts. T h e d o o rs will b e o p en ed a t h a lf p a st 5, a n d th e c u rta in rise at h a lf p a st 6 o ’clock.

1 A discussion o f this play-bill an d the play it advertises may be found in Edm ond S. M eany Jr.. " T h e L ater Life o f John R . Je w itt," British Colum bia H istorical Q uarterly, vol. 4, no. 3 ( 1940), pp. 143-161.

Suggestions for Further Reading A. C a p tiv ity N a rra tiv e s N o ra h S tory lists a n u m b e r o f C a p tiv ity N a rrativ es u n d e r her en try by th a t title in The O x fo r d C om panion to C anadian H is­ to ry a n d L ite r a tu r e (O xford U niversity Press, 1967). T hese and others are given in th e follow ing list, roughly in chronological order, w ith m y ow n b rie f a n n o ta tio n s. 1. R ad isso n , P ie rre-E sp rit, “ T h e R e la tio n o f m y V oyage, being in B ondage in th e L an d s o f th e Iro k o its, w hich w as th e next ye are after m y com ing into C a n a d a , in th e y e are 1651, th e 24th d a y o f M a y ,” in V oyages o f P e te r E sp rit R adisson. P u b lica­ tio n s o f th e . P rin c e S o c iety x v i (N e w Y o rk : B u rt F r a n k lin , 1885), (rep rin ted 1967). R adisson a n d b ro th er-in -la w M e d a rd C h o u a rt (b e tte r know n by his assum ed titled S ie u r d e s G ro seilliers - o r sim ply des G ro seilliers) w ere F ren ch a d v e n tu re rs, explorers, a n d tra d e rs w ho played a n in stru m e n tal role in th e early days o f th e H u d s o n ’s Bay C o m p an y . T h is n a rra tiv e tells o f R a d isso n ’s captiv ity by th e Iro q u o is o n his first voyage. It co n tain s m an y o b serv atio n s on Iro q u o is m an n e rs a n d custom s. L ike Je w itt, he experienced a progressive in itiatio n into th e social life o f his captives. R adisson w rote in E nglish. T h e original m an u scrip ts are in th e B odleian L ib ra ry a n d th e B ritish M u seu m . A m od ern ized a n d e d ited text T h e E xp lo ra tio n s. o f P ierre E sp rit R adisson A rth u r T . A d a m s, ed ito r; L oren K allsen, m o d ern ize r w as p u b lish ed by R o ss a n d H a in es, Inc. M in n e ap o lis, in 1961. 2. G yles, Jo h n , M e m o irs o f O d d A d ven tu res, S tra n g e D eliver­ ances, etc. in th e C a p tiv ity o f J o h n G yles, E sq., C o m m a n d er o f th e G arrison on S t. G eo rg e's R iv er (B o sto n [N ew E ng­ lan d ]: S. K n e ela n d a n d T . G re e n , 1936 [O riginally published 1736]). T h is is an a cc o u n t o f G y le s’ captivity a m o n g th e M alecite In d ian s o f N ew B runsw ick in th e late sev en teen th c en tu ry . It has a p p ea red in several e d itio n s since first p u b licatio n : eg. C incin n ati: Spiller a n d G a te s . 1869; S ain t Jo h n , N .B .: D aily T eleg rap h y S team J o b Press, 1875.

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3. T a n n e r, J o h n , A N a rra tive o f th e C a p tiv ity a n d A d ve n tu res o f J o h n T a n n er D uring T h ir ty Years R esid en ce a m o n g the In d ia n s in th e In te rio r o f N o rth A m e ric a , ed. E dw in Ja m es (N e w Y ork: G . a n d C . a n d H . C arvill, 1830). T a n n e r w as c a p tu re d in K en tu ck y in 1789 by th e S aulteaux. H e lived w ith this g ro u p in th e ir extensive w an d erin g s until 1816. In th a t y e ar he cam e to th e R ed R iver S ettlem ent as g u id e to L ord S elkirk, w h o eventually effected T a n n e r’s reu n io n w ith his fam ily. T h e re is a G e rm a n tran sla tio n by K arl A n d re e, published in L eipzig by W . E ngelm ann in 1840, and a F ren ch tra n sla tio n by E rnest de Blosseville, pu b lish ed in P aris by A . B e rtra n d , 1835. 4. B aker, C h a rlo tte A lice, T ru e S to rie s o f N ew E n g la n d C a p ­ tives carried to C anada D u rin g th e O ld F rench a n d Indian W ars (C a m b rid g e, M ass.: E. a n d A . H ollan d C o., 1897). T h is is a series o f sto ries a n d a n ec d o te s concerning those c a p tu re d by In d ian s betw een ca. 1675 a n d 1760 d u rin g sk ir­ m ishes betw een th e F ren ch a n d vario u s In d ia n g ro u p s. T his w ork w as c o n tin u e d a n d e x p an d ed by E m m a Lew is C o le ­ m an , C h a rlo tte B akers a ssista n t (cf. 5 below ) 5. C o le m a n , E m m a Lew is, N e w E n gland C aptives C a rrie d to C anada b etw een 1677 a n d 1760 D uring th e F rench a n d Indian W a rs, 2 vols. (P o rtla n d , M aine: S o u th w o rth Press, 1925). 6. D ra k e , Sam uel G a rd n e r, T ragedies o f th e W ilderness; or T rue a n d A u th e n tic N a rra tiv es o f C aptives C a rried a w a y b y th e In d ia n s f r o m th e various F rontier S e ttle m e n ts (B oston: A n tiq u a ria n B ookstore a n d In stitu te , 1841). B ased on historical m aterials, som e o f d o u b tfu l a u th en ticity . S om e very early acco u n ts a re given, eg. th a t o f th e S p an iard Jo h n O rtiz, cap tiv e a m o n g In d ian s in F lo rid a for eleven y ears. O rtiz d ied ca. 1543. D ra k e tends to em phasize the horrific, eg. to rtu re . O th e r ed itio n s by th e sam e pu b lish er a p p ea red in 1844, and 1846. D ra k e pub lish ed profusely on N ew E ngland historical m atters, a n d e d ited for re publication historical w o rk s by C o tto n a n d Increase M a th er. H e did a lot o f w o rk on th e F re n c h -In d ia n w ars o f th e eig h teen th cen tu ry , a n d p ro d u ced o th e r such w orks on Indians as P rin ­ cipal E ven ts in th e L ife o f th e Indian C h ie f B ra n t (1849); The O ld Indian C hronicle . . . ( 1836); In d ia n B iography, C o ntaining th e L ives o f M o re th a n T w o H u n d red Indian C h iefs . . . (1832, and o th e r eds.) T ragedies o f the W ilderness . . . is p ro b a b ly b e tte r know n by th e m an y e d itio n s en titled Indian C aptivities; or. L ife in the W igw am . . .

S UG G E S TI O N S FOR F URT HE R READI NG

147

7. S hea, Jo h n D aw son G ilm a ry , P erils o f th e O cean a n d W il­ derness; or. N arratives o f S h ip w re c k a n d Indian C a ptivity. G leaned f r o m E a rly M issio n a ry A n n a ls (B oston: P. D o n ah o e , 1856, 1857). T h is is a syn th etic w o rk , sh ow ing strongly S h e a ’s ow n in te r­ ests a n d disp o sitio n s. It h a s a stro n g “ m arty ro lo g ic al” cast, consistently w ith his extensive p u b lic a tio n o f such ite m s as L iv es o f th e S a in ts . . . (m any e ditions); H isto ry o f th e C a th ­ o lic M issio n s a m o n g the In d ia n Tribes o f th e U nited S ta te s, 1529-1854 (several e ditions); The J e su its, R eco llects, a n d the In d ia n s (1856); T h e L in co ln M e m o ria l; a R e c o rd o f the L ife , A ssa ssin a tio n , a n d O bsequies o f the M a r ty r e d P resi­ d e n t (1865). H e w ro te on o th e r Indian th em es, such as The In d ia n Tribes o f W isconsin (1857), a n d did som e w o rk on relatio n s betw een C a n a d a a n d th e U n ited S ta te s, eg. a tra n s­ latio n o f G a b riel D ruillettes S. J . J o u rn a l o f a n d E m b a ssy f r o m C anada to th e U n ited C olonies o f N e w E ngland, in 1650. (1857), an th e intriguing W h y is C anada n o t a P a rt o f th e U nited S ta te s'? (1889, 1890). 8. G o w an lo ck , T h ere sa , a n d T h ere sa D elaney, T w o M o n th s in the C a m p o f Big B ear: th e L ife a n d A d ve n tu res o f T heresa G ow an­ lo c k a n d T heresa D e la n ey (P a rk d ale : T im es O ffice, 1885). T h is is an a c c o u n t, slightly hysterical a n d in dignant in places to m y taste, o f a captivity d u rin g th e N o rth W est R ebellion o f 1885. 9. B rodie, N eil, T w elve D a y s w ith th e Indians, M a y 14-26 M a y 1885; bein g h is E xp e rien c e s in P o u n d m a k e r's C am p D uring th e R eb ellio n o f 1885 (B a ttlefo rd , S askatchew an H e r ­ a ld .\9 3 2 ). L ike th e G o w a n lo c k /D e la n e y a cco u n t (7 S u p ra ) this account is so m e w h a t in flam m ato ry , but fascinating as a n insight to “ race re la tio n s” in this critical p e rio d in C a n a d a ’s histo ry o f dealings w ith native peoples. B. E x p lo re r and C a p tiv ity J o u r n a ls a s L ite ra tu re 1. H o d g so n , M aurice, “ In itia tio n a n d Q uest: E arly C a n ad ian J o u rn a ls ,” C anadian L ite r a tu r e , no. 38 (A u tu m n 1968), pp. 29-40. T h is is a n article in a v o lu m e c o n ta in in g o th e rs ex p lo rers such as D avid T h o m p so n a n d A lex an d er zie. H odgson m akes in terestin g c o m p a riso n s a n d betw een th e literary form s o f exp lo rer (“ q u e st” ) and

on early M acken­ co n trasts captivity

148

T H E A D V E N T U R E S A N D S U F F E R I N G S O F J O H N R. J E W I T T

(" in itia tio n ” ) n arrativ es, using Sam uel H e arn e a n d Jo h n Je w itt as p rincipal exam ples. H od g so n a p p are n tly m istakes th e a u th o rsh ip o f Je w itt’s N a rra tiv e seem ingly u n a w are o f R ich ard A lso p ’s role. 2. H o p e w o o d , V ictor G ., “ E xplorers by Sea: T h e W est C o a st,” in L ite r a ry H isto ry o f C anada: C anadian L ite ra tu re in E ng­ lish, ed. C arl G . K linck (T o ro n to : U niversity o f T o ro n to Press, 1965), p p . 41-51. T h is is a n interesting a n d very valuable survey o f m o st o f th e e x p lo re r’s na rra tiv e s (a t least th e m ajo r ones) on th e N o rth ­ w est C o ast. T h ere is a sh o rt discussion o f Je w itt’s N arrative on p . 50. 3. M eany, E d m o n d S., J r ., “ T h e L ater Life o f Jo h n R . Je w ­ itt,” B ritish C olum bia H isto ric a l Q u a rte rly , vol. 4 , no. 3 (1940), pp. 143-161. Je w itt gives som e a cc o u n t o f his early life in th e first c h ap ter o f th e N arrative. M e a n y ’s m o st valuable a n d fascinating w ork traces Je w itt’s b io g rap h y from his rescue in 1805 until his d e a th in 1821, p ro v id in g valuable m aterial on Je w itt’s rela tio n sh ip to R ich ard A lso p and others. 4 . H a rrin g to n , K arl P., R ic h a rd A lsop: A " H a r tfo r d W it" (M id d leto w n , C o n n ecticu t: M a tta b esett Press, 1939), pp. 117-138. Je w itt’s N a rra tive w as R ich ard A lso p ’s last literary w ork. H a rrin g to n gives invaluable detail on th e p re p a ra tio n o f the text, its relatio n sh ip to th e Jo u rn a l, a n d d etails on th e revi­ sions A lsop p ro p o se d for a radically revised e d itio n , w hich never a p p ea red . 5. H o d g so n , M a u rice , “ T h e E xp lo ratio n Jo u rn a l as L ite ra ­ tu re ,” The B eaver O u tfit 298 (W in te r 1967), p p . 4-12. 6. A tw o o d , M a rg are t, Survival: A T h e m a tic G uide to C anadian L ite ra tu re (T o ro n to : A n an si, 1972). 7. H ow ay, F . W ., “ T h e E arly L ite ra tu re o f th e N o rth w est C o a st,” P roceedings a n d T ra n sa ctio n s o f th e R o y a l S o c ie ty o f C anada Series 3., vol. 18, section 2 (1924), pp. 1-31. A n a p p a re n tly little-know n article, this is a m ajo r a n d th o r­ ough survey o f early Pacific C o a st exp lo rer a n d tra d e r litera­ tu re. D escriptive ra th e r th a n analytical, it is nevertheless o f g re at value. C . T h e “ H a r tf o r d ” o r “ C o n n e c tic u t” W its, E x p ec ia lly R ich ard A lsop 1. H a rrin g to n , K arl

P.,

R ic h a rd A lso p : A

" H a r tfo r d

W it"

S U G G E S T I ON S FOR F URT HE R RE A D I NG

149

(M id d leto w n , C o n necticut: 1938). (A re p rin t w ith a n in tro ­ d u ctio n by A lex an d er C o w ie w as pu b lish ed by W esleyan U n iv ersity Press, M id d leto w n , C o n n e cticu t, 1969). 2. P a rrin g to n , V ernon L ., J r., T h e C o n n e cticu t W its. F orew o rd by K e n n eth S ilverm an (N ew Y o rk , C row ell, 1969). A re p rin t o f the first e d itio n . S ilv erm an ’s fo rew ord and P a rrin g to n ’s original in tro d u c tio n p ro v id e useful b a ck g ro u n d . A list o f o th e r w orks o n th e C o n n e cticu t w its to 1969 is given on p. xxi D . H isto ric a l and E th n o g ra p h ic W o rk s on the N o rth w e st C o a st and th e N o o tk a . 1. H ow ay, F . N ., “ E arly D ays o f th e M a ritim e F u r-T ra d e on th e N o rth w e st C o a st,” C anadian H isto ric a l R eview , vol. 4 (1923), p p . 26-44. 2. H ow ay, F . W ., “ Indian A ttac k s u p o n M a ritim e T ra d e rs o f th e N o rth w e s t C o a s t, 1 7 8 5 -1 8 0 5 ,” C a n a d ia n H is to r ic a l R eview , vol. 6 (1925), p p . 287-309. T h e experience o f Je w itt’s sh ip , th e B oston, w as n o t u n iq u e o r e x ceptional. R e la tio n s betw een In d ian s and m aritim e fu r-tra d e rs w ere often vio len t a n d b ru ta l. T h is article su m m a ­ rizes a w ide ran g e o f n a rra tiv e s and sources th o ro u g h ly o u t­ lining th e sta te o f affairs. 3. H ow ay, F . W ., “ A L isting o f T ra d in g Vessels in th e M a ri­ tim e F u r T rad e 1785-1807, “ P roceedings o f th e R o y a l S o c ie ty o f C anada, Series 3, vol. 25, section 2 (1931), p. 44. D a ta on m o st o f th e co astal vessels are g iven. Je w itt’s ship, th e B oston, is listed on p . 44. 4 . ' D ru c k er, Philip, The N o rth e rn a n d C e n tra l N o o tk a n Tribes. B ureau o f A m e ric an E th n o lo g y Bulletin 144 (W ash in g to n : S m ith so n ian , 1951). D ru c k ers’ is th e basic co m p reh en siv e so u rce on N o o tk a n e th n o g rap h y . 5. M cK elv ie, B .A ., M a q u in n a th e M a g n ific e n t (V ancouver: V ancouver D a ily P rovince, 1946). M a q u in n a (th ere a re several spellings o f his n am e) w as chief o f th e g ro u p o f N o o tk a w ho held Je w itt captive. H e a p p ea rs in o th e r N o rth w e st C oast n arrativ es, including th a t o f C a p ­ tain C o o k , M eares, and Q u a d ra . M a q u in n a is now a legend­ ary figure a m o n g In d ian s a n d n o n -In d ia n s a l i k e - a C a n ad ian Pacific S team sh ip vessel w hich plied th e w a ters o f V ancouver Islan d ’s w est coast w as n a m e d a fte r h im . T h is is a “ p o p u ­ la r,” b u t ra th e r fascinating a cc o u n t o f him .

150

T H E A D V E N T U R E S A N D S U F F E R I N G S O F J O H N R. J E W I T T

6. S p ro a t, G . M ., S c e n e s a n d S tu d ie s o f Sa va g e L ife (L o n d o n : 1868). S p ro a t lived in th e A lb e m i a re a o f V ancouver Island, w here m an y N o o tk a n Indians w ere cen tred in th e n in ete en th cen ­ tu ry . H e to o k a n avid interest in th eir m an n e rs and custom s. H is w ork c o n ta in s interesting o b serv atio n s on a p e rio d o f intensive a cc u ltu ra tio n o f th e N o o tk a , but is so m etim es alm o st un b earab ly “ p re ac h y ” a n d m oralistic. 7. D uff, W ilson., The Indian H isto ry o f B ritish C o lu m b ia , Vol. 1, “ T h e Im p ac t o f th e W hite M a n ” A n th ro p o lo g y in British C o lu m b ia M e m o ir no. 5 (V ictoria: P rovincial M u seu m o f B ritish C o lu m b ia , 1964). T h is is a d etailed study o f p o p u latio n tre n d s from th e m ari­ tim e fur tra d e to th e p re sen t, a n d a co m p reh en siv e stu d y o f th e tren d s o f social a n d eco n o m ic change. 8. M c F e a t, T o m ., Indians o f th e N o rth P a c ific C o a st, C arleto n L ibrary no. 25 (T o ro n to : M cC lelland a n d S tew art, 1966). T h is collection o f readings on N o rth w e st C o a st In d ian social o rg a n iz atio n p o tlatch , stra tifica tio n , cerem onialism , social c o n tro l, and cultural e th o s re p rin ts m aterial on the N o o tk a by Je w itt, S p ro a t, and D ru ck er. It is a very useful collection, e sp e­ cially since it brings to g eth e r som e o f th e key articles on the “ ra n k a n d c la ss” d e b a te n e c e ssa ry to u n d e rs ta n d in g th e N o o tk a . 9 . M u rd o c k , G e o rg e P ., E th n o g r a p h ic B ib lio g r a p h y o f N o r th A m e r ic a (N e w H a v en : H u m a n R e la tio n s A re a F ile s P re ss, 1972). U n d e r th e e n try “ N o o tk a ” th e re is a co m p reh en siv e b ibliog­ ra p h y o f th e N o o tk a including th e M a k a h o f C ap e F lattery . 10. W ike, Jo y ce, “ Problem s in F u r T ra d e A nalysis: T h e N o rth ­ w est C o a st” A m e ric a n A n th r o p o lo g ist, vol. 60, no. 6, p t. 1 (1959) p p . 1086-1101. T h is article exam ines th e p ro p o sitio n th a t m any aspects o f th e fur tra d e served to “ intensify” alread y existing p a tte rn s in N o rth w e st C o a st Indian cultures ra th e r th an eroding th em , at least in th e e arlie r phases o f th e co n tact process.

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1.

lo r d

D u r h a m ’s r e p o r t ,

edited and with an Introduction by G erald

M . Craig 2.

T H E C O N F E D E R A T IO N D E B A T E S IN T H E P R O V IN C E O F C A N A D A , 1 8 6 5 ,

edited and with an Introduction by P. B. W aite 3.

l a u r i e r : a s tu d y in C a n a d i a n p o l i t i c s

by J. W . D afoe, with an

Introduction by M urray S. D onnelly 4.

C H A M P L A IN : T H E l i f e o k f o r t i t u d e

by M orris Bishop, with a new

Introduction by the author 5.

th e ro w e ll/s iro is

re p o rt.

B ook I . edited and with an Introduction

by D onald V. Smiley 6.

T H E U N R E F O R M E D s e n a t e oi C a n a d a by R obert A. M acK ay revised and with an Introduction by th e author

7.

T H E J E S U IT R E L A T IO N S A N D A L L IE D D O C U M E N T S : A S E L E C T IO N ,

edited and w ith an Introduction by S. R. Mealing 8.

L O R D D U R H A M ’S m i s s i o n t o C a n a d a by C hester New, edited and w ith an Introduction by H. W. M cC ready

9.

T i l l R E C IP R O C IT Y t r e a t y o f 1854 by D onald C . M asters, with a new Introduction by the author

10.

PO L IT IC A L u n r e s t i n U P P E R C a n a d a .

1815-1836 by Aileen D unham ,

with an Introduction by A. L. Burt 11.

12.

\ IIIS T O R 'i O F T R A N S P O R T A T I O N IN C A N A D A , Volum e I , b y G . P. deT . G lazeb ro o k . with a new Introduction by the author A H IS T O R Y O i T R A N S P O R T A T IO N IN C A N A D A .

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t h e f r e n c h -C A N A D I a n o u t l o o k

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Introduction by the author I 5.

T i l l : W E S T E R N I N T E R I O R O I C A N A D A : A R E C O R D O I G E O G R A P H I C Al d isc o v e ry ,

1 6 1 2 -1 9 1 7.

com piled and with an Introduction

by

John

W arkentin 16.

T H E C O U R T S A N D T i l l C A N A D I A N C O N S T IT U T I O N ,

com piled and

with an Introduction by W . R. Lederm an 17.

M ONEY A N D b a n k i n g in C a n a d a ,

com piled an d with an Introduction

by E. P. Neufcld 18.

V olum e I. com piled and with an introduction by Marcel Rioux an d Yves M artin

I R E N C H -C A N A D IA N s o c i e t y .

19. m i C a n a d i a n c o m m i r c i a i r e v o i u t i o n , 1845-1851 by G ilbert N. T ucker, edited and with an Introduction by Hugh G . J. A itken 20.

Jo sep h h o w e : v o ice o f n o v a s c o tia ,

com piled and

w ith

an

Introduction by J . M urray Beck 21.

I II I- A N D L E T T E R S OI SIR W II I R ID l a u r i e r Volum e I . by O . D. Skelton, edited and with an Introduction by David M . L. Farr

22.

Volum e I I . b y D avid M . L. F arr l e a d i n g c o n s t i t u t i o n a l D E C I S I O N S , com piled an d with an Introduction by Peter H. Russell I II I A N D L E T T E R S O l SIR W I L F R I D l . A U R I E R ,

O . D . Skelton, edited 23.

by

24.

F R O N T E N A C : T H E C O U R T IE R G O V E R N O R

by W . J . Eccles

25.

I n d i a n s OF t h e n o r t h

com piled and with an

26.

l i f e A N D t im e s o f s i r ALEXANDER

28.

A H IST O R Y O F C A N A D I A N E X T E R N A L R E L A T IO N S ,

29.

T in : r a c e q u e s t i o n i n C a n a d a by A ndre Siegfried, edited and with an Introduction by F. H. Underhill

30.

n o r t h

p a c ific c o a s t ,

Introduction by T om M cFeat T ii.i.ocil G a l t by O. D. Skelton, edited and with an Introduction by G uy M acLean 27. A H IS T O R Y O F C A N A D I A N E X T E R N A L R E L A T IO N S ; Volume I . by G . P. deT . G lazeb ro o k , revised by the author Volum e 11 .b y G . P. deT . G lazebrook. revised and with a Bibliographical Essay by the author

ATLA NTIC

t r ia n g l e

by J. B. Brebner, with an Introduction by

D . G . C reighton 31.

a p p r o a c h e s t o C a n a d i a n e c o n o m i c h i s t o r y , com piled an d with an Introduction by W . T . E asterbrook and M . H. W atkins

32.

C A N A D I A N S O C IA L S T R U C T U R E : A S T A T IS T IC A L P R O F IL E ,

com piled and

with an Introduction and C om m entary by John Porter 33.

C H U R C H A N D S T A T E IN C A N A D A , 1 6 2 7 - 1 8 6 7 : B A S I C D O C U M E N T S ,

com piled and with an Introduction by Jo h n S. M oir 34.

W E S T E R N O N T A R I O A N D T H E A M E R IC A N F R O N T IE R

by Fred Landon,

w ith a new Introduction by the author 35.

h i s t o r i c a l e s s a y s o n t h e A T L A N T IC p r o v i n c e s ,

com piled an d with

an Introduction by G . A . Rawlyk i n C a n a d a tan original publication) b y W. II. K esterton. with an introduction by W ilfrid E ggleston

36.

a h isto ry o f jo u rn alism

37.

T H E O L D P R O V IN C E o f Q U E B E C ,

Volume I . by A. L. Burt, with an

Introduction by H ilda N eatby 38.

T H E O L D P R O V IN C E O F Q U E B E C ,

39.

g r o w th

Volum e I I . by A . L. Burt

a n d t h e C a n a d ia n e c o n o m y ,

edited and with an

Introduction by T . N. Brewis 40.

D O C U M E N T S O N T i l l C O N F E D E R A T IO N O F B R IT IS H N O R T H A M E R IC A ,

edited and w ith an Introduction by G . P. Browne 41.

E SK IM O o f T H E C a n a d i a n a r c t i c ,

edited and with an Introduction by Victor F . V alentine and Frank G . Vallee

42.

T in

C O L O N IA L r e f o r m e r s a n d C a n a d a ,

1830-1849. edited and with

an Introduction by Peter Burroughs 43.

a n a r r a t iv e ,

by Sir Francis Bond H ead edited and with an Introduction by S. F. Wise

44.

jo h n s t r a c h a n : d o c u m e n ts a n d o p in io n s ,

edited and with an

Introduction by J. L. H. Henderson 45.

t h e n e u t r a l Y a n k e e s o f n o v a s c O tia

Introduction by W . S. M acN utt

by J. B. Brebner, w ith an

46.

RO B ER T LAIRD

b o r d e n

:

h is m e m o ir s

,

Volume I. edited and with an

Introduction by H eath M acquarrie 47.

R O B E RT LAIRD b o r d e n : h i s m e m o i r s .

Volum e I I . edited by H eath

M acquarrie 48.

T H E CA N A D IA N M U N IC IPA L SYSTEM : ESSAYS O N THE IM P R O V E M E N T OF

49.

T H E B ETTER P A R T O F V A L O U R : ESSAYS O N C A N A D IA N D IP L O M A C Y b y

lo c a l g o v e rn m e n t

by D . C . R ow at

Jo h n W . Holm es 50.

LAM EN T FOR A NAT IO N : T H E D E F E A T Ol CAN A D IA N N A T IONAL ISM

by

G eorge G ran t, w ith a new Introduction by th e a uthor 51.

C A NAD IAN FO R EIG N PO LIC Y , 1 9 4 5 - 1 9 5 4 ,

edited by R. A . M acK ay eidted and with an Introduction by the a uthor 52.

edited and with an Introduction by

M O N C K : LETTERS a n d j o u r n a l s ,

W . L. M orton 53.

HISTORICAL e s s a y s o n t h e p r a i r i e p r o v i n c e s ,

edited and with an

Introduction by D onald Swainson 54.

T H E C A N A D I A N E C O N O M Y IN T H E G R E A T D E P R E S S I O N b y

55.

C a n a d a 's c h a n g i n g NORTH,

A . E. Safarian edited an d with an Introduction by

W illiam C. W onders 56.

t h e d e v e l o p m e n t OF C a n a d a 's s t a p l e s . 1867-1939.

edited and with

an Introductory com m ent by Kevin Burley 57.

URBAN D EV ELO PM E N T OF SO U T H -C E N T R A I O N T A RIO

58.

C U L T U R E A N D N A T I O N A L I T Y : E S S A Y S BY A. G . B A I L E Y , b y

by Jacob Spelt

59.

C O M M U N I T Y IN C R I S I S : F R E N C H - C A N A D I A N N A T I O N A L I S M IN

Alfred G oldsw orthy Bailey p e r s p e c tiv e , by

Richard Jones, with a new Introduction

by

the

au th o r 60.

P E R S P E C T I V E S O N T i l l- N O R T H a m e r i c a n I n d i a n s ,

edited and w ith an

Introduction by M ark Nagler 61.

LAN GUAGES i n CO N FLICT,

by R ichard J. Joy, with a Preface by Frank

G . Vallee 62.

T H E L A S T FO R T Y Y E A R S . T H E U N I O N O l

1 8 4 1 T O C O N F E D E R A T IO N ,

by J. C. D ent, abridged and with an Introduction by D onald Swainson 63.

l . A U R I E R A N D A L I B E R A L Q U E B E C : A S T U D Y IN P O I . I T I C A I

by H. Blair N eatby. edited and with an Introduction by Richard T . Clippingdale T H E T R E M B I . A I r e p o r t , edited and with an Introduction by David Kwavnick m a n a g e m e n t,

64.

65.

Cl I TURAI

ECO I O G Y : READINGS

o n

T H E C A N A D IA N IN D IA N S AND

edited and with an Introduction by Bruce Cox 66. r e c o l l e c t i o n s o f t h e o n t o o t t a w a I R E K , by R onald Liversedge, with D ocum ents Relating to the V ancouver Strike and the On to O ttaw a T rek, edited and with an Introduction by Victor H oar Es

67.

k im o s

,

th e om budsm an p lan : essay s o n t h e w o r ld w id e s p re a d o f an ID E A ,

by D onald C. Row at

68.

N A T U R A L R E S O U R C E S : T H E E C O N O M IC S O I C O N S E R V A T I O N ,

by

A nthony Scott C hester M artin, edited and w ith an Introduction by Lewis H. T hom as

69.

d o m in io n i a n d s p o lic y , b y

70.

r e n e g a d e in p o w e r ,

by Peter C . N ew m an, with an Introduction by

Denis Smith 7 1.

CUTHBERT g r a n t

oi

g r a n to w n ,

M argaret A. M acLeod and

W . L. M orton 72.

T H E N A T IV E P E O P L E S O I A T L A N T IC C A N A D A : A R E A D E R IN R E G IO N A L E T H N IC R E L A T IO N S ,

73.

fr e e d o m

H. F. M cG ee

an d o r d e r /c o lle c te d

essays,

Eugene Forsey. with an

Introduction by D onald C reighton 74.

c r i s i s in Q U E BE C , 1 9 1 7 ,

Elizabeth A rm strong, with an Introduction by

Joseph Levitt 75.

G o urlay ’s s t a t i s t i c a l a c c o u n t o f u p p e r with an Introduction by S. R. M ealing

76.

T H E A D V E N T U R E S A N D S U F F E R I N G S O F J O H N JE W IT T A M O N G THE

77.

C A P IT A L F O R M A T IO N i n C a n a d a , 1 8 9 6 - 1 9 3 0 .

NOOTKA,

C anada,

A bridged, and

with an Introduction by D erek G . Smith K enneth Buckley, with

an Introduction by M. U rquart 78.

B E Y O N D T H E A T L A N T IC R O A R :

\ V I I DY OI

rill

N O \ A S C O T IA S C O IS

D. Cam pbell an d R. A . M acL ean K. D . M cR ae

79.

C O N S O C IA T IO N A I. D E M O C R A C Y ,

80.

V A U D R IE U L , G O V E R N O R OF N E W F R A N C E ,

Yves Zoltvany

CARLETON U N «

The Adventures and Sufferings of John R. Jew itt, / Captive Among the Nootka

1803-1805 (F rom the Edinburgh 1824 edition)

Edited and with an Introduction by D erek G . Smith

The C a rleto n L ib ra r y No. 76 M c C le lla n d a n d S te w a r t L im ite d

l o b g D & z / c t , -3* T H E C A R L E T O N LIB RA RY A series o f C anadian reprints and new collections o f source m aterial relating to C anada, issued under the editorial supervision o f the Institute o f C anadian Studies o f C arleton University, O ttaw a. D IR EC TO R OF TH E INSTITUTE

D avidson D unton

£

GE N E R A L EDITOR

M ichael G narow ski EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Jam es H . M arsh ED ITO R IA L BOARD

B. C arm an Bickerton f H isto ry) D ennis Forcese (S o cio lo g y) J . G eorge Neuspiel (Law ) T hom as K . Rym es (E conom icsI D erek G . Sm ith f A nthropology) M ichael S. W hittington ( P olitical Science)

© M cC lelland a n d S tew a rt L im ited, 1974. ALL R IGHTS RESERVED

0-7710-9776-x The Canadian Publishers M cClelland and Stew art Limited 25 H ollinger R oad, T o ro n to Printed and bound in C anada

Contents

E d ito r’s P reface In tro d u c tio n

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1. B irth , P a ren tag e a n d E arly L ife o f T h e A u th o r 2. V oyage to N o o tk a S ound

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3r. In terco u rse W ith th e N a tiv e s - M a q u in a - S eizure o f th e Vessel a n d M u rd e r o f th e C re w 24 4.

R ecep tio n o f Je w itt by th e Savages - E scape o f T h o m p so n A rriv al o f N e ig h b o u rin g T rib e s - an In d ian F e a st 32

5. B urning o f th e Vessel - C o m m e n c em en t o f Je w itt’s Jo u rn a l 4 0 6. D escrip tio n o f N o o tk a S o u n d - M a n n e r o f B uilding H ouses F u rn itu re - D resses 48 7. A p p e a ra n c e o f th e N ativ es - O rn a m e n ts - O tte r-H u n tin g F ish in g - C a n o es 56 8.

M usic - M usical In stru m en ts - Slaves - N e ig h b o u rin g T rib e s T ra d e w ith T h ese - A rm y 64

9. S itu atio n o f th e A u th o r - R e m o v a l to T ash ees - Fishing P arties 72 10. C o n v e rsa tio n s w ith M a q u in a - F ru its - R eligious C e rem o n ies - V isit to U p q u e sta 79 11. R e tu rn to N o o tk a (F rie n d ly C ove) - D e a th o f M a q u in a ’s N e p h ew - In sa n ity o f T o o to o sc h - an Indian M o u n te b an k 88 12. W a r w ith th e A -Y -C h a rts - a N ig h t A ttac k - P roposals to P u rch ase th e A u th o r 96 13. M a rriag e o f th e A u th o r - H is Illness - D ism isses H is W ife R eligion o f th e N ativ es - C lim a te 104

A rrival o f th e Brig “ L y d ia” - stra ta g em o f th e A u th o r Success 1 17 O riginal A p p en d ix

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E d ito r’s A p p en d ix A

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E d ito r’s A p p en d ix B

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E d ito r’s A p p en d ix C

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Suggestions for F u rth e r R ead in g

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Editor’s Preface Je w itt’s w ork has long been o n e o f m y favourites a m o n g st the m any delightful bits o f C a n a d ia n a now b ecom ing m o re a n d m ore availab le to th e interested public. H is n a rra tiv e is not all to o easily acq u ired . It seem ed to m e th a t this fascinating w ork should be m ad e m o re available, not sim ply as a re p rin t o f th e text, b u t in an e d itio n w ith an in tro d u c tio n to assist th e re ad e r in placing the w o rk in its context; w ith text a n n o ta tio n s , especially on e th n o ­ g ra p h ic p o in ts less likely to b e g enerally know n o r a p p rec ia ted ; an d w ith a b ib lio g rap h ic list o f m ate ria ls useful in u n d e rstan d in g th e significance o f Je w itt’s sto ry . A list o f o th e r n arratives o f th e type is also p ro v id ed in th e ho p e th a t fu rth e r literary, historical, a n d e th n o g ra p h ic stu d ies o f them m ay be stim u la te d . T h e text given h e re is th a t o f th e 1824 E d in b u rg h e d itio n . Jew itt’s spellings have been preserved th ro u g h o u t, a n d edito rial changes have been m ad e only w here th e re w ere ty p o g rap h ical e rro rs in the basic text. Special th an k s m ust be given to S tu a rt Ja c k so n -H u g h e s, g ra d u ­ a te stu d e n t in th e D e p a rtm e n t o f Sociology a n d A n th ro p o lo g y at C a rle to n U niversity, w ho has assisted in th e b ack g ro u n d research a n d p ro o f re ad in g o f th e finished text.

Introduction “ C ap tiv ity n a rra tiv e s” - a u th e n tic , fictionalized, o r purely fictional acc o u n ts o f th e experiences o f settlers o r travellers c a p tu re d by I n d ia n s - e n jo y e d a c onsiderable p o p u la rity in th e eig h teen th and n in ete en th cen tu ries especially in N o rth A m e ric a. C a n a d a has had a fair sh a re o f th ese n arrativ es. A m o n g th e a u th e n tic C a n a d ia n n a rra tiv e s are so m e re m a rk ab le w o rk s. P ie rre-E sp rit R a d is so n 1 recounts his c a p tu re a b o u t 1652 by th e Iro q u o is o f th e T ro is R ivieres vicinity. T his w ork seem s to have set m any featu res o f th e captivity n arrativ e g e n re . It is follow ed by J o h n G y le s’ a cc o u n t o f his cap tiv e life w ith th e N ew B runsw ick M alecites; by J o h n T a n n e r’s n a rra tio n o f his c a p tu re in K e n tu ck y in 1789 by th e S aulteaux, w ith w hom h e sp e n t sixteen w andering years, c u lm in atin g in his em p lo y m en t by L o rd Selkirk as a g uide a t the R e d R iv er S ettlem ent; by Je w itt’s jo u rn a l a n d n a rra tiv e o f his captivity a m o n g th e N o o tk a o f V ancouver Island betw een 1803 a n d 1805; a n d by tw o acco u n ts o f c ap tu res du rin g th e N o rth W est R ebellion o f 1885: T h ere sa G o w a n lo c k ’s a n d T h eresa D ela­ n e y ’s captivity in Big B ear’s c am p , a n d th a t o f N eil B rodie in the c am p o f P o u n d m a k er. N o ra h S to ry 2 lists th ese a n d o th e r N o rth A m e ric an exam ples, a n d a list is also p ro v id ed in A p p e n d ix E .I o f this volum e. M a u rice H o d g so n 3 rightly recognizes th a t th e captivity n a rra ­ tive closely a p p ro ac h es th e g e n re o f th e novel a n d th a t it can in m an y cases be exam ined in term s o f p ro se fiction. A s a literary g e n re , captivity jo u rn a ls m ay b e clearly d istinguished from o th e r “ e x p lo re r lite ra tu re ” (such as th e ex p lo ra tio n jo u rn a ls o f A lex an ­ d e r M a c k e n z ie , S im o n F r a s e r , D a v id T h o m p s o n , S a m u el H e a m e ), alth o u g h th ere is a n o b v io u s affinity betw een th e tw o types. T h e ir c o m m o n th em e s a n d ch aracteristics a re th o se o f ad v en tu re; suffering; p riv atio n ; q u e st (so m etim es alm ost o b ses­ sive) for th e u n k n o w n place o r experience; a n d in itiatio n in to a radically new w ay o f life d icta te d o r necessitated e ith e r by h ith ­ e rto u n k n o w n g eographical c o n d itio n s and a lack o f th e a m e n ities o f life so ta k e n fo r g ra n te d by o th ers, o r by th e d e m a n d s o f alien 1 Radisson, Pierre-E sprit, The E xplorations o f Pierre Esprit Radisson (M inneapolis: Ross and H aines Inc., 1961). pp. 1-43. - Story, N o rah , “ Captivity narratives,” The O xfo rd C om panion to Canadian H isto ry and L iterature (T oronto: Oxford University Press, 1967), pp . 150-151. •' H odgson, M aurice, “ Initiation and Quest: Early C anadian Jo u r­ nals,” Canadian L iterature, N o. 38 (A utum n 1968), pp. 29-41.

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T H E A D V E N T U R E S A N D S U F F E R I N G S O F J O H N R. J E W I T T

peoples. T hese give a g rip p in g im m ediacy, a fascination so m e ­ tim es horrific, som etim es m o rb id , b u t a b o v e all a n a tm o sp h e re o f u tte r a u th e n tic ity in th e reco g n itio n o f life lived in raw ness and stark n ess b e yond th e confines o f th e “ c iv ilizatio n ” o f th e day. P o litic a l, sc ie n tific , a n d c o m m e rc ia l e x p lo r a ti o n s - o t h e r w i s e poten tially d ra b events in th e exercise o f th e ratio n al values o f the E n lig h ten m en t a n d th e building o f e m p ire - be co m e fertile g ro u n d for th e exercise o f th e R o m a n tic a n d G o th ic consciousnesses. In th e ex p lo rer n arrativ es, w hich H o d g so n 4 has also called “ n a rra ­ tives o f q u e st,” th e literary values becom e seco n d ary to th o se o f th e underlying com m ercial, scientific, o r political interests; in captivity jo u rn a ls, o r “ n a rra tiv e s o f in itia tio n ” in H o d g so n ’s term s, th e literary values often d o m in a te . F o r this reason captivity jo u rn a ls em erge as a g e n re w hich can be ex am in ed a n d u n d e r­ sto o d in term s o f p ro se fiction, especially th e novel, to w hich captivity n arratives have significant c o n n ectio n s. O n e sees a c er­ tain value in this observ atio n , b u t few w ould deny a n intense, indeed literary, fascination on reading even th e g o v ern m en t re p o rts, sh ip s’ w ay-bills, and ro u tin e d o c u m e n ts o f th e exp ed itio n s in search o f S ir Jo h n F ra n k lin . H ere is a tru e epic w hich suffers o r b enefits little from its literary form o r genre. N o t to b e banal a b o u t it, th e h u m a n experience sim ply tran sce n d s all th a t. W e shall see this to o in Je w itt’s n a rra tiv e o f his “ ad v en tu res and su fferin g s.” D esp ite ex aggerated claim s by som e for its literary form a n d m erits, a n d d e sp ite its fast-m oving a n d d ra m a tic action a cc o u n t (a relative rarity o n e feels, in th a t age o f prolixity), there sta n d s behind it a u n iq u e a n d d ra m a tic h u m a n experience. In any case, as w e shall see, the literary form a n d style is n o t th a t o f J e w itt b u t o f his e d ito r, R ich ard A lsop, o n e o f th e C o n n ecticu t W its.

L ite ra ry H isto ry o f th e J e w itt C a p tiv ity A ccount In a n oth erw ise interesting article by H o d g so n 5 on ex ploration and captivity jo u rn a ls, in w hich Je w itt’s n a rra tiv e receives co n sid ­ e rab le a tte n tio n , o n e is a sto u n d ed to read th ese words: In spirit Je w itt is in to u ch w ith th e prevailing R o m an tic m o v em en t, a n d his d e sc rip tio n s o f th e N ew W orld a re not un lik e th o se o f C h a te a u b ria n d w ho w as w riting at th e sam e 4 H odgson, op. c i l esp. p. 35. ' H odgson, op. cil.

IN TRO DU CTION

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tim e. It is th e early ro m an ticism o f R o u sseau , C h a te a u b ria n d a n d G o ld sm ith : a ch arm in g e ig h te en th -ce n tu ry N a tu re created by G o d for a sim ple, a p p rec ia tiv e h u m a n r a c e .. . . T h e c o n ­ cep t o f a p ro v id en t a n d b en ev o len t N a tu re , essential to the R o m an tic, w as very m u ch a p a rt o f Je w itt’s literary p h ilo so ­ phy. . . . H is desire to e p a te r les bourgeois is obviously not m ean t to d o so th ro u g h h o rrific d escrip tio n , b u t ra th e r as C h a te a u b ria n d did, w ith co n ce p ts novel to th e re ad e r, but pacific in n a tu re . It is th e tra d itio n o f D efoe as w ell.6 Je w itt w ould have been am azed a n d flattered. T h e facts a re these. A fte r his rescue o n the brig L y d ia in 1805, Je w itt established residence in N ew E ngland, a n d in 1807 pu b lish ed th e jo u rn a l w hich he claim ed to have w ritten d u rin g his captivity a m o n g the N o o tk a . T he title page reads A Jo u rn a l, K e p t a t N o o tk a Sound, b y J o h n R. J e w itt. O ne o f th e surviving crew o f the sh ip B oston, o f B oston, J o h n S a lte r, c o m m a n d er, w ho was m a ssa c re d o n 2 2 d o f M a rc h , 1803. In tersp e rse d w ith so m e a cco u n t o f th e natives, th eir m a n n ers a n d custom s. H e rea fter, for convenience, w e shall call this th e Jo u rn a l. It w as a sm all, thin book o f 48 pages, a n d o f little literary m erit. O nly a very few copies, p ro b a b ly no m ore th an a dozen, are know n to have survived. A lim ited e d itio n o f one h u n d red copies o f th e J o u rn a l was pu b lish ed in B oston in 1931. F o r years betw een 1807 a n d 1815 w e know alm ost no th in g o f Je w itt’s life, except th a t he m arrie d on C h ristm a s D ay. 1809. S o m e tim e sh o rtly p rev io u s to 1815, Je w itt a n d his tale c a m e to th e a tte n tio n o f R ich ard A lsop, “ satirist, p o e t , . . . o n e o f th e few m illio n a ire s o f h is g e n e r a tio n ” . 7 A lso p w as a m e rc h a n t o f H a r t­ ford, C o n n e cticu t, a n d o n e o f th e “ H a rtfo rd W its” 8 o r “ C o n n e c t­ icut W its” 9, a w ell-know n g ro u p o f A m e ric an a u th o rs. A lsop's

H H odgson, op. cit., p. 36. 7 Johnson, A. (ed.), “ Alsop, R ich ard ," D ictionary o f A m erican Biog­ raphy, vol. I (N ew York: Scribner's, 1928), pp. 228-229. "H a rrin g to n , K arl P., R ichard A lsop. "A H a rtfo rd W it” (M iddle­ tow n. C onnecticut: M attabesett Press, 1939). (A reprint o f this w ork, with an introduction by A lexander Cow ie, was published in 1969 by W esleyan U niversity Press, M iddletow n, C onnecticut). The D ictionary o f A m erican Biography (note 7 supra) on Alsop also designates him a “ H artford W it." g P arrington, Vernon L., J r., The C onnecticut W'its (N ew York, 1926). (A reprint o f this w ork, w ith a foreword by K enneth Silver­ m an . w as p u b lish ed in 1969 by th e T h o m a s Y. C row ell C o m pany, N ew Y o rk . A sh o rt list o f th c h ie f w orks o f the C o n n e ctic u t W its m ay be found on p. xxi o f this reprint).

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T H E A D V E N T U R E S A N D S U F F E R I N G S O F J O H N R. J E W I T T

nephew , T h e o d o re D w ight, closely associated w ith th e W its, d escribes his uncle as having a “ pecu liar taste o f a d v e n tu re s” 10.' A lsop, a p p are n tly a fte r rep ea te d a n d stre n u o u s interview s, and c o n sid erab le difficulty, m an ag ed to ex tract from Jew itt his story. J e w itt, it is s a id , h a d “ sm a ll c a p a c ity as a n a r r a t o r ” " , and* lacked th e capacities o f a Y a n k ee raconteur. It w as A lsop, w o rk ­ ing w ith th e slim original J o u rn a l a n d his taxing interview s w ith Je w itt, w ho w ro te th e Jew itt a cc o u n t w hich has achieved fam e. It w as pu b lish ed in M id d leto w n , C o n n e cticu t, in 1815 in tw o e d i­ tio n s a n d in a n o th e r e d itio n in N e w Y o rk in th e sam e y e a r. T he title p a g e o f th ese ed itio n s reads: A narrative o f the adventures a n d su fferin g s, o f J o h n R . J e w itt; o n ly survivor o f the crew o f th e ship B o sto n , d u rin g a c a p tiv ity o f n e a rly th ree y e a r s a m o n g the savages o f N o o tk a sound: w ith an a cco u n t o f th e m anners, m o d e o f living, a n d religious opinions o f th e N atives. E m b e llish e d with a p la te, rep resen tin g th e ship in p o ssessio n o f th e savages. H ere­ a fte r, fo r convenience, w e shall call this th e N a rra tiv e , alth o u g h th e vario u s e d itio n s carry titles w hich a re v arian ts o f th e one g iven. It is fro m these 1815 e d itio n s th a t nearly all su b seq u e n t ed itio n s, reprintings, versions, a n d tran sla tio n s o f Je w itt’s story have been m ad e. A lsop d ied a t F la tb u sh , L ong Island, on A ugust 20 o f th e y e ar in w hich th e N a rra tiv e first a p p ea red . A m o n g th e C o n n e cticu t W its, A lsop w as rivalled only by J o h n T ru m b u ll. P a rrin g to n 12 d e scrib es A lsop as having “ an excel­ lent know ledge o f th e classics” a n d “ a g e n ero u s a cq u a in ta n ce w ith E nglish lite ra tu re .” H e tran sla ted c o n sid erab le a m o u n ts o f F re n c h , Italian , S panish a n d S can d in av ian m aterials. A m o n g these his fancy for exotic trav ellers’ acco u n ts is readily seen in his 1808 tran sla tio n from th e S panish a n d F ren ch versions o f th e original Italian w ork The G eographical N a tu ra l a n d C ivil H isto ry o f C hili by A b b e D on J . Ig n a tiu s M olina. It is a w ork in tw o volum es, th e first largely c o n ce rn ed w ith th e n a tu ra l histo ry o f C h ile, th e second largely w ith an a cc o u n t o f th e custom s o f its vario u s a b o rig in al peoples. Special a tte n tio n is given to th e A u racan ian s. A typical o f th e C o n n e cticu t W its, A lso p had a leaning to w a rd th e “ new goth ic s p irit,” aligning him in som e w ays m ore closely w ith c erta in P h iladelphia p o e ts “ w h o follow ed th e g o th ic 10 D w ight, T h eo d o re. Article in The H istorical M agazine, April 1860, p. 91. (Q uotes from this article m ay be found in E dm ond S. M eany, Jr.. “ T he L ater Life o f John R . Je w itt", British C olum bia H istori­ cal Q u arterly, vol. IV (1940), pp. 143-161). 11 D w ight, T h eo d o re, op. cil. 12 P arrington, Vernon Louis, Jr., op. cit., p. xlvi.

INTRODUCTION

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fashion m o re closely.” 13 T his can readily b e seen in his versifica­ tio n s o f O ssian, th e T w ilig h t o f th e G ods, a n d p e rh a p s to o in his versification o f th e O ld T esta m en t b o o k o f H a b a k k u k . A lso p was: d istinctly a n a m a te u r in letters a n d tu rn ed to w h a tev e r th em e c au g h t his fancy. H e w as a n incorrigible im ita to r o f late eig h te en th c en tu ry English m o d e s___ 14 A perusal o f A lso p ’s w orks c o n firm s th e ju stic e o f this ju d g m e n t. It bears w ith so m e im p o rta n ce o n his h an d lin g o f th e Jew itt m ate ria l. A lso p ’s nephew , T h e o d o re D w ight, refers to his . . . love o f in te restin g novelties, c o m b in ed w ith his p h ila n ­ th ro p y , w hich induced him to w rite “ Je w itt’s sto ry ” , a w ork in w hich he im itated w ith so m e success th e style o f R o b in so n C ru so e and o f w hich he p ro c u re d th e p u b licatio n fo r the p ro fit o f th a t p o o r a n d friendless m an w ith o u t giving his own n a m e .15 A g a in , D w ight says A lso p “ a d o p te d th e style o f R o b in so n C ru so e as his m odel in th e c o m p o s itio n ” 16. C ap tiv ity jo u rn a ls indeed ten d to a p p ro a c h th e novel g e n re. O f course Je w itt’s N a rra tiv e is a classic o f th e ty p e, for it is b o ld y im itativ e o f D aniel D e fo e ’s fictional R o b in so n C rusoe. A n y literary m erits o f c o m p o sitio n o r style in th e N a rra tive a re A lso p ’s w o rk , a n d n o t th a t o f Je w itt. A lso p ’s a u th o rsh ip o f th e N a rra tiv e a p p e a rs to b e explicitly recognized by Je w itt him self. O n M arch 8, 1815 Je w itt applied for co p y rig h t o f th e N arrative. H e did n o t seek co p y rig h t as a u th o r, but as p ro p rie to r, a d istin c tio n w hich has been ju d g e d significant by M e a n y 17. T h e N a rra tive a ttrac ted so m e critical a tte n tio n o n its a p p e a r­ ance. T h e first k n o w n review is to b e found in th e A n a le c tic M a g a zin e o f Ju n e , 1815 IS. H e re A lso p ’s a u th o rs h ip is im plied: “ . . . th e b o o k w as p re p are d fo r th e press by a literary g en tle m a n o f C o n n e c tic u t. . . ” T h e review er th in k s ra th e r highly o f th e b o o k .

13 Parrington, V ernon Louis, J r., op. cil., p. xlvi. 14 P arrington, V ernon Louis, J r., op. cil'., p. xlvi. 15 D w ight, T heodore, Preface to R ichard Alsop’s The Charm s o f Fancy: A Poem in F our C antos (N ew Y ork, 1856). 16 D w ight, T heodore, H istorical M agazine, A pril I860, p. 91. 17 M eany, Edm ond S., Jr., “ T he L ater Life o f John R. Jew itt, British C olum bia H istorical Q uarterly, vol. 4 (1940), pp. 146, 148-149. '* Review o f th e Jew itt/A lso p N arrative in A nalectic M agazine, (P hil­ adelphia: M oses T hom as), vol. 5 (June 1815), pp. 493-496.

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T H E ADVEN TURES AND SUFFERINGS OF JO H N R. JE W IT T

b u t obviously fo u n d it ra th e r sm all by c u rre n t sta n d a rd s. H e refers to it as a n “ unassum ing little v o lu m e” a n d sta te s th a t “ T he form and size o f th e v olum e a ffo rd p retty stro n g p ro o f th a t a rts o f literary m an u fa ctu re are yet in th e ir infancy a m o n g u s.” T h e 1816 editio n o f Ih e N a rra tive w as review ed by th e sam e m ag azin e in F e b ru a ry , 181719. T h e second review er w as m uch less im pressed. H e found it “ a b o o k w hich is very badly w ritte n , and a g re at deal w orse a rra n g e d ” , and found it “ so m e w h a t sin g u lar” th a t the b o o k had been sent into fu rth e r ed itio n s, n o tin g th a t so m e nine th o u sa n d copies h a d a lready been circu lated . H e affirm s a general acceptance o f th e au th e n tic ity o f th e basic facts, a n d keeps his vitriol for th e literary features a n d fo rm at o f th e b o o k . A list o f th e sub seq u en t e d itio n s o f th e N a rra tive m ay be fo u n d at th e e n d o f this v olum e (A p p e n d ix C ). O n e no tes with interest th a t its p rin tin g histo ry reveals a c o n sid erab le N o rth A m e ric an interest. T h ere are only th ree B ritish e d itio n s (L o n d o n 1820, E d in b u rg h 1824, a n d L o n d o n 1896), and o n e G e rm a n tran sla tio n (1928). T h e story does not e n d here, for th e N a rra tive also a p p ea red in a version designed for c h ild re n ’s read in g . It w as, first o f all, a rollicking g o o d sto ry , like D an iel D efoe’s R o b in so n C ru so e; sec­ o n d ly , it c o n ta in e d a b u n d a n t references to b ravery, p iety , and perseverance. U n d e r th e e d ito rsh ip o f “ P eter P arley” (S. G . G o o d ric h ), it ap p ea red in “ P e ter P arley’s L ittle L ib ra ry ,” a series also c o n ta in in g na rra tiv e s by L o rd Selkirk and L a P erouse. T h ro u g h o u t th e tw en ty -fo u r c h a p te rs o f this version, th e first p e rso n o f th e J e w itt/A ls o p N a rra tiv e is changed to th e third pe rso n , a n d c ertain p o rtio n s o f th e text a re d e le ted . Special em phasis is given to the sto ry ’s m oral lessons20. T h e title w as The C a p tiv e o f N o o tk a . O r th e a d v e n tu r e s o f J o h n R . J e w e tt (sic ). T h is e d itio n , for convenience, w e refer to as th e C aptive. T he G e rm a n tra n sla tio n o f 1928 by A . Ja c o b i seem s to in co rp o ra te c ertain featu res o f th e C aptive , a n d its influence can p ro b a b ly be seen, to o , in th e 1954 G e rm a n tra n sla tio n o f F ra n z T e rm e r. A n u m b e r o f co p ie s o f th e English ed itio n s, w ith th e exception o f 1837 P h ilad elp h ia o n e, a re still extan t. D w ig h t21 records th a t his uncle, A lso p “ ...e x p r e s s e d a fear th a t he had d o n e Jew itt m o re harm th an g o o d , for he [Jew itt] becam e unsettled in his h a b its by his w a n d erin g life in selling the 19 A nalectic M agazine, vol. 9 (Feb. 1817). pp. 141-165. Jn A b rief description o f the “ Peter P arley" edition, the Captive, is given in H arrington, op. c h ., pp. 137-138. :i Dw ight, T h eo d o re, H istorical M agazine, 1860, p. 91.

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b o o k .” M e a n y 22, H a rrin g to n 23, a n d o th e rs cite references to Je w ­ itt’s w an d erin g s in N ew E n g lan d b o th w ith a h a n d ca rt a n d a o n e -h o rse w agon haw king his b o o k . H e also had for sale, a p p a r­ ently, “ T h e P o o r A rm o u re r B oy, A S o n g ,” p rin te d as a b ro a d ­ sid e o n a long sh eet o f p a p er. T h e song, w hich is to be fo u n d in A p p en d ix A o f this volum e, is explicitly a n im itatio n o f th e P oor C abin B o y by C h arles D ib d in (o r possibly by his so n T h o m a s), a version o f w hich m ay be fo u n d in D ib d in ’s S o n g s, N aval and N a tio n a l.. . . 24M e a n y 25 leans to th e o p in io n th a t A lsop w as also the a u th o r o f th e so n g , a lth o u g h th e r e is n o d ir e c t e v id e n c e . J e w itt so u g h t c o p y rig h t fo r th e song as “ p ro p rie to r o n th e sam e d a y as his a p p lic atio n fo r copyright as “ p ro p rie to r” o f th e N a rra tiv e 26 The P oor A rm o u r e r B o y w as sung by Je w itt a t th e final c u rta in o f a d ra m a tiz a tio n o f th e N a rra tive w hich had th ree pe rfo rm a n ce s in P hilad elp h ia on M arch 21, 22 a n d 25, 1817 at th e P hilad elp h ia T h ea tre . T h e d ra m a tiz a tio n , by Ja m es N elson B a rk e r27, w as billed several days in a d v an ce as a “ . . . M elo D ra m a , fo u n d ed on th e interesting n a rra tiv e o f M r. J o h n Jew itt, called th e A rm o u re r’s E scape, o r T h re e Y e ars at N o o tk a ” 28. A copy o f th e playbill is p re sen te d in A p p e n d ix B o f this volum e. It p ro v id es th e little o f w h at w e k n o w o f The A rm o u r e r 's E sca p e , b ecause th e script has not survived. It m u st have been a n interesting ev en t, for it staged N o o tk a n w ar dances, an eclipse o f th e m o o n , a N o o tk a n C h ie f s funeral, a tribal w ar, a n d th e N o o tk a n B ear C e rem o n ial. O n e can only sp eculate a b o u t th e stag in g o f these spectacles, b u t box office receipts in d icate th a t it w as h a rd ly th e high p o in t o f th e th e a tr­ ical season. A fte r this b rie f th eatrical foray, Jew itt jo in e d a so rt o f circus a t V auxhall G a rd e n n e ar P h ilad elp h ia, a su m m er a m u sem en t re so rt m o delled on its c o u n te rp a rt in L o n d o n , E ngland. If fea­ tu re d firew orks, recitatio n s by fam ous m en o f th e day, e q u estrian events, a n d th in g s o f the like. Je w itt p erfo rm e d songs d ressed in

:: M eany, E dm ond S., op. c it., esp. pp. 149, 155-156. 23 H arrington, Karl P., op. cit., p. 137. 24 S o n g s. N a va l a n d N a tio n a l, o f th e L a te C harles D ibdin. w ith a M e m o ir a n d A d d en d a . C o llected an d a rra n g e d by T h o m a s D ibdin (C harles’ son) (L ondon, 1842), cf. esp. p. 252. -5 M eany, E dm ond S., op. cit.. p. 148. 36 M eany, Edm ond S., op. cit., p. 146. 27 M eany, Edm ond S., op. cit., p. 152 discusses B arker's work on the Jew itt N arrative. Paul H. M usser, Ja m es N elson B arker. 1784-1858 (Philadelphia, 1929), provides further background. 28 M eany, Edm ond S., op. cit., p. 152.

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T H E A D V E N T U R E S A N D S U F F E R I N G S O F J O H N R. J E W I T T

N o o tk a n c o stu m e 29. A lso p ’s fear th a t h e h a d “ d o n e Je w itt no g o o d ” w as p e rh a p s ju stified ; th e a tre s a n d circuses a n d w anderings in N ew E ngland as a p e rip a te tic h a w k er o f b o o k s a n d b ro a d sid es co u ld h ardly have a m o u n te d to g re a t social respectability. T h e E nglish a rm o u re r, only basically literate by th e evidence o f his letters as cited by M e a n y 30, leaving his fam ily in th e lurch on his b rie f rise to pu b lic a tte n tio n , d ied in relative obscurity a t H a rt­ fo rd , C o n n e cticu t on Ja n u a ry 7, 1821 a t th e age o f 38. So m uch fo r Je w itt th e m an o f letters co n tin u in g in th e m ighty tra d itio n o f C h a te a u b ria n d , G o ld sm ith , R o u ssea u , a n d D efoe. But to estim ate his su p p o sed literary c h ara cte ristics is to m iss th e p o in t. W ith o u t Je w itt’s re m a rk ab le h u m an experience, w ith o u t his sh a rp eye, th e re w ould h av e been no A lso p N a rra tive a n d w e w ould lack a v a lu a b le early e th n o g ra p h ic a cc o u n t o f th e N o o tk a . In J e w itt’s tim e th e N o o tk a had ju st begun th eir tu rb u le n t and trau m atic experience w ith W estern society. H e w as privileged to see N o o tk a society close to its abo rig in al sta te ; we a re privileged to h a v e his a cco u n t o f it. T o e stim a te th a t is to e stim a te Je w itt’s e n d u rin g c o n trib u tio n .

J e w i t t ’s N a r ra tiv e and N o o t k a n E th n o g ra p h y T h e m aritim e fu r tra d e o f th e N o rth w e st C o ast, b eginning w ith a “ ru sh ” in 1785, reached its peak in th e last years o f th e eigh­ tee n th a n d th e early years o f th e n in ete en th centuries. W hile it h a d a n o b v io u s effect o n th e a b o rig in al peoples o f th e area, principally in reo rien tin g tra d itio n a l h u n tin g a n d g a th e rin g p ra c ­ tices to w ard s hun tin g th e sea o tte r, it did n o t have th e m ajor social a n d eco n o m ic im p act o f th e su stain ed c o n ta ct th a t cam e w ith m o re p e rm a n e n t land se ttle m e n t by outsiders. T h e b rief existence o f a S panish g a rriso n a t N o o tk a S ound seem s to have had no m ajo r im p act. T h e general p ractice a m o n g fur tra d e ships was to stand to a t som e d istan c e fro m sh o re. In d ian s w en t o u t to th e ships in th e ir canoes to d o th e ir tra d in g a n d visiting on the decks o f th e sh ip s. S h ip s’ m asters felt th ey had m o re c o n tro l over th e situ atio n this w ay, a n d for fear o f u n to w a rd incidents w ith the In d ian s w ere relu ctan t to v e n tu re a sh o re for m o re th a n b rief visits. T h e a p p e a ra n c e o f fur tra d e ships o ff-shore w as often sp o ra d ic , a n d visits w ere usually very brief. It w as on a visit such as this by th e S hip B oston th a t th e incident involving Je w itt cam e to pass. ’-9 M eany, Edm ond S., op. cil., p. 155. •'° M eany, E dm ond S., op. cit., pp. 156-157.

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T h e p rin cip al effect o f th e early m aritim e fu r tra d e w as n o t to re o rie n t Indian social a n d eco n o m ic system s to w a rd a W estern form , b u t to “ intensify” c erta in features o f th e existing social system s. In d eed , it has been a rg u e d 31. N o rth w e st C o a st Indian cu ltu ral system s cam e to a so rt o f “ c lim ax ” m ad e possible by injection o f su b sta n tia l a m o u n ts o f w ealth into alread y intensely w e alth -o rie n ted social system s. T h e potlatch as w e now k n o w o f it p ro b a b ly achieved its p ro m in e n t place in th ese system s d u rin g this tim e 32. T h e fam o u s classic N o rth w e st C o a st In d ian a rt a n d th e m assive em phasis on to te m poles is m o st p ro b a b ly a n o th e r e x am ­ ple. Je w itt w as m ad e cap tiv e by th e N o o tk a at a tim e w hen th e basic features o f N o o tk a n c u ltu re w ere still intact a n d b eginning to m ove to w ard th e clim ax w e h a v e m en tio n ed . H is w as th e first su sta in ed co n tact w ith th e N o o tk a , and his d escrip tio n s are an invaluable vignette o f th e N o o tk a before th e visible ero sio n o f th e ir cu ltu ral a n d social o rd e r. L ike m an y early d e sc rip tio n s, his is p ro b a b ly stro n g est and m o st su stain ed in its d e lin e atio n o f m aterial c u ltu re and su b sist­ ence. O b serv a tio n s on social o rg a n iz atio n are less d e p en d a b le , but a re aso n a b le fam iliarity w ith su b seq u e n t N o o tk a n eth n o g ra p h y a n d ethnological research confirm s th e a u th e n tic ity o f m an y o f his o b se rv atio n s. B ut Je w itt w as n o t a n e th n o g ra p h e r; h e d id n o t go to th e N o o tk a by c h o ic e in o r d e r to stu d y t h e ir m a n n e rs a n d c u sto m s sy s te m a tic a lly . W e c a n n o t fa u lt h im fo r n o t b e in g a m o d ern e th n o g ra p h er, as som e a re p e rh a p s inclined to d o . His access to N o o tk a n society in som e w ays is enviable; in o th e r w ays it obviously w as n o t. H is o b se rv atio n s, let a lo n e his occasional m oralizing a n d serm onizing, c a n n o t fail to b e colo u red by th e fact th a t h e w as a p riso n e r in th e ir m id st, often bew ildered, alm ost constantly in anxiety. H is a cco u n t is truly o n e o f “ in itia tio n ,” as 31 H ersk o v its, M elville, M a n a n d H is W o rks (N ew Y o rk : K nopf, 1948). pp . 480-481; there is an extensive discussion o f the antiquity o f totem poles in M arius B arbeau, Totem Poles, N ational M useum o f C anada Bulletin 119, vol. 2, A nthropological Series 30 (1950), pp. 801-821; the best elaboration o f the “ cultural intensification” idea is to be found in Joyce W ike. “ Problem s in F u r T rade A naly­ sis: T he N orthw est C o ast,” A m erican A nthropologist, vol. 60, no. 6, p t. 1 (1959), pp . 1086-1101. 32 T h e (so m ew h at) c o n te n tio u s th esis o f C o d e rc is th a t am o n g th e K w ak iu tl, p o tla tc h in g assu m ed such p ro m in e n ce in th e n in eteen th century th at it quite literally “ d om inated” that society, and in its rapid grow th had supplanted such activities as inter-tribal raiding. C f. Helen C o d ere Fighting with P roperty: A S tu d y o f K w akiutl Potlatching a n d W arfare. 1792-1930, M onographs o f the A m erican Ethnological Society no. 18, 1950.

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T H E A D V E N T U R E S A N D S U F F E R I N G S OF J O H N R. J E W I T T

H o d g so n 33 term s it. It is an a cc o u n t o f his g ra d u a l, but never c o m p lete, su rre n d e r to a n acceptance o f N o o tk a n w ays. C learly h e never fully u n d e rsto o d th e N o o tk a n system in th e large sense, a n d his o b serv atio n s o n it m u st inevitably be u n d e rsto o d as “ N o o tk a from Je w itt’s vantage p o in t.” D espite his claim s th a t he cam e to “ speak N o o tk a ,” his fam iliarity w ith th e language w as p ro b ab ly nev er co m p lete. N o o t­ kan term s o c cu r th ro u g h o u t th e text, alth o u g h m any o f them , including a n u m b e r in th e list o f so-called “ N o o tk a n ” w ords given as an a p p en d ix to th e N a rra tive m ay in fact b e “ C h in o o k Ja rg o n .” 34 T h is “ja rg o n ,” a d eriv ativ e tra d e language, indeed in co rp o ra tin g m an y elem ents o f N o o tk a n language b u t nev erth e­ less q u ite distinct from it, w as extensively used alo n g th e N o rth ­ w est C o a st since th e days o f th e m aritim e fur tra d e , a n d m ay still be h eard to d ay as a m eans o f c o m m u n ica tio n betw een In d ian s from diverse linguistic g ro u p s a t cerem o n ial g ath erin g s. Several references a re m a d e to th e fact th a t M a q u in n a a n d a t least one o th e r c h ie f sp o k e a n d u n d e rsto o d a lim ited a m o u n t o f E nglish. Je w itt’s (an d also by im p licatio n A lso p ’s) ren d erin g o f N o o t­ k a n term s, including p erso n al, tribal a n d place n am es, so m etim es is v ery d iffic u lt to u n d e r s ta n d . A p p e n d ix D gives th e m o d e rn accep ted eq u iv alen ts for place nam es a n d tribal g ro u p in g s so th a t th e re ad e r m ay o rien t h im self to m ap s a n d m o re recent e th n o g ra ­ phies. W hen Je w itt uses th e w o rd N o o tk a as a g ro u p label, h e refers specifically to th e “ trib e ” (th e Y u q u o t) c en tere d on N o o tk a S o u n d in th e vicinity o f F rie n d ly C o v e . A n thropologically, N o o tk a now refers to a linguistic g ro u p in g o f trib es a n d tribelets occupying m ost o f th e w est co ast o f V ancouver Island a n d th e tip o f C a p e F la tte ry in th e S ta te o f W ash in g to n . N o o tk a is o n e o f th e tw o m ajo r language g ro u p s (K w ak iu tl th e o th er) con stitu tin g th e W ak a sh a n language g ro u p , o f th e M a c ro -A lg o n k ia n Stock. Je w itt’s o b serv atio n s, th e n , c a n n o t b e g eneralized from w h a t he called N o o tk a to th e N o o tk a as now d efin ed anthropologically. Je w itt m akes a few o b serv atio n s on th e o th e r g ro u p s, for during " H odgson, M aurice, op. cit. 14 O n Chinook Jargon see H oratio H ale, A M anual o f th e Oregon Trade Language, or 'C hinook Jargon' (L ondon, 1890); Melville Jacobs, "N o te s on the S tructure o f C hinook Ja rg o n ,” 'L anguage, vol. 8 (1931). pp. 27-50: Melville Jacobs, "T exts in C hinook J a r­ g o n ," U niversity o f W ashington Publications in A nthropology, vol. 7, no. 1 (1936), pp. 1-32; R ena V. G ra n t. “ C hinook Ja rg o n ," International Journal o f A m erican L inguistics, vol. II (1939). pp. 225-233.

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h is tim e they visited th e N o o tk a sou n d g ro u p for tra d in g and p o tlatch . Principally from Philip D ru c k e r’s w ork on th e N o o tk a , The N o rth e rn a n d C e n tra l N o o tk a n T rib e s35, now a sta n d ard re fe r­ ence, w e kn o w th a t th e v a rious dialect g ro u p s (m any o f them nam ed in passing by Je w itt) c o n stitu te d a type o f confederacy, th e v a rio u s g ro u p s being b o u n d in so m e w h a t loose political alliances; p acts o f m u tu al assistance, d efen ce, and trad e ; a n d arra n g e m e n ts o f political p a ram o u n tc y and vassalage. Jew itt provides only scant d a ta on th e political a rra n g e m e n ts in effect a t his tim e, alth o u g h th e Y u q u o t u n d e r th eir c h ie f M a q u in n a clearly w ere a m o n g th e m ost pow erful w hile they w ere n o t necessarily th e largest in term s o f p o p u latio n . In th e a n th ro p o lo g ical lite ra tu re on th e N o rth w est C o a st o n e finds c o n sid erab le d e b ate on th e n a tu re o f social stra tifica tio n , p a rticu la rly as it bears on th e in stitu tio n o f th e p o tla tc h 36. Jew itt a tte sts, alth o u g h n o t w ith o u t a m b ig u ity , to tw o senses o f stra tifi­ c atio n a m o n g th e N o o tk a . O n th e one h a n d , th e w hole social o rd e r is d ivided into th re e o r m o re hierarchically arra n g e d social “ classes.” Je w itt m akes rep ea te d reference to w h at a p p e a r to be class g ro u p s o r aggregates: slaves, c o m m o n e rs, a n d no b ility . On th e o th e r h a n d , Jew itt indicates th a t a t least th e class o f nobles w as d ivided into a series o f ra n k e d p o sitio n s w hich becam e o p e ra tiv e in th e c ontext o f cere m o n ia l events a n d th e p o tla tch . Y et th e rela tio n sh ip o f class a n d ra n k are n o t fully clear in Jew itt; h e c o n trib u tes to th e d e b a te , b u t does not resolve it. A t least p artly related to th e q u e stio n s o f stra tifica tio n and potlatch is Je w itt’s affirm atio n th a t certain key subsistence resources a re vested in th e chief. O th e r p e o p le in th e g ro u p (“ c o m m o n e rs” a n d “ slaves” ) h a v e rights o f usufruct b u t not ow n ersh ip in th ese resources. A ccordingly, th e c h ie f a n d his deci­ sio n s a b o u t re so u rc e use a n d a llo c a tio n a c c o rd h im a n d th o se closely associated w ith him a key a n d pow erful role in th e politi-

55 D rucker, Philip, The N orthern and C entral N o o tka n Tribes, Bureau o f A m erican Ethnology Bulletin 144 (W ashington: Sm ithsonian Institution, 1951). A readily available source o f readings on the “ rank and class' debate in N orthw est C oast ethnology is T om M cF eat Indians o f the North P acific C oast, C arleton Library no. 25 (T oronto: M cClelland and Stew art, 1966), pp . 134-179; for its bearing on the debate about the n atu re o f the potlatch see Philip D rucker and R obert F. H eizer, To M a k e M v N a m e G ood (Berkeley: University o f California Press, 1967).

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TH E ADVEN TURES AND SUFFERINGS OF JO H N R. JE W IT T

cal a n d eco n o m ic stru ctu re, b o th infra- and in ter-trib ally th ro u g h th e potlatch a n d its su p p o rtiv e in stitu tio n s. W hile J e w itt's d escrip tio n s o f th e p o tla tch a n d o th e r m ajor cerem o n ies h a rd ly lack vividness a n d co lo u r, they g enerally lack th e detail w hich w ould b e m o st satisfying to th e e th n o lo g ist. So b e it. W hile he a p p are n tly d escribes a p o tla tc h a t th e end o f C h a p te r 4 , a n d giv es s o m e d e ta il o f th e B e a r C e re m o n ia l in C h a p te r 10, w e have virtually n o th in g in his a cc o u n t on th e very im p o rta n t ritu a ls o f th e N o o tk a n w in te r c e re m o n ia l se a so n . E x am in atio n o f th e W in te r C e rem o n ies o f o th e r N o rth w e st C oast societies has yielded p ro fo u n d ly im p o rta n t insight into th e w o rk ­ ings o f these so cieties37. Je w itt p ro v id es q u ite extensive o b serv atio n s on basic su b sist­ e nce activities. T h e au th e n tic ity o f these a p p e a rs in light o f later e th n o g ra p h ic w o rk in th e a rea . W hile h e alludes in passing to seasonal shifts in th ese activities, h e does n o t p ro v id e a fully clear view o f th e seasonal changes in subsistence activities a n d dom estic a rra n g e m e n ts. Since th e seasonal cycle has sin ce been sh o w n to have im p o rta n t im plications fo r political a n d eco n o m ic in stitu ­ tio n s, p e rh a p s p articularly th e p o tla tc h 38, w e can only b e ta n ta ­ lized by w h at Je w itt had to say. P ro b ab ly h e knew far m o re than a p p e a rs in e ith e r th e J o u rn a l o r th e ’ N a rra tiv e , but w e can never lose sight o f th e fact th a t th ey w ere n o t e d ited a n d pu b lish ed for a n a u d ien ce o f e th n o g rap h ers. H is o b serv atio n s on m aterial cu ltu re a re now a lm o st fully a u th e n tic ate d by su b seq u e n t m useum collections a n d arch a eo lo g i­ cal a n d e th n o g ra p h ic w ork in th e a rea . O th e r d etails have th e ring o f tru th , a lth o u g h he p ro b a b ly dev o tes d is p ro p o rtio n a te atte n tio n to them a n d clearly does n o t fully g ra sp th e ir N o o tk a n m ean in g . H e frequently notes the N o o tk a n d istaste fo r salty food. O n e can still e n co u n ter this in th e a re a a n d a m o n g o th e r n o rth e rn N o rth A m e ric an In d ian a n d E sk im o g ro u p s. H e no tes th e fre q u e n t use o f w h ite b ird ’s do w n in cerem o n ial dress a n d ritual actio n s. H e sta te s a t o n e p o in t th a t this is “ to re p re se n t snow ” ; ra th e r, the

37 E.g. Boas, Franz, T h e Social O rganization and Secret Societies o f the K w a kiu tl Indians. U .S . N ational M useum R eport for 1895 (W ash­ ington, D .C .: Sm ithsonian Institution, 1897). 38 E .g. S u ttles, W ay n e, “ A ffinal T ies, S u b sisten ce a n d P restige am o n g th e C o a st S aiish ,” A m erica n A n th r o p o lo g is t, vol. 62, no. 2 (1961), pp. 296-305; Suttles, W ayne, “ V ariation in H abitat and C ulture on th e N orthw est C o a st,” Transactions o f the 34th Interna­ tional Congress o f A m ericanists, V ienna, I960, pp. 522-537. For opposing views see Philip D rucker and R obert F . H eizer, op. cit.

INTRODUCTION

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use o f w hite dow n, still to be seen in N o rth w e st C o a st Indian rites, is to in d icate th at th e a sso ciated events a re w h at w e usually call “ sa c re d ” ra th e r th an “ p ro fa n e .” T h is has a p a rtic u la r associa­ tion w ith th e “ sa c re d ” w in ter season a n d its principal events. It can also c o n n o te p eace a n d a m ity . A t m any po in ts. Jew itt refers to w om en, particu larly o f th e no b ility , as being fa ir-sk in n e d . T h e Indian w om an w hom h e “ m a rrie d ” h e describes in this fashion. T h is h a s led H o d g so n 39 to state: T h e girl [Jew itt] chooses [to m arry ] is a princess, a n d by his ow n ad m issio n very beautiful a n d light in c o m plexion. T he la tte r quality m ust have been th e d eciding p o in t, as he had to ju stify his actio n s if he ever re tu rn e d to civilization. T his c u rio u s, m ildly racist m o tiv a tio n im p u ted to Je w itt m ay have a germ o f tru th ; b u t w ho can tell? W e m u st b ew are o f p sy ch o an a­ lyzing th e d e ad . T h e fact is th a t fair skin w as con sid ered a sign o f beauty a n d nobility a m o n g m an y N o rth w e st C o a st g ro u p s, and w om en a p p ro ac h in g m arriag e a b le age w ere o ften secluded for ex ten d ed p e rio d s in d o o rs so th a t they w ould have th e desirable pale com plexion a t th e tim e o f th e ir m arriag e . O th e r details, such a s th e ritual p ro sc rip tio n o f sexual in terco u rse fo r w halers before a w h a le-h u n t, like m an y p o in ts m a d e in passing by Je w itt, are fully c onfirm ed in su b seq u e n t e th n o g ra p h ic w o rk . O n a n u m b er o f occasions Je w itt d escribes events, th e m e a n ­ ing o f w hich he p ro b ab ly never c o m p re h e n d e d . F o r exam ple, he a n d T h o m p so n (his c o m p a n io n from th e sh ip B oston) a re sent out to th e w oods d u rin g a sh a m an istic p e rfo rm a n ce in th e W in ter s e a so n a n d to ld to sta y a w ay fo r se v e n d a y s. T h e y re tu rn e d b efore th e ritual cycle w as c o m p le te in th e village, a n d w ere allow ed to stay a n d observe th e re m a in d e r o f th e perfo rm an ce. P ro b ab ly w h at in fact had h a p p e n e d w as th a t Je w itt a n d T h o m p ­ son, a fte r a form o f ritual seclusion, h a d in effect been in itiated into o n e o f th e W in te r Season ritual societies, “ th o u g h th e tw o did n o t u n d e rsta n d w h at it w as all a b o u t.” 40 A t th is perfo rm an ce, and a t o th ers, Je w itt describes p e rfo rm e rs being c arried a b o u t on b ay o n ets sticking th ro u g h th e ir flesh. H e a p p ea rs to have accepted th is as g en u in e , alth o u g h such scenes w ere a p ro m in e n t featu re o f N o o tk a a n d K w ak iu tl sh a m an istic a n d cere m o n ia l p e r­ form ances, in w hich th eatrical “ tric k e ry ” a n d p re stid ig ita tio n w ere extensively p ra ctic e d 41. '9 H odgson, M aurice, op. cit., p. 32. -10 D rucker, Philip, op. cit., p. 391. 41 Cf. e.g., Boas, F ranz, op. cit.

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F inally, captiv ity jo u rn a ls a n d sim ilar acco u n ts w ere p ro b ab ly very im p o rta n t in sh a p in g o p in io n s a b o u t In d ian s by n o n -In d ia n N o rth A m e ric an society. A stu d y o f captivity jo u rn a ls, etc., in th is light w ould be valuable. B ut Je w itt’s a cc o u n t p ro v id es us in so m e m ea su re w ith a view “ from th e o th e r sid e ” . T h e insensitivi­ ties a n d b ru ta litie s o f early N o rth A m e ric an , B ritish, a n d Spanish explorers, tra d e rs, a n d m ilitary m en em erge clearly a n d som e a p p rec ia tio n o f Indian reactio n s to th em m ay be o b ta in e d in Je w itt’s w o rk . A h istorical stu d y o f “ race re la tio n s” co u ld well be b ased, at least in p a rt, on m a te ria ls o f th is kind. O n e a p p re c ia te s D ru c k e r’s42 c o m m e n t th a t Je w itt’s N arrative is “ a very d etailed descrip tio n o f n a tiv e life, a n d livelier reading th an m an y n ovels.” A m en. D erek G. O ttaw a M a y , 1973

S m it h

j:; D rucker, Philip, Indians o f th e N orthw est Coast (G ard en City, New Y ork: 1963), p. 210.

1. Birth, Parentage and Early Life of The Author I w a s b o m in B oston, a c o n sid era b le b o ro u g h tov/n in L incoln­ s h ire , in G r e a t B rita in , o n th e 2 1 st o f M a y , 1783. M y fa th e r, E dw ard Je w itt, w as by tra d e a b lac k sm ith , a n d esteem ed a m o n g th e first in his line o f business in th a t place. A t th e age o f th ree years I had th e m isfo rtu n e to lose m y m o th e r, a m o st excellent w o m a n , w ho d ied in c h ild b e d , leaving an infant d a u g h te r, w ho, w ith m yself, a n d an e ld e r b ro th e r by a fo rm e r m arriag e o f m y fa th e r, c o n stitu ted th e w hole o f o u r fam ily. M y fa th e r, w ho con sid ered a g o o d ed u ca tio n as th e g reatest blessing h e could bestow on his ch ild ren , w as very p a rtic u la r in p a y in g every a tte n ­ tion to us in th a t respect, alw ays e x h o rtin g us to b eh av e well, and e n d ea v o u rin g to im press on o u r m in d s th e principles o f v irtu e and m o rality , a n d no expense in his po w er w as sp a red to h av e us instructed in w hatever m ight re n d e r us useful a n d respectable in society. M y b ro th e r, w ho w as fo u r years o ld e r th a n m yself a n d o f a m o re h a rd y c o n stitu tio n , h e d e stin e d for his ow n trad e , b u t to m e h e h a d resolved to give an e d u c a tio n su p e rio r to th a t w hich is to b e o b ta in e d in a co m m o n sc h o o l, it bein g his in te n tio n th a t I sho u ld a d o p t o n e o f th e learned professions. A ccordingly, at the age o f tw elve he to o k m e from th e school in w hich I h a d been ta u g h t th e first ru d im e n ts o f learn in g , a n d placed m e u n d e r the care o f M r. M oses, a c eleb rated tea ch e r o f an academ y a t D o n n in g to n , a b o u t eleven m iles from B oston, in o rd e r to be instructed in th e L atin language, a n d in som e o f th e h igher b ran ch es o f th e m ath em atics. I th e re m ad e c o n sid erab le p ro fi­ ciency in w riting, read in g , a n d a rith m e tic , a n d o b tain e d a pretty g o o d know ledge o f n a vigation a n d o f surveying; b u t m y p rogress in L atin w as slow , not only ow in g to th e little in clination I felt for lea rn in g th a t language, but to a n a tu ra l im p e d im e n t in m y speech, w hich ren d ere d it extrem ely difficult for m e to p ro n o u n c e it, so th a t in a sh o rt tim e, w ith m y fa th e r’s c onsent, I w holly relin q u ish ed th e study. T h e p e rio d o f m y stay at this place w as th e m o st h ap p y o f m y life. M y p r e c e p to r , M r. M o s e s , w a s n o t o n ly a le a r n e d , b u t a v irtu o u s, ben ev o len t, a n d am iab le m a n , universally beloved by his p upils, w ho to o k delight in his in stru ctio n , a n d to w h o m he

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allow ed every p ro p e r am u sem en t th a t consisted w ith a tte n tio n to th e ir studies. O n e o f th e p rin cip al p leasu res I enjoyed w as in a tte n d in g the fair, w hich is regularly held tw ice a y e a r a t D o n n in g to n , in the sp rin g a n d in th e fall, th e seco n d day being w holly d ev o ted to selling horses, a p ro d ig io u s n u m b e r o f w hich are b ro u g h t th ith e r for th a t p u rp o se . A s th e scholars on these occasions w ere alw ays indulged w ith a holiday, I c a n n o t express w ith w hat eagerness o f y o u th fu l expectatio n 1 used to a n tic ip a te th ese fairs, n o r w hat delig h t I felt a t th e vario u s show s, exh ib itio n s o f wild beasts, and o th e r e n te rta in m e n ts th a t they p resen ted ; I w as frequently visited by m y father, w ho alw ays discovered m uch jo y on seeing me; praised m e for m y a cq u irem e n ts, a n d usually left m e a sm all sum for m y pock et expenses. A m o n g th e scholars a t th is acad em y , th e re w as o n e nam ed C h a rle s R ice, w ith w hom I fo rm ed a p a rtic u la r intim acy, w hich c o n tin u e d d u rin g th e w hole o f m y stay. H e w as m y class and room m ate , a n d as th e tow n h e cam e from , A shby, w as m ore th an sixty m iles off, instead o f re tu rn in g h o m e, h e used frequently d u rin g th e vacation to g o w ith m e to B oston, w here h e alw ays m et w ith a c o rd ia l w elcom e from m y father, w ho received m e on th ese o ccasions w ith th e g re atest affection, a p p are n tly tak in g m uch p rid e in m e. M y frien d in re tu rn used to ta k e m e w ith him to a n uncle o f his in D o n n in g to n , a very w ealthy m a n , who, h aving no c hildren o f his o w n , w as very fond o f his nephew , and on his account I w as alw ays a w elcom e visitor a t th e house. 1 had a g o o d voice, a n d an e a r for m usic, to w hich I w as alw ays passionately a tta c h e d , tho u g h m y fa th e r en d ea v o u red to d isc o u r­ a ge this p ro p e n sity , considering it (as is to o frequently th e case) but an in tro d u c tio n to a life o f idleness a n d d issip a tio n ; a n d , h aving been rem arked- for m y singing a t ch u rch , w hich w as regu­ larly a tte n d ed on S undays a n d festival days by th e scholars, M r. M o rth ro p , m y friend R ice’s uncle, used frequently to req u est m e to sing; he w as alw ays p leased w ith m y exh ib itio n s o f this kind, a n d it w as n o d o u b t o n e o f th e m eans th a t secured m e so g ra cio u s a recep tio n a t his h o u se . A n u m b e r o f o th e r g entlem en in th e place w ould so m etim es send for m e to sing a t th e ir houses, a n d as I w as n o t a little vain o f m y vocal pow ers, I w as m uch g ra tified on receiving these in v itatio n s, a n d accepted them with th e g re atest pleasure. T h u s passed aw ay th e tw o h a p p ie st y ears o f m y life, w hen my fa th e r, th in k in g th a t i had received a sufficient ed u catio n fo r the p ro fessio n he in te n d e d m e for, to o k m e from school a t D o n n in g ­ to n in o rd e r to a p p ren tic e m e to D o c to r M a so n , a su rg eo n o f

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e m in en ce a t R easby, in th e n e ig h b o u rh o o d o f th e c eleb rated Sir Jo se p h B a n k s.1 W ith regret d id I p a rt from m y school a c q u a in t­ ance, p a rticu la rly m y friend R ice, a n d re tu rn e d h o m e w ith m y fa th e r, o n a sh o rt visit to m y fam ily, p re p a ra to ry to m y in ten d ed ap p ren tic e sh ip . T h e disinclin atio n 1 ever h a d felt for th e pro fes­ sion m y fa th e r w ished m e to p u rsu e , w as still fu rth e r increased on m y re tu rn . W h en a child I w as alw ays fond o f being in th e sh o p , a m o n g th e w o rk m e n , e n d ea v o u rin g to im itate w h a t I saw them do; th is d isp o sitio n so far increased a fte r m y leaving th e acad em y , th a t I could n o t b e ar to hear th e least m en tio n m a d e o f m y being ap p ren tic e d to a su rg eo n , a n d I used so m any e n tre aties w ith m y fa th e r to p e rsu ad e him to give up this plan a n d learn m e his own tra d e , th a t h e a t last con sen ted . M o re fo rtu n a te w ould it p ro b a b ly have been for m e, h a d I g r a tifie d th e w ish e s o f th is a f fe c tio n a te p a re n t, in a d o p tin g th e profession h e h a d ch o sen for m e, th a n th u s to have induced him to sacrifice them to m in e. H ow ever it m ight h a v e b een , I w as at length in tro d u c ed into th e sh o p , a n d m y n a tu ra l tu rn o f m ind co rre sp o n d in g w ith th e e m p lo y m en t, I b e ca m e in a sh o rt tim e unco m m o n ly e x p ert a t th e w o rk to w hich I w as se t. I now felt m yself well c o n te n te d , pleased w ith m y o c c u p a tio n , a n d trea te d w ith m uch affection by m y fa th e r, a n d kin d n ess by m y ste p ­ m o th e r, m y fa th e r h aving o n c e m o re en tered th e sta te o f m a tri­ m o n y , w ith a w idow m u ch y o u n g e r th an him self, w ho h a d been b ro u g h t up in a su p e rio r m a n n e r, a n d w as a n a m ia b le and sensible w om an. A b o u t a y e ar after I had co m m en ced th is a p p ren tic e sh ip , m y fa th e r, finding th a t he could carry on his business to m o re a d v a n ­ tage in H ull, rem oved th ith e r w ith his fam ily. A n event o f no little im p o rta n c e to m e, as it in a g re at m ea su re influenced m y fu tu re destiny. H ull being o n e o f th e best p o rts in E ngland, a n d a place o f g re a t tra d e , m y fath er h a d th e re full e m p lo y m en t for his n u m ero u s w o rk m e n , particu larly in vessel w o rk . T h is n atu rally leading m e to a n a cq u a in ta n ce w ith th e sailors on b o a rd so m e o f the ships: th e m an y re m a rk a b le sto ries they told m e o f th eir voyages a n d ad v en tu res, and o f th e m an n e rs a n d custom s o f the n a tio n s they h a d seen, excited a stro n g wish in m e to visit foreign co u n tries, w hich w as increased by m y re ad in g th e voyages o f C a p ta in C o o k , a n d som e o th e r c eleb ra ted n a vigators. 1 Sir Joseph Banks, for m any years President o f the Royal Society, was a close com panion o f C aptain Jam es Cook on several voyages. Banks had an especial interest in botany and related scientific m at­ ters.

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T h u s passed th e fo u r y e ars th a t I lived at H ull, w here my fa th e r w as esteem ed by all w ho knew h im , as a w o rth y , indus­ trio u s, and th riv in g m an . A t this p e rio d a circu m stan ce occurred w hich a fforded m e the o p p o rtu n ity I had for som e tim e w ished, o f gratifying m y inclination o f g o in g a b ro a d . A m o n g o u r principal cu sto m e rs a t Hull w ere th e A m ericans w h o fre q u e n te d th a t p o r t, a n d from w h o se c o n v e rs a tio n m y fa th e r as well as m yself form ed th e m o st favourable o p in io n o f th a t c o u n try , as affording a n excellent field for th e ex ertio n s o f in d u stry , a n d a flattering p ro sp e ct for th e estab lish m en t o f a y o u n g m an in life. In th e su m m e r o f th e y e ar 1802, d u rin g the peace betw een E ngland a n d F ra n c e , th e sh ip B o sto n , b elonging to B oston, in M assachusetts, a n d c o m m a n d e d by C a p ta in J o h n Sal­ te r, arrived at H ull, w h ith er she cam e to ta k e on b o a rd a carg o o f such goo d s as w ere w anted for th e tra d e w ith th e In d ian s, o n the N o rth -W e st co ast o f A m erica, fro m w hence, a fte r h aving tak e n in a lading o f furs a n d skins, sh e w as to p ro ceed to C h in a, a n d from th e n c e h o m e to A m e ric a . T h e s h ip h a v in g o c c a sio n fo r m an y re p airs a n d alte ra tio n s, necessary fo r so long a voyage, th e c ap tain a pplied to m y fa th e r to do th e sm ith ’s w o rk , w hich w as very co n sid erab le. T h a t g e n tle m a n , w ho w as o f a social tu rn , used often to call a t m y fa th e r’s h o u se , w h ere h e passed m an y o f his evenings, w ith his c h ie f a n d seco n d m ates, M r. B. D elouisa and M r. W illiam In g rah a m , th e la tte r a fine yo u n g m an o f a b o u t tw enty, o f a m o st a m ia b le te m p e r, and o f such affable m anners, as g ained him th e love a n d a tta c h m e n t o f th e w hole crew . T hese gen tlem en used occasionally to ta k e m e w ith them to th e th ea tre , an am u sem en t w hich I w as very fond of, a n d w hich m y father ra th e r e n co u ra g ed th an objected to, as h e th o u g h t it a good m ea n s o f p re v en tin g yo u n g m en, w ho a re naturally inclined to seek for so m e th in g to a m u se th e m , from freq u e n tin g taverns, ale-houses, a n d places o f b a d reso rt, equally d estru ctiv e o f the health a n d m o rals, w hile th e stag e frequently furnishes excellent lessons o f m o rality and g o o d c onduct. In th e evenings th a t he passed at m y fa th e r’s. C a p ta in Salter, w ho had for a g re at n u m b er o f years been a t sea, a n d seen alm ost all p a rts o f th e w orld, used so m e tim es to speak o f his voyages, a n d , observing m e listen w ith m uch a tte n tio n to his re la tio n s, he o n e day, w hen I had b ro u g h t him som e w o rk , said to m e in ra th e r a jo c o se m an n e r, “ Jo h n , h o w should you like to go with m e? " I answ ered, th at it w ould give m e g re at pleasure, th a t I had for a long tim e w ished to visit foreign c o u n tries, particu larly A m erica, w hich I had been told so m an y fine sto ries of, a n d th at if m y fath er w ould give his c o n se n t, a n d h e w as w illing to tak e m e w ith h im , I w ould go.

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“ I shall be very glad to d o it,” said he, “ if y o u r fa th e r can be p revailed on to let you go; a n d as 1 w an t an e x p ert sm ith for an a rm o u re r, th e o n e I have sh ip p e d for th a t p u rp o se n o t being sufficiently m aste r o f his tra d e , I have no d o u b t th a t y o u will answ er m y tu rn well, as I perceive you a re b o th active and ingenious, a n d on m y re tu rn to A m e ric a I shall p ro b a b ly be ab le to d o som eth in g m uch b e tte r for y o u in B oston. I will ta k e the first o p p o rtu n ity o f speaking to y o u r fath er a b o u t it, a n d try to p e rsu ad e him to c o n se n t.” H e accordingly, th e next evening th a t h e called a t o u r house, in tro d u c e d th e subject: m y fath er a t first w ould n o t listen to th e p ro p o sa l. T h a t best o f p a re n ts, tho u g h a n x io u s for m y a d v an tag e o u s e stab lish m en t in life, could n o t bear to th in k o f p a rtin g w ith m e, b u t on C a p ta in S alter’s telling him o f w h a t benefit it w ould b e to m e to go th e voyage w ith h im , and th a t it w as a p ity to k e ep a p ro m isin g a n d in g en io u s yo u n g fellow like m yself con fin ed to a sm all sh o p in E ngland, w hen if I had to le rab le success I m ight d o so m u ch b e tte r in A m erica, w here w ages w ere m uch h igher a n d living c h eap er, h e a t length g a v e up his objectio n s, a n d consented th a t I sho u ld sh ip on b o a rd the B o sto n as an a rm o u re r, at th e ra te o f th irty d o lla rs p e r m o n th , w ith a n a g ree m e n t th a t th e a m o u n t due to m e, to g e th e r w ith a c ertain sum o f m o n ey , w hich m y fath er gave C a p ta in S alter for th a t p u rp o se , sh o u ld be laid o u t by him o n th e N o rth -W e st coast in th e p u rch ase o f furs for m y a cc o u n t, to be d isposed o f in C h in a for such goo d s as w ould yield a p rofit on th e re tu rn o f th e ship; m y fath er being solicitous to give m e every ad v an tag e in his p o w e r o f well establishing m yself in m y tra d e in B oston, o r som e o th e r m aritim e tow n o f A m erica. Such w ere th e flattering expec­ ta tio n s w hich this g o o d m an indulged respecting m e. A las! the fatal d isa ster th a t befell us, n o t only b lasted all these h opes, but involved m e in ex trem e distress a n d w retchedness for a long pe rio d after. T h e ship, h aving u n d e rg o n e a th o ro u g h re p a ir a n d b e en well co p p ere d , p ro ceed ed to ta k e on b o a rd h e r carg o , w hich consisted o f English cloths, D u tc h b lan k e ts, looking-glasses, beads, knives, razo rs, etc., w hich w ere received from H olland, som e su g a r and m olasses, a b o u t tw enty hogsheads o f ru m , including stores for the ship, a g re at q u a n tity o f a m m u n itio n , cutlasses, pistols, a n d th ree th o u sa n d m uskets a n d fow ling-pieces. T h e sh ip being load ed and ready for sea, as I w as p re p a rin g for m y d e p a rtu re , m y fath er cam e to m e, a n d , tak in g m e a sid e, said to m e w ith m uch e m o ­ tio n , “ Jo h n , I am now g oing to p a rt w ith y o u , a n d H eaven only know s if w e shall ever again m ee t. But in w h a tev e r p a rt o f the w orld y o u are, alw ays b e a r it in m in d , th a t on y o u r ow n co n d u ct will d e p en d y o u r success in life. Be hon est, in dustrious, frugal.

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a n d tem p e ra te , a n d you will n o t fail, in w h atso ev er c o u n try it m ay be y o u r lot to b e placed , to gain y o u rse lf friends. Let th e B ible b e y o u r g u id e, and y o u r reliance in any fo rtu n e th a t m ay befall y o u , th a t A lm ighty B eing, w ho k n o w s how to b rin g forth g o o d from evil, a n d w ho never d eserts th o se w ho p u t th e ir trust in H im .” H e re p ea te d his e x h o rta tio n s to m e to lead an honest a n d C h ristia n life, a n d to recollect th a t I h a d a father, a m o th er, a b ro th e r, a n d sister, w ho co u ld n o t but feel a stro n g in te rest in my w elfare, e n jo in in g m e to w rite him by th e first o p p o rtu n ity th a t sho u ld offer to E ngland, from w hatever p a rt o f th e w orld I m ig h t b e in, m o re particu larly o n m y arrival in B oston. T h is I p ro m ised to d o , b u t long u n h a p p ily w as it before I w as ab le to fulfil th is p ro m ise. I then to o k a n affectio n ate leave o f m y w orthy p a re n t, w hose feelings w ould h ardly p e rm it him to sp e a k , and, b id d in g an affe c tio n a te farew ell to m y b ro th e r, sister, a n d ste p ­ m o th e r, w ho expressed th e g re atest solicitu d e for m y fu tu re for­ tu n e , w en t on b o a rd th e ship, w hich p ro c ee d ed to th e D o w n s, to b e read y fo r th e first fav o u rab le w ind. I found m yself well accom ­ m o d a te d on b o a rd as reg ard e d m y w o rk , a n iron forge having been erected on deck; this m y fa th e r h a d m a d e for th e sh ip on a new plan, for w hich h e a fte rw a rd s o b ta in e d a p a te n t; w hile a c o rn e r o f th e steerag e w as a p p ro p ria te d to m y vice-bench, so th a t in b a d w eath er I could w o rk below .

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2

Voyage to Nootka Sound O n th e th ird day o f S e p tem b e r, 1802, w e sailed from th e D ow ns w ith a fair w ind, in c o m p an y w ith tw e n ty -fo u r sail o f A m erican vessels, m o st o f w hich w ere b o u n d hom e. I w as sea-sick for a few o f th e first days, but it w as o f sh o rt co n tin u a n ce , a n d on m y recovery I found m yself in unco m m o n ly fine health a n d spirits, a n d w e n t to w o rk w ith alacrity a t m y forge, in p u ttin g in o rd e r so m e o f th e m u sk ets, and m aking daggers, knives, a n d sm all h a tc h ets fo r th e In d ian tra d e , w hile in w et a n d sto rm y w e ath e r I w as occu p ied below in filing and polishing th em . T h is w as m y e m p lo y m en t, h aving b u t little to do w ith sailing th e vessel, th o u g h I used occasionally to lend a han d in assisting th e se a m e n in tak in g in a n d m ak in g sail. A s I h a d never b efore b e en o u t o f sight o f lan d , I c a n n o t describ e m y sen satio n s, a fte r I h a d recovered from th e distressing effects o f sea-sickness, on view ing th e m ighty o cean by w hich I w as su rro u n d e d , b o u n d only by th e sky, w hile its w aves, rising in m o u n ta in s, seem ed every m o m e n t to th re a te n o u r ru in . M anifest as is th e h a n d o f Providence in preserving its c rea tu re s from d e stru ctio n , in n o instance is it m o re so th a n on th e g re at deep; for w h e th er w e consider in its tu m u ltu a ry m o tio n s th e w atery deluge th a t each m o m e n t m enaces to overw helm us, th e im m ense violence o f its shocks, th e little th a t in terp o ses betw een us and d e ath , a single plan k fo rm in g o u r only security, w hich, sho u ld it u n fo rtu n ately be lo o sen ed , w ould p lu n g e us at o n ce in to th e abyss, o u r g ra titu d e o u g h t strongly to be excited to w ard s th at su p e rin te n d in g D eity w ho in so w o n d erfu l a m an n e r su stain s o u r lives a m id th e w aves. W e h a d a p leasan t a n d fav o u ra b le passage o f tw enty-nine days to th e Island o f S t. C a th e rin e ,1 on th e co ast o f Brazils, w here th e c ap tain had d e te rm in e d to sto p for a few days to w ood and w ater. T his place belongs to th e P ortuguese. O n e n te rin g the h a rb o u r, w e w ere saluted by th e fo rt, w hich w e re tu rn e d . T he next day th e g o v e rn o r o f th e island c am e on b o a rd o f us w ith his suite; C a p ta in Salter received him w ith m uch respect, a n d invited him to d in e w ith h im , w hich h e accepted. T h e sh ip rem ain ed at St. C a th e rin e ’s fo u r days, d u rin g w hich tim e w e w ere busily em ployed in tak in g in w ood, w a ter, a n d fresh p rovisions, C a p ta in 1 i.e. th e Isla Santa C atharina.

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S alter th in k in g it best to furnish h im self here w ith a full supply for his voyage to th e N o rth -W e st co ast, so as n o t to be o b lig ed to sto p a t th e S andw ich Islands. St. C a th e rin e ’s is a very c o m m o ­ d io u s place fo r vessels to sto p a t th a t a re bo u n d ro u n d C ap e H o rn , as it a b o u n d s w ith sp rin g s o f fine w a ter, w ith excellent oranges, p lan ta in s, a n d b a n an as. H aving co m p leted o u r sto re s, w e p u t to sea, a n d o n the tw enty-fifth o f D ecem b er, at length passed C a p e H o rn , w hich we had m ade no less th an thirty-six days before, but w ere repeatedly forced back by c o n tra ry w inds, experiencing very ro u g h a n d te m ­ p e stu o u s w e ath e r in d oubling it. Im m ed iately a fte r passing C a p e H o rn , all o u r d a n g e rs and difficulties seem ed to b e at an end; th e w e ath e r b ecam e fine, and so little la b o u r w as necessary on b o a rd th e sh ip , th a t th e m en so o n recovered from th eir fatigue a n d w ere in excellent sp irits. A few days a fte r w e fell in w ith a n E nglish S o u th S ea w haling ship h om ew ard b o u n d , w hich w as th e only vessel we sp o k e w ith on o u r voyage. W e now to o k th e tra d e w ind o r m o n so o n , during w hich we enjoyed th e finest w e ath e r possible, so th a t fo r the space o f a fo rtn ig h t we w ere n o t obliged to reeve a topsail o r to m ak e a tac k , a n d so light w as th e d u ty a n d easy th e life o f the sailors du rin g this tim e, th a t th ey a p p e a re d th e hap p iest o f any p e o p le in th e w orld. C a p ta in S alter, w ho h a d been for m an y y ears in th e East In d ia tra d e , w as a m o st excellent se a m a n , a n d preserv ed th e strictest o rd e r a n d discipline on b o a rd his ship, th o u g h h e w as a m an o f m ild te m p e r a n d con ciliatin g m an n e rs, a n d d isposed to allow every indulgence to his m en , n o t inconsistent w ith their d u ty . W e h a d on b o a rd a fine b a n d o f m usic, w ith w hich on S atu rd ay nights, w hen th e w e ath e r w as p leasan t, w e w ere accus­ to m e d to b e regaled, th e c ap tain o rd e rin g them to play fo r several h o u rs for th e am u sem en t o f th e crew . T h is to m e w as m ost delightful, especially du rin g th e se ren e evenings we experienced in traversing th e S o u th ern O cean. As for m yself, du rin g th e day I w as co n stan tly o ccu p ied a t m y forge, in refitting o r rep airin g som e o f th e iro n w o rk o f th e vessel, b u t principally in m aking to m a h a w k s, daggers, etc., fo r th e N o rth -W e st coast. D u rin g th e first p a rt o f o u r voyage w e saw scarcely any fish, excepting som e w hales, a few sh a rk s, a n d flying fish; b u t a fter w eath erin g C a p e H o rn w e m et w ith n u m ero u s shoals o f sea po rp o ises, several o f w h o m w e c au g h t, a n d as w e h a d been for som e tim e w ith o u t fresh p rovisions, I fo u n d it not only a p a la ta ­ ble, b u t really a very excellent food. T o o n e w ho has never before

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seen th em , a shoal o f these fish 2 presents a very strik in g a n d sin g u lar a p p ea ran c e; beheld a t a d istan c e com ing to w ard s a vessel, they look not unlik e a g re at n u m b e r o f sm all black w aves rolling o v er o n e a n o th e r in a confused m a n n e r, a n d a p p ro ac h in g with g re a t sw iftness. A s soon as a shoal is seen, all is bustle a n d activity on b o a rd th e sh ip , th e g ra in s a n d th e h a rp o o n s are im m ediately g o t ready, a n d th o se w ho a re best skilled in throw ing th em ta k e th e ir stand a t th e b o w a n d alo n g th e gunw ale, a n x ­ iously aw aitin g th e w elcom e tro o p as they co m e, g am bolling and blow ing a ro u n d th e vessel, in search o f food. W h en pierced w ith th e h a rp o o n a n d d ra w n o n b o a rd , u n less th e fish is in sta n tly killed by th e stro k e , w hich rarely h a p p en s, it u tte rs m ost pitiful cries, greatly resem bling th o se o f a n infant. T h e flesh, cu t into ste ak s a n d bro iled , is not unlik e very coarse beef, and th e harslet in a p p e a ra n c e a n d taste is so m u ch like th a t o f a h og, th a t it w o u ld b e no easy m a tte r to d istin g u ish th e o n e from th e other; fro m this circu m stan ce th e sailors have given th e n a m e o f the h e rrin g h o g 3 to this fish. I w as to ld by so m e o f th e crew , th a t if o n e o f them h a p p en s to free itself from th e g ra in s o r h a rp o o n s, w hen stru c k , all th e oth ers, a ttra c te d by th e blo o d , im m ediately q u it th e sh ip a n d give chase to th e w o u n d e d o n e , and as so o n as they o v e rta k e it, im m ediately te a r it in pieces. W e also c au g h t a large sh a rk , w hich h a d follow ed th e sh ip for several days, w ith a ho o k w hich I m ad e for th e p u rp o se , and a lth o u g h th e flesh w as by no m eans equal to th at o f th e h errin g hog, yet to those de stitu te as we w ere o f anyth in g fresh, I fo u n d it e at very well. A fte r passing th e C a p e, w hen th e sea h a d b e co m e calm , w e saw g re a t n u m b ers o f albatrosses, a large brow n a n d w hite b ird o f the g o o se k in d , o n e o f w hich C a p ta in S alter sh o t, w hose w ings m e a ­ su re d from th e ir ex trem ities fifteen feet. O n e thin g , how ever, 1 m ust n o t om it m entio n in g , as it stru ck m e in a m o st sin g u lar and e x tra o rd in a ry m a n n e r. T h is w as, th a t on passing C ap e H o rn in D e ce m b er, w hich w as m id su m m e r in th a t c lim ate, th e nights w ere so light, w ith o u t any m o o n , th a t w e fo u n d no difficulty w hatever in read in g sm all p rin t, w hich w e frequently did d u rin g o u r w atches.

: porpoises are. o f course, not llsh, but m am m als. 1the English w ord porpoise is derived from the French nam e for this anim al, p o re poisson (i.e. pig fish). The nam e “ herring h o g " as given by Jew itt is obviously closely parallel.

3. Intercourse With the Natives Maquina - Seizure of the Vessel and Murder o f the Crew I n this m a n n e r, w ith a fair w ind a n d easy w e ath e r from th e 28th o f D ecem b er, th e p eriod o f o u r passing C a p e H o rn , w e pursued o u r voyage to th e n o rth w a rd until th e 12th o f M a rch , 1803, w hen w e m a d e W o o d y P oint in N o o tk a S o u n d , on th e N o rth -W e st co ast o f A m e ric a. W e im m ed iately sto o d up th e S o u n d for N o o tk a ,1 w h ere C a p ta in S alter h a d d e te rm in e d to sto p , in o rd e r to supply th e sh ip w ith w ood a n d w a ter b e fo re pro ceed in g up the co ast to tra d e . B ut in o rd e r to av o id th e risk o f an y m o lestatio n o r in te rru p tio n to his m en from th e In d ian s w hile th u s em p lo y ed , he p ro ceed ed w ith th e sh ip a b o u t five m iles to th e n o rth w a rd o f the village, w hich is situ ate d on F rie n d ly C o v e , a n d sent o u t his chief m ate w ith several o f th e crew in th e b o a t to find a g o o d place for an ch o rin g her. A fte r so u n d in g for so m e tim e, they re tu rn e d with in fo rm a tio n th a t th ey h a d disco v ered a secure place fo r a n c h o r­ age, on th e w estern side o f a n in let o r sm all bay, at a b o u t h a lf a m ile from th e co ast, n e ar a sm all island w hich p ro tec te d it from th e sea, and w h ere th ere w as p len ty o f w o o d a n d excellent w ater. T h e sh ip accordingly cam e to a n c h o r in this p lace, a t twelve o ’clock a t n ight, in tw elve fa th o m w ater, m u d d y b o tto m , a n d so n e ar th e sh o re th a t to p rev en t th e ship from w inding w e secured h e r by a haw ser to th e trees. O n th e m o rn in g o f th e next d ay , th e 13th, several o f the natives cam e o n b o a rd in a c a n o e from th e village o f N o o tk a , w ith th e ir k in g ,2 called M a q u in a , w ho a p p e a re d m uch p leased on

1 “ N o o tk a” is not an aboriginal nam e. It denotes variously the village o f Y uquot, th e trib e centred there (also know n as the Y uquot), and the region occupied by them on Friendly Cove. It was also used to denote the M oachat tribe. In later tim es the nam e N ootka has been generalized to the w hole group o f tribes and tribelets speaking dialects o f a com m on language, now also called N ootka. The prom ­ inence o f the nam e N o otka derives from the days o f th e m aritim e fur-trade. Y uquot and Friendly C ove were an im portant area o f contact between Indians an d traders. : the w ord “ kin g ,” often used in older accounts to denote political leaders o r prom inent m en am ong aboriginal peoples is not appropri-

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seeing us, a n d w ith g re a t seem ing c o rd iality w elcom ed C a p ta in Salter a n d his officers to his c o u n try . A s I h a d never before beheld a savage o f any n a tio n , it m ay readily b e su p p o sed th a t th e novelty o f th e ir a p p ea ran c e, so different from any peo p le th a t I had h ith e rto seen, excited in m e stro n g feelings o f su rp rise and curiosity. I w as, how ever, p a rticu la rly struck w ith th e looks o f th eir king, w ho w as a m an o f a dignified aspect, a b o u t six feet in height a n d extrem ely stra ig h t a n d well p ro p o rtio n e d ; his features w ere in general g o o d , a n d his face w as ren d ere d re m a rk a b le by a large R o m an nose, a very u n c o m m o n form o f featu re am ong these p eople; his com plexion w as o f a d a rk c o p p e r hue, tho u g h his face, legs, and a rm s w ere, on this occasion, so covered w ith red p a in t, th a t th eir n a tu ra l c o lo u r co u ld scarcely b e perceived; his e yebrow s w ere p a in te d black in tw o b ro a d strip es like a new m o o n , a n d his long black h a ir, w hich sh o n e w ith oil, w as fastened in a bunch on th e to p o f his h e a d a n d stew ed o r p o w d e red all over w ith w h ite d o w n , w hich gave him a m o st c u rio u s a n d e x tr a o r d in a r y a p p e a ra n c e . H e w as d re sse d in a la rg e m a n tle o r cloak o f th e black se a -o tte r skin, w hich reached to his knees, and was fastened a ro u n d his m id d le by a b ro a d b elt o f th e cloth o f th e c o u n try , w ro u g h t o r p a in te d w ith figures o f several c olours; this dress w as by no m eans u n b e co m in g , b u t, on th e c o n tra ry , h a d an a ir o f savage m agnificence. H is m en w ere h a b ite d in m antles o f th e sa m e clo th , w hich is m ad e fro m th e b ark o f a tre e ,3 a n d has som e resem b lan ce to stra w m attin g ; th ese a re nearly sq u a re , and have tw o holes in th e u p p e r p a rt large e n ough to a d m it th e arm s; they reach as low as th e knees, a n d are fastened ro u n d their b o d ies w ith a belt a b o u t fo u r inches b ro a d o f th e sa m e cloth. F ro m his having frequently visited th e E nglish a n d A m erican ships th a t trad e d to th e coast, M a q u in a had lea rn ed th e significa­ tio n o f a n u m b e r o f English w o rd s, a n d in general could m ak e him self p re tty well u n d e rsto o d by us in o u r ow n language. H e w as alw ays th e first to go on b o a rd such sh ip s as c am e to N o o tk a , w hich h e w as m uch p leased in visiting; even w hen he had no tra d e to offer, as h e alw ays received som e sm all p re sen t, and w as in general extrem ely well tre a te d by th e c o m m a n d ers. H e

ate, n o r are the related term s “ qu een ,” “ prince” and “ princess.” All o f th ese n am es m ay d e n o te n o th in g m o re th an a m em b er o f the upper class. “ K ing” is probably best approxim ated (but only approx­ im ated) by the w ord “ chief.” 3 probably bark o f the red cedar (Thuja gigantea); although the bark o f yellow cedar (T h u ja p lica ta ) and w hite pine (Pinus sp.) w ere also used, red cedar is alm ost certainly the on e alluded to here.

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rem ain ed on b o a rd o f us for som e tim e, d u rin g w hich th e c ap tain to o k him into th e cabin a n d tre a te d him w ith a glass o f rum th ese p eople bein g very fond o f distilled s p i r i t s - a n d so m e biscuit a n d m olasses, w hich they p re fe r to any k in d o f food th a t w e can offer them . A s th ere a re seldom m an y furs to be purch ased a t th is place, a n d it w as not fully th e se a so n , C a p ta in S alter had put in here n o t so m uch w ith an e x p ec ta tio n o f trad in g , as to p ro c u re an a m p le stock o f w o o d a n d w a ter fo r th e sup p ly o f th e sh ip on th e c o ast, th in k in g it m o re p ru d e n t to ta k e it on b o a rd a t N o o tk a , from th e g enerally friendly d isp o sitio n o f th e p e o p le , th an to e n d an g e r th e safety o f his m en in sending them on sh o re for th at p u rp o se a m o n g th e m o re ferocious natives o f th e n o rth . W ith th is view , we im m ediately set a b o u t gettin g o u r w atercasks in readiness, and th e next a n d tw o succeeding days, p a rt o f th e crew w ere se n t on sh o re to cut p in e tim b e r, a n d assist the c a rp e n te r in m ak in g it into y a rd s a n d spars for th e sh ip , while th o se on b o a rd w ere em ployed in refittin g th e rigging, rep airin g th e sails, etc., w hen w e p ro ceed ed to ta k e in o u r w ood a n d w ater as expeditiously as possible, du rin g w hich tim e I k e p t m yself b u sily e m p lo y e d in re p a irin g th e m u sk e ts , m a k in g k n iv es, to m a x e s,4 etc., a n d d oing such ironw ork as w as w an ted fo r th e ship. M e a n tim e m o re o r less o f th e natives cam e on b o a rd o f us daily, b ringing w ith them fresh sa lm o n , w ith w hich they supplied us in g reat p lenty, receiving in re tu rn so m e trilling articles. C a p ­ ta in S alter w as alw ays very p a rtic u la r, before a d m ittin g these p e o p le on b o a rd , to see th a t they had no arm s a b o u t th em , by obliging them indiscrim inately to th ro w o ff th eir g a rm e n ts, so th at h e felt perfectly secure from any a tta c k . O n th e 15th the king c am e on b o a rd w ith several o f his chiefs; h e w as dressed as b e fo re in his m agnificent o tte r-sk in robe, having his face highly p a in te d , a n d his h a ir tossed w ith th e w hite d o w n , w hich lo o k ed like snow . H is chiefs w ere dressed in m antles o f th e c o u n try cloth o f its natu ral co lo u r, w hich is a pale yellow; these w ere o rn a m e n te d w ith a b ro a d b o rd e r, p a in te d o r w rought in figures o f several colours, rep resen tin g m e n 's h ead s, various anim als, etc., a n d secured a ro u n d them by a belt like th a t o f the k ing, from w hich it w as d istinguished only by being narro w er; th e dress o f th e co m m o n p eople is o f th e sam e fashion, a n d differs from th at o f th e chiefs in being o f a c o arse r tex tu re, a n d p ainted re d , o f o n e u n ifo rm colour. 4 i.e. the small hatchets, a com m on item in the fur-trade, m ore com ­ m only know n as tom ahaw ks.

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C a p ta in S a ite r in v ite d M a q u in a a n d h is c h ie fs to d in e w ith h im , a n d it w as c u rio u s to see how these p e o p le (w hen they eat) seat them selves (in th eir co u n try fashion, u p o n o u r c h airs) w ith th eir feet u n d e r th em crossed like T u rk s. T h ey c a n n o t e n d u re th e taste o f salt, a n d th e only th in g th ey w ould e at w ith us w as th e ship b re a d , w hich they w ere very fond of, especially w hen dipped in m olasses; they h a d also a g re at liking for tea a n d coffee w hen well sw eetened. A s iron w eap o n s a n d to o ls o f alm ost every kind are in m u ch req u est a m o n g th e m , w henever they cam e on b o a rd they w ere alw ays very a tte n tiv e to m e, c row ding a ro u n d m e a t th e forge, as if to see in w h at m a n n e r I d id m y w o rk , a n d in th is way becam e q u ite fam iliar, a c ircu m stan ce, as will be seen in th e en d , o f g re at im p o rta n ce to m e. T h e salm o n w hich they b ro u g h t us furnished a m ost d elicious tre a t to m en w ho for a long tim e had lived w holly on salt provisions, excepting such few .sea fish as we h a d th e g o o d fo rtu n e occasionally to take. W e indeed feasted m ost luxuriously, a n d flattered ourselves th a t w e should n o t w an t w hile on th e co ast for plenty o f fresh p rovisions, little im agining th e fate th a t aw aited us, a n d th a t this d a in ty food w as to prove th e u n fo rtu n a te lure to o u r d estru ctio n ! O n th e 19th th e king cam e a g ain on b o a rd , a n d w as invited by th e c ap tain to dine w ith him . H e h a d m uch co n v ersatio n w ith C a p ta in Salter, a n d inform ed him th a t th ere w ere plenty o f wild ducks a n d geese n e a r F riendly C ove, on w hich th e cap tain m ad e him a p resen t o f a d o u b le-b a rrelled fow ling-piece, w ith w hich he a p p e a re d to be greatly pleased, a n d so o n after w ent o n shore. O n th e 20th w e w ere nearly read y for o u r d e p a rtu re having tak e n in w h at w ood a n d w ater w e w ere in w an t of. T h e next day M a q u in a cam e on b o a rd w ith n in e p a ir o f wild ducks, as a p resen t; a t th e sam e tim e he b ro u g h t w ith him the g un, o n e o f th e locks o f w hich he h a d b ro k e n , telling th e c ap tain th a t it w as p e s h a k , 5 th a t is, b a d . C a p ta in S a lte r w as v ery m u ch o ffended a t this o b se rv atio n , a n d , c onsidering it as a m ark o f c o n te m p t for his presen t, he called th e king a liar, a d d in g o th e r o p p ro b rio u s term s, a n d , tak in g th e g u n from h im , tossed it in d ig ­ nantly into th e cab in , a n d , calling m e to him , said , “ Jo h n , this fellow has b ro k e n this beautiful fow ling-piece, see if y o u can m end it.” O n e xam ining it, I told him th a t it co u ld be d o n e . A s I have alread y o bserved, M a q u in a knew a n u m b e r o f English w o rd s, a n d unfo rtu n ately u n d e rsto o d b u t to o well th e m ean in g o f th e re proachful term s th a t th e c a p ta in a d d ressed to him . H e said n o t a w ord in reply, b u t his c o u n te n a n c e sufficiently expressed the 5 peshak is not a Nootkan word, but belongs to the Chinook Jargon trade language.

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rage h e felt, th o u g h h e ex erted h im self to suppress it, a n d I o bserved h im , w hile the c ap tain w as sp e a k in g , repeatedly p u t his han d to his th ro a t, and rub it u p o n his b o so m , w hich he a fte r­ w ard s told m e w as to keep dow n his h e art, w hich w as rising into his th ro a t a n d cho k in g him . H e so o n a fte r w ent on sh o re w ith his m en evidently m u ch d iscom posed. O n th e m o rn in g o f th e 22nd th e natives cam e o ff to us as usual w ith sa lm o n , and re m a in e d on b o a rd ; w hen a b o u t noon M a q u in a c am e alongside, w ith a c o n sid erab le n u m b e r o f his chiefs a n d m en in th eir can o es, w ho, a fte r going th ro u g h the c u sto m a ry e x am in atio n , w ere a d m itte d into th e ship. H e had a w histle in his h a n d , and o v er his face a very ugly m ask o f w ood, rep resen tin g th e h e ad o f som e w ild beast, a p p e a re d to b e re m a rk ­ ably g o o d -h u m o u re d a n d gay, a n d w hilst his p eople sang and c ap e re d a b o u t th e d eck , e n te rta in in g us w ith a variety o f an tic trick a n d gestures, he blew his w histle to a k in d o f tu n e w hich seem ed to re g u la te th eir m o tio n s. A s C a p ta in S alter w as w alking on th e q u a rte r-d ec k , a m using h im self w ith th e ir d ancing, th e king c am e up to him a n d in q u ire d w h e n h e in ten d ed to go to sea? H e answ ered, “ T o -m o rro w .” M a q u in a th en said , “ Y ou love salm on - m u c h in F rie n d ly C ove, w hy n o t go th e re a n d catch som e?” T h e c a p ta in th o u g h t th a t it w o u ld b e v ery d e s ira b le to h a v e a g o o d supply o f th ese fish for th e voyage, a n d , on con su ltin g w ith M r. D elo u isa, it w as agreed to send p a rt o f th e crew on shore a fte r d in n e r w ith th e seine, in o rd e r to p ro c u re a quan tity . M a q u in a a n d his chiefs stayed and d in ed on b o a rd , a n d after d in n e r th e c h ie f m ate w en t o ff w ith n in e m en in th e jo lly -b o a t a n d yawl, to fish a t F rie n d ly C ove, h aving set th e stew ard on sh o re at o u r w aterin g place, to w ash th e c a p ta in ’s clothes. Shortly a fte r th e d e p a rtu re o f th e b o a ts, I w ent do w n to m y vice-bench in th e steerage, w h ere 1 w as em ployed in cleaning m uskets. I h a d n o t been th e re m o re th an a n h o u r, w hen I heard th e m en hoistin g in th e lo n g b o at, w hich, in a few m in u tes after, w as succeeded by a g re at bustle a n d c onfusion o n d eck . 1 im m e­ d iately ra n u p th e steerage sta irs, but scarcely w as m y h e ad above d eck , w hen I w as cau g h t by th e h air by o n e o f th e savages, and lifted from m y feet; fo rtu n ately for m e, m y h a ir being sh o rt, and th e rib b o n w ith w hich it w as tied slipping, I fell from his hold into th e steerage. As I w as falling h e struck at m e w ith a n axe, w hich cu t a d e ep gash in m y fo reh e a d , a n d p e n etrate d th e skull, b u t in co n seq u en ce o f his losing his hold I luckily escaped th e full force o f th e blow , w hich o th erw ise w ould have cleft m y head in tw o. I fell, stu n n e d a n d senseless, u p o n th e floor; how long I c o n tin u e d in this situ atio n I kn o w n o t, but o n recovering m y

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senses, th e first th in g th a t I d id w as to try to g et u p , but so w eak was I, from th e loss o f b lo o d , th a t I fain ted a n d fell. I was, how ever, soon recalled to m y recollection by th re e loud sh o u ts o r yells fro m th e savages, w hich c onvinced m e th a t they had got possession o f th e ship. It is im possible for m e to d escrib e m y feelings a t this terrific so u n d . S o m e fain t idea m ay be fo rm ed o f them by those w ho have know n w h at is it to h a lf w aken fro m a h ideous dream a n d still th in k it real. N ev er, n o , nev er shall I lose from m y m ind th e im pression o f th a t dread fu l m o m e n t. I expected every instan t to share th e w retched fate o f m y u n fo rtu n ­ a te c o m p a n io n s, a n d w hen I h e ard th e song o f triu m p h , by w hich these infernal yells w as succeeded, m y b lood ran cold in m y veins. H aving a t length sufficiently recovered m y senses to look a ro u n d m e, a fte r w iping th e b lo o d from m y eyes, I saw th a t the hatch o f th e steerage w as sh u t. T h is w as d o n e , as I afte rw a rd s discovered, by o rd e r o f M a q u in a, w ho, on seeing th e savage strik e a t m e w ith th e axe, told h im n o t to h u rt m e, fo r th a t I was th e a rm o u re r, a n d w ould be useful to them in re p airin g th eir arm s; w hile a t th e sam e tim e , to p revent any o f his m en from injuring m e, h e had th e hatch closed. B ut to m e this circu m stan ce w ore a very differen t a p p ea ran c e, for I th o u g h t th a t these b a rb a ri­ an s h a d only prolo n g ed m y life in o rd e r to d ep riv e m e o f it by th e m o st cruel to rtu re s. I rem ain ed in this h o rrid sta te o f suspense for a very long tim e, w hen a t length th e hatch w as o p e n ed , a n d M a q u in a , calling m e by n a m e , o rd e re d m e to c o m e u p . I g ro p e d m y w ay up as well as I w as able, being a lm o st b linded w ith th e b lood th a t flowed from m y w o u n d , and so w eak as w ith difficulty to w alk. T he king, on perceiving m y situ a tio n , o rd e re d o n e o f his m en to b ring a p o t o f w ater to w ash th e b lood from m y face, w hich having d o n e , I w as ab le to see d istinctly w ith o n e o f m y eyes, but th e o th e r w as so sw ollen from m y w o u n d , th a t it w as closed. But w hat a terrific spectacle m et m y eyes: six nak ed savages, sta n d in g in a circle a ro u n d m e, covered w ith th e blood o f m y m u rd ered co m rad es, w ith th e ir daggers uplifted in th e ir h a n d s, p re p are d to strike. I now th o u g h t m y last m o m e n t had co m e, a n d re co m ­ m ended m y soul to m y M ak er. T h e king, w ho, as I have a lre ad y o bserved, knew e nough o f English to m ak e h im self u n d e rsto o d , e n te red th e circle, a n d , placing h im self before m e, a ddressed m e nearly in th e follow ing w o rd s: “ J o h n - I sp e a k - y o u n o sa y n o ; Y o u sa y n o - d a g g e r s c o m e !” H e then asked m e if I w o u ld b e his slave d u rin g m y life — if I w ould fight for him in his battles, if I w ould re p air his m uskets and m ak e daggers a n d knives for h i m - w i t h several

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o th e r questions, to all o f w hich I w as careful to answ er, yes. H e then told m e th a t h e w ould spare m y life, a n d o rd e re d m e to kiss his h an d s a n d feet to show m y subm ission to him , w hich I d id . In th e m ean tim e his p eople w ere very c la m o ro u s to have m e put to d e a th , so th a t th e re should be n o n e o f us left to tell o u r story to o u r c o u n try m en , a n d p rev en t th em from com ing to tra d e w ith them ; but th e king in th e m o st d e te rm in e d m an n e r o p p o se d th eir w ishes, and to his favour am I w holly in d eb ted for m y being yet a m o n g th e living. A s I w as busy a t w ork a t th e tim e o f th e a tta c k , I was w ith o u t m y c o at, and w h at w ith th e coldness o f th e w e ath e r, m y feebleness from loss o f blo o d , th e pain o f m y w o u n d , a n d th e ex trem e a g ita tio n and te rro r th a t I still felt, I sho o k like a leaf, w hich th e king observing, w ent in to th e c ab in , a n d , b ringing up a g re atco a t th a t belonged to th e c a p ta in , th rew it o v er m y sh o u l­ d ers, telling m e to d rin k som e ru m from a b o ttle w hich he h a n d ed m e, a t th e sam e tim e giving m e to u n d e rstan d th at it w ould be g o o d for m e, and k e ep m e tro m trem b lin g as I did. I to o k a d ra u g h t o f it, a fte r w hich, tak in g m e by th e h a n d , he led m e to th e q u a rte r-d ec k , w here th e m o st h o rrid sight presented itself th a t ever m y eyes w itnessed. T h e heads o f o u r u n fo rtu n a te c ap tain a n d his crew , to th e n u m b e r o f tw enty-five, w ere all a rra n g e d in a lin e , a n d M a q u in a , o rd e rin g o n e o f h is p e o p le to b ring a h ead , asked m e w hose it w as: I answ ered, th e c a p ta in ’s. In like m a n n e r th e o th e rs w ere show ed m e, a n d I told him the n am es, excepting a few th a t w ere so ho rrib ly m angled th a t I was n o t able to recognise th em . I now discovered th a t all o u r u n fo rtu n a te crew h a d been m assacred, a n d learned th at, after g e ttin g possession o f th e ship, th e savages h a d b ro k e op en th e a rm -ch est and m ag azin e, and, supplying them selves w ith a m m u n itio n a n d arm s, sent a p arty on sh o re to a tta ck o u r m en, w ho had g o n e th ith e r to fish, a n d , being jo in e d by n u m b ers from th e village, w ith o u t difficulty ov erp o w ­ e red and m u rd e re d th em , a n d , c u ttin g o ff th eir h ead s, b ro u g h t them on b o a rd , a fte r th ro w in g th eir bodies into th e sea. On looking u p o n th e deck, I saw it entirely covered w ith th e blood o f m y p o o r c o m ra d es, w hose th ro a ts h a d been cut w ith th e ir ow n jack -k n iv es, th e savages having seized th e o p p o rtu n ity , w hile they w ere busy in hoisting in th e b o a t, to g ra p p le w ith th em , and o v e rp o w er them by th eir nu m b ers; in th e scuffle th e cap tain was th ro w n o v e rb o a rd , a n d d esp atch ed by those in th e can o es, who im m ediately cu t o ff his h e ad . W h at I felt on this occasion, m ay be m o re readily conceived th a n expressed. A fte r I h a d a n sw e re d his q u e s tio n s , M a q u in a to o k m y silk

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h a n d k erc h ie f from m y neck a n d b o u n d it a ro u n d m y h e ad , plac­ ing o v er th e w o u n d a le a f o f to b ac co , o f w hich w e had a q u an tity o n b o a rd . T h is w as d o n e at m y d e sire, as I had often fo u n d , from p erso nal experience, th e benefit o f this ap p lic atio n to cuts. M a q u in a then o rd e re d m e to g et th e sh ip u n d e r w eigh for F riendly C ove. T h is I did by c u ttin g th e cables, a n d se n d in g som e o f th e natives alo ft to loose th e sails, w hich they p e rfo rm e d in a very bungling m an n e r. But th ey succeeded so far in loosing th e jib a n d top-sails, th a t, w ith th e a d v an tag e o f fair w ind, I suc­ ceeded in gettin g th e sh ip into th e C ove, w here, by o rd e r o f th e king, I ran h e r a sh o re on a san d y beach, at eight o ’clock at night.

4 Reception of Jewitt by the Savages - Escape of Thompson Arrival of Neighbouring T ribesan Indian Feast. W e w ere received by th e in h a b ita n ts o f th e village, m en , w om en, a n d ch ild ren , w ith loud sh o u ts o f jo y , a n d a m o st h o rrib le d ru m ­ m ing w ith sticks upon th e roofs a n d sides o f th e ir houses, in w hich they h a d also stuck a g re at n u m b e r o f lighted p in e torches, to w elcom e th e ir k in g ’s re tu rn , a n d c o n g ratu la te him o n the success o f his en terp rise. M a q u in a th en took m e on sh o re to his h ouse, w hich w as very large, a n d filled w ith p e o p le - w h e r e I w as received w ith m uch kindness by th e w om en, p a rticu la rly th o se belonging to th e king, w ho had no less th an n in e w ives, all o f w h o m cam e a ro u n d m e, expressing m u ch sym pathy for m y m isfo rtu n e, gently stro k in g and p a ttin g m y h e ad in a n e n co u rag in g a n d so o th in g m a n n e r, w ith w o rd s expressive o f cond o len ce. H ow sw eet is co m p assio n even from savages! T h o se w ho h a v e been in a sim ilar situ a tio n , can a lo n e truly a p p re c ia te its value. In th e m e a n tim e all th e w a rrio rs o f th e trib e , to th e n u m b er o f five h u n d re d , h a d assem bled a t th e k in g ’s h ouse, to rejoice for th e ir success. T h ey exulted greatly in h aving tak e n o u r sh ip , and each o n e b o a sted o f his ow n p a rtic u la r ex p o its in killing o u r m en, b u t they w ere in general m uch dissatisfied w ith m y h aving been suffered to live, a n d w ere very u rg e n t w ith M a q u in a to deliv er m e to th em , to be p u t to d e ath , w hich h e o b stin ately refused to do, telling th em th a t he h a d pro m ised m e m y life, and w ould not b re ak his w o rd ; a n d th a t, besides, I knew how to re p air and to m ak e arm s, a n d should be o f g re at use to them . T h e k in g th en seated m e by him , a n d o rd e re d his w om en to b ring him so m e th in g to e a t, w hen they set before him so m e dried clam s a n d tra in -o il,1 o f w hich he a te very heartily, a n d e ncour-' 1 train-oil is a generic nam e for fish o r sea m am m al oil used as a relish in which to dip food. In m any areas o f the N orthw est Coast eulachon oil was th e m ost com m on, although the oil o f o ther fishes and seals was also used. T he basic source o f oil for the N ootka was

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aged m e to follow his exam ple, telling m e to eat m uch, a n d ta k e a g re a t deal o f oil, w hich w o u ld m ak e m e stro n g and fat. N o t­ w ith stan d in g his praise o f this new kind o f food, I felt no d isp o si­ tion to indulge in it, b o th th e sm ell and taste being lo ath so m e to m e; a n d had it been o therw ise, such w as th e pain I e n d u re d , th e a g ita tio n o f m y m in d , a n d th e g loom iness o f m y reflections, th a t I sho u ld have felt very little in clin atio n for eating. N o t satisfied w ith his first refusal to deliver m e up to them , th e p e o p le again b ecam e cla m o ro u s th at M a q u in a should con sen t to m y being killed, saying th a t n o t o n e o f us o u g h t to b e left alive to give in fo rm a tio n to o th e rs o f o u r c o u n try m en , a n d p revent them from c o m in g to trad e , o r induce th em to revenge th e d e stru ctio n o f o u r ship, and they a t length b e ca m e so bo istero u s, th a t h e caught up a large club in a passio n , a n d d ro v e th em all o u t o f th e house. D u rin g this scene, a son o f th e king, a b o u t eleven y ears o ld , a ttrac ted n o ' d o u b t by th e sin g u larity o f m y a p p e a ra n c e , c am e up to m e: I caressed him ; h e re tu rn e d m y a tte n tio n s w ith m uch a p p a re n t pleasure, a n d considering this as a fo rtu n ate o p p o rtu n ity to gain th e g o o d will o f th e father, 1 to o k th e child on m y k n ee, a n d , c u ttin g th e m etal b u tto n s from o ff the c o a t I had o n , I tied them a ro u n d his neck. A t this he w as highly d e lig h ted , and b ecam e so m uch a tta c h e d to m e, th a t he w ould not q u it m e. T h e king a p p e a re d m uch p leased w ith m y a tte n tio n to his son, a n d , telling m e th a t it w as tim e to go to sleep, d irec te d m e to lie w ith his son next to him , as h e w as afraid lest som e o f his p e o p le w o u ld c o m e w h ile he w a s a sle e p a n d kill m e w ith th e ir daggers. I lay do w n as he o rd e re d m e, b u t n e ith e r th e sta te o f m y m in d n o r th e p a in I felt w ould allow m e to sleep. A b o u t m id n ig h t 1 w as greatly ala rm e d by th e a p p ro ac h o f one o f th e natives, w ho cam e to give in fo rm a tio n to th e king th a t th ere w as o n e o f th e w hite m en alive, w ho had k n o c k ed him d o w n as he w ent on b o a rd th e sh ip a t n ig h t. T h is M a q u in a c o m m u n icated to m e, giving m e to u n d e rstan d th a t as soon as th e su n ro se he should kill him . I en d ea v o u red to p e rsu ad e him to sp a re his life, b ut h e b a d e m e b e silent a n d go to sleep. I said no th in g m ore, b u t lay revolving in m y m ind w h a t m eth o d I could devise to save th e life o f this m an . W h a t a c o n so latio n , th o u g h t I, w as a h a ppiness w ould it p ro v e to m e in m y forlorn sta te a m o n g these h eath en s, to have a C hristian a n d o n e o f m y ow n c o u n try m en for harp o o n ed o r beached whales. M uch o f this oil was used in a ferm ented state, in which it has a very strong od o u r and taste. This is why Jew itt was disgusted by it.

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a c o m p a n io n , a n d how greatly w ould it alleviate and lighten the b u rd e n o f m y slavery. A s I w as th in k in g o f som e p lan for his p re serv a tio n ; it all at o n c e c am e into m y m ind th a t th is m an w as p ro b ab ly th e sailm a k e r o f th e sh ip , n a m e d T h o m p s o n , as I h a d not seen h is head a m o n g th o se on d eck , a n d knew th a t he w as below at w o rk upon sa ils n o t lo n g b e fo re th e a tta c k . T h e m o re I th o u g h t o f it, th e m o re p ro b a b le it a p p e a re d to m e, a n d as T h o m p so n w as a m an nearly forty y ears o f age, a n d h a d an old look, I conceived it w ould be easy to m a k e him pass for m y fa th e r, a n d by th is m eans prevail on M a q u in a to sp a re his life. T o w a rd s m o rn in g I fell into a dose, but w as aw ak en ed w ith th e first beam s o f th e su n by the k ing, w ho to ld m e h e w as g o in g to kill th e m an w ho w as on b o a rd th e sh ip , a n d o rd e re d m e to acc o m p a n y him . I rose and follow ed him , leading w ith m e th e you n g prince, his son. O n com ing to th e beach, I fo u n d all th e m en o f th e tribe assem bled. T h e k in g a ddressed th e m , saying th a t o n e o f th e w hite m en h a d been fo u n d alive on b o a rd th e sh ip , a n d re q u este d their o p in io n as to saving his life o r p u ttin g him to d e ath . T h ey w ere u n a n im o u sly for th e latter. T h is d e te rm in a tio n h e m a d e k n o w n to m e. H aving a rra n g e d m y p lan , I asked him , p o in tin g to th e boy, w hom I still held by th e h a n d , if h e loved his son. H e answ ered th a t he d id . I th en asked th e child if he loved his fa th e r, a n d on his replying in th e affirm ative, I said , “ A n d I also love m in e .” I th en th rew m yself on m y knees a t M a q u in a ’s feet, a n d im plored h im , w ith te a rs in m y eyes, to sp a re m y fa th e r’s life, if th e m an o n b o a rd sho u ld prove to b e h im , telling him th a t if h e killed my fa th e r, it w as m y w ish th a t h e sh o u ld kill m e to o , a n d th a t if he d id n o t, I w o u ld kill m y s e lf - a n d th a t h e w ould th u s lose my services; w h ereas, by sparing m y fa th e r’s life, h e w ould preserve m ine, w hich w o u ld be o f g re a t a d v an tag e to h im , by m y rep airin g a n d m ak in g a rm s for him . M a q u in a a p p e a re d m oved by m y e n tre aties, a n d p rom ised not to p u t th e m an to d e a th if he sho u ld b e m y father. H e then ex p lain ed to his peo p le w hat I h a d said , a n d o rd e re d m e to go on b o a rd and tell th e m an to c o m e on sh o re . T o m y u n sp eak ab le jo y , on going in to th e hold, 1 fo u n d th a t m y co n je ctu re w as true. T h o m p so n w as th ere . H e had escaped w ith o u t any injury, except­ ing a slight w o u n d in th e nose, given him by o n e o f th e savages w ith a knife, as h e a tte m p te d to c o m e on d eck , d u rin g th e scuffle. F in d in g the savages in possession o f th e ship, as he a fterw ards inform ed m e, he secreted h im self in th e h o ld , hop in g for som e ch an ce to m a k e his escape; b u t th a t, th e Indian w ho c am e on b o a rd in th e nig h t a p p ro ac h in g th e place w h ere he w as, he

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su p p o sed h im self discovered, a n d , being d e te rm in e d to sell his life as dearly as possible, as soon as h e c am e w ithin his reach , he k n o c k ed him d o w n , b u t th e In d ia n , im m ed iately sp ringing up, ran o ff a t full speed. I inform ed h im , in a few w o rd s, th a t all o u r m en h a d been killed; th a t th e king h a d preserved m y life, a n d h a d c o n se n te d to sp a re his on th e su p position th a t h e w as m y fa th e r, an o p in io n w hich h e m u st b e careful not to undeceive th em in, as it w as his only safety. A fte r giving him his c u e, 1 w ent o n sh o re w ith him , a n d p resen ted him to M a q u in a , w h o im m ediately knew him to be th e sa il-m a k er, and w as m u ch pleased , o b serv in g th a t h e could m a k e sails for his canoe. H e th e n to o k us to his h ouse, and o rd e re d so m e th in g for us to eat. O n th e 24th a n d 25th, th e natives w ere busily e m p lo y ed in tak in g th e carg o o u t o f th e sh ip , strip p in g her o f her sails and rigging, c u ttin g aw ay th e spars a n d m asts, a n d in sh o rt, ren d erin g h e r as c o m p lete a w reck as possible, th e m u sk ets, a m m u n itio n , clo th , a n d all th e p rin cip al articles ta k e n fro m her, being d e p o s­ ited in th e k in g ’s house. W hile they w ere th u s o c cu p ied , each o n e tak in g w h a t he lik ed , m y c o m p a n io n a n d m yself being obliged to a id th e m , I th o u g h t it best to secure the acco u n ts a n d p a p e rs o f th e sh ip , in h o p es th a t on som e future day I m ig h t h av e it in m y p o w e r to re sto re them to th e ow ners. W ith this view I to o k possession o f th e c a p ta in ’s w riting-desk, w hich c o n ta in e d th e m ost o f th em , to g e th e r w ith so m e p a p e r a n d im plem ents for w riting. I h a d also th e good fo rtu n e to find a blan k a c c o u n t-b o o k , in w hich I resolved, should it be p e rm itte d m e, to w rite a n a cc o u n t o f o u r c a p tu re , a n d th e m ost re m a rk a b le occu rren ces th a t I sho u ld m eet w ith d u rin g m y stay a m o n g th ese p eople, fondly in dulging the h o p e th a t it w ould not be long b e fo re so m e vessel w ould a rriv e to release us. I likew ise found in th e cabin a sm all v olum e o f serm ons, a B ible, a n d a C o m m o n P ra y e rb o o k o f th e C h u rc h o f E ngland, w hich fu rnished m e a n d m y c o m ra d e g re at c onsolation in th e m idst o f o u r m ournful se rv itu d e , a n d e nabled m e, u n d e r th e fav o u r o f D ivine P rovidence, to su p p o rt w ith firm ness th e m iseries o f a life w hich I m ight o th erw ise h a v e fo u n d b e yond my stren g th to en d u re. A s th ese p eople set no value u p o n things o f this kind, 1 found no difficulty in a p p ro p ria tin g th e m to m yself, by p u ttin g th em in m y chest, w hich, th o u g h it h a d b e en b ro k e n op en and rifled by th e savages, as 1 still had th e key, I w ith o u t m uch difficulty secured. In this I also p u t som e sm all tools b elonging to th e ship, w ith se v e ra l o th e r a rtic le s , p a rtic u la r ly a j o u r n a l k e p t by th e

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seco n d m ate, M r. In g rah am , a n d a collection o f draw ings and views o f places tak e n by him , w hich I had th e g o o d fo rtu n e to p reserve, a n d o n m y arriv al a t B oston, I gave th em to a c o n n ec ­ tion o f his, th e H o n o u ra b le Ju d g e D aw es, w ho sent th em to his fam ily in N ew Y o rk . O n th e 26th, tw o ships w ere seen sta n d in g in for F riendly C o v e . A t th e ir first a p p e a ra n c e th e in h ab itan ts w ere th ro w n into g re a t co n fu sio n , b u t, soon collecting a n u m b e r o f m u sk ets and blu n d erb u sses, ran to th e sh o re , from w hence they k e p t up so brisk a fire a t th em , th a t they w ere evidently afraid to a p p ro ac h n e are r, an d , a fte r firing a few ro u n d s o f g ra p e-sh o t, w hich d id no h a rm to any o n e, they w ore sh ip and sto o d o u t to sea. These ships, as I afte rw a rd s learned, w ere th e M a r y a n d J u n o o f Bos­ to n . T h ey w ere scarcely o u t o f sight w hen M a q u in a expressed m uch regret th a t h e had p e rm itte d his p eople to fire a t th em , b ein g a p p reh e n siv e th at they w ould give in fo rm a tio n to o th e rs in w h at m an n e r they had been received, a n d p revent th em from com ing to tra d e w ith him . A few days a fte r h earin g o f th e c a p tu re o f th e sh ip , there arriv e d at N o o tk a a g re a t n u m b e r o f canoes filled w ith savages from n o less th an tw enty trib e s to th e n o rth and so u th . A m ong th o s e fro m th e n o rth w e re th e A i- tiz -z a r ts ,2 S c h o o -m a d -its ,3 N e u - w it-tie s ,4 S a v in n a r s ,5 A h -o w z -a rts ,6 M o -w a tc h -its ,7 S u th se tts,8 N e u c h a d -lits,9 M ic h -la -its,10 and C a y -u -q u e ts,11 th e m o st o f w h o m w ere con sid ered as trib u ta ry to N o o tk a . F ro m th e south, th e A y tc h -a rts,12 a n d E sq u i-a te s ,13 also trib u ta ry , w ith th e K la2 i.e. Ehetisat. 3 it is n o t p o ssib le to trace th is as a trib a l n am e. It m ay be a g eo g rap h ic place n am e, a village n am e, o r th e n am e o f a c h ief o r prom inent m em ber o f the g roup alluded to. 4 i.e. Newhittie. 5 probably a geographic place, village, o r personal nam e; it cannot be traced as a tribal nam e. 6 i.e. A housat. 7 i.e. M oachat. 8 i.e. Seshat; while Jew itt says they are a northern group, they were in fact from the southern part o f N ootka territory around Barclay Sound and the Alberni Canal. , i.e. N uchatlet. 10 i.e. M uchlat. 11 i.e. K ayoquot. 12 possibly Echachats. 13 i.e. H esquiat.

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o o -q u a te s,u a n d th e W ic k a n n ish ,15 a large a n d pow erful trib e a b o u t tw o h u n d re d m iles d istan t. T hese last w ere b e tte r clad th a n m ost o f th e o th ers, a n d their canoes w ro u g h t w ith m uch g re a te r skill; they a re fu rnished with sails as well as paddles, a n d , w ith th e ad v an tag e s o f a fair breeze, a re usually b u t tw e n ty -fo u r h o u rs on th eir passage. M a q u in a, w ho w as very p ro u d o f his new acq u isitio n , w as desiro u s o f w elcom ing these visito rs in th e E u ro p ean m a n n e r. H e accordingly o rd e re d his m en, as th e canoes a p p ro a c h e d , to assem ­ ble on th e beach w ith loaded m u sk e ts a n d blun d erb u sses, placing T h o m p so n a t th e c a n n o n , w hich h a d been b ro u g h t from th e ship a n d laid u p o n tw o long sticks o f tim b e r in fro n t o f th e village; th en , tak in g a sp eak in g tru m p e t in his h a n d , h e ascended w ith m e th e r o o f o f his house, a n d beg an d ru m m in g o r beating u p o n the b o a rd s w ith a stick m o st violently. N o th in g co u ld b e m o re lu d icro u s th an th e a p p e a ra n c e o f this m otley g ro u p o f savages collected on th e sh o re , dressed as they w ere w ith th e ir ill-gotten finery in th e m o st fantastic m a n n e r, som e in w o m e n ’s sm ocks, tak e n from o u r cargo, o th e rs in K o ts a c k s , 16 (or cloaks) o f blue, re d , o r yellow b ro a d clo th , w ith stockings draw n over th e ir h ead s, a n d th e ir necks hung ro u n d w ith n u m b ers o f pow d erh orns, sh o t-b ag s, a n d c arto u ch -b o x es, som e o f th em h aving no less th an ten m uskets apiece on th e ir sh o u ld ers, a n d five o r six d aggers in th e ir girdles. D iverting indeed w as it to see th em all sq u a tte d upon th e b e a c h , h o ld in g th e ir m u s k e ts p e r p e n d ic u la rly w ith th e b u tt pressed upon th e sa n d , instead o f against th e ir sh o u ld ers, a n d in this p o sitio n aw aitin g th e o rd e r to fire. M a q u in a , a t last, called to th em w ith his tru m p e t to fire, w h ic h th e y d id in th e m o st a w k w a rd a n d tim id m a n n e r, w ith th e ir m uskets h a rd pressed u p o n th e g ro u n d as a b o v e-m en tio n ed . A t th e sam e m o m e n t th e c a n n o n w as fired by T h o m p so n , im m e­ d iate ly on w hich they threw them selves b a ck a n d began to roll a n d tu m b le o v er th e sand as if they h a d been sh o t, w h en , s u d ­ 14 i.e. Clayoquot. 15 W ickannish, also given by Jew itt as W ickanninish, cannot be traced as a tribal nam e. However, it was a com m on personal nam e, and so probably identifies a village or tribelet by th e nam e o f its chief. 16 i.e. an “ Indian blanket” throw n over the shoulders and pinned in front; the longer form s were w orn over the left shoulder and passed u n d er the right arm p it in o rd er to leave the right hand free for work. Even in Jew itt's tim e the ko tsa c k (or several variant spellings) was usually o f trade cloth, although the traditional cedar bark cloth blankets (som ew hat m ore w aterproof than trad e cloth) w ere also extensively used and were know n by the sam e word.

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d e n ly s p rin g in g u p , th e y b e g a n a so n g o f tr iu m p h , a n d , ru n n in g back w ard and forw ard u p o n th e sh o re , w ith th e w ildest g esticu la­ tions, bo asted o f th eir exploits, a n d exhibited as tro p h ie s w hat they h a d taken from us. N o tw ith stan d in g th e unp leasan tn ess o f m y situ a tio n , a n d th e feelings th a t this display o f o u r spoils excited, I could not avoid laughing a t th e stra n g e a p p e a ra n c e o f these savages, th eir aw kw ard m o v em en ts, a n d th e sin g u lar c o n ­ trast o f th e ir dress a n d arm s. W hen th e c erem ony w as co n clu d ed , M a q u in a invited th e stran g ers to a feast a t his h ouse, consisting o f w hale-b lu b b er, sm oked h errin g sp aw n , a n d d rie d fish and train -o il, o f w hich they a te m o st plentifully. T h e feast being o ver, th e tray s o u t o f w hich they a te, a n d o th e r things, w ere im m ed iately rem o v ed to m ak e room for th e d a n ce , w hich w as to close th e e n te rta in m e n t. T his w as p e rfo rm e d by M a q u in a ’s s o n , th e y o u n g p rin c e S a tsat-sok-sis, w hom I have a lre ad y spoken of, in th e follow ing m an n er: T h re e o f th e principal chiefs, d re st in th eir o tte r-sk in m antles, w hich they w ear only on e x tra o rd in a ry o ccasions a n d a t festivals, having th eir h e ad s covered o v er w ith w h ite do w n a n d th e ir faces highly p a in te d , c am e forw ard into th e m iddle o f th e ro o m , each fu rnished w ith a bag filled w ith w hite d o w n , w hich they scattered a ro u n d in such a m an n e r as to rep resen t a fall o f sn o w .17 T hese w ere follow ed by th e you n g p rin ce , w ho w as dressed in a long piece o f yellow c lo th , w rap p ed loosely a ro u n d him , a n d d e co ra te d w ith sm all bells, w ith a cap on his head to w hich w as fasten ed a c u rio u s m ask in im itatio n o f a w o lfs h e ad , w hile th e re a r was b ro u g h t up by th e king h im self in his ro b e o f se a -o tte r sk in , with a sm all w histle in his m o u th a n d a rattle in his h a n d , w ith w hich he k e p t tim e to a so rt o f tu n e on his w histle. A fter passing very rapidly in th is o rd e r a ro u n d th e h ouse, each o f th em seated him self, except th e prince, w ho im m ediately began his dance, w hich principally consisted in sp ringing up into th e a ir in a squat p o stu re , and constantly tu rn in g a ro u n d on his heels w ith g re a t sw ift­ ness in a very n a rro w circle. T h is d a n ce , w ith a few intervals o f rest, w as c o n tin u e d for a b o u t tw o h o u rs, d u rin g w hich th e chiefs k e p t up a c o n stan t d ru m m in g w ith sticks o f a b o u t a foot in length on a long hollow p la n k , w hich w as, tho u g h a very noisy, a m o st doleful k in d o f m usic. T his th ey a cc o m p a n ied w ith songs, th e king h im self acting 17 W hite eagle dow n plays a prom inent role in N orthw est Coast Indian rites and cerem onies. It connotes peace, harm ony, gentleness, and “ sacredness” .

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a s ch o rister, w hile th e w om en a p p la u d e d each feat o f activity in th e d a n c e r, by re p e a tin g th e w o rd s , W o c a sh ! W o c a sh T y e e !'*. th a t is. G o o d ! very g o o d , Prince! A s soon as th e d an ce w as finished, M a q u in a began to give p re sen ts to th e strangers, in th e n a m e o f his so n Sat-sat-sok-sis. T hese w ere pieces o f E u ro p ean clo th , g enerally o f a fa th o m 19 in' length, m uskets, po w d er, sh o t, etc. W h en ev er he gave them any­ thin g , they h a d a pecu liar m a n n e r o f sn atch in g it from him w ith a very stern a n d surly look, re p ea tin g each tim e th e w ords, W ocash T y e e. T h is I u n d e rsto o d to b e th e ir cu sto m , a n d w as con sid ered as a co m p lim e n t, w hich, if o m itte d , w ould be supposed as a m ark o f d isreg ard for th e presen t. O n th is occasion M a q u in a gave away no less th an o n e h u n d red m u sk ets, th e sam e n u m b er o f lookingglasses, four h u n d re d y a rd s o f c lo th , and tw enty casks o f pow der, besides o th e r things. A fte r receiving these presents, th e stra n g ers re tired on board th e ir can o es, fo r so n u m ero u s w ere they th a t M a q u in a w ould not suffer any but th e chiefs to sleep in the houses; an d , in o rd e r to p rev en t th e p ro p e rty from being pillaged by th em , he o rd ered T h o m p so n a n d m yself to keep g u a rd d u rin g th e n ight, arm ed w ith cutlasses a n d pistols. In this m a n n e r tribes o f savages from vario u s p a rts o f the co ast c o n tin u e d com ing for several days, bringing w ith them b lu b b er, oil, h e rrin g spaw n , d rie d fish, a n d clam s, for w hich they received in re tu rn presents o f clo th , etc., a fte r w hich they in general im m ediately retu rn ed h o m e .20 I o b serv ed th a t very few, if, a n y , o f th e m , except th e chiefs, had a rm s, w hich, I a fterw ards lea rn ed , is th e custom w ith th ese p eople, w henever they com e up o n a friendly visit o r to tra d e , in o rd e r to show , o n their a p p ro a c h , th at th eir in tentions a re pacific.

1^ Tyee is not a N o o tk an . but a Chinook Jargon w ord. It can mean " c h i e f , “ no b le", "m an o f the upper class." 19 “ fathom " here is not the standard six feet o f nautical usage, b ut a variable fur-trade cloth o r line m easure o f three to four and on e half to five feet. :o W hat Jew itt has described here in the last two pages or so m ay have been a potlatch o r som ething closely related to it. The “ prince’s" dance was undoubtedly the display o f a crest o r privilege. If the event was indeed a potlatch, then Jew itt's account is on e o f the earliest known o f this institution.

5. Burning of the Vessel Commencement of Jew itt’s Journal E a r l y o n the m o rn in g o f th e 19th th e sh ip w as discovered to be on fire. T his w as ow ing to o n e o f th e savages h aving g o n e on b o a rd w ith a fireb ra n d at night fo r th e p u rp o se o f p lu n d er, som e sp a rk s from w hich fell into th e hold, a n d , c o m m u n ica tin g w ith som e com bustibles, soon e n v elo p ed th e w hole in flam es. T he natives reg retted th e loss o f th e sh ip th e m o re as a g re a t p a rt o f her carg o still re m a in e d on b o a rd . T o m y co m p a n io n a n d m yself it w as a m ost m elancholy sight, for w ith h e r d isa p p ea red fro m o u r eyes every trace o f a civilised c o u n try ; but th e d isa p p o in tm e n t we e x p erienced w as still m o re severely felt, for w e h a d calculated on h aving th e provision to ourselves, w hich w ould h av e fu rnished us w ith a stock for years, as w h a tev e r is cu red w ith s a lt,1 to g eth e r w ith m ost o f o u r o th e r articles o f food, a re n ev er eaten by these p eople. I had luckily saved all m y tools, excepting th e anvil and th e bellow s, w hich w as a tta ch e d to th e forge, and from th eir w eight had n o t been b ro u g h t on sh o re . W e have also th e good fo rtu n e , in loo k in g over w h at h a d been tak e n from th e sh ip , to discover a box o f c hocolate a n d a case o f p o rt w ine, w hich, as the In d ian s w ere n o t fond o f it, p ro v e d a g re at co m fo rt to us for so m e tim e; a n d from o n e o f th e natives I o b tain e d a N a u tic al A lm an ack w hich h a d belonged to th e c a p ta in , a n d w hich w as o f g re at use to m e in determ in in g th e tim e. A b o u t tw o days after, on exam ining th eir booty, th e savages fo u n d a tierce o f ru m , w ith w hich they w ere highly delig h ted , as they have b e co m e very fond o f sp iritu o u s liq u o rs since th eir in terco u rse w ith th e w hites. T h is w as to w ard s evening, and M a q u in a , having assem bled all th e m en a t his house, gave a feast, a t w hich they d ra n k so freely o f th e rum , th a t in a sh o rt tim e they b e ca m e so extrem ely wild a n d fran tic th a t T h o m p so n a n d myself, a p p reh e n siv e for o u r safety, th o u g h t it p ru d e n t to retire privately into th e w oods, w here w e c o n tin u e d till p a st m idnight. O n o u r re tu rn w e found th e w om en g o n e , w ho are alw ays

' the N ootka, and several other northern N orth A m erican groups had a distaste for salt.

BU R NIN G OF THE VESSEL

4 1

very tem p e ra te , d rin k in g n o th in g b u t w a ter, having q u itte d the h o u se a n d g one to th e o th e r h u ts to sleep, so terrified w ere they a t th e co n d u ct o f th e m en, w ho lay all stretch ed o u t on th e floor in a sta te o f c o m p lete in to x ic atio n . H ow easy in this situ atio n w ould it have been for us to h a v e d isp a tc h ed o r m a d e ourselves m asters o f o u r enem ies had th e re been any sh ip n e ar to w hich we could have escaped, b u t as w e w ere situ ate d th e a tte m p t w ould h a v e been m adness. T h e w ish o f revenge w as, how ever, less strongly im pressed on m y m in d th a n w h at a p p e a re d to b e so e v id e n t a n in te rp o sitio n o f D ivine Providence in o u r favour. H ow little can m an p e n e tra te its designs, and how frequently is th a t in te n d e d as a blessing w hich he view s as a curse. T h e b u rn in g o f o u r sh ip , w hich w e h a d lam ented so m uch, as d epriving us o f so m an y com forts, now a p p e a re d to us in a very different light, for, h a d th e savages g o t possession o f th e ru m , o f w hich th e re w ere nearly tw enty p u n c h eo n s on b o a rd ,2 w e m u st inevitably h a v e' fallen a sacrifice to th eir fury in som e o f th e ir m o m en ts o f into x icatio n . T h is cask, fo rtu n ately , a n d a case o f gin, w as all the spirits they o b ta in e d from th e sh ip . T o p rev en t th e recurrence o f sim ilar dan g er, 1 ex am in ed th e c ask , a n d , finding still a c o n sid e ra ­ ble q u a n tity rem aining, I bored a sm all hole in th e b o tto m w ith a g im b le t, w hich before m o rn in g , to m y g re at jo y , co m pletely e m p ­ tie d it. By th is tim e th e w o u n d in m y h e ad began to b e m uch b etter, so th a t I could enjoy som e sleep, w hich 1 h a d been alm ost d e prived o f by th e p ain , and th o u g h I w as still feeble from the loss o f blood a n d m y sufferings, I fo u n d m yself sufficiently well to go to w ork at m y tra d e , in m ak in g for th e king and his wives b racelets a n d o th e r sm all o rn a m e n ts o f c o p p e r o r steel, a n d in rep airin g th e a rm s, m ak in g use o f a large sq u a re sto n e for th e anvil, a n d h e atin g m y m etal in a co m m o n w o o d fire. T h is was very gratifying to M a q u in a , a n d his w om en p articu larly , and secured m e th eir goodw ill. In th e m ea n tim e, g re at n u m b e rs from th e o th e r trib e s kept c ontinually flocking to N o o tk a , b ringing w ith th em , in exchange for s h ip 's p lu n d er, such q u a n titie s o f p ro v isio n , th a t, n o t­ w ith stan d in g the little success th a t M a q u in a m et w ith in w haling this season, and th e ir g lu tto n o u s w aste, alw ays eating to excess w hen they have it, regardless o f th e m o rrow , seldom d id the natives experience any w ant o f fo o d d u rin g th e su m m er. A s to m yself a n d c o m p a n io n , w e fared as they d id , nev er w an tin g for 2 tw enty puncheons o f rum is a large am ount; w ithout doubt m uch of this was intended for use in trading for furs.

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THE ADV ENTURES AND SUFFERINGS OF JO H N R. JEW IT T

such p rovision as they h ad , th o u g h w e w ere obliged to e at it c o o k ed in th e ir m an n e r, a n d w ith train-oil as a sauce, a c irc u m ­ sta n ce not a little unp leasan t, b o th from th eir uncleanly m o d e o f co o k in g a n d m an y o f th e a rticles o f th eir food, w hich to a E u ro p ean are very disgusting; b u t, as th e saying is, h u n g e r will break th ro u g h sto n e walls, a n d we fo und, a t tim es, in th e blu b b er o f sea a nim als a n d th e flesh o f th e d o g -fish ,3 lo ath so m e as it generally w as, a very acc ep ta b le repast. B ut m uch o ften e r w o u ld p o o r T h o m p so n , w ho w as no fa v o u rite w ith th em , have suffered from h u n g e r had it n o t been for m y furnishing him w ith p ro v isio n . T h is I w as enabled to do from m y w o rk , M a q u in a allow ing m e th e privilege, w hen not em ployed fo r him , to w ork fo r m yself in m ak in g bracelets and o th e r o rn a m e n ts o f c o p p er, fish-hooks, daggers, etc., e ith e r to sell to th e tribes w h o visited us o r for o u r ow n chiefs, w ho on these occasions, besides supplying m e w ith as m uch as I w ished to eat, an d a sufficiency for T h o m p s o n , alm ost alw ays m ad e m e a p re ­ sent o f a E u ro p e a n g a rm e n t, ta k e n from th e ship, o r som e fath o m s o f c lo th , w hich w ere m ad e up by m y c o m ra d e, and en ab led us to go co m fo rtab ly clad for so m e tim e; o r sm all bundles o f penknives, razo rs, scissors, etc., for o n e o f w hich w e could alm o st alw ays p ro c u re from th e natives tw o o r th ree fresh salm on, co d , o r halib u t; o r d ried fish, clam s, a n d h e rrin g spaw n from the stra n g e r trib es; a n d had w e only been p e rm itte d to co o k them a fte r o u r ow n w ay, as we h a d po ts a n d o th e r utensils b elonging to th e ship, w e sh o u ld not h av e had m uch cause o f c o m p la in t in this respect; b u t so ten acio u s are these p e o p le o f th e ir custom s, p a rtic ­ ularly in th e article o f food a n d cooking, th a t th e king alw ays o bliged m e to give w hatever p rovision I b o u g h t to th e w om en to co o k . A nd o n e d ay , finding T h o m p so n a n d m yself on th e sh o re em ployed in boiling dow n se a -w ate r into salt, on being told w hat it w as he w as very m uch displeased, a n d , tak in g th e little w e had p ro c u re d , th rew it into th e sea. In o n e instance alo n e, as a p a rtic u la r fav o u r, h e allow ed m e to boil so m e salm o n in m y own w ay, w hen I invited him a n d his queen to e at w ith m e; they tasted it, b u t d id not like it, a n d m ad e th eir m eal o f so m e o f it th a t I had c o o k ed in th e ir c o u n try fashion. In M ay th e w e ath e r b ecam e unco m m o n ly m ild a n d pleasant, a n d so forw ard w as vegetation, th a t I picked plenty o f stra w b e r­ ries by th e m id d le o f th e m o n th . O f this fruit th e re a re g reat q u a n titie s o n this co ast, a n d I fo u n d them a m o st d elicious treat. M y health now had b ecom e a lm o st re-established, m y w ound being so far h ealed th a t it gave m e no fu rth e r tro u b le . I had never 1 i.e. the m ud-shark (Squatus sp.), the flesh o f which is very oily.

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failed to w ash it regularly once a day in sea w ater, a n d to d ress it w ith a fresh le a f o f to b acco , w hich I o b ta in e d from th e natives, w ho h a d tak e n it from th e sh ip , b u t m ad e n o use o f it. T h is was all th e dressing I gave it. except applying to it tw o o r th re e tim es a little loaf su g ar, w hich M a q u in a gave m e, in o rd e r to rem ove som e p ro u d flesh, w hich p revented it from closing. M y cure w ould dou b tless have been m uch so o n e r effected had I h a d been in a civilised c o u n try , w here 1 could h av e had it dressed by a su rg eo n a n d p ro p e rly a tte n d e d to . B ut alas! 1 h a d no go o d S a m aritan , w ith oil a n d w ine, to b in d up m y w o u n d s, and fo rtu n a te m ight I even esteem m yself th a t I w as p e rm itte d to dress it myself, for th e utm o st th a t I could expect from th e natives w as co m p assio n for m y m isfortunes, w hich I indeed experienced from th e w o m e n , particu larly th e q u e en , o r fav o u rite wife o f M a q u in a , th e m o th e r o f S atsat-sok-sis, w ho used frequently to p o in t to m y h e ad , a n d m anifest m u ch k indness a n d solicitu d e for m e. I m ust do M a q u in a th e ju s tic e to acknow ledge, th a t he alw ays a p p e a re d desiro u s o f sp a rin g m e any la b o u r w hich he believed m ig h t b e hurtful to m e, frequently in q u irin g in an affec­ tio n a te m an n e r if m y head p a in e d m e. A s fo r th e oth ers, so m e o f th e chiefs excepted, th ey c are d little w h at b ecam e o f m e, and p ro b a b ly w ould h a v e been g ra tified w ith m y death . M y health being a t length re-established a n d m y w ound h ealed , T h o m p s o n becam e very im p o rtu n a te for m e to begin m y jo u rn a l, a n d as 1 h a d no ink, p ro p o se d to cu t his finger to supply m e w ith blood for th e p u rp o se w h en ev er I sho u ld w ant it. O n the 1st o f J u n e I accordingly co m m en ced a regular diary, but had no occasion to m a k e use o f th e e x p e d ie n t suggested by m y c o m ra d e, hav ing found a m uch b e tte r su b stitu te in th e expressed ju ic e o f a c ertain p lan t, w hich furnished m e w ith a bright g reen c o lo u r, and, a fte r m ak in g a n u m b e r o f trials, I a t length succeeded in o b ta in ­ ing a v ery to le ra b le in k , by b o ilin g th e ju ic e o f th e b la c k b e rry w ith a m ix tu re o f finely p o w d e red c h arco al, and filtering it th ro u g h a cloth. T his I afte rw a rd s preserved in b ottles, a n d found it an sw e r very well, so tru e is it th a t “ necessity is th e m o th e r o f in v e n tio n .” As for quills, I found no difficulty in p ro c u rin g them w h en ev er I w a n ted , from th e cro w s a n d ravens w ith w hich the beach w as alm o st alw ays c overed, a ttrac ted by th e offal o f w hales, seals, etc., a n d w hich w ere so ta m e th at I could easily kill them w ith stones, w hile a large clam -shell furnished m e w ith an in k ­ sta n d .4 T h e ex trem e solicitu d e o f T h o m p so n th a t I should begin m y 4 Jew itt's inventiveness here is rem iniscent o f Robinson U ndoubtedly A lsop’s editing accented such events.

C rusoe.

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T H E A D V E N T U R E S A N D S U F F E R I N G S O F J O H N R. J E W I T T

jo u rn a l m ight b e c onsidered as sin g u lar in a m an w ho n e ith e r knew how to re ad o r w rite, a circu m stan ce, by th e w ay, very u n co m m o n in a n A m erican , w ere w e less a c q u a in te d w ith th e force o f h ab it, he having been for m any y ears a t sea, a n d accus­ to m e d to c o n sid er th e k eep in g o f a jo u rn a l as a th in g in d isp en s­ able. T h is m an w as b o rn in P h ilad elp h ia, and a t eight y ears old ran aw ay from his friends a n d e n te red as a c ab in boy on b o a rd a sh ip b o u n d to L o n d o n . O n his arrival th ere, finding h im self in distress, he engaged as an a p p re n tic e to th e c ap tain o f a collier, from w hence h e w as im pressed o n b o a rd an E nglish m an -o f-w ar, a n d c o n tin u e d in th e B ritish naval service a b o u t tw enty-seven years, du rin g w hich he w as p re se n t at th e en g agem ent u n d e r L ord H ow e w ith th e F ren ch fleet in J u n e 1794, a n d w hen p e ac e w as m a d e betw een E ngland an d F ra n c e , w as discharged. H e w as a very stro n g a n d pow erful m a n , a n ex p ert boxer, a n d perfectly fearless; indeed, so little w as his d re a d o f d a n g er, th a t w hen irrita te d h e w as w holly regardless o f his life. O f this th e follow ing will furnish a sufficient proof: O n e evening a b o u t th e m id d le o f A pril, as I w as a t th e house o f o n e o f th e chiefs, w here I h a d been e m p lo y ed on so m e w ork for h im , w o rd w as b ro u g h t m e th a t M a q u in a w as going to kill T h o m p so n . I im m ediately h u rried h o m e, w here I fo u n d th e king in th e act o f presen tin g a loaded m u sk et a t T h o m p so n , w ho w as sta n d in g before him w ith his b re a st b a red a n d called o n him to fire. I instantly step p ed up to M a q u in a , w ho w as fo am in g w ith rage, a n d , ad d ressin g him in so o th in g w o rd s, begged him for m y sak e n o t to kill m y father, a n d a t length succeeded in tak in g the m u sk et from him a n d p ersu ad in g him to sit dow n. O n in q u irin g into th e cause o f his anger, I learned th a t, while T h o m p so n w as lighting th e lam p s in th e k in g ’s ro o m , M a q u in a having su b stitu te d o u rs fo r th e ir pine to rch es, so m e o f th e boys beg an to tease h im , running a ro u n d him a n d pulling him by the tro u se rs, a m o n g th e m ost fo rw ard o f w hom w as th e y o u n g prince. T h is caused T h o m p so n to spill th e oil, w hich th rew him in to such a p a ssio n , th a t, w ith o u t carin g w h a t h e d id , h e struck th e prin ce so violent a blow in his face w ith his fist as to k n o c k him d o w n . T he sen satio n excited a m o n g th e savages by a n act w hich w as consid­ ered as a highest indignity, a n d a p ro fa n a tio n o f th e sacred person o f m ajesty, m ay b e easily conceived. T h e king w as im m e­ diately a c q u a in te d w ith it, w h o , o n com ing in a n d seeing his s o n ’s face covered w ith b lo o d , seized a m u sk et a n d began to lo ad it, d e te rm in e d to ta k e in stan t revenge o f th e a u d ac io u s o ffen d e r, and h a d 1 arrived a few m o m en ts la te r th a n I d id , m y com p an io n w ould certain ly h a v e p a id w ith his life for his rash a n d violent

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co n d u ct. I fo u n d th e u tm o st difficulty in pacifying M a q u in a , w ho for a long tim e a fte r could not forgive T h o m p so n , b u t w ould repeatedly say, “ Jo h n , y o u d ie - T h o m p s o n kill.” But to a p p ease th e king w as not all th a t w as necessary. In co n seq u en ce o f th e insult offered to th eir prince, th e w hole tribe held a council, in w hich it w as unan im o u sly resolved th a t T h o m p ­ so n should b e p u t to d e ath in th e m ost cruel m a n n e r. I how ever interceded so strenuously w ith M a q u in a for his life, telling him th a t if m y fath er w as killed, I w as d e te rm in e d not to survive him , th a t h e refused to deliver him up to th e vengeance o f his people, saying, th a t for J o h n ’s sak e they m u st con sen t to let him live. T he p rin ce , w ho, a fte r I had succeeded in calm ing his father, gave m e a n a cc o u n t o f w h at h a d h a p p en e d , told m e th a t it w as w holly out o f re g ard to m e, as T h o m p so n w as m y father, th a t his life had been sp a re d , for th a t if any o n e o f th e trib e sho u ld d a re to lift a h and ag ain st him in an g er, he w ould m ost certain ly b e p u t to d e ath . Y et even th is n a rro w escape p ro d u c ed n o t m uch effect on T h o m p so n , o r induced him to restrain th e violence o f his tem p e r. F o r, n o t m an y w eeks a fte r, he w as g u ilty o f a sim ilar indiscretion, in strik in g th e eldest son o f a chief, w h o w as a b o u t eighteen years o ld, a n d , a ccording to th e ir c u sto m , w as con sid ered as a T y ee, o r chief, him self, in consequence o f his having p ro v o k e d him by calling him a w hite slave. T his a ffa ir caused g re a t c o m m o tio n in th e village, a n d th e trib e w as very cla m o ro u s for his d e a th , but M a q u in a w ould n o t consent. I used frequently to re m o n stra te w ith him on th e im p ru d en ce o f his co n d u ct, a n d beg him to g o v e rn his te m p e r b etter, telling him th a t it w as o u r d u ty , since o u r lives w ere in th e p o w e r o f these savages, to d o n o th in g to e x asp era te th em . B ut all I could say o n this p o in t availed little, fo r so b itte r w as th e h ate h e felt for th e m , w hich h e w as n o w ay b ack w a rd in m anifesting b o th by h is looks a n d actio n s, th a t he d eclare d h e never w ould su b m it to th eir insults, a n d th a t h e h a d m uch ra th e r b e killed th a n be obliged to live a m o n g th em ; a d d in g th a t h e only w ished h e h a d a g o o d vessel a n d som e g u n s, a n d h e w ould d e stro y th e w hole o f th e cu rsed race; for to a b ra v e sa ilo r like h im , w ho h a d fought the F re n c h a n d S p a n iard s w ith glory, it w as a p u n ish m en t w orse th an d e a th to be a slave to such a p o o r, ig n o ran t, despicable set o f beings. A s for m yself, I th o u g h t very differently. A fte r re turning th an k s to th a t m erciful Being w ho h a d in so w onderful a m an n e r softened th e h e arts o f th e savages in m y fav o u r, I h a d d e term in ed from th e first o f m y cap tu re to a d o p t a con ciliatin g co n d u ct

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to w ard s th em , a n d c o n fo rm m yself, as far as w as in m y p o w e r, to th eir custom s a n d m ode o f th in k in g , tru stin g th a t th e sam e divine g o o d n ess th a t h a d rescued m e fro m d e a th , w ould n o t alw ays suffer m e to languish in captiv ity a m o n g th ese heathens. W ith this view , I so u g h t to gain th e ir good-w ill by alw ays e n d e a v o u rin g to a ssu m e a c h e e rfu l c o u n te n a n c e , a p p e a r in g pleased w ith th e ir sp o rts a n d bu ffo o n tric k s, m aking little o rn a ­ m en ts for th e w ives and c hildren o f th eir chiefs, by w hich m eans 1 b ecam e q u ite a fav o u rite w ith th em , a n d fish-hooks, daggers, etc., for them selves. A s a fu rth e r re co m m e n d a tio n to th eir fav o u r, a n d w hat m ight eventually p ro v e o f the utm o st im p o rta n c e to us, 1 resolved to learn th eir lan g u a g e 5 w hich in th e course o f a few m o n th s’ resi-‘ d e n ce I so far succeeded in acq u irin g as to b e able in g e n era l to m ak e m yself well u n d ersto o d . 1 likew ise trie d to p e rsu ad e T h o m p so n to learn it, as w hat m ight prove necessary to h im . But he refused, saying th a t he ha te d b o th th em a n d th e ir c u rsed lingo, a n d w ould have noth in g to d o w ith it. By pursu in g this con ciliato ry p lan , so far d id I g a in the good-w ill o f th ese savages, p a rticu la rly th e chiefs, th a t I scarcely ever failed experiencing k in d tre a tm e n t from th em , a n d w as received w ith a sm ile o f w elcom e at th eir houses, w here 1 was alw ays su re o f having so m e th in g given m e to e at, w h en ev er they had it, and m an y a good m eal h a v e I had from th em , w hen they them selves w ere sh o rt o f pro v isio n s a n d suffering fo r th e w ant o f them . A nd it w as a co m m o n p ractice w ith m e, w hen w e had n o th in g to eat a t hom e, w hich h a p p e n e d n o t un freq u en tly du rin g m y stay a m o n g th em , to g o a ro u n d th e village, a n d on n oticing a sm o k e from a n y o f th e h o u ses, w hich d e n o te d th a t th ey w ere c o o k in g , e n te r in w ith o u t c erem o n y , a n d ask them for som ething, w hich I w as nev er refused. Few n a tio n s, indeed, a re th ere so very ru d e a n d unfeeling, 5 Jew itt certainly acquired som e o f the N ootka language, but m any o f the w ords and expressions he says are N ootkan are in fact Chinook Jargon. Jew itt’s decision to learn the language m arks the beginning o f his “ initiatio n ,” his progressive but never com plete'assim ilation to N oo tk an society. T his elem ent o f “ in itiatio n " is recurrent in captiv­ ity narratives, and is one o f the principle elem ents o f interest to the reader: it allows m uch m ore o f a literary treatm ent than the more dispassionate “ narrative o f quest” so typical o f explorer journals (cf. M aurice H odgson, “ Initiation and Q uest: Earlv C anadian Jo u rn als," Canadian Literature, no. 38 (A utum n 1968)..pp. 29-40).

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w hom c o n stan t m ild tre a tm e n t, a n d an a tte n tio n to please, will n o t m ollify a n d o b tain from so m e re tu rn o f k in d a tte n tio n . T his th e tre a tm e n t I received from th ese p e o p le m ay exem plify, fo r not n u m ero u s, even a m o n g th o se calling them selves civilised, are th e re instances to be found o f p erso n s d ep riv in g them selves o f food to give it to a stra n g er, w h a tev e r m ay b e his m erits. It m ay p e rh a p s be as well in th is place to give a d esc rip tio n o f N o o tk a ; som e acco u n ts o f th e trib e s w ho w ere accu sto m ed to visit us; a n d th e m an n e rs a n d c u sto m s o f th e people, as fa r as I h ith e rto h a d a n o p p o rtu n ity o f o b serv in g them .

6 Description of Nootka Sound Manner of Building Houses Furniture - Dresses T h e village o f N o o tk a is situ ate d in betw een 49 and 50 d eg . N . la t.,1 at th e b o tto m o f F riendly C ove, on th e w est o r north-w estside. It consists o f a b o u t tw e n ty houses o r h u ts, on a sm all hill, w hich rises w ith a gentle ascen t from th e sh o re. F riendly C ove, w hich affords g o o d a n d secure a n ch o ra g e for ships close in with th e sh o re , is a sm all h a rb o u r o f n o t m o re th a n a q u a rte r o r h a lf a m ile in length, a n d a b o u t h a lf a m ile o r th re e -q u a rte rs b ro ad , form ed by th e line o f co ast on th e east a n d a long p o in t o r h e ad lan d , w hich extends as m u ch as th ree leagues into th e S ound, in nearly a w esterly d irec tio n . T h is, as well as I can ju d g e from w h at I have seen o f it, is in general from o n e to tw o m iles in b re a d th , a n d m ostly a rocky a n d u n p ro d u c tiv e soil, w ith b u t few trees. T h e easte rn a n d w estern shores o f this h a rb o u r a re steep a n d in m any p a rts rocky, th e tree s gro w in g q u ite to th e w a te r’s edge, b u t th e b o tto m to th e n o rth and no rth -w est is a fine sandy beach o f h a lf a m ile o r m o re in extent. F ro m th e village to th e n o rth a n d n o rth -e a st extends a plain, th e soil o f w hich is very excellent, a n d w ith p ro p e r cu ltivation m ay be m ad e to p ro d u c e a lm o st any o f o u r E u ro p ea n vegetables; this is but little m o re th an h a lf a m ile in b re a d th , a n d is te rm i­ n a te d by the seacoast, w hich in th is place is lined w ith rocks and reefs, and c a n n o t be a p p ro a c h e d by ships. T h e co ast in the n e ig h b o u rh o o d o f N o o tk a is in general low , a n d b u t little bro k en into hills a n d valleys. T h e soil is g o o d , well covered w ith fine forests o f p in e, sp ru c e, beech, a n d o th e r trees, a n d a b o u n d s with stream s o f th e finest w ater, th e general a p p e a ra n c e being th e sam e fo r m any m iles a ro u n d . T h e village is situ ate d on th e g ro u n d occupied by th e S p a n ­ iards, w hen they kept a g a rriso n here; th e fo u n d a tio n s o f the church and th e g o v e rn o r’s h o u se are y et visible, a n d a few E u ro ­ p e an p lan ts a re still to be fo u n d , w hich c o n tin u e to b e selfp ro p a g a te d , such as o n io n s, peas, and tu rn ip s, but th e tw o last 1 “ The village of Nootka” is Yuquot, located at approximately 49° 35’ N. lat., 126° 37’ W. long.

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a re q u ite sm all, particu larly th e tu rn ip s, w hich a ffo rd e d us n o th in g b u t th e to p s for eatin g . T h e ir fo rm er village sto o d on the sam e sp o t, b u t th e S p a n iard s, finding it a c o m m o d io u s situ atio n , d e m o lish e d th e houses, and forced th e in h a b ita n ts to retire five o r six m iles into th e c o u n try .2 W ith g re a t so rro w , as M a q u in a told m e, did they find them selves co m p elled to q u it th e ir a n cien t place o f residence, b u t w ith equal jo y did they repossess them selves o f it w hen th e S panish g arrison w as expelled by th e English. T h e houses, as I have o b se rv ed , a re a b o u t tw enty in n u m b er, b uilt nearly in a line. T hese are o f different sizes, a ccording to the ra n k o r quality o f th e T y e e , o r chief, w ho lives in th em , each h aving o n e, o f w hich he is c o n sid ere d as th e lo rd . T h ey vary not m uch in w id th , being usually from thirty-six to forty feet w ide, b u t a re o f very differen t lengths, th a t o f th e king, w hich is m uch th e longest, being a b o u t one h u n d re d a n d fifty feet, w hile the sm allest, w hich co n ta in only tw o fam ilies, d o n o t exceed forty feet in length; th e h o u se o f th e king is also d istin g u ish ed from the o th e rs by being higher. T h e ir m eth o d o f building is as follows: they erect in the g ro u n d tw o very large posts, a t such a d istan ce a p a rt as is in ten d ed fo r th e length o f th e h o u se . O n th ese, w hich are o f equ al height, a n d hollow ed o u t at th e u p p e r en d , they lay a large sp ar for th e rid g e-p o le o f th e b uilding, or, if th e length o f th e house re q u ire s it, tw o o r m o re, su p p o rtin g th eir ends by sim ilar up rig h t posts; these sp ars a re so m etim es o f an a lm o st in credible size, h aving m yself m easu red o n e in M a q u in a ’s h ouse, w hich I found to b e o n e h u n d re d feet long a n d eight feet four inches in c irc u m ­ ference. A t equal distances from th ese tw o po sts, tw o o th e rs are placed on each sid e, to form th e w idth o f th e building; th ese are ra th e r sh o rte r th a n th e first, a n d on them are laid in like m an n e r spars, but o f a sm aller size, h a v in g th e u p p e r p a r t hew ed fiat, w ith a n a rro w ridge o n th e o u te r sid e to su p p o rt th e ends o f the planks. T h e ro o f is form ed o f p in e 3 p la n k s w ith a b ro a d fe ath er edge, so as to lap well o v er each o th e r, w hich a re laid lengthw ise from th e ridge-pole in th e c en tre, to th e beam s a t th e sides, a fte r which the to p is covered w ith p lan k s o f eight feet b ro a d , w hich form a kind o f coving pro jectin g so far o v e r th e ends o f th e p lan k s th at form th e roof, as co m pletely to exclude th e ra in . O n th ese they 2 i .e . f u r th e r u p

N o o tk a

S o u n d ; s m a ll v illa g e s a r e

kno w n to

have

e x is te d in th is re g io n . 3 J e w itt o f te n r e f e r s t o w o o d e n ite m s m a d e b y th e N o o t k a a s b e in g ol “ p i n e ” ; a l m o s t c e r ta in ly in n e a r l y a ll c a s e s th i s w a s in fa c t c e d a r .

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lay large sto n e s to p revent th e ir being displaced by th e w ind. T he ends o f th e p lan k s are not secu red to th e beam s on w hich they are laid by any fastening, so th a t in a high storm I have often know n all th e m en obliged to tu rn o u t a n d go upon th e ro o f to p rev en t them from being blow n off, carrying large sto n es and pieces o f rock w ith them to secure th e b o a rd s, alw ays stripping them selves n a k ed on these occasions, w h a tev e r m ay be th e sever­ ity o f the w e ath e r, to p re v en t th e ir g a rm e n ts from being w et and m u d d ied , as th ese storm s a re a lm o st alw ays a cc o m p a n ied w ith heav y rains. T h e sides o f th eir houses a re m uch m o re op en and exposed to th e w eather; th is p ro ceed s from th e ir not being so easily m ad e close as the roof, b ein g bu ilt w ith planks o f a b o u t ten feet long a n d fo u r o r five w ide, w hich they place betw een stanch eo n s o r sm all p o sts o f th e heig h t o f th e roof; o f th ese th ere are fo u r to each range o f b o a rd s, tw o at each en d , and so n e a r each o th e r as to leave space en o u g h fo r a d m ittin g a p lank. T h e planks o r b o a rd s w hich they m ak e use o f for building th e ir houses, and for o th e r uses, they p ro c u re o f different lengths as occasion re q u ire s, by sp littin g them o u t w ith h a rd w o o d en w edges from p in e lo g s, a n d a fte rw a rd s d u b b in g th e m d o w n w ith th e ir c h is e l,4 w ith m uch p a tie n ce , to th e thickness w a n ted , ren d erin g them q u ite sm o o th . T h ere is b u t o n e e n tra n ce ; th is is placed usually a t th e end, th o u g h so m etim es in th e m iddle, as w as th a t o f M a q u in a ’s. T h ro u g h th e m id d le o f th e b uilding, from o n e end to th e oth er, ru n s a passage o f a b o u t eight o r nine feet b ro a d , on each sid e o f w hich th e several fam ilies th a t occupy it live, each h a v in g its p a rticu la r fireplace, but w ith o u t a n y k in d o f wall o r se p a ra tio n to m ark th eir respective lim its; th e c h ie f having his a p a rtm e n t at the u p p e r end, a n d th e next in ran k o p p o site on th e o th e r sid e. T hey h a v e no o th e r flo o r th an th e g ro u n d ; th e fireplace o r hearth co nsists o f a n u m b e r o f sto n es loosely p u t to g eth e r, b u t th ey are w holly w ith o u t a ch im n ey , n o r is th ere a n y open in g left in the roof, b u t w h en ev er a fire is m a d e , th e p lan k im m ediately o v er it is th ru st asid e, by m eans o f a p o le, to give vent to th e sm oke. T h e height o f th e houses in g e n era l, from th e g ro u n d to the cen tre o f th e roof, does not exceed ten feet, th at o f M a q u in a ’s was n o t far from fo u rteen ; th e s p a r fo rm in g th e ridge-pole o f the la tte r w as p a in te d in red and black circles a ltern ately , by w ay o f o rn a m e n t, a n d th e large posts th a t su p p o rte d it had th e ir tops curiously w ro u g h t o r carved, so as to re p re se n t h u m an h e ad s o f a m o n stro u s size, w hich w ere p a in te d in th eir m an n e r. T h ese were 4 i.e . s to n e a d z e s .

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5 1

n o t, how ever, c o n sid ere d as o bjects o f a d o ra tio n , b u t m erely as o rn a m e n ts .5 T h e fu rn itu re o f these p eople is very sim ple, a n d consists only o f boxes, in w hich they p u t th e ir clothes, furs, a n d such things as they hold m o st valuable; tu b s for keeping th eir pro v isio n s o f spaw n a n d b lu b b er in; trays from w hich they eat; bask ets fo r th eir d rie d fish a n d o th e r p u rp o ses, a n d bags m ad e o f b a rk m attin g , o f w hich they also m ak e th e ir beds, sp re ad in g a piece o f it u p o n th e g ro u n d w hen they lie d ow n, a n d using no o th e r bed covering than th eir g arm en ts. T h e boxes are o f p in e ,6 w ith a to p th a t sh u ts over, and instead o f nails o r pegs, a re fastened w ith flexible tw ings; they are extrem ely sm ooth a n d high polished, a n d som etim es o rn a m e n te d w ith row s o f very sm all w hite sh ells.7 T h e tu b s are o f a sq u a re form , secured in th e like m an n e r, a n d o f v a rio u s sizes, som e being ex trem ely large, h aving seen them th a t w ere six feet long by fo u r b ro a d a n d five d e ep . T h e trays a re hollow ed out w ith th e ir chisels from a solid block o f w ood, a n d th e bask ets and m ats a re m ad e from th e bark o f trees. F ro m b ark they likewise m ak e th e cloth for th eir g a rm e n ts, in th e follow ing m anner: - A q u a n tity o f this b ark is tak e n a n d put into fresh w a ter, w here it is k e p t fo r a fo rtn ig h t, to give it tim e to c o m pletely soften; it is then tak e n o u t a n d b eaten upon a plank, w ith an in stru m e n t m a d e o f b o n e , o r so m e very h ard w ood, having grooves o r hollow s on o n e sid e o f it, care being ta k e n to keep th e m ass c o n stan tly m oistened w ith w a ter, in o rd e r to se p a ­ ra te , w ith m o re ease, th e h ard a n d w o o d y from th e so ft and fibrous p a rts, w hich, w hen c o m p leted , they parcel o u t into skeins, like th re a d . T hese they lay in th e a ir to bleach, a n d afte rw a rd s dye them black o r red, as suits th eir fancies, th eir n a tu ra l co lo u r being a pale yellow . In o rd e r to form th e cloth, th e w o m en , by w hom th e w hole o f this process is p e rfo rm e d , ta k e a c ertain n u m b e r o f these skeins and tw ist them to g e th e r, by rolling them w ith th eir h an d s u p o n th eir knees into h a rd rolls, w hich a re a fterw ards con n ected by m eans o f a stro n g th re a d , m ad e for th e p u rpose. T h e ir dress usually consists o f b u t a single g a rm e n t, w hich is a loose cloak o r m an tle (called k u ts a c k ) in o n e piece, reaching nearly to th e feet. T h is is tied loosely o v er th e right o r left sh o u ld e r, so as to leave th e a rm s a t full liberty. 5 th e s e c a r v e d h o u s e p o le s a r e n o t t o b e c o n f u s e d w ith f r e e s ta n d in g to t e m p o le s . 6 i.e . c e d a r . 7 t h e “ w h ite s h e lls ” r e p e a te d ly m e n tio n e d b y J e w itt a r c a l m o s t c e r ­ ta in ly s n a il o p e r c u l a , a s c a n b e s e e n in m a n y m u s e u m s p e c im e n s .

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T h o se o f th e c om m on p e o p le are p a in te d red w ith o c h re the b e tte r to k e ep o u t th e ra in , b u t th e chiefs w ear th em o f their native co lo u r, w hich is a pale yellow , o rn a m e n tin g them with b o rd e rs o f th e se a -o tter skin, a k in d o f g rey cloth m ad e o f the h a ir o f som e a n im a l8 w hich they p ro c u re from th e trib es to the so u th , o r th e ir ow n cloth w ro u g h t o r p a in te d w ith v a rio u s figures in red o r b lack , representing m e n ’s h ead s, th e sun a n d m o o n , fish a n d anim als, w hich are frequently executed w ith m uch skill. T hey have also a g ird le o f th e sam e k in d for securing this m an tle o r k u ts a c k a ro u n d th em , w hich is in general still m o re highly o r n a ­ m en ted , a n d serves them to w ear th eir d aggers and knives in. In w in ter, how ever, they so m etim es m ak e use o f a n a d d itio n a l g a r­ m en t, w hich is a k in d o f h o o d , w ith a hole in it for th e p u rp o se o f a d m ittin g th e h ead , a n d falls o v er th e breast a n d b ack , as low as th e shoulders; th is is b o rd e re d b o th a t to p and b o tto m w ith fur, a n d is n e v er w orn except w h e n they go o u t. T h e g a rm e n ts o f th e w om en vary not essentially fro m th o se o f th e m en, th e m an tle having holes in it for th e p u rp o se o f a d m it­ ting th e a rm s, a n d being tie d close u n d e r th e chin instead o f over th e sho u ld er. T h e chiefs have also m antles o f th e se a -o tte r skin, b u t these are only p u t on u p o n e x tra o rd in a ry occasions; a n d one th a t is m ad e from th e sk in o f a c ertain large a n im a l, w hich is b ro u g h t fro m th e so u th by th e W ic k an n in ish a n d K la-iz-zarts. T h is they p re p a re by dressing it in w arm w ater, scraping o ff th e h a ir a n d w h at flesh a d h ere s to it carefully w ith sh a rp m usselshells,9 and sp re a d in g it o u t in th e sun to d ry on a w o o d en fram e so as to p re serv e th e sh ap e. W h en d ressed in th is m a n n e r it becom es perfectly w hite, a n d as p liab le as th e best d e e r’s leath er, but alm o st as thick again. T h ey th en p a in t it in differen t figures w ith such p a in ts as they usually em p lo y e in d e c o ra tin g th eir perso n s; th ese figures m ostly re p re se n t h u m a n heads, canoes em ployed in c atch in g w hales, etc. T h is sk in is called m e ta m e lth ,10 a n d is p ro b ab ly g o t from an * probably th e hair o f dogs dom esticated by the Salish for their wool. “ T he tribes to the S o u th " m ay m ean o th er N ootkan groups, who had in turn acquired the dog wool in trad e from Southern V ancou­ ver Island Salish groups. Dog wool was often m ixed w ith m ountain goat w ool by the Salish. 9 i.e. th e very heavy large shells-of M ytilu s californianus o r California m ussel, extensively used for m aking scrapers in aboriginal times. M any have been recovered in N orthw est C oast archaeological sites. M ost scrapers o f this m aterial were ground unifacially in order to produce a sharp working edge. 10 possibly the anim al alluded to is the w apiti, Cervus canadensis.

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an im al o f th e m o o se kind; it is highly prized by these p e o p le , is th eir g re a t w ar dress, a n d only w o rn w hen they w ish to m a k e the best p ossible display o f them selves. S trips o r b an d s o f it, p ainted a s a b o v e, a re also som etim es used by them for g irdles o r the b o rd e rin g o f th e ir cloaks, and also fo r bracelets a n d a n k le o rn a ­ m en ts by som e o f th e in ferio r class. O n th e ir h ead s, w hen they go o u t upon any excursion, p a rtic ­ ularly w haling o r fishing, they w e a r a k in d o f c a p o r b o n n e t in form n o t unlik e a large su g a r lo a f w ith th e to p c u t off. T h is is m a d e o f th e sam e m aterials w ith th e ir clo th , but is in general o f a closer tex tu re, a n d by w ay o f tassel h a s a long strip o f th e skin o f th e m eta m e lth a tta c h e d to it, co v ered w ith row s o f sm all w hite shells o r b ead s. T h o se w orn by th e co m m o n p e o p le a re p ainted entirely red, the chiefs having th eirs o f differen t colours. T h e one w o rn by th e king, a n d w hich serves to designate him from all the o th e rs, is longer a n d b ro a d e r a t th e b o tto m ; th e to p , instead o f being flat, having u p o n it a n o rn a m e n t in th e figure o f a sm all u rn . It is also o f a m uch finer te x tu re th an th e o th ers, a n d plaited o r w ro u g h t in black a n d w hite strip es, w ith th e re p re se n tatio n in fro n t o f a c an o e in p u rsu it o f a w hale, w ith th e h a rp o o n e r sta n d in g in th e p ro w p re p are d to strik e. T h is b o n n e t is called

Seeya-poks.11 T h e ir m o d e o f living is very s i m p le - t h e i r food consisting alm o st w holly o f fish, o r fish sp a w n fresh o r d ried , th e b lu b b er o f th e w hale, seal, o r sea-cow , m ussels, clam s, a n d b erries o f various kinds; all o f w hich a re eaten w ith a p ro fu sio n o f train -o il for sauce, n o t excepting even th e m o st delicate fru it, as straw b erries a n d raspberries. W ith so little variety in th e ir fo o d , no g re at secret can be expected in th e ir c o o k ery . O f th is, indeed, they m ay b e said to know b u t tw o m eth o d s, viz. by b oiling a n d steam ing, a n d even th e la tte r is not very frequently p ra ctised by th e m . T h e ir m o d e o f boiling is as follows: - In to o n e o f th e ir tu b s 12 th ey p o u r w ater sufficient to cook th e q u a n tity o f p rovision w a n ted . A n u m b e r o f h e ated sto n es a re then p u t in to m ak e it boil, w hen th e salm o n o r o th e r fish a re p u t in w ith o u t a n y o th e r p re p a ra tio n th an so m e ­ tim es c u ttin g o ff th e heads, tails, a n d fins, th e boiling in the 11 S e e y a -p o k s is p ro b ab ly n o t a N o o tk a n w o rd , b u t C h in o o k Ja rg o n . T he D ictionary o f the Cltonook Jargon, or Indian Trade Language, o f the N orth Pacific C oast, T . H ibben and C o ., V ictoria, 1899, gives two glosses for “ h at” : seahpo' and seahpult, obviously closely related to Jew itt’s gloss. 12 m ost likely a kerfed and sewn cedar box.

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m ea n tim e being k e p t up by th e ap p lic atio n o f th e h o t stones, a fte r w hich it is left to co o k until th e w hole is nearly red u ced to o n e m ass. It is th en tak e n o u t a n d d istrib u te d in th e tray s. In a sim ilar m an n e r they co o k th e ir b lu b b er a n d spaw n, sm o k e d or d rie d fish, a n d , in fine, a lm o st e verything th ey e at, n o th in g going do w n w ith th em lik e b ro th . W h en th ey co o k th eir fish by ste am , w hich are usually the h eads, tails, a n d fins o f th e sa lm o n , co d , a n d h a lib u t, a large fire is k in d le d , u p o n w h ich th e y p la c e a b e d o f s to n e s , w h ic h , w hen th e w o o d is b u r n t d o w n , b e c o m e s p e rfe c tly h e a te d . L a y e rs o f green leaves o r p in e boughs a re th en placed u p o n th e stones, and th e fish, clam s, etc., being laid u p o n th em , w ater is p o u re d over th em , and th e w hole closely covered w ith m ats to k e ep in the steam . T h is is m u ch th e best m o d e o f c o o k in g , a n d clam s and m ussels d o n e in this m an n e r a re really excellent. T hese, as I have said , m ay b e con sid ered as th e ir only kinds o f cookery; th o u g h I h av e, in a very few instances, know n them dress th e roe o r spaw n o f th e salm on a n d th e h e rrin g , w hen first tak e n , in a different m an n e r; this w as by ro a stin g th em , th e fo rm er being su p p o rte d betw een tw o split pieces o f p in e, and th e o th e r h aving a sharp stick run th ro u g h it, w ith o n e e n d fixed in th e g ro u n d ; sp ra ts are also roasted by th em in th is w ay, a n u m b e r being sp itte d upon o n e stick; a n d this kind o f food, w ith a little salt, w ould b e found n o c o n te m p tib le eating even to an E u ro p ean . A t th eir m eals they seat them selves u p o n th e g ro u n d , w ith th e ir feet cu rled up u n d e r th e m , a ro u n d th eir trays, w hich are g enerally a b o u t th ree feet long by o n e b ro a d , a n d from six to eight inches d e ep . In e atin g they m ak e use o f noth in g b u t their fingers, except for the so u p o r oil, w hich they lade o u t w ith clam -shells. A ro u n d o n e o f these tray s from fo u r to six p erso n s will seat them selves, co nstantly d ip p in g in th eir fingers o r clam -shells one a fter th e o th e r. T h e king a n d chiefs a lo n e have se p a ra te trays, from w hich no o n e is p e rm itte d to e at w ith them except th e q u e e n , o r p rin cip al w ife13 o f th e chief; a n d w henever th e king o r o n e o f th e chiefs wishes to distinguish any o f his p e o p le w ith a special m ark o f favour on these occasions, h e calls him a n d gives him som e o f th e choice bits from his tray. T h e slaves eat a t th e sam e tim e, a n d o f th e sam e p rovisions, faring in this respect as well as th e ir m asters, being seated w ith th e fam ily, a n d only feeding from se p a ra te trays. u polygyny was probably n ot extensive, but confined to wealthy m em ­ bers o f the upper class.

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W h en ev er a feast is given by th e king o r any o f th e chiefs, th e re is a perso n w ho acts as a m a s te r o f cerem o n ies, a n d w hose business it is to receive th e gu ests as they e n te r th e h ouse, a n d p o in t o u t to th em th e ir respective seats, w hich is regulated with g re a t punctiliousness as regards ran k ; th e kin0 occupying th e hig h est o r th e se a t o f h o n o u r, his son o r b ro th e r sittin g next him , a n d so on w ith th e chiefs a cc o rd in g to th e ir quality; th e priv ate perso n s b elonging to th e sam e fam ily bein g alw ays placed to g eth e r, to p re v en t any co n fu sio n . T h e w om en a re seldom invited to th eir feasts, a n d only a t th o se tim e s w hen a general in v itatio n is given to th e village. A s, w h en ev er they co o k , they alw ays calculate to h a v e an a b u n d a n c e for all th e guests, a p rofusion in th is respect being c o n sid ere d as th e highest luxury, m u ch m o re is usually set before th em th an they can e at. T h a t w hich is left in th e k in g ’s tra y , he sends to his h o u se for his fam ily by one o f his slaves, as d o th e chiefs th eirs; w hile those w ho e at from th e sam e tray , a n d w ho gen erally belong to th e sam e fam ily, ta k e it h o m e as c o m m o n sto c k , o r each o n e receives his p o rtio n , w hich is d istrib u te d on th e sp o t. T h is cu sto m a p p e a re d very sin g u lar to m y c o m p a n io n a n d m yself, a n d it w as a m ost a w k w ard th in g for us, a t first, to h av e to lug h o m e w ith us, in o u r h an d s o r a rm s, th e b lu b b er o f fish th a t w e received a t these tim es, b u t w e so o n b ecam e re co n ­ ciled to it, and w ere very glad o f a n o p p o rtu n ity to d o it.

7. Appearance of the Natives Ornaments - Otter-Hunting Fishing - Canoes I n p o in t o f p e rso n al a p p e a ra n c e th e p e o p le o f N o o tk a a re am ong th e best-lo o k in g o f any o f th e trib e s th a t I have seen. T h e m en a re in general from a b o u t five feet six to five feet eight inches in height: re m a rk ab ly stra ig h t, o f a g o o d form , ro b u st a n d strong, w ith th eir lim bs in general well tu rn e d a n d p ro p o rtio n e d , except­ ing th e legs a n d feet, w hich a re clum sy a n d ill fo rm ed , ow ing, no d o u b t, to th e ir p ractice o f sittin g on th e m , tho u g h I have seen instances in w hich they w ere very well sh a p e d ; this defect is m ore p a rticu la rly a p p a re n t in th e w o m en , w ho are for th e m o st p a rt o f th e tim e w ithin d o o rs, a n d c o n stan tly sittin g w hile em ployed in th e ir coo k in g a n d o th e r o c cu p a tio n s. T h e only in stance o f d efo rm ity th a t I saw a m o n g st them w as a m an o f dw arfish sta tu re ; he w as th irty y ears old, a n d b u t th ree feet th ree inches high; h e h a d , how ever, no o th e r defect th an his d im in u tiv e size, b ein g well m ad e , a n d as stro n g a n d a b le to b e a r fatigue as w hat they w ere in general. T h e ir c o m plexion, w hen freed from th e p a in t a n d oil with w hich th eir skins are g enerally co v ered , is a brow n, so m ew h at inclining to a c o p p e r cast. T h e sh a p e o f th e face is oval; the featu res are to lerab ly regular, th e lips being thin a n d th e teeth very w hite a n d even; th eir eyes a re black but ra th e r sm all, a n d the nose pretty well form ed, being n e ith e r fiat n o r very p ro m in e n t; th e ir h a ir is black, long, and coarse, b u t they have no beard, co m pletely e x tirp atin g it, as well as th e h a ir from th e ir bodies, M a q u in a bein g th e only e x ce p tio n , w ho suffered his b e a rd to g ro w on his u p p e r lip in th e m a n n e r o f m u stach io s, w hich was c onsidered as a m ark o f dignity. A s to th e w om en, they a re m uch w h iter, m an y o f them not being d a rk e r th an those in so m e o f th e so u th e rn p a rts o f E urope. T h ey are in general very w ell-looking, a n d som e q u ite h an d so m e. M a q u in a 's fa v o u rite wife in p a rticu la r, w ho w as a W ickinninish princess, w ould be c onsidered as a beautiful w om an in any c o u n ­ try. She w as u n c o m m o n ly well fo rm ed , tall, and o f a m ajestic a p p ea ran c e; h e r skin re m a rk ab ly fair for o n e o f these p e o p le , with c o n sid erab le c o lo u r, her features h a n d so m e, a n d h e r eyes black,

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soft, a n d languishing; her h a ir w as very long, th ic k , a n d black , as is th a t o f th e fem ales in general, w hich is m uch softer th a n th a t o f th e m en ; in th is they ta k e m u ch pride, frequently oiling and plaitin g it carefully in to tw o b ro a d plaits, ty in g th e e n d s w ith a strip o f th e cloth o f th e c o u n try , a n d letting it han g do w n b efore on each side o f th e face. T h e w om en keep th eir g a rm e n ts m u ch n e a te r a n d c lean er th an th e m en , a n d are extrem ely m o d est in th e ir d e p o rtm e n t and dress; th e ir m an tle, o r k u ts a c k , w hich is lo n g er th an th a t o f th e m en, reaching q u ite to th eir feet a n d com pletely enveloping th em , being tied close u n d e r th e c h in , a n d b o u n d w ith a g ird le o f th e sam e cloth o r o f se a -o tte r sk in a ro u n d th e ir w aists; it h a s also loose sleeves, w hich reach to th e elbow s. T h o u g h fond o f o rn a ­ m en tin g th e ir persons, they a re by n o m eans so p a rtial to p a in t as th e m en , m erely co lo u rin g th e ir eyebrow s black a n d d raw in g a b rig h t red strip e from each c o rn e r o f th e m o u th to w a rd s th e ear. T h e ir o rn a m e n ts consist chiefly o f ear-rings, necklaces, bracelets, rings for th e fingers a n d ankles, a n d sm all nose-jew els (th e latter are , how ever, w holly c o nfined to th e w ives o f th e king o r chiefs); th ese are principally m a d e o u t o f c o p p e r o r brass, highly polished a n d o f vario u s form s a n d sizes; th e nose-jew el is usually a sm all w hite sh e ll1 o r b e ad su sp en d ed to a th rea d . T h e w ives o f th e co m m o n p e o p le frequently w ear for b ra c e ­ lets a n d a n k le rings strip s o f th e c o u n try cloth o r sk in o f the m eta m e lth p a in te d in figures, a n d th o se o f th e king o r principal chiefs, bracelets a n d necklaces consisting o f a n u m b e r o f strings o f Ife -w a w ,2 an article m uch prized by th em , a n d w hich m ak e s a very h a n d so m e a p p ea ran c e. T h is Ife -w a w , as th ey term it, is a k in d o f shell o f a dazzling w hiteness a n d as sm o o th as ivory; it is o f a cylindrical form , in a slight d e g ree cu rv ed , a b o u t th e size o f a g o o se quill, hollow , th ree inches in length a n d grad u ally tap erin g to a p o in t, w hich is bro k en o ff by th e natives as it is ta k e n from th e w ater; this th ey afte rw a rd s strin g u p o n th rea d s o f b a rk and sell it by th e fath o m ; it fo rm s a k in d o f circulating m ed ium 1 N ose pendants often consisted o f a disc o f polished abalone shell (H a lio iis k a m isch a ika n a ) perforated to accept a loop o f thread for fastening into the pierced nasal septum . : i.e. the tooth-shell o r dentalium shell ( Dentalium pretiosum ), which played such a prom inent role in N orthw est C oast cultures as units of value o r w ealth. Its principal source was in trad e with the groups resident on C ape Flattery an d the southern coast o f Juan de Fuca Strait. It was also to be found in deep w ater o ff the west coast o f V ancouver Island. Jew itt is inconsistent in his spelling o f the nam e for dentalia.

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a m o n g th ese n a tio n s, five fa th o m s being c o n sid ere d as th e price o f a slave, th e ir m o st valuable species o f p ro p e rty . It is principally o b ta in e d from th e A itizzarts, a p e o p le living a b o u t th irty o r forty m iles to th e n o rth w a rd , w ho collect it from th e reefs a n d sunken rocks w ith w hich th e ir coast a b o u n d s, th o u g h it is also b ro u g h t in c o n sid erab le q u a n tity from th e so u th . T h e ir m o d e o f tak in g it has been th u s described to m e : - T o o n e end o f a pole is fastened a piece o f p lan k , in w hich a c o n sid era b le n u m b e r o f p in e pegs a re inserted, m ad e sh a rp a t the ends; above th e p lan k , in o rd e r to sink it, a sto n e o r so m e w eight is tied, and th e o th e r end o f th e pole su sp en d ed to a long rope; this is let do w n perp en d icu larly by the Ife -w a w fishers in those places w here th a t su b stan ce is fo u n d , w hich are usually from fifty to sixty fa th o m s d eep . O n finding th e b o tto m , they raise th e pole u p a few feet a n d let it fall; this th ey rep eat a n u m b er o f tim es, as if so u n d in g , w hen they d ra w it up a n d ta k e o ff th e Ife -w a w w hich is fo u n d ad h erin g to th e p o in ts. T h is m eth o d o f p ro c u rin g it is very lab o rio u s a n d fatiguing, especially as th ey seldom ta k e m ore th an tw o o r th re e o f these shells a t a tim e , a n d frequently none. T h o u g h th e w om en, as I h av e said , m ak e but little use o f p a in t, th e very reverse is th e case w ith th e m en. In d e co ra tin g th e ir heads a n d faces they place th eir p rin cip al p rid e, a n d n o n e o f o u r m ost fashionable beaus w hen p re p arin g for a g ra n d ball can b e m o re p a rticu la r; for I have k n o w n M a q u in a , a fte r h aving been em ployed m o re th an an h o u r in p a in tin g his face, ru b th e w hole off, a n d reco m m en ce th e o p e ra tio n anew , w hen it did n o t entirely please him . T h e m a n n e r in w hich they p a in t them selves frequently varies, according to th e occasion, b u t it o fte n e r is th e m ere d ic ta te o f w h im . T h e m o st usual m eth o d is to p a in t th e eyebrow s black in form o f a h alf-m o o n and th e face red in sm all sq u ares, w ith the arm s a n d legs a n d p a rt o f th e b o d y red; so m etim es o n e h a lf o f the face is p a in te d red in sq u a res a n d th e o th e r black; at others d o tte d w ith sp o ts o f red a n d black instead o f sq u a res, w ith a variety o f o th e r devices, such as p a in tin g o n e h a lf o f th e face and bo d y red a n d th e o th e r black. B ut a m eth o d o f p a in tin g w hich they so m etim es em ployed, an d w hich they w ere m uch m o re p a rticu la r in, w as by laying on th e face a q u a n tity o f b e a r’s g re ase o f a b o u t o n e-eig h th o f an inch thick; this they raised up in to ridges resem bling a sm all b e ad in jo in e r ’s w ork w ith a stick p re p are d for th e p u rp o se , a n d then p a in te d them re d , w hich gave th e face a very sin g u lar a p p ea ran c e. O n e x tra o rd in a ry occasions th e king a n d principal chiefs used to strew o v er th e ir faces, a fte r p a in tin g , a fine black shining

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p o w d e r p ro c u re d from som e m in e ral, as M a q u in a told m e it w as g ot from th e rocks. T h is they call p e lp e h h 3 a n d value it highly, as, in th e ir o p in io n , it serves to set o ff th eir looks to g re at a d v an tag e, g litte rin g e sp e c ia lly in th e su n lik e silv e r. T h is a rtic le is b ro u g h t them in bags by th e N e w ch e m a ss,4 a very savage n a tio n w h o live1 a long w ay to th e n o rth , from w h o m they likew ise receive a su p e rio r k in d o f red p a in t, a species o f very fine and rich ochre, w hich they hold in m uch e stim a tio n . N o tw ith sta n d in g this custom o f p a in tin g them selves, they m a k e it a n in v a ria b le p ra c tic e , b o th in s u m m e r a n d w in te r, to b a th e o n c e a day, a n d so m etim es o ftener; but as th e p a in t is put o n w ith o il, it is n o t m u ch d is c o m p o s e d th e re b y , a n d w h e n e v e r th ey w ish to w ash it off, they re p a ir to som e piece o f fresh w ater a n d sc o u r them selves w ith sand o r rushes. In dressing th e ir h e ad s on occasion o f a festival o r a visit, they a re full as p a rtic u la r a n d a lm o st as long as in p a in tin g . T h e h a ir, a fte r b ein g well oiled, is carefully g a th e re d u p o n th e to p o f th e h e ad a n d secu red by a piece o f p in e o r sp ru ce bough w ith the green leaves u p o n it. A fte r having it p roperly fixed in this m a n ­ n e r, th e king a n d principal chiefs used to strew all o v er it th e w hite dow n o b ta in e d from a species o f large b row n eagle w hich a b o u n d s o n this co ast, and w hich they a re very p a rtic u la r in a rra n g in g so as not to have a single feath er o u t o f place, occa­ sionally w etting th e h a ir to m ak e it a d h ere . T h is, to g eth e r w ith th e b o u g h , w hich is som etim es o f c o n sid era b le size a n d stuck over w ith feathers by m eans o f tu rp e n tin e , gives them a very sin g u lar a n d g ro tesq u e a p p ea ran c e, w hich they, how ever, th in k very b ecom ing, a n d th e first thing th ey d o , on learn in g th e arriv al o f stra n g ers, is to g o a n d d e co ra te them selves in this m an n er. T h e m en also w ear bracelets o f p a in te d lea th e r o r c o p p e r and large earrin g s o f th e latter, b u t th e o rn a m e n t on w hich they a p p e a r to set th e m ost value is th e nose-jew el, if such an a p p ella ­ tio n m ay be given to th e w o o d e n stick w hich som e o f them em ploy for this p u rp o se . T h e k in g and chiefs, ho w ev er, w ear them o f a differen t form , being e ith e r sm all pieces o f polished c o p p e r o r brass, o f w hich I m ad e m an y for them in th e sh a p e o f h e arts a n d d ia m o n d s, o f a tw isted conical shell a b o u t h a lf a n inch in le n g th , o f a b lu ish c o lo u r a n d v ery b rig h t, w h ich is b ro u g h t from th e s o u th .5 T hese a re su sp en d e d by a sm all w ire o r strin g toth e hole in th e gristle o f th e nose, w hich is fo rm ed in infancy by 1i.e. black mica. 4 possibly the N im pkish. 5 probably olivella shells (Olive/la biplicala).

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b o rin g it w ith a p in , th e hole bein g afte rw a rd s enlarged by the re p ea te d insertion o f w o o d en pegs o f a n increased size, until it b eco m es a b o u t th e d iam e te r o f a pip e-stem , th o u g h so m e have them o f a size nearly sufficient to a d m it th e little finger. T h e co m m o n class, w ho c a n n o t read ily p ro c u re th e m ore expensive jew els th a t I have m e n tio n e d , su b stitu te fo r them , usually, a sm o o th , ro u n d stick , so m e o f w hich a re o f a n alm o st in credible length, fo r I h av e seen them projecting n o t less than e ig h t o r n in e inches b e yond th e face on each side; this is m ade fast o r secured in its place by little w edges on each side o f it. T h e se “ sp rit-sail-y ard fellow s,” as m y m essm ate used to call th em , w hen rigged out in th is m a n n e r, m a d e q u ite a stran g e show , and it w as his d elight, w h en ev er h e saw o n e o f them com ing to w ard s us w ith an a ir o f co n seq u en ce p ro p o rtio n e d the length o f his stick, to put up his h a n d sud d en ly as h e w as passing h im , so as to strik e th e stick , in o rd e r, as he said, to b ra ce him u p sh a rp to th e w ind; this used to m ak e them very an g ry , but n o th in g w as m o re re m o te fro m T h o m p s o n ’s ideas th an a w ish to cu ltiv ate th eir favour. T h e natives o f N o o tk a a p p e a r to have b u t little in clin atio n for th e chase, th o u g h som e o f them w ere ex p ert m ark sm en , a n d used so m etim es to sh o o t d u ck s a n d geese; b u t th e seal a n d th e seao tte r form th e principal o bjects o f th eir h u n tin g , p a rticu la rly th e latter. O f this a n im a l, so m uch no ted fo r its valuable sk in , the follow ing d e sc rip tio n m ay n o t b e u ninteresting: - T h e se a -o tte r is nearly five feet in length, exclusive o f th e tail, w hich is a b o u t tw elve inches, a n d is very thick a n d b ro a d w here it jo in s the b o d y , b u t g ra d u ally tap e rs to th e en d , w hich is tip p e d w ith w hite. T h e c o lo u r o f th e rest is a sh in in g , silky black, w ith th e exception o f a b ro a d w hite stripe on th e to p o f th e h e ad . N o th in g can be m o re b eautiful th an o n e o f these an im a ls w hen seen sw im m ing, especially w hen on the lo o k -o u t for any object. A t such tim es it raises its h e ad q u ite above th e su rface, a n d th e c o n tra st betw een th e shining black a n d th e w hite, to g e th e r w ith its sh a rp e ars a n d a long tuft o f h a ir rising from th e m id d le o f its fo reh ead , w hich looks like th re e sm all h o rn s, re n d e r it q u ite a novel a n d attractiv e ob ject. T hey a re in general very tam e , a n d will p e rm it a c an o e o r b o a t to a p p ro a c h very n e a r b e fo re they dive. I w as to ld , how ever, th a t they a re becom e m u ch m o re shy since they have been accu sto m ed to sh o o t th em w ith m uskets, th a n w hen they used only arrow s. T h e sk in is held in g re a t e stim a tio n in C h in a , m o re especially th a t o f th e tail, th e fur o f w hich is finer a n d closer set th an th a t

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on th e b o d y . T h is is alw ays c u t o ff and sold sep arately by th e natives. T h e value o f a skin is d e te rm in e d by its size, th a t being con sid ered as a p rim e sk in w hich will reach , in length, from a m a n ’s chin to his feet. T h e food o f th e se a -o tte r is fish, w hich he is very d e x te ro u s in tak in g , being a n excellent sw im m er, w ith feet w ebbed like those o f a goose. T h ey a p p e a r to b e w holly con fin ed to th e seacoast, a t least to th e salt w a ter. T h ey have usually th ree o r fo u r you n g a t a tim e, but I k n o w not how often they breed, n o r in w h a t place they d ep o sit th e ir y oung, th o u g h I have fre­ q uently seen them sw im m ing a ro u n d th e m o th e r w hen no longer than rats. T h e flesh is eaten by th e n atives, c o o k ed in th eir usual m o d e by boiling, a n d is far p re fe ra b le to th a t o f th e seal, o f w hich they m ak e m uch account. B ut if n o t g re at h u n ters, th e re a re few p oeple m o re ex p ert in fishing. T h e ir Tines are generally m ad e from th e sinew o f th e w hale, a n d a re extrem ely strong. F o r th e h o o k , they usually m ak e use o f a stra ig h t piece o f h ard w o o d , in th e low er p a rt o f w hich is inserted, a n d well secured w ith th re a d o r w hale sinew , a b it o f b one m ad e very sh a rp a t th e p o in t a n d b e ard e d ; but I used to m ak e for th em h o o k s from iro n , w hich they p re fe rre d , not only as being less liable to b re a k , but m o re c erta in o f securing th e fish. C o d , h a lib u t, a n d o th e r sea fish w ere n o t only cau g h t by them w ith hooks, b u t even salm on. T o ta k e this la tte r fish, they p ractise th e follow ing m eth o d : O n e perso n seats h im self in a sm all can o e , a n d , baitin g his hook w ith a sp ra t, w hich they a re alw ays careful to p ro c u re as fresh as possible, fastens his line to th e h a n d le o f th e p addle; this, as he plies it in th e w ater, keeps th e fish in c o n stan t m o tio n , so as to give it th e a p p e a ra n c e o f life, w hich th e salm on seeing, leaps a t it a n d is instantly h o o k e d , a n d , by a sudden a n d d e x te ro u s m otion o f th e p a d d le , d ra w n o n b o a rd . 1 have know n som e o f th e natives ta k e no less th an eight o r ten salm o n o f a m o rn in g , in this m an n e r, a n d have seen from tw enty to th irty canoes a t a tim e in F rie n d ly C o v e th u s em ployed. T h ey a re likew ise little less skilful in ta k in g th e w hale. T his they kill w ith a k in d o f jav e lin o r h a rp o o n th u s c o n stru cted and fitted: th e b a rb s a re form ed o f b o n e , w hich are sh a rp en e d on th e o u te r side, a n d hollow ed w ith in , for th e p u rp o se o f fo rm in g a socket for th e staff; th ese are th e n secured firm ly to g eth e r w ith a w hale sinew , th e p o in t being fitted so as to receive a piece o f m ussel-shell, w hich is g ro u n d to a very sh a rp edge, a n d secu red in its p lac e by m e a n s o f t u r p e n t i n e .6 T o th is h e a d o r p ro n g is 6 i.e. boiled pine pilch.

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fasten ed a stro n g line o f w hale sinew a b o u t n in e feet in length, to th e end o f w hich is tied a b a rk ro p e from fifty to sixty fathom s long, having from tw enty to th irty seal-skin floats o r buoys a tta c h e d to it a t certain intervals, in o rd e r to check th e m o tio n o f th e w hale a n d o b stru c t his diving. In th e so c k e t o f th e h a rp o o n a sta ff o r p o le o f a b o u t ten feet long, grad u ally tap e rin g from the m id d le to e ac h e n d , is p la c e d ; th is th e h a r p o o n e r h o ld s in his h a n d , in o rd e r to strik e th e w hale, a n d im m ediately d e tach es it as so o n as th e fish is struck. T h e w hale is con sid ered as th e k in g ’s fish, and no o th e r p e rs o n , w h e n h e is p re s e n t, is p e r m itte d to to u c h h im u n til th e royal h a rp o o n has first d raw n his blo o d , how ever n e a r h e m ay a p p ro a c h ; a n d it w ould be c o n sid ere d a lm o st a sacrilege fo r any o f th e co m m o n p e o p le to strik e a w hale b efore h e is killed, p a rticu la rly if a n y o f th e chiefs sh o u ld b e p re sen t. T h e y a lso kill th e p o rp o ise a n d sea-cow 7 w ith h a rp o o n s, b u t this in ferio r gam e is n o t in terd icted th e low er class. W ith re g ard to th eir can o es, som e o f th e h a n d so m est to be found on th e w hole co ast a re m a d e a t N o o tk a , th o u g h very fine ones a re b ro u g h t by th e W ic k in n in ish a n d th e K la-iz-zarts, who h a v e them m o re highly o rn a m e n te d . T h ey a re o f all sizes, from such as a re c ap a b le o f hold in g o n ly -o n e person to th e ir largest w a r canoes, w hich will carry fo rty m en , a n d are ex trem ely light. O f these, th e largest o f any th a t I ever saw w as o n e b elonging to M a q u in a , w hich I m easu red , a n d found to b e forty-tw o feet from stem to ste rn . T h ese a re m a d e o f p in e ,8 hollow ed o u t from a tre e , w ith th eir chisels solely, w hich a re a b o u t th re e inches b ro a d and six in length, a n d set into a h a n d le o f very h a rd w ood. T h is in stru m e n t w as fo rm erly m ad e o f flint, o r so m e hard sto n e g ro u n d do w n to as sh a rp a n edge as possible, but since they h av e learn ed th e use o f iro n , th ey have alm ost all o f th em o f th a t m eta l. Instead o f a m allet for strik in g this chisel, they m ak e use o f a sm o o th ro u n d stone, w hich th ey hold in th e p alm o f th e h a n d . W ith this sam e aw k w a rd in stru m e n t they not only excavate th eir canoes a n d trays a n d sm o o th th e ir planks, b u t cu t dow n such trees as th ey w ant, e ith e r for b uilding, fuel, o r o th e r p u r­ poses, a la b o u r w hich is m ostly d o n e by th eir slaves. T h e felling o f trees, as practised by them is a slow a n d m ost ted io u s process, th ree o f them being generally from tw o to three days in c u ttin g dow n a large o n e ; y et so a tta c h e d w ere they to th eir ow n m e th o d , th a t n o tw ith sta n d in g they saw T h o m p s o n fre­ 7 probably the sea-lion ( Eum etopias stelleri). h n o t in fact pine, but cedar (T huja gigantea or Thuja plicata).

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quen tly , w ith o n e o f o u r axes, o f w hich th ere w as a n u m b e r saved, fell a tre e in less tim e th an they could have g o n e ro u n d it with th eir chisels, still they could n o t be p ersu ad e d to m ak e use o f them . A fte r hollow ing o u t th eir c an o e s, w hich they d o very neatly, they fashion th e o u tsid e, a n d slightly b u rn it, for the p u rp o se o f rem oving any splinters o r sm all p o in ts th a t m ight o b stru c t its p assage th ro u g h th e w a ter, a fte r w hich they ru b it o v er th o r­ oughly w ith rushes o r coarse m ats, in o rd e r to sm o o th it, w hich n o t only renders it a lm o st as sm o o th as glass, b u t form s a b e tte r security for it from th e w eather; this o p e ra tio n o f b u rn in g and ru b b in g do w n th e b o tto m s o f th e ir c an o es is practised as o ften as they a c q u ire a n y c o n sid erab le d e g ree o f roughness from use. T h e o u tsid e by this m eans becom es q u ite black, a n d to c o m p le te th eir w o rk they p a in t th e inside o f a b rig h t red, w ith o chre o r som e o th e r sim ilar su b stan ce; the p ro w s a n d stern s are alm o st alw ays o rn a m e n te d w ith figures o f d u ck s o r som e o th e r k in d o f b ird , the fo rm e r being so fashioned as to rep resen t th e h ead , and th e latter th e tail; these a re se p a ra te pieces from th e can o e , a n d a re fas­ ten e d to it w ith sm all flexible tw igs o r b ark c o rd . S om e o f these can o es, p a rticu la rly those em ployed in w haling, which will hold a b o u t ten m en , a re o rn a m e n te d w ithin a b o u t tw o inches below th e gunw ale w ith tw o p arallel lines on each sid e o f very sm all w hite shells,9 ru n n in g fore and aft, w hich has a very p re tty effect. T h e ir w ar canoes h av e no o rn a m e n t o f th is k ind, b u t a re p a in te d on th e o u tsid e w ith figures in w hite chalk, rep re­ sen tin g eagles, w hales, h u m a n h ead s, etc. T h ey a re very dex tero u s in th e use o f th e ir p addles, w hich a re very neatly w ro u g h t, and a re five feet long, w ith a sh o rt h a n d le and a b lad e seven inches b ro a d in th e m iddle, tap e rin g to a sh a rp p o in t. W ith these they will m ak e a c an o e skim very sw iftly on th e w a ter, w ith scarcely any noise, w hile they k e ep tim e to th e stro k e o f th e p a d d le with th e ir songs.

” probably in fact snail opercula.

8 Music - Musical Instruments Slaves - Neighbouring Tribes Trade with T h ese-A rm y T h e y have a n u m b e r w hich they sing o n v a rio u s o c c a s io n s - a s w a r,* w haling a n d fishing, a t th e ir m arriages a n d feasts, a n d at p ub lic festivals o r solem nities. T h e language o f th e m ost o f these a p p e a rs to b e very different in m an y respects from th a t used in th e ir co m m o n c o n v ersa tio n , w hich leads m e to believe e ith e r th at th ey h a v e a d iffere n t m o d e o f expressing them selves in p o e try , or th a t they b o rro w th e ir songs from th eir neighbours; a n d w h at the m o re p a rticu la rly induces m e to th e la tte r o p in io n is, th a t w hen­ ever a n y o f th e N ew chem ass, a p e o p le from th e n o rth w a rd , and w h o speak a very differen t language, a rriv e d , th ey used to tell m e th a t th ey expected a new so n g , a n d w ere a lm o st alw ays su re to h av e o n e. T h e ir tu n es a re generally so ft and p lain tiv e, a n d th o u g h not possessing g re a t variety, are n o t deficien t in h a rm o n y . T h eir singing is g enerally a cc o m p a n ied w ith several ru d e k in d s o f in stru ­ m ental m usic, a m o n g th e m o st p ro m in e n t o f w hich is a k in d o f a d ru m . T h is is n o th in g m o re th a n a long plan k hollow ed o u t on th e u n d e r sid e a n d m ad e q u ite th in , w hich is b e a t u p o n by a stick o f a b o u t a fo o t long, a n d ren d ers a so u n d n o t unlik e b e atin g on th e h e ad o f a n em p ty cask, b u t m uch louder. B ut th e tw o m o st fav o u rite in stru m e n ts a re th e rattle a n d th e p ip e o r w histle; these a re , ho w ev er, only used by th e k in g , th e chiefs, o r so m e p a rtic u la r p e rso n s. T h e fo rm e r is m ad e o f dried se a lsk in , so as to represent a fish, a n d is filled w ith a n u m b e r o f sm all sm o o th pebbles; it has a sh o rt h a n d le , a n d is p a in te d red. T h e w histle is m a d e o f b o n e , g enerally th e leg o f a d e er;; it is sh o rt, but em its a very shrill so u n d . T h ey have likew ise a n o th e r k in d o f m usic, w hich they m a k e use o f in d ancing, in th e m an n e r o f c asta n ets. T h is is p ro d u c ed by a n u m b e r o f m u ssel1 o r cockle-, shells tied to g e th e r and sh ak en to a k in d o f tu n e , w hich is a cc o m p a n ied w ith th e voice. * A sp ecim en o f o n e o f th e ir w ar-songs will be fo u n d a t th e en d o f this work. 1 probably C alifornia mussel (M y tilu s calijornianus). probably pecten shells (P ecten caurinus).

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T h e ir slaves, as I have o b se rv ed , form th eir m ost valuable species o f p ro p e rty . T h ese are o f b o th sexes, being e ith e r captives tak e n by them selves in w ar, o r p u rc h ase d from th e n e ig hbouring tribes, a n d w ho reside in th e sa m e h ouse, fo rm in g as it w ere a p a rt o f th e fam ily, a re usually k in d ly tre a te d , e a t o f th e sam e food, a n d live as well as th e ir m asters. T h ey a re com pelled, h ow ever, at tim es to la b o u r severely, as n o t only all th e m enial offices a re p erfo rm e d by th em , such as b ringing w ater, cutting w ood, and a variety o f o th ers, b u t they are o bliged to m a k e th e canoes, to assist in building a n d rep airin g th e houses, to supply th eir m asters w ith fish, a n d to a tte n d them in w a r a n d to fight for them . N o n e b u t th e king a n d chiefs have slaves, th e co m m o n people being p re v en ted from hold in g th em , e ith e r from th e ir inability to p u rch ase th e m , o r, as I am ra th e r inclined to th in k , from its being con sid ered as th e privilege o f th e fo rm er a lo n e to have th em , especially as all th o se m ad e p riso n e rs in w a r belong e ith e r to th e king o r th e chiefs w ho have c a p tu re d th em , each o n e hold in g such as have been tak e n by h im self o r his slaves. T h ere is p ro b a b ly , how ever, som e little d istin c tio n in fav o u r o f th e king, w ho is alw ays th e c o m m a n d er o f th e ex p ed itio n , as M a q u in a had nearly fifty, m ale a n d fem ale, in his h ouse, a n u m b e r co n stitu tin g a b o u t o n e h a lf o f its in h a b ita n ts, c o m p re h en d in g those o b ta in e d by w a r a n d p u rch ase; w hereas n o n e o f th e o th e r chiefs h a d m o re th an tw elve. T h e fem ales are em ployed prin cip ally in m an u fa ctu r­ ing cloth, in c ooking, collecting b erries, etc., a n d w ith re g ard to food a n d living in general have n o t a m uch h a rd e r lot th a n th eir m istresses, th e principal difference consisting in th ese p o o r u n fo r­ tu n a te c rea tu re s being c onsidered as free to any o n e , th e ir m asters p ro stitu tin g them w h en ev er they th in k p ro p e r for th e p u rp o se o f g ain . In this w ay m an y o f them a re b ro u g h t o n b o a rd th e ships and offered to th e crew s, from w hence a n o p in io n a p p e a rs to have been form ed by som e o f o u r n av ig ato rs injurious to the chastity o f th eir fem ales, th an w hich n o th in g can b e m o re g e n e r­ ally u n tru e , as p e rh ap s in n o p a rt o f th e w orld is th a t v irtu e m ore prized. T h e houses a t N o o tk a , as a lre a d y sta te d , a re a b o u t tw enty, w ith o u t c o m p risin g th o se in h ab ited by th e K la h a rs,3 a sm all tr ib e ' th a t h a s b e e n c o n q u e re d a n d in c o r p o r a te d in to th a t o f N o o tk a , tho u g h they m ust be con sid ered as in a sta te o f vassalage, as th ey are n o t p e rm itte d to have any chiefs a m o n g th e m , a n d live by them selves in a c luster o f sm all houses a t a little d istan c e fro m the village. T h e N o o tk a trib e , w hich consists o f a b o u t five h u n d re d 3 K lahoose?

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w a rrio rs, is n o t only m o re n u m ero u s th an alm ost any o f the n eig h b o u rin g trib e s, b u t far exceeds them in th e stre n g th and m artial sp irit o f its people; a n d in fact th e re are b u t few n atio n s w ithin a h u n d re d m iles e ith e r to th e n o rth o r so u th b u t are c onsidered as trib u ta ry to them . In giving so m e account o f th e trib es th a t w ere accu sto m ed to visit N o o tk a , I shall c o m m e n ce a t th e so u th w a rd w ith th e Klaiz-zarts, a n d th e W ick in n in ish , prem isin g th a t in p o in t o f personal a p p e a ra n c e th e re prevails a w onderful diversity betw een th e var­ ious trib es on th e coast, w ith th e exception o f th e feet a n d legs, w hich a re badly shaped in a lm o st all o f them from th eir p ractice o f sittin g on them . T h e K la-iz-zarts a re a n u m e ro u s a n d pow erful trib e , living nearly th ree h u n d re d m iles to th e so u th ,4 a n d are said to consist o f m o re th a n a th o u sa n d w a rrio rs. T h ey a p p e a r to b e m ore civilised th an any o f th e o th ers, being b e tte r a n d m o re neatly d ressed, m o re m ild and affab le in th e ir m an n ers, re m a rk a b le for th e ir sp rightliness and vivacity, a n d c eleb rated for th e ir singing a n d d ancing. T h ey exhibit also g re a te r m ark s o f im p ro v e m en t in w hatever is w ro u g h t by th em ; th e ir can o es, tho u g h n o t su p e rio r to those o f N o o tk a in p o in t o f form a n d lightness, are m o re highly o rn a m e n te d , and th eir w eap o n s a n d to o ls o f every kind have a m uch h ig h er finish a n d display m o re skill in th e w o rk m a n ­ ship. T h e ir cast o f c o u n te n an c e is very d ifferent from th a t o f the N o o tk ia n s, th e ir faces being very b ro a d , w ith a less p ro m in e n t nose a n d sm aller eyes, a n d th e to p o f th e h e ad flattened as if it h a d been pressed dow n w ith a w e ig h t.5 T h e ir co m plexion is also* m uch fairer, a n d th eir sta tu re sh o rte r, tho u g h they are well fo rm ed a n d strongly set. T h ey have a custom w hich a p p ea rs to b e pecu liar to th e m , as I never ob serv ed it in a n y o f th e o th e r tribes, w hich is to pluck o u t not only th eir beards a n d th e h a ir from th e ir bod ies, b u t also th e ir eyebrow s, so as n o t to leave a vestige rem aining. T h ey were also in general m o re skilful in p a in tin g a n d d e co ra tin g them selves, a n d I have seen som e o f th em w ith n o less than a dozen holes in each o f th e ir e ars, to w hich w ere su sp en d ed strings o f sm all beads a b o u t tw o inches in length. T h e ir language is th e sam e as spoken a t N o o tk a , b u t th e ir p ro n u n c ia tio n is m uch m o re h o a rse and 4 Jewitt is in error. T he K lahousats lived to the north o f N ootka Sound. ' Jew itt vaguely hints at cranial deform ation. In fact this was most probably the case, for cranial deform ation was quite extensively practiced on the N orthw est C oast.

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g u ttu ra l. T hese peo p le are not o n ly very ex p ert in w haling, but are g re a t h u n ters o f th e se a -o tte r a n d o th e r an im als, w ith w hich th eir c o u n try is said to a b o u n d , a n d th e m eta m e lth , a large anim al o f th e d e er k in d ,6 th e skin o f w hich I h a v e a lready spoken of, a n o th e r 7 o f a light grey c o lo u r, w ith 'v e ry fine h a ir, from which they m an u fa ctu re a h a n d so m e clo th , th e b eaver, a n d a species o f large wild c at o r tig e r c a t.8 T h e W ick in n in ish ,9 th eir n e ig h b o u rs on th e n o rth , are a b o u t tw o h u n d re d m iles from N o o tk a . T h e y a re a ro b u st, stro n g , and w arlike people, b u t con sid ered by th e N o o tk ia n s as th eir inferiors in co u rag e. T h is trib e is m o re n u m ero u s th an th a t o f N o o tk a , am o u n tin g to betw een six and seven h u n d red w arriors. T h o u g h n o t so civilised as th e K la-iz-zarts, a n d less skilful in th eir m a n u ­ factures, like them they em ploy them selves in h u n tin g , as well as in w haling a n d fishing. T h e ir faces a re b ro a d , b u t less so th a n th e K la-iz-zarts, w ith a d a rk e r co m p lex io n and a m uch less o p e n and pleasing expression o f co u n te n an c e , w hile th eir heads p re sen t a very differen t form , being pressed in a t th e sides a n d lengthened to w ard s th e to p so m e w h a t in th e shape o f a su g a r loaf. T hese p e o p le are very freq u e n t visitors a t N o o tk a , a close frien d sh ip subsisting betw een th e tw o n a tio n s, M a q u in a ’s A rc o m a h o r queen, Y -y a -tin tla -n o , bein g th e d a u g h te r o f th e W ickinninish king. T h e K la -o o -q u a tes a d joining th em on th e n o rth are m u ch less n u m ero u s, th e ir force n o t exceeding fo u r h u n d re d fighting m en; they are also b e h in d them in th e a rts o f life. T h ese a re a fierce, b old, a n d e n te rp risin g p eople, a n d th ere w ere n o n e th a t visited N o o tk a , w hom M a q u in a used to b e m o re on his g u a rd against, o r view ed w ith so m uch suspicion. T h e E sh q u ates a re a b o u t th e sam e num b er; th ese are c o n sid ere d as trib u ta ry to M a q u in a . T h e ir co ast a b o u n d s w ith rivers, c reek s, a n d m arshes. T o th e n o rth th e nearest trib e o f a n y im p o rta n ce is the A itizzarts; these, how ever, d o n o t exceed th ree h u n d re d w arriors. In a p p e a ra n c e th ey greatly resem ble th e p e o p le o f N o o tk a , to 6 probably the wapiti (Cervus canadensis). 1 possibly a species o f m arm ot. * probably the cougar. 9 it has already been indicated that the nam e W ickinninish, which Jew itt uses as a tribal nam e is in fact m ore probably the personal nam e o f the chief o f the g roup alluded to. T his ch ief is probably the sam e one referred to by M eares in 1788 as having political dom i­ nance over the territory betw een C layoquot Sound in the north to N itinat in the south.

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w hom they a re con sid ered as trib u ta ry , th e ir m an n ers, dress, and style o f living also being very sim ila r. T hey reside a t a b o u t forty m iles’ d istance up the S o u n d . A c o n sid era b le w ay fa rth e r to the n o rth w a rd a re th e C ay u q u ets; these a re a m uch m o re n u m ero u s trib e th an th a t o f N o o tk a , b u t th o u g h t by th e latter to b e d efi­ cient in c o u rag e and m artial sp irit, M a q u in a having frequently told m e th a t th e ir h e arts w ere a little like th o se o f birds. T h ere a re also b o th at th e n o rth a n d so u th m an y o th er in tervening trib e s, but in general sm all in n u m b er a n d insignifi­ c an t, all o f w h o m , as well as th e ab o v e m en tio n ed , speak th e sam e language. B ut th e N ew chem ass, w ho c o m e from a g re a t w ay to th e n o rth w a rd , a n d from som e d istan ce inland, as 1 w as to ld by M a q u in a , speak q u ite a d ifferent lan g u a g e,10 alth o u g h it is well u n d e rsto o d by those o f N o o tk a . T hese w ere the m o st savagelo o k in g a n d u g ly m en th a t 1 e v e r sa w , th e ir c o m p le x io n bein g m u ch d a rk er, th e ir sta tu re sh o rte r, a n d th e ir h a ir c o arse r, than th a t o f th e o th e r n a tio n s, a n d th e ir dress a n d a p p e a ra n c e d irty in a n e x tre m e . T h e y w e a r th e ir b e a rd s lo n g lik e Je w s, a n d h a v e a very m o ro se a n d surly co u n te n an c e . T h e ir usual dress is a k o ts u k m ad e o f w olf-skin, w ith a n u m b e r o f th e tails a tta c h e d to it, o f w hich I have seen no less th an ten on o n e g a rm e n t, h an g in g from th e to p to th e b o tto m ; tho u g h they so m etim es w ear a sim ilar m an tle o f b a rk cloth, o f a m uch c o arser tex tu re th a n th a t o f N o o tk a , th e o riginal o f w hich a p p e a rs to be th e sam e, tho u g h fro m th e ir v ery g re a t filth in e s s it w as a lm o s t im p o s sib le to d is ­ co v er w h at it h a d been. T h e ir m o d e o f dressing th e h a ir also varies essentially from th a t o f th e o th e r tribes, for th ey suffer th a t on th e back o f the head to hang loose, a n d bind th e o th e r o v er th e ir fo reh ead s in the m an n e r o f a fillet, w ith a strip o f th eir c o u n try cloth, o rn a m e n te d w ith sm all w h ite shells. T h e ir w e ap o n s a re th e c h e e to lth , o r w ar-club, w hich is m a d e from w halebone, daggers, bow and arro w s, a n d a kind o f sp e a r p o in te d w ith bo n e o r c o p p e r. T hey b ro u g h t w ith th em no furs for sale, excepting a few w olf-skins, th eir m erch an d ise consisting principally o f th e black sh in in g m in­ eral called p e lp e lth , a n d th e fine red p a in t, w hich they carefully k e p t in close m at bags, som e sm all d ried sa lm o n , clam s, a n d roes o f fish, w ith occasionally a little co arse m attin g clo th . T h ey w ere accustom ed to rem ain a m uch longer tim e a t N o o tk a th a n the o th e r tribes, in o rd e r to recover from th e fatigue o f a long jo u rn e y , p a rt o f w hich w as o v erlan d , a n d o n these occasions tau g h t th eir songs to o u r savages. 10 i.e. one o f the K wakiutl languages.

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T h e tra d e o f m o st o f th e o th e r trib e s w ith N o o tk a w as p rin c ip a lly tr a in - o il, seal o r w h a le ’s b lu b b e r, fish fresh o r d rie d , h errin g o r salm o n sp aw n , clam s and m ussels, a n d th e y a m a ," a species o f fruit w hich is pressed a n d d ried , clo th , se a -o tte r skins, and slav es.F ro m th e A itizzarts a n d th e C au y q u ets, particu larly th e form er, th e best Ife-w haw a n d in th e g re atest q u a n titie s w as o b tain e d . T h e E sh q u ates fu rnished us w ith w ild d u ck s a n d geese, particu larly th e latter. T h e W ickinninish a n d K la-iz-zarts b ro u g h t to m ark e t m an y slaves, th e best se a -o tte r skins, g re a t q u a n titie s o f oil, w hale sinew , a n d cakes o f th e y a m a , highly o rn a m e n te d can o es, so m e Ife-w haw , red o c h re a n d pelp elth o f an inferior quality to th a t o b ta in e d from th e N ew chem ass, but particu larly th e so m uch valued m etam elth , a n d a n excellent ro o t called by th e K la-iz-zarts Q u a w n o o se.'2 T h is is th e size o f a sm all o n io n , but ra th e r longer, being o f a ta p e rin g form like a p ear, a n d o f a brow nish co lo u r. It is c o o k ed by steam , is alw ays b ro u g h t in bask ets ready p re p are d for eatin g , a n d is in tru th a very fine vegetable, being sw eet, m ealy, a n d o f a m ost a g reeab le flav o u r. It w as highly esteem ed by th e n ativ es, w ho used to e at it, as they did e verything else, w ith train -o il. F ro m th e K la-iz-zarts w as also received, th o u g h in no g re at q u a n tity , a cloth m an u fa ctu re d by them from th e fur alread y spoken of, w hich feels like w ool a n d is o f a grey colour. M any o f th e articles th u s b ro u g h t, particu larly th e p rovisions, w ere c onsidered as presents, o r trib u ta ry offerings, but this m ust be view ed as little m o re th an a n om inal a ck n o w led g m en t o f su p e rio rity , as th ey rarely failed to g et th e full a m o u n t o f the value o f th e ir p resen ts. I have know n eighteen o f th e g re at tubs, in w hich they k e ep th eir p rovisions, filled w ith spaw n b ro u g h t in this w ay. O n these o ccasions a g re a t feast is alw ays m ad e , to w hich n o t only th e strangers, b u t th e w hole village, m en, w om en, an d c h ild ren , a re generally invited, a n d I have seen five o f the largest tu b s em ployed a t such tim e , in co o k in g a t th e k in g ’s house. A t these feasts they g en erally indulge in eating to an excess, m aking up in th is respect for th eir w a n t o f ineb riatin g liquors, w hich they kn o w no m eth o d o f p re p arin g in any form , th eir only d rink being w ater. W h en ev er they c am e to visit o r trad e , it w as th eir general custom to sto p a few m iles d istan t, u n d e r th e lee o f som e b lu ff o r 11 m ost probably salal (Gaullheria shallon). 12 i.e. cam ass ( Cam assia esculenia). T hese bulbs were quite widely used for food on the N orthw est C oast. M ost groups prepared it by steam ing in an earth oven.

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rock, and rig them selves o u t in th eir best m an n e r, by p ain tin g a n d dressing th e ir heads. O n th e ir first com ing on sh o re , they w ere invited to e at by th e king, w hen they b ro u g h t to him such articles as h e w an ted , a fte r w hich th e rest o f th e in h a b ita n ts were p e rm itte d to pu rch ase, th e stra n g ers being careful to keep them in th e ir c a n o e s u n til so ld , u n d e r s tric t g u a rd to p re v e n t th e ir b ein g sto len , th e d isp o sitio n o f these p eople for thieving bein g so g reat, th a t it is necessary to k e ep a w atchful eye u p o n them . T his w as th e ir usual m o d e o f traffic, but w h en ev er they w ished to p u rc h ase any p a rtic u la r ob ject, as, for instance, a c ertain slave, o r som e o th e r th in g o f w hich they w ere very desir­ ous, the c an o e th a t cam e for this p u rp o se w ould lie o ff a little d istan ce from th e sh o re, a n d a k in d o f a m b a ssad o r o r re p re se n ta ­ tive o f th e k in g o r c h ie f by w hom it w as sen t, dressed in their best m an n e r, a n d w ith his h e ad covered w ith th e w h ite dow n, w ould rise, a n d , a fter m aking k n o w n th e o bject o f his m ission in a p o m p o u s speech, hold up sp ecim en s o f such articles as he w as instructed to o ffer in p a y m e n t, m en tio n in g th e n u m b e r o r q u a n ­ tity o f each, w h en , if th e b a rg ain w as co n clu d ed , th e exchange w as im m ediately m ade. O n th eir visits o f frien d sh ip o r traffic, th e chiefs a lo n e used to sleep on shore; th is w as g enerally at th e h o u se o f th e king o r the head chief, th e o th e rs passing th e night on b o a rd o f th eir canoes, w hich w as d o n e n o t only fo r th e p re serv a tio n o f th e ir p ro p e rty , but because they w ere n o t p e rm itte d to rem ain on sh o re , lest they m ight excite so m e d istu rb an c e o r c o m m it d e p red a tio n s. All th ese p e o p le generally go arm e d , th e co m m o n class w ear­ ing only a d a g g er su sp en d ed from th e ir neck beh in d , w ith a string o f m e ta m e lth ,13 a n d som etim es th ru st in th eir girdles. T h e chiefs, in a d d itio n to th e dagger, carry th e ch eeto lth , o r w ar-clu b , sus­ p e n d ed in th e sam e m a n n e r b en ea th th e ir m antles; this, in the h a n d s o f a stro n g m an , is a pow erful w e ap o n , in th e m an a g em e n t o f w hich so m e o f th e o ld e r chiefs are very d exterous. It is m ade from th e b o n e o f a w hale, a n d is very heavy. T h e b lad e is a bout eighteen inches long and th re e b ro a d , till it a p p ro ac h es n e ar the p o in t, w here it e x p an d s to th e b read th o f fo u r inches. In the m iddle, from w hence it slopes o ff g ra d u ally to an edge on each side, it is from o n e to tw o inches in thickness. T h is blade is usually covered w ith figures o f th e su n a n d m o o n , a m a n ’s head, etc.; a n d th e hilt, w hich is m a d e to re p re se n t th e h e ad o f a m an o r som e a n im a l, is curiously set w ith sm all w hite shells, a n d has a b a n d o f m e ta m e lth fa s te n e d to it, in o r d e r to slin g it o v e r th e 13 wapiti skin.

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sh o u ld e r. S om e o f th e tribes h a v e also a k in d o f sp e a r headed w ith c o p p e r o r th e b o n e o f th e stin g ray, w hich is a d an g ero u s w eapon; this is, how ever, not u sual, and only c arried by th e chiefs. T h e bow a n d a rro w a re still used by a few, b u t sin ce th e in tro d u c tio n o f firearm s a m o n g th em , this w eapon has been m ostly laid aside.

9. Situation of the Author Removal to Tashees - Fishing Parties B u t to re tu rn to o u r u n h a p p y situ a tio n . T h o u g h m y c o m ra d e and m yself fared as w ell, a n d even b e tte r th an w e could have expected a m o n g these p e o p le , c o n sid erin g th eir cu sto m s a n d m o d e o f liv­ ing, y e t o u r fears lest no sh ip w o u ld c o m e to o u r release, a n d th at w e should nev er m o re behold a C h ristia n c o u n try , w ere to us a so u rc e o f c o n sta n t p ain . O u r p rin cip al c o n so latio n , in this gloom y sta te , w as to go on Sundays, w h en ev er th e w e ath e r w o u ld perm it, to th e b o rd e rs o f a freshw ater p o n d a b o u t a m ile from th e village, w h ere, a fte r b a th in g a n d p u ttin g on clean clothes, w e w ould seat ourselves u n d e r th e sh a d e o f a b eau tifu l p in e , w hile 1 re ad som e ch ap ters in th e Bible, a n d th e p ra y ers a p p o in te d by o u r C hurch for th e d ay , e n d in g o u r d e v o tio n s w ith a fervent p ra y er to th e A lm ighty, th a t H e w ould deign still to w atch o v er a n d preserve o u r lives, rescue us from th e h a n d s o f th e savages, a n d p e rm it us once m o re to b e h o ld a C h ristia n land. In this m a n n e r w ere th e g re a te r p a rt o f o u r S undays passed at N o o tk a ; a n d I felt g ra tified to H eaven th a t, a m id st o u r o th e r sufferings, w e w ere at least allow ed th e pleasu re o f offerin g up o u r dev o tio n s u n m o lested , for M a q u ia n a , on m y e x plaining to him as well as w as in m y p o w e r th e reason o f o u r th u s re tirin g at this tim e , far from objecting, readily c o n sen ted to it. T h e p o n d ab o v e m en tio n ed w as sm all, not m o re th an a q u a rte r o f a m ile in b re a d th , a n d o f no g re a t length, th e w ater being very clear, tho u g h n o t o f g re a t d e p th , a n d b o rd e re d by a beautiful forest o f pine, fir, elm , a n d b e e c h ,1 free from b u sh e s a n d , u n d erw o o d - a m o st delightful re tre a t, w hich w as re n d ere d still m o re a ttra c tiv e by a g re a t n u m b e r o f birds th a t freq u e n ted it, p articu larly th e h u m m in g -b ird . T h ith e r w e used to go to w ash o u r c lothes, a n d felt secure fro m a n y in tru sio n from th e natives, as they rarely visited it, except fo r th e p u rp o se o f cleansing th e m ­ selves o f th eir p a in t. 1 elm and beech do not occur in N ootka territory. Q uite likely Jewitt confused them with species o f ash and alder, which figure prom i­ nently am ong the deciduous trees o f the area.

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In July w e a t length th o u g h t th a t th e h o p e o f delivery w e had so long anxiously indulged w as on th e p o in t o f being g ra tified . A s h ip a p p e a r e d in th e o ffin g ; b u t, a la s! o u r fo n d h o p e s v a n is h e d alm ost as soon as form ed; for, instead o f sta n d in g in for the sh o re, she passed to th e n o rth w a rd , a n d soon d isa p p ea red . I shall n ot a tte m p t to d escrib e o u r d isa p p o in tm e n t m y h e art sank w ith in m e, and I felt as th o u g h it w as m y d estin y never m o re to b ehold a C h ristia n face. F o u r day s after th e re occu rred a tre m e n ­ d o u s sto rm o f th u n d e r a n d lightning, d u rin g w hich th e natives m anifested g re at ala rm and te rro r, th e w hole trib e hurry in g to M a q u in a ’s h ouse, w here, instead o f keeping w ithin, they seated them selves on th e roof, am id th e severest o f th e tem p est, d ru m ­ m ing u p o n th e b o a rd s, a n d lo o k in g up to heaven, w hile th e king b e a t th e long hollow p lan k , singing, an d , as he afte rw a rd s told m e, begging Q u a h o o tze , th e n a m e they give to G o d , n o t to kill th em , in w hich h e w as a c c o m p a n ie d by th e w hole trib e ; this singing a n d d ru m m in g w as c o n tin u e d until th e sto rm a b a te d . A s th e su m m e r drew n e ar its close, w e began to suffer from th e fre q u e n t w a n t o f fo o d , w h ic h w as p rin c ip a lly o w in g to M a q u in a and th e chiefs being o u t w haling, in w hich he w ould not p e rm it T h o m p so n a n d m yself to jo in , lest w e sho u ld m a k e o u r escape to som e o f th e n e ig h b o u rin g trib e s. A t these tim es th e w om en seldom o r ever c ook a n y p ro v isio n , a n d w e w ere often hungry, b u t w ere som etim es fo rtu n a te e n ough to p ro c u re secretly a piece o f sa lm o n , som e o th e r fish, sp aw n , o r even b lu b b er, w hich, by boiling in salt w ater, w ith a few o n io n s and tu rn ip s, the rem ain s o f th e Spanish g a rd en , o r you n g n ettles o r o th e r herbs, fu rnished us a delicious rep ast in private. In th e m ea n tim e, w e freq u en tly received acco u n ts from the trib es w ho cam e to N o o tk a , b o th from th e n o rth a n d so u th , o f th e re being vessels on th e c o ast, a n d w ere advised by th e ir chiefs to m ak e o u r escape, w ho also p ro m ised us th e ir aid, a n d to put us o n b o a rd . T hese stories, how ever, as I afte rw a rd s lea rn ed , w ere a lm o st all o f th em w ith o u t any fo u n d a tio n , and m erely invented by th ese peo p le w ith a view to g et us into th e ir pow er, in o rd e r to m ak e slaves o f us them selves, o r to sell us to oth ers. But I w as still m o re strongly solicited to leave N o o tk a by a w o m a n . T h is w as a W ickinninish princess, a y o u n g er sister o f M a q u in a ’s wife, w ho w as th ere on a visit. I had th e g o o d fo rtu n e, if it m ay b e so called, to b e co m e q u ite a fa v o u rite w ith her. She a p p e a re d m u ch in te re s te d fo r m e , a sk e d m e m an y q u e s tio n s respecting m y c o u n try , if I h a d a m o th e r a n d sister at h o m e , and if they w ould n o t grieve for m y absence. H e r co m plexion w as fairer th an th a t o f th e w om en in g e n era l, a n d her featu res m o re

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regular, a n d sh e w o u ld have been q u ite h a n d so m e had it n o t been for a defect in o n e o f h e r eyes, th e sig h t o f w hich h a d been injured by so m e accid en t; th e reaso n , as M a q u in a to ld m e, why she h a d n o t been m arried , a defect o f this k in d being by these savages con sid ered as alm ost an in su p e rab le objectio n . She urged m e rep eated ly to re tu rn w ith h e r, telling m e th a t th e W ickinninish w ere m uch b e tte r th an th e N o o tk ia n s; th a t h e r fath er w o u ld treat m e m o re kindly th a n M a q u in a , give m e b e tte r food a n d clothes, a n d finally p u t m e on b o a rd o n e o f m y ow n co u n try vessels. I felt, how ever, little disposed to acc o m p a n y h e r, c o n sid erin g my situ a tio n w ith M a q u in a full as eligible as it w ould b e w ith W ick­ in n in ish , if n o t b e tte r, n o tw ith sta n d in g all she said to th e c o n ­ trary . O n the 3 rd o f S e p tem b e r th e w hole trib e q u itte d N o o tk a , a cc o rd in g to th e ir c o n stan t p ra ctic e , in o rd e r to pass th e a u tu m n a n d w in ter o f T ash e e s2 a n d C o o p te e , th e latter lying a b o u t thirty m iles up th e S o u n d , in a d e ep bay, th e nav ig atio n o f w hich is very d an g ero u s, from th e g re a t n u m b e r o f reefs a n d rocks with w hich it a b o u n d s. O n th ese o ccasions ev ery th in g is tak e n w ith th em , even the p la n k s o f th e ir h o u ses, in o rd e r to cover th eir new dw ellings. T o a E u ro p e a n su c h a re m o v a l exhibits a scene q u ite novel and stran g e; c an o e s piled up w ith b o a rd s a n d boxes, a n d filled w ith m en , w om en, a n d ch ild ren , o f all ra n k s a n d sizes, m ak in g th e air reso u n d w ith th e ir cries a n d songs. A t th ese tim es, as well as w hen they have occasion to go so m e d istan ce from th eir h o u ses, th e infants a re usually susp ended across th e m o th e r’s sh o u ld ers, in a kind o f cradle o r h am m o ck , fo rm ed o f b a rk , o f a b o u t six inches in d e p th , a n d o f th e length o f th e child, by m ea n s o f a lea th e r b a n d inserted th ro u g h lo o p s on its edges; this th ey also k e ep th em in w hen at hom e, in o rd e r to preserve them in a straig h t p o sitio n , a n d p re v en t any d isto rtio n o f th e lim bs, m ost p ro b ab ly a p rin cip al cause o f these p e o p le being so seldom d e fo rm e d o r c ro o k ed . T h e long b o at o f o u r sh ip having been re p aired a n d furnished w ith a sail by T h o m p so n , M a q u in a gave us th e d irection o f it, we being b e tte r a c q u a in te d w ith m an ag in g it th an his p e o p le , a n d , a fte r loading h e r as d e ep as sh e co u ld sw im , w e p ro c ee d ed in c o m p a n y w ith th em to th e n o rth , q u ittin g N o o tk a w ith heavy he arts, as w e co u ld en te rta in no h o p es o f release until o u r re tu rn , no ships ever c o m in g to th a t p a rt o f th e coast. P assing C o o p tee , which is situ ate d o n th e so u th e rn b a n k , ju st w ithin th e m o u th o f : i.e. Tahsis.

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a sm all riv er flow ing from th e east in a n a rro w valley a t th e foot o f a m o u n ta in , we p roceeded a b o u t fifteen m iles up this stre am to T ashees, betw een a range o f lofty hills on each side, w hich extend a g r e a t d is ta n c e in la n d , a n d a re c o v e re d w ith th e fin e s t fo re st trees o f th e c o u n try . Im m ediately on o u r arriv al, w e all w en t to w ork very diligently in covering th e houses w ith th e p lan k s we h a d b ro u g h t, th e fram es being read y erected , th ese peo p le never p re te n d in g to rem o v e th e tim b e r. In a very sh o rt tim e th e w ork w as c o m p le te d , a n d we w ere estab lish ed in o u r new residence. T ash ees is pleasan tly situ ate d , a n d in a m ost secure positio n fro m th e w in te r s to rm s , in a sm a ll vale o r h o llo w on th e so u th sh o re, a t th e fo o t o f a m o u n ta in . T h e sp o t on w hich it sta n d s is level, a n d th e soil very fine, th e c o u n try in its vicinity a b o u n d in g w ith th e m o st ro m an tic view s, ch arm in g ly diversified, a n d fine stream s o f w a ter falling in b eau tifu l cascades from th e m o u n ta in s. T h e river a t this place is a b o u t tw e n ty rods in w idth, a n d , in its d eep est p a rt, from nine to tw elve feet. T his village is th e extrem e p o in t o f n a v ig a tio n , as, im m ed iately beyond, th e river becom es m uch m o re shallow , a n d is b ro k e n into falls a n d ra p id s. T he houses h e re are placed in a line lik e those a t N o o tk a , b u t closer to g eth e r, th e situ a tio n being m o re c o nfined; they a re also sm aller, in consequence o f w hich w e w ere m uch cro w d ed , a n d in co m ­ m o d ed for ro o m . T h e principal o b jec t in c o m in g to this place is th e facility it affo rd s these p e o p le o f pro v id in g th eir w inter stock o f p rovisions, which consists principally o f sa lm o n , and th e spaw n o f th a t fish; to w hich m ay be a d d ed herrings a n d sprats, a n d h errin g spaw n. T h e la tte r , h o w e v e r, is a lw ay s p ro c u re d by th e m a t N o o tk a , previous to th e ir q u ittin g it. A t th e seasons o f spaw ning, w hich a re early in sp rin g a n d th e last o f A u g u st, they collect a g re at q u a n tity o f pine bran ch es, w hich th ey place in differen t p a rts o f th e C ove a t th e d e p th o f a b o u t ten feet, a n d secure th em by m eans o f heavy stones. O n th ese th e h errin g d ep o sit th e ir spaw n in im m en se q u a n titie s; th e bushes a re then tak e n up, th e spaw n strip p ed from th e bran ch es, a n d , a fte r being w ashed a n d freed from th e p in e leaves by th e w o m en , is d rie d a n d p u t u p in bask ets for use. It is con sid ered as th eir g re atest delicacy, and e aten b o th c o o k ed a n d raw; in th e fo rm er case, being bo iled and e aten w ith train -o il, a n d in th e la tte r, m ixed up w ith cold w ater alo n e. T h e salm on are tak e n a t T ashees, principally in p o ts o r w e a rs .3 T h e ir m e th o d o f ta k in g th e m in w e a rs is t h u s : - A p o t i i.e. traps and weirs.

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o f tw enty feet in length, a n d from fo u r to five feet d ia m e te r a t the m o u th , is fo rm ed o f a g re a t n u m b e r o f p in e splinters, w hich are strongly secured, a n inch and a h a lf from each o th er, by m eans o f h o o p s m a d e o f flexible tw igs, a n d places a b o u t eight inches a p art. A t th e e n d it ta p e r s a lm o s t to a p o in t, n e a r w h ic h is a sm all w icker d o o r fo r th e p u rp o se o f tak in g o u t th e fish. T h is p o t o r w e a r is p lac ed a t th e fo o t o f a fall o r r a p id , w h e re th e w a te r is n o t very d e ep , a n d th e fish, d riven from ab o v e w ith long poles, a re in te rc e p te d a n d c a u g h t in th e w e a r, fro m w h e n ce th e y are ta k e n into th e canoes. In this m a n n e r I have seen m o re than seven h u n d re d salm o n cau g h t in th e space o f fifteen m in u te s. I have also so m e tim es know n a few o f th e strip ed bass ta k e n in this m a n n e r, but rarely. A t such tim es th ere is g re at feasting a n d m errim en t am ong th em . T he w om en and fem ale slaves being busily em ployed in c o o k in g , o r in cu rin g th e fish for th eir w in ter stock, w hich is do n e by cuttin g o ff th e heads a n d tails, splitting th em , tak in g o u t the back b o n e , a n d hanging them up in th eir houses to dry . T h ey also d ry th e h a lib u t a n d cod, b u t these, instead o f curing w hole, they cu t up into sm all pieces fo r th a t p u rp o se , a n d expose to th e sun. T h e spaw n o f th e salm o n , w hich is a principal article o f th eir p rovision, they ta k e o u t, a n d , w ith o u t any o th e r p re p a ra tio n , th ro w it into th e ir tubs, w h ere th ey leave it to stand a n d ferm ent, for, tho u g h they frequently e at it fresh, th ey esteem it m u ch m ore w hen it has a cq u ired a stro n g taste , a n d o n e o f th e g reatest favours they can c onfer on any p erso n , is to invite him to eat Q u a k a m iss, th e n a m e they give this food, tho u g h scarcely a n y ­ th in g can b e m o re re p u g n an t to a n E u ro p ean p a la te, th an it is in this state; a n d w henever they to o k it o u t o f these large re ce p ta ­ cles, w hich they are alw ays careful to fill, such w as th e stench w hich it exhaled, on being m o v ed , th a t it w as alm ost im possible for m e to a b id e it, even a fte r h a b it h a d in a g reat degree dulled th e delicacy o f m y senses. W hen boiled it b ecam e less offensive, th o u g h it still re ta in e d m uch o f th e p u trid sm ell, a n d so m e th in g o f th e taste. Such is th e im m ense q u a n tity o f these fish, a n d they a re taken w ith such facility, th at I have know n u pw ards o f tw enty-five h u n d re d b ro u g h t into M a q u in a ’s house a t once; a n d at o n e o f th eir g re at feasts, h a v e seen o n e h u n d red o r m o re c o o k ed in one o f th eir largest tubs. I used frequently to go o u t w ith M a q u in a upon th ese fishing p arties, a n d w as alw ays su re to receive a h a n d so m e p re sen t o f sa lm o n , w hich I h a d th e privilege o f calling m ine; I also w ent w ith him several tim es in a can o e , to strik e th e salm o n , w hich I

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have a tte m p te d to d o m yself, b u t co u ld never succeed, it req u irin g a deg ree o f a d ro itn ess th a t I did n o t possess. I w as also p e rm itte d to go o u t w ith a g u n , a n d w as several tim es very successful in sh o o tin g w ild d u ck s a n d teal, w hich a re very n u m ero u s here, th o u g h ra th e r shy. T h ese they c o o k ed in th e ir usual m a n n e r, by boiling, w ith o u t any fa rth e r dressin g th a n sk in n in g th em . In m an y respects, how ever, o u r situ atio n w as less p leasan t here th an a t N o o tk a . W e w ere m o re in co m m o d ed for ro o m , the houses n o t being so spacious, n o r so well a rra n g e d , a n d as it w as c older, w e w ere com pelled to be m uch m o re w ith in d o o rs. W e, how ever, did not neglect on S u n d ay s, w hen th e w e ath e r w ould a d m it, to re tire into th e w oods, a n d , by th e side o f som e stre am , a fte r b a th in g , re tu rn o u r th an k s to G o d fo r p reserving us, and offer u p to H im o u r cu sto m ary d e v o tio n s. I w as, how ever, very a p p reh en siv e, soon a fte r o u r arriv al at this place, th a t I should b e d ep riv e d o f th e satisfactio n o f keeping m y jo u rn a l, as M a q u in a o n e d ay , o bserving m e w ritin g , inq u ired o f m e w h a t I w as d o in g , and w hen I e n d ea v o u red to explain it, by telling him th a t I w as keeping a n a cc o u n t o f th e w e a th e r, he said it w as n o t so , a n d th a t I w as sp eak in g b a d a b o u t h im , and telling how h e h a d tak e n o u r sh ip a n d killed th e crew , so as to inform m y co u n try m en , a n d th a t if h e ever saw m e w riting in it ag ain , he w ould th ro w it into th e fire. I w as m u ch rejoiced th at he d id no m o re th a n th re a te n , a n d b ecam e very c au tio u s a fte r­ w ard s n o t to let him see m e w rite. N o t long a fte r, I finished so m e daggers fo r h im , w hich I p olished highly; these pleased him m uch, a n d h e g a v e m e d ire c ­ tio n s to m a k e a c h ee to lth , in w hich I succeeded so far to his satisfaction, th a t he gave m e a p re sen t o f cloth sufficient to m ak e m e a c o m p lete suit o f ra im en t, besides o th e r things. T h o m p so n also, w ho had b e co m e ra th e r m o re o f a fav o u rite than form erly, since he h a d m a d e a fine sail for his can o e , and som e g a rm e n ts for him o u t o f E u ro p e a n clo th , a b o u t this tim e co m p leted a n o th e r, w hich w as th o u g h t by th e savages th e m ost su p e rb dress. T h is w as a k o ts u k o r m an tle, a fathom sq u a re, m ad e entirely o f E u ro p ea n vest p a tte rn s o f th e gayest colours. T h ese w ere sew ed to g e th e r in a m a n n e r to m ak e th e best show , a n d b o u n d w ith a d e ep trim m in g o f th e finest o tte rsk in , w ith which th e arm -h o les w ere also b o rd e re d ; w hile th e b o tto m w as fu rth e r em bellished w ith five o r six row s o f gilt b u tto n s, placed as near as possible to each o th er. N o th in g could exceed th e p rid e o f M a q u in a w hen he first put on this royal ro b e , d e co ra te d , like th e co at o f Jo se p h , w ith all the colours o f th e ra in b o w , a n d g litterin g w ith th e b u tto n s , w hich as

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he stru tte d a b o u t m ade a tin k lin g , w hile h e repeatedly exclaim ed, in a tra n s p o rt o f e x u lta tio n , “ K lew sh ish K o is u k - w ick k u m a la c k N o o tk a ." 4 - “ A fine g a rm e n t - N o o tk a c a n 't m a k e th e m .” M a q u in a , w ho knew th a t th e chiefs o f th e trib es w ho cam e to visit us had en d ea v o u red to p e rsu ad e m e to escape, frequently cau tio n ed m e n o t to listen to th em , saying th at, sho u ld I m ake th e a tte m p t, a n d h e w ere to ta k e m e, he should certain ly put m e to d e ath . W hile here, h e gave m e a b o o k , in w hich I found the nam es o f seven persons b elonging to th e ship M a n c h e ste r, o f P h ilad elp h ia, C a p ta in B r i a n - v i z . D aniel S m ith, Lew is G illo n , Ja m es T o m , C lark , Jo h n s o n , Ben, and Ja c k . T h ese m en, as M a q u in a in fo rm e d m e, ran aw ay from th e sh ip a n d cam e to him , b u t th a t six o f them so o n a fte r w ent o ff in th e nig h t, w ith an in ten tio n to g o to th e W ick in n in ish , b u t w ere sto p p e d by the E shquates, a n d se n t back to h im , a n d th a t h e o rd e re d them to be p u t to d e a th ; a n d a m o st cruel d e a th it w as, as 1 w as told by one o f th e natives, fo u r m en holding o n e o f th em on th e g ro u n d , and forcing op en his m o u th , w hile they c h o k ed him by ram m ing sto n es do w n his th ro at. A s to Ja c k , th e boy, w ho m a d e n o a tte m p t to g o off, M a q u in a a fte rw a rd s sold him to th e W ic k in n in ish . 1 w as inform ed by th e Princess Y u q u a th a t h e w as q u ite a sm all boy, w ho cried a g re at d eal, being p u t to h ard la b o u r b e yond his stren g th by th e native, in c u ttin g w o o d a n d bringing w a ter, and th a t w hen h e h e a rd o f th e m u rd e r o f o u r c rew , it h a d su c h an effect on him , th a t he fell sick, and d ied shortly a fte r. O n learning th e m elancholy fa te o f this u n fo rtu n a te lad, it again aw ak e n e d in m y bosom those feelings th a t I h a d ex p erienced a t th e shocking d e a th o f m y p o o r co m rad es.

4 once again, this statem ent is not N o o tk a, b ut C hinook Jargon.

10. Conversations with Maquina Fruits - Religious Ceremonies Visit to Upquesta T h e king, finding th a t I w as d e siro u s o f learning th e ir language, w as m uch delig h ted , a n d to o k g re a t pleasure in conversing with m e. O n o n e o f these occasions he explained to m e his reasons for cuttin g o ff o u r ship, saying th at h e b o re no ill will to m y c o u n try ­ m en, but th a t he had been several tim es tre a te d very ill by them . T h e first in ju ry o f w h ic h h e h a d c a u s e to c o m p la in w as d o n e him by a C a p ta in T aw n in g to n , w ho c o m m a n d ed a sch o o n e r w hich passed a w inter a t F riendly C ove, w h e re he w as well tre a te d by th e in h ab itan ts. T h is m an , tak in g a d v an tag e o f M a q u in a ’s a b se n c e , w h o h a d g o n e to th e W ic k in n in ish to p r o ­ cure a wife, a rm e d h im self a n d crew , a n d en tered th e house, w here th e re w ere n o n e but w o m en , w hom he th rew into th e g re atest c o n ste rn a tio n , a n d , search in g th e chests, to o k aw ay all th e skins, o f w hich M a q u in a had no less th an forty o f th e best; and th a t a b o u t th e sam e tim e , fo u r o f th eir chiefs w ere b a rb a ­ rously killed by a C a p ta in M a rtin e z, a S p a n ia rd .1 T h a t so o n afte r, C a p ta in H a n n a , o f th e S e a O tte r ,2 in conse­ 1 probably the person m eant is Don Estevan M artinez. He erected a small fort on an island at the m outh o f Friendly Cove, establishing Spanish sovereignty in the area. His ship was the corvette Prince.su, which arrived in the Friendly Cove area in early M ay, 1789. T here M artinez seized four British trading vessels then trading under the flag o f Portugal. A kinsm an o f M aquinna was slain by one o f the Spanish officers un d er M artin ez' com m and. 2. T he arrival o f the S ea O tier, a small vessel outfitted in C hina, at N o o tk a in A ugust, 1785, really m arks the beginning o f the m aritim e fur-trade, for the S ea O tter was apparently the first trading vessel to en ter N ootka Sound after C aptain C o o k ’s exploratory voyage. A com prehensive listing o f trading vessels, and som e o f the incidents betw een them and the N orthw est C oast Indians may be found in three excellent papers by F. W . Howay: ( I) “ Early Days o f the M aritim e F u r-T rad e on the N orthw est C oast,” Canadian H istorical Review, vol. 4 (1923), pp. 26-44; (2) “ Indian A ttacks upon M ari­ tim e T raders o f th e N orthw est C oast, 1785-1805,“ Canadian H istor­ ical Review, vol. 6 (1925), pp. 287-309; (3) “ A Listing o f T rading Vessels in the M aritim e F u r-T rade, 1785-1807,” Proceedings o f the R o ya l S o ciety o f Canada, series 3, vol. 25, sec. 2 (1931), p. 44.

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qu e n ce o f o n e o f th e natives h aving stolen a chisel from th e carp e n te r, fired upon th eir c an o e s w hich w ere alo n g sid e, a n d killed u pw ards o f tw enty o f th e natives, o f w hom several w ere T y e e s o r chiefs; a n d th a t h e him self, being on b o a rd th e vessel, in o rd e r to escap e w as obliged to leap from th e q u a rte r-d e c k , and sw im for a long w ay u n d e r w ater. T hese injuries had excited in th e breast o f M a q u in a an a rd en t desire o f revenge, th e stro n g est passion o f th e savage h e a rt, and th o u g h m an y y e ars had elapsed since th eir com m ission, still they w ere n o t fo rg o tte n , a n d the w an t o f a fav o u rab le o p p o rtu n ity a lo n e p re v en ted him from so o n e r avenging th em . U n fo rtu n ate ly fo r us, th e long-w ished-for o p p o rtu n ity a t length p resen ted itself in o u r sh ip , w hich M a q u in a finding n o t g u a rd e d w ith th e usual vigilance o f th e N o rth -W e st tra d e rs, a n d feeling his desire o f revenge rek in d led by th e insult offered him by C a p ta in Salter, form ed a plan fo r attack in g , a n d on his re tu rn called a council o f his chiefs, a n d co m m u n ica te d it to th e m , a cq u a in tin g th em w ith th e m a n n e r in w hich he h a d been tre a te d . N o less d e siro u s o f avenging this a ffro n t offered th eir king th a n th eir fo rm er injuries, they readily a g ree d to his p ro p o sa l, w hich w as to go o n b o a rd w ith o u t a rm s as u sual, but u n d e r differen t p retexts, in g reat n u m b ers, a n d w ait for his signal for th e m o m e n t o f a tta ck in g th eir u n suspecting victim s. T h e execution o f this schem e, as th e re a d e r know s, w as un h ap p ily to o successful. A n d h e re 1 can n o t b u t indulge a reflection th a t h a s frequently occu rred to m e on th e m an n e r in w hich o u r p e o p le behave to w ard s th e natives. F o r, th o u g h they a re a thievish race, yet 1 h a v e no d o u b t th a t m an y o f th e m elancholy disasters h a v e p rin ci­ pally arisen fro m th e im p ru d e n t c o n d u ct o f som e o f th e c ap tain s a n d crew s o f th e ships em ployed in th is tra d e , in e xasperating th em by insulting, p lu n d erin g , a n d even killing them on slight g ro u n d s. T h is, as n o th in g is m o re sacred w ith a savage th an the p rin cip le o f revenge, a n d no p e o p le a re so im p a tie n t u n d e r insult, induces th em to w reak th e ir vengeance u p o n th e first vessel o r b o a t’s crew th a t offers, m ak in g th e in n o ce n t to o frequently suffer fo r th e w rongs o f th e guilty, as few o f them kn o w how to d is c r im in a te b e tw e e n p e rs o n s o f th e sa m e g e n e ra l a p p e a r a n c e , m o re especially w hen sp eak in g th e sam e language. A n d to this c ause do I believe m u st principally b e ascribed th e sanguinary d isp o sitio n w ith w hich these p e o p le a re re p ro a c h ed , as M aq u in a repeatedly told m e th a t it w as n o t his w ish to h u rt a w hite m an, a n d th a t h e nev er sho u ld have d o n e it, th o u g h ever so m uch in his pow er, h a d they n o t injured him .

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A n d w ere th e co m m a n d ers o f o u r ships to tre a t th e savages with ra th e r m o re civility than they so m etim es d o , I am inclined to th in k they w ould find th eir a cc o u n t in it; not th a t I should reco m m en d to them a c onfidence in th e g o o d faith and friendly professions o f th ese p eople, so as in any degree to re m it th eir vigilance, b u t, on th e c o n tra ry , to be strictly on th eir g u a rd , and suffer b u t a very few o f them to c o m e on b o a rd th e sh ip , and a d m it n o t m any o f th e ir canoes alongside a t a tim e; a p re ca u tio n th a t w ould have been th e m ea n s o f p rev en tin g som e o f th e u n fo rtu n a te events th a t have o c cu rre d , and if a tte n d ed to, m ay in fu tu re preserve m an y a valuable life. Such a reg u latio n , to o , from w hat I kn o w o f th eir disposition a n d w ants, w ould p ro d u c e no serious difficulty in tra d in g w ith th e savages, a n d they w ould soon becom e perfectly reconciled to it. A m o n g th e pro v isio n s w hich th e In d ian s p ro c u re a t T ashees, I m ust n o t o m it m en tio n in g a fru it th a t is very im p o rta n t, as fo rm in g a g re a t article o f th eir fo o d . T h is is w h at is called by them th e Y a m a ,3 a species o f b erry th a t grow s in bunches like* cu rran ts, u p o n a bush from tw o to th ree feet high, w ith a large, ro u n d , a n d sm o o th leaf. T h is b erry is black, a n d a b o u t th e size o f a pistol sh o t, but o f ra th e r a n o b lo n g sh ap e, and op en a t th e top like th e blue w h o rtleb erry . T h e ta s te is sw eet, b u t a little acrid, an d w hen first g a th e red , if eaten in any g re at q u a n tity , especially w ith o u t oil, is a p t to p ro d u c e colics. T o p ro c u re it, large c o m p a ­ nies o f w om en go o u t on th e m o u n ta in s, a cc o m p a n ied by arm ed m en to p ro tec t th em a gainst w ild beasts, w here they frequently rem ain for several days, kindling a fire a t n ight, a n d sheltering them selves u n d e r sh ed s c o n stru cted o f boughs. A t these parties they collect g re at q u a n titie s. I h a v e know n M a q u in a ’s queen and h e r w om en re tu rn lo ad e d , b ringing w ith them u pw ards o f twelve bushels. In o rd e r to preserve it, it is pressed in th e bunches betw een tw o planks, a n d d ried a n d p u t aw ay in b askets for use. It is alw ays e aten w ith oil. O f b erries o f vario u s kinds, such as straw b erries, raspberries, blackberries, etc., th e re are g re a t q u a n titie s in th e c o u n try , o f w hich th e natives a re very fond, g a th e rin g them in th eir seasons, an d eating th em w ith oil, but th e y a m a is th e only o n e th a t they preserve. Fish is, how ever, th e ir g re at article o f food, as alm o st all th e o th ers, excepting th e y a m a , m ay b e con sid ered as accidental. T hey nevertheless a re far from disrelishing m ea t, for instance. i.e. salal (Gaultheria shallon).

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venison a n d b e a r’s flesh. W ith regard to th e latter, they have a m o st s in g u la r c u sto m , w h ic h is, th a t a n y o n e w h o e a ts o f it is o bliged to a b sta in from e atin g any k in d o f fresh fish w h atev er for th e term o f tw o m o n th s, as they have a su p erstitio u s b e lie f that, should any o f th e ir p eople, a fte r tasting b e a r’s flesh, e at o f fresh salm o n , co d , etc., th e fish, th o u g h a t ever so g re at a d istan ce off, w ould com e to th e know ledge o f it, a n d be so m uch offended th e re a t as not to allow them selves to be tak e n by a n y o f the in h ab itan ts. T h is I h a d an o p p o rtu n ity o f observing w hile at T ashees, a b e a r having been killed early in D ecem ber, o f w hich not m o re th an ten o f th e natives w ould e at, being p re v en ted by th e p ro h ib itio n an n ex ed to it, w hich also w as th e reaso n o f m y c o m ra d e a n d m yself n o t tastin g it, on being told by M a q u in a the consequences. A s th ere is so m e th in g q u ite c u rio u s in th eir m an a g em e n t o f th is a n im a l, w hen they h av e killed o n e, I shall give a d escription o f it. A fte r well cleansing th e b e a r from th e d irt a n d b lo o d with w hich it is generally co v ered w hen killed, it is b ro u g h t in and seated o p p o site th e king in an u p rig h t p o stu re , w ith a c h ie fs b o n n e t, w ro u g h t in figures, on its h e ad , a n d its fur p o w d e red over w ith th e w hite dow n. A tra y o f p rovision is then set before it, and it is invited by w ords a n d gestures to e at. T his m o ck cerem ony over, th e reason o f w hich I co u ld never learn , th e a n im al is taken a n d sk in n ed , a n d th e flesh a n d en trails boiled up into a so u p , no p a rt but th e p au n ch being rejected. T h is dressing th e b ear, as they call it, is a n occasion o f g reat rejoicing th ro u g h o u t th e village, all th e in h a b ita n ts being invited to a g reat feast at the k in g ’s h ouse, th o u g h but few o f th e m , in co n seq u en ce o f th e p e n alty , will v e n tu re to eat o f th e flesh, but generally c o n te n t them selves w ith th e ir fav o u rite dish o f herring spaw n a n d w a ter. T h e feast on th is occasion w as closed by a d a n c e fro m S a t-s a t-s o k -s is , in th e m a n n e r I h a v e a lre a d y described, in th e course o f w hich h e repeatedly shifted his m ask for a n o th e r o f a different form . A few day s a fte r, a second b e ar w as tak e n , like th e form er, by m eans o f a tra p . T h is 1 had th e curio sity to g o a n d see a t the place w h ere it w as caught, w hich w as in th e follow ing m an n er: O n th e edge o f a sm all stream o f w ater in th e m o u n ta in s w hich th e salm on ascen d , and n e ar th e sp o t w h ere th e b e a r is accus­ to m e d to w atch fo r th em , w hich is k n o w n by its trac k , a tra p o r box a b o u t th e height o f a m a n ’s h e ad is built o f p o sts a n d planks w ith a flat to p , on w hich a re laid a n u m b e r o f large stones o r rocks. T h e to p a n d sides are then carefully covered w ith tu rf, so as to resem ble a little m o u n d , a n d w holly to exclude th e light, a

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n a rro w e n tra n ce o f th e height o f th e building only being left, ju st sufficient to a d m it th e h e ad a n d sh o u ld ers o f th e beast. O n the inside, to a large plank th at covers th e to p is su sp en d ed by a stro n g cord a salm o n , th e plank bein g left loose, so th a t a forcible pull will b ring it d o w n . O n c o m in g to its usual h a u n t, th e bear e n ters th e tra p , a n d , in e n d ea v o u rin g to pull aw ay th e fish, brings d ow n th e w hole covering w ith its load o f sto n es upon its head, and is alm o st alw ays c rushed to d e a th o n th e sp o t, o r so w o u n d e d as to b e u n a b le to escape. T h ey a re alw ays careful to e x am in e th ese tra p s every d ay , in o rd e r, if a b e a r b e c au g h t, to b ring it im m ediately, for it is n o t a little sin g u lar th a t th ese peo p le will e at no kind o f m eat th a t is in th e least ta in te d , o r n o t perfectly fresh, w hile, on th e c o n tra ry , it is h ardly possible fo r fish to b e in to o p u trid a sta te for th em , and I have frequently know n th em , w hen a w hale h a s been driven ash o re, b ring pieces o f it ho m e w ith them in a sta te o f offensive­ ness in su p p o rtab le to anyth in g b u t a crow , a n d d e v o u r it w ith high relish, c o n sid erin g it as p re fe ra b le to th a t w hich is fresh. O n th e m o rn in g o f th e 13th o f D ecem b er, co m m en ced w hat to us a p p e a re d a m o st sin g u lar farce. A p p a ren tly w ith o u t any previous notice, M a q u in a d ischarged a pistol close to his so n ’s ear, w ho im m ediately fell dow n as if killed, upon w hich all the w om en o f th e h o u se set up a m ost lam en tab le cry, tearin g h a n d ­ fuls o f h a ir from th eir heads, a n d exclaim ing th a t th e p rin ce was d ead . A t th e sam e tim e a g reat n u m b e r o f th e in h ab itan ts rushed into th e h ouse, a rm e d w ith th e ir daggers, m u sk ets, etc., inquiring th e cause o f th e ir o u tcry . T hese w ere im m ediately follow ed by tw o o th ers dressed in w olf-skins, w ith m asks o v er th eir faces rep resen tin g th e head o f th a t a n im a l; th e latter c am e in on their hands a n d feet in th e m an n e r o f a beast, a n d , tak in g up th e p rince, carried him o ff upon th e ir backs, re tirin g in th e sam e m an n e r they e n te red . W e saw n o th in g m o re o f th e c erem o n y , as M a q u in a c am e to us, a n d , giving us a q u a n tity o f d rie d provision, o rd e re d us to q u it th e h ouse, a n d n o t re tu rn to th e village before th e e x p ira tio n o f seven days, fo r th a t if we a p p e a re d w ithin th a t p erio d , h e should kill us.4 A t any o th e r season o f th e y e a r such an o rd e r w ould by us 4 apparently Jew itt did not fully understand what was happening here. H e describes the beginning o f the N ootkan W inter Cerem onial, from which he and T hom pson w ere sent out since they were not initiated. M aquinna’s com m and for them to retire from the village for seven days was probably in fact a ritual seclusion after which Jew itt and Thom pson are in som e sense considered to be initiates, because they are allowed to observe the rem ainder o f the cerem onial.

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have been c o n sid ere d as a n indulgence, in enabling us to pass o u r tim e in w h a tev e r w ay w e w ished; a n d even now , furnished as we w ere w ith sufficient p rovision for th a t term , it w as n o t very u n p lea sa n t to us, m o re p a rticu la rly T h o m p so n , w ho w as alw ays desiro u s to k e ep as m uch as p o ssib le o u t o f th e society a n d sight o f th e n atives, w hom he d e te sted . T a k in g w ith us o u r provisions, a b u n d le o f clothes, a n d o u r axes, w e obeyed th e d irec tio n s o f M a q u in a, a n d w ith d rew into th e w oods, w h ere w e built ourselves a cabin to sh e lte r us, w ith th e b ran ch es o f trees, a n d , keeping up a g o o d fire, secu red ourselves p retty well fro m th e c o ld . H ere w e passed th e prescribed p e rio d o f o u r exile, w ith m o re c o n te n t than m uch o f th e tim e w hile w ith th e m , em ploying th e d a y in reading a n d praying fo r o u r release, o r in ram b lin g a ro u n d a n d exploring th e c o u n try , th e soil o f w hich w e fo u n d to b e very g o o d , a n d th e face o f it, beautifully d iversified w ith hills and valleys, refreshed w ith th e finest stream s o f w ater, a n d a t n ig h t enjoyed co m fo rtab le rep o se upon a bed o f soft leaves, w ith o u r g a rm e n ts sp re ad over us to p ro te c t us from th e cold. A t th e end o f seven days w e re tu rn e d , and fo u n d several o f th e p eople o f A i-tiz-zart w ith th e ir k in g o r c h ie f a t T ashees, w ho h a d been inv ited by M a q u in a to a tte n d th e close o f th is p e rfo rm ­ an ce , w hich I now lea rn ed w as a c eleb ra tio n , held by them a n n u ally , in h o n o u r o f th eir g od, w h o m th ey call Q u a h o o tze , to re tu rn him th e ir th a n k s for his p ast, a n d im plore his future favours. It term in a te d on th e 21st, th e day a fte r o u r re tu rn , w ith a m o st e x tra o rd in a ry e x h ib itio n . T h re e m en , each o f w hom had tw o b ay o n ets ru n th ro u g h his sid e s,5 betw een th e ribs, a p p are n tly regardless o f th e p a in , traversed th e ro o m , b ackw ards a n d fo r­ w ards, singing w ar-songs, a n d exulting in this display o f firm ness. O n th e a rriv a l o f th e 25th, we co u ld n o t b u t call to m ind th a t this, being C h ristm a s, w as in o u r c o u n try a day o f th e g reatest fe stiv ity , w h e n o u r fe llo w -c o u n try m e n , a sse m b le d in th e ir ch u rch es, w as celeb ratin g th e g o o d n e ss o f G o d a n d th e praises o f th e S aviour. W h a t a reverse did o u r situ a tio n offer! - captives in a savage lan d , a n d slaves to a set o f ig n o ran t beings, u n a cq u a in te d w ith religion o r h u m an ity , h ardly w ere w e p e rm itte d to offer up o u r d e v o tio n s by o u rse lv e s in th e w o o d s , w h ile w e fe lt even grateful for this privilege. T h ith e r, w ith th e k in g ’s perm issio n , we w ithdrew , a n d , a fte r re ad in g th e service a p p o in te d fo r th e day, sung th e hym n o f th e N a tiv ity , fervently pray in g th a t H eaven in 5 m ost probably an exam ple o f the theatrical illusions which formed such an im portant part o f N orthw est C oast Indian W inter C erem o­ nials.

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its g o o d n e ss w o u ld p e rm it us to c eleb ra te th e next festival o f this k in d in so m e C h ristia n land. O n o u r re tu rn , in o rd e r to c o n fo rm as m uch as w as in o u r po w er to th e custom o f o u r c o u n try , w e w ere desiro u s o f h a v in g a b e tte r su p p e r th an usual. W ith th is view , w e b o u g h t fro m o n e o f th e natives so m e d ried clam s a n d o il, a n d a ro o t called K le tsu p ,6 w hich w e c o o k ed by steam in g , a n d found it very p a la tab le. T his ro o t consists o f m an y fibre, o f a b o u t six inches long, a n d o f th e size o f a crow quill. It is sw eet, o r a n a g reeab le taste , n o t un lik e th e Q uaw noose, a n d it is eaten w ith oil. T h e p lan t th a t p ro d u c es it I have never seen. O n th e 31st all th e trib e q u itte d T ash ees for C o o p te e , w h ith er th ey g o to pass th e re m a in d e r o f th e w in ter, a n d c o m p le te th eir fishing, tak in g o ff everything w ith them in th e sam e m a n n e r as at N o o tk a . W e arriv e d in a few h o u rs at C o p te e , w hich is a b o u t fifteen m iles, a n d im m ediately set a b o u t covering th e houses, w hich w as soon c o m p leted . T h is place, w hich is th e ir g re a t h errin g a n d sp ra t fishery, sta n d s ju s t w ithin th e m o u th o f th e river, o n th e sam e sid e w ith T ashees, in a very n a rro w valley a t th e fo o t o f a high m o u n ta in . T h o u g h nearly as secure as T ash ee s from th e w in ter sto rm s, it is by n o m eans so p leasantly situ a te d , tho u g h to us it w as a m uch m o re agreeable residence, as it b ro u g h t us n e are r N o o tk a , w here we w ere im p a tie n t to re tu rn , in h o p es o f finding so m e vessel th ere , o r h e arin g o f th e arriv al o f o n e near. T h e first sn o w th a t fell this season w as th e d a y a fte r o u r arriv a l, on N e w Y e a r’s D ay; a d a y th a t, like C h ristm as, b ro u g h t w ith it p ainful recollections, b u t at th e sam e tim e led us to indulge th e h o p e o f a m o re fo rtu n a te y e ar th an th e last. E arly o n th e m o rn in g o f th e 7th o f Ja n u a ry , M a q u in a to o k m e w ith h im in his c a n o e o n a v isit t o U p q u e s ta , c h ie f o f th e A i-T iz -za rts, w h o had invited h im to a tte n d an exh ib itio n a t his village, sim ilar to th e o n e w ith w hich he had been e n te rta in ed at T ash ee s. T h is place is betw een tw e n ty a n d th irty m iles d ista n t up th e S o u n d , a n d sta n d s on th e b a n k s o f a sm all river a b o u t th e size o f th a t o f C o o p tee , ju st w ith in its e n tra n ce , in a valley o f m uch g re a te r e x te n t th an th a t o f T ashees; it consists o f fou rteen o r fifteen houses, built and d isp o se d in th e m an n e r o f th o se at N o o tk a . T h e trib e , w hich is c o n sid ere d as trib u ta ry to M a q u in a , a m o u n ts to a b o u t th r e e h u n d re d w a rrio rs , a n d th e in h a b ita n ts , 6 m ost probably bracken roots, which w ere widely used as food on the N orthw est C oast. T he nam e given by Jew itt, kletsup, is possibly a C hin o ok Jargon word.

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bo th m en a n d w om en, are a m o n g th e best-lo o k in g o f any people on th e coast. O n o u r arrival w e w ere received a t th e sh o re by th e in h a b it­ a n ts, a few o f w h o m w ere a rm e d w ith m uskets, which they fired, w ith lo u d sh o u ts a n d exclam atio n s o f W ocash, w ocash! W e w ere w elcom ed by th e c h ie f s m essenger, o r m aste r o f cerem o n ies, dre sse d in his best g a rm e n ts, w ith his h a ir p o w dered w ith w hite d o w n , and h o ld in g in his h a n d th e ch eeto lth , the badge o f his office. T h is m an preced ed us to th e c h ie f s house, w h ere h e in tro d u c e d and p o in te d o u t to us o u r respective seats. O n e n te rin g , th e visitors to o k o ff th e ir h ats, w hich th ey alw ays w e a r on sim ila r occasions, a n d M a q u in a his o u te r robes, o f w hich he h a s several on w henever he pay s a visit, a n d seated h im self n e ar th e chief. A s 1 w as dressed in E u ro p e a n clothes, I b ecam e q u ite an o b je c t o f c u rio s ity to th e s e p e o p le , v ery few o f w h o m h a d even seen a w hite m a n . T h ey c ro w d ed a ro u n d m e in n u m b ers, taking h o ld o f m y clothes, exam ining m y face, h a n d s, a n d feet, a n d even o p e n in g m y m o u th to see if I h a d a to n g u e, for, n o tw ith sta n d in g I had by th is tim e becom e well a c q u a in te d w ith th e ir language, I preserved th e strictest silence, M a q u in a on o u r first lan d in g having en jo in ed m e n o t to speak until h e sho u ld direct. H aving u n d e rg o n e th is e x am in atio n for som e tim e , M a q u in a a t length m a d e a sign to m e to speak to th em . O n h e arin g m e ad d ress them in th e ir ow n language, they w ere greatly a stonished a n d delig h ted , a n d told M a q u in a th a t they now perceived th a t I w as a m an like them selves, except th a t 1 w as w hite, a n d looked like a seal, a llu d in g to m y blue ja c k e t a n d trousers, w hich they w an ted to p e rsu a d e m e to ta k e off,, as th ey did n o t like their a p p ea ran c e. M a q u in a in th e m e a n tim e gave an a cco u n t to the c h ie f o f th e sch em e he h a d fo rm ed for su rp risin g o u r sh ip , and th e m an n e r in w hich h e a n d his p e o p le h a d c arried it into e xecution, w ith such p a rtic u la r a n d h o rrid d etails o f th a t tran sac ­ tio n as chilled th e b lood in m y veins. T rays o f boiled herring spaw n a n d train -o il w ere so o n a fte r b ro u g h t in a n d placed before us, n e ith e r th e c h ie f o r any o f his peo p le e atin g at th e sa m e tim e, it being c o n tra ry to th e ideas o f hospitality e n te rta in ed by these n a tio n s, to e at any p a rt o f th e food th a t is p ro v id ed for strangers, alw ays w aiting until their visitors have finished, before th ey have th e ir ow n b ro u g h t in. T h e follow ing day closed th eir festival w ith an ex h ib itio n o f a sim ila r kind to th a t w hich h a d been given a t T ashees, b u t still m o re cruel: th e different trib es a p p e a rin g on th ese occasions to

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e n d ea v o u r to surpass each o th e r in th eir p roofs o f fo rtitu d e and e n d u ra n c e o f p a in . In the m o rn in g , tw enty m en e n te red th e c h ie fs h ouse, w ith each an a rro w run th ro u g h th e flesh o f his sides a n d e ith e r a rm , w ith a co rd fastened to th e end, w hich, as th e p e rfo rm e rs a d v an ced , singing a n d b o a stin g , w as forcibly d ra w n back by a p erson h aving h o ld o f it. A fte r this p e rfo rm an ce w as c lo sed ,7 w e re tu rn e d to C o o p te e , w hich w e reached a t m id ­ n ight, o u r m en keeping tim e w ith th eir songs to th e stro k e o f th eir paddles. T h e natives now began to ta k e th e h errin g and sp ra t in im m ense q u a n titie s, w ith som e sa lm o n , and th ere w as n o th in g but feasting from m o rn in g till night. T h e follow ing is th e m eth o d th ey em ploy to ta k e th e h erring. A stick o f a b o u t seven feet long, tw o inches b ro a d , a n d a h a lf an inch thick, is fo rm ed from som e h a rd w ood, o n e side o f w hich is set w ith sh a rp tee th , m ad e from w h aleb o n e, a t a b o u t h a lf a n inch a p a rt. Provided w ith this in stru m e n t,8 th e fisherm an seats h im self in th e p ro w o f a can o e , w hich is p a d d le d by a n o th e r, a n d w h e n ­ ever he com es to a shoal o f h errin g s, w hich co v er th e w a ter in g re at q u a n titie s, he strikes it w ith b o th h an d s u p o n th e m , a n d at th e sam e m o m e n t, tu rn in g it up, brin g s it o v er th e side o f th e canoe, into w hich he lets those th a t a re ta k e n d ro p . It is a sto n ish ­ ing to se e h o w m a n y a r e c a u g h t by th o s e w h o a re d e x te ro u s at this k in d o f fishing, as they seld o m fail, w hen th e sh o als are n u m ero u s, o f tak in g as m any as ten o r tw elve at a stro k e , a n d in a very sh o rt tim e will fill a c an o e w ith th em . S p rats are likew ise cau g h t in a sim ilar m an n e r.

7 apparently w hat has ju st been described is another perform ance o f the W inter Cerem onial. s this is the “ herring rak e,” now quite com m only used by both Indians and non-Indians for catching small schooling fish for fresh bait. T he teeth are now m ade o f sharpened nails.

11 Return to Nootka (Friendly Cove) - Death of Maquina’s Nephew - Insanity of Tootoosch - an Indian Mountebank b o u t th e beg in n in g o f F e b ru a ry , M a q u in a gave a g re a t feast, at w hich w ere p re sen t not only all th e in h a b ita n ts, b u t o n e h u n d red p erso n s from A i-tiz-zart, a n d a n u m b e r from W ick in n in ish w ho had been invited to a tte n d it. It is cu sto m a ry w ith them to give a n a n n u al e n te rta in m e n t o f this k in d , a n d it is asto n ish in g to see w h a t a q u a n tity o f p ro v is io n is e x p e n d e d , o r r a th e r w a ste d , on such a n occasion, w hen they alw ays e at to th e g reatest excess. It w as a t this feast th a t I saw u p w a rd s o f a n h u n d re d salm o n c o o k ed in o n e tu b . T h e w hole residence o f C o o p te e presents an alm ost u n in te rru p te d succession o f feasting a n d g o rm an d isin g , a n d it w o u ld seem as if the p rin cip al o bject o f these p e o p le w as to c o n su m e th eir w hole stock o f p ro v isio n b e fo re leaving it, tru stin g entirely to th e ir success in fishing a n d w haling, for a supply at N o o tk a . O n th e 25th o f F e b ru a ry w e q u itte d C o o p tee , a n d re tu rn e d to N o o tk a . W ith m uch jo y did T h o m p so n a n d m yself a g ain find ourselves in a place w here, n o tw ith sta n d in g th e m elancholy recol­ lections w hich it excited, w e h o p e d before long to see som e vessel a rriv e to o u r relief, and for this w e b ecam e th e m o re solicitous, as o f late we had b ecom e m uch m o re a p p reh e n siv e o f o u r safety, in c o n seq u en ce o f in fo rm a tio n b ro u g h t M a q u in a a few days before w e left C o o p te e , by som e o f th e C a y u q u ets, th a t th e re w ere tw e n ty ships at th e n o rth w a rd , p re p a rin g to com e a g ain st him , w ith an in te n t o f destroying him and his w hole trib e , for cutting o ff th e B oston. T his sto ry , w hich w as w holly w ith o u t fo u n d a tio n , a n d discov­ ered afte rw a rd s to have been invented by these p eople, for the p u rp o se o f d isq u ietin g h im , threw him into g re a t a la rm , and, n o tw ith sta n d in g all I could say to con v in ce him th a t it w as an u n fo u n d e d re p o rt, so g re a t w as his jea lo u sy o f us, especially after it had been c onfirm ed to him by som e o th e rs o f th e sam e n a tio n , th a t h e tre a te d us w ith m u ch h arshness, a n d kept a very suspi­ cious eye u p o n us.

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N o th in g , in d ee d , could b e m o re u n p lea sa n t th an o u r p resen t s itu a tio n , w hen I reflected th a t o u r lives w ere a lto g e th e r d e p e n d ­ en t on th e will o f a savage, on w hose cap rice a n d suspicions no ra tio n a l calculation co u ld b e m ad e . N o t long a fte r o u r re tu rn , a so n o f M a q u in a ’s sister, a boy o f eleven y ears o ld , w ho had been for som e tim e declining, died. Im m ed iately o n his d e a th , w hich w as a b o u t m id n ig h t, all th e m en a n d w om en in th e h o u se set up lo u d cries a n d shrieks, w hich, a w ak e n in g T h o m p so n a n d m yself, so d istu rb ed us th a t w e left the h o u se . T h is lam e n ta tio n w as k e p t up du rin g th e re m a in d e r o f the nig h t. In th e m o rn in g , a g re a t fire w as kin d led , in w hich M a q u in a b u rn e d , in h o n o u r o f th e deceased, ten fa th o m s o f c lo th , and b u ried w ith him ten fa th o m s m o re, eight o f Ife-w h aw 1 fo u r p rim e se a -o tte r sk in s, a n d tw o sm all tru n k s, c o n ta in in g o u r u n fo rtu n a te c a p ta in ’s clothes a n d w atch. T h is b o y w as con sid ered as a T y ee, o r chief, being th e only son o f T o o to o sch , o n e o f th eir p rin cip al chiefs, w ho had m arried M a q u in a ’s sister, w hence a ro se th is c ere m o n y o n his in te rm en t: it being an established cu sto m w ith th e se p e o p le , th a t w h en ev er a c h ie f dies, his m ost valuable p ro p e rty is b u rn e d o r b u ried w ith him ; it is, how ever, w holly co n fin e d to th e chiefs, a n d a p p e a rs to b e a m ark o f h o n o u r a p p ro p ria te to th e m . In this instance, M a q u in a furnished th e articles, in o rd e r th a t his nephew m ight have th e p ro p e r h o n o u rs ren d ere d him . T o o to o sch , his father, w as esteem ed th e first w a rrio r o f the trib e , a n d w as o n e w ho h a d b e en particu larly active in th e d estru ctio n o f o u r sh ip , having killed tw o o f o u r p o o r co m ra d es, w ho w ere ash o re, w hose nam es w ere H all a n d W o o d . A b o u t th e tim e o f o u r rem oval to T ashees, w hile in th e e n jo y m en t o f th e highest health , h e w as suddenly seized w ith a fit o f d e liriu m , in w hich h e fancied th a t he saw th e ghosts o f those tw o m en constantly sta n d in g by him , a n d th re a te n in g h im , so th a t he w ould ta k e no fo o d , except w h at w as forced into his m o u th . A sh o rt tim e b efore this h e h a d lost a d a u g h te r o f a b o u t fifteen y ears o f age, w hich afflicted him greatly, a n d w h e th er his insanity, a d iso rd e r very u n c o m m o n a m o n g st th ese savages, no in stance o f th e k in d having o c cu rre d w ithin th e m em o ry o f th e oldest m an a m o n g st th em , p ro c ee d ed from this cause, o r th a t it w as th e special in te rp o sitio n o f a n all-m erciful G o d in o u r fav o u r, w ho by this m ea n s th o u g h t p ro p e r to induce these b a rb a ria n s still fu rth er to respect o u r lives, o r th a t, for h id d e n pu rp o ses, th e S u p rem e D isp o ser o f events so m e tim es p e rm its th e spirits o f th e 1 dentalia shells (D entalium p retiosum ).

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d e a d to revisit th e w orld, a n d h a u n t th e m u rd e re r, I kn o w not, b u t his m in d , from this p e rio d until his d e a th , w hich to o k place b u t a few w eeks a fte r th a t o f his son, w as incessantly occupied w ith th e im ages o f th e m en w h o m he h a d killed. T h is circu m stan ce m ad e m u ch im pression upon th e tribe, particu larly th e chiefs, w hose u niform o p p o sitio n to p u ttin g us to d e a th , a t th e vario u s councils th a t w ere held on o u r a cc o u n t, I co u ld not b u t in p a rt a ttrib u te to this cause; a n d M a q u in a used frequently, in speaking o f T o o to o s c h ’s sickness, to express m uch satisfactio n th a t his h an d s h a d n o t been sta in e d w ith th e blood o f any o f o u r m en. W hen M a q u in a w as first inform ed by his sister o f th e stran g e c o n d u ct o f h e r h u sb a n d , he im m ed iately w en t to his h ouse, tak in g us w ith him ; suspecting th a t his disease h a d been caused by us, a n d th a t th e g h o sts o f o u r c o u n try m en had been called th ith e r by us, to to rm e n t him . W e found him raving a b o u t Hall a n d W o o d , saying th a t th ey w ere p e s h a k , th a t is, bad. M a q u in a th en placed som e p ro v isio n b e fo re him , to see if he w o u ld e at. O n perceiving it, he p u t forth his h a n d to ta k e som e, b ut instantly w ith d rew it w ith signs o f h o rro r, saying th e H all and W o o d w ere th e re , and w ould n o t let him e at. M a q u in a then, p o in tin g to us, asked if it w as n o t J o h n a n d T h o m p so n who tro u b le d him . “ tVi/c,” h e re p lie d , - th a t is, n o ; “J o h n k lu s h is h - T h o m p so n k lu sh ish ,,2 - J o h n a n d T h o m p so n are b o th g o o d ; th en , tu rn in g to> m e, a n d p a ttin g m e on th e sh o u ld e r, h e m a d e signs to m e to eat. 1 tried to p e rsu ad e him th a t H all a n d W o o d w ere not th e re , and th a t no n e w ere n e a r him b u t ourselves; h e said , “ I kn o w very well y o u d o not see th em , b u t I d o .” A t first M a q u in a e n d ea v o u red to con v in ce him th a t h e saw n o th in g , a n d to laugh him o u t o f his belief, b u t, finding th a t all w as to no p u rp o se , he at length b ecam e serio u s, a n d a sk e d m e if 1 h a d ever seen a n y o n e affected in this m a n n e r, a n d w h at w as the m a tte r w ith h im . I gave him to u n d e rsta n d , poin tin g to his head, th a t his b rain w as injured, a n d th a t he d id n o t see things as form erly. Being c onvinced by T o o to o s c h 's c o n d u ct th a t w e h a d no agency in his in d isp o sitio n , on o u r re tu rn h o m e M a q u in a asked m e w h at w as d o n e in m y c o u n try in sim ilar cases. I told him th a t such p erso n s w ere closely confined, a n d so m e ­ tim es tied u p a n d w hip p ed , in o rd e r to m ak e them b etter. A fte r p o n d e rin g for so m e tim e, h e said th a t he sh o u ld be glad 2 C hinook Jargon, not N ootkan.

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to d o an y th in g to relieve h im , a n d th a t h e should be w h ip p e d , a n d im m ediately gave o rd ers to so m e o f his m en to g o to T o o to o sc h ’s h ouse, b in d him , a n d b ring him to his, in o rd e r to u n d e rg o th e o p e ra tio n . T h o m p so n w as th e perso n selected to a d m in iste r this rem edy, w hich he u n d e rto o k very readily, a n d for th a t p u rp o se p ro v id ed h im self w ith a g o o d n u m b e r o f sp ru ce bran ch es, w ith w hich he w h ip p ed him m ost severely, laying it on w ith th e best will im ag in ­ able, w hile T o o to o sch displayed th e g reatest rage, kicking, sp it­ ting, a n d a tte m p tin g to b ite all w h o cam e n e a r h im . T h is w as to o m uch for M a q u in a , w h o a t length, unab le to e n d u re it longer, o rd e re d T h o m p so n to desist a n d T o o to o sch to be carried back, saying th a t if th ere w as no o th e r way o f cu rin g him b u t by w h ip p in g , he m u st rem ain m ad. T h e ap p lic atio n o f th e w hip p ro d u c ed no beneficial effect on T o o to o sch , for h e afte rw a rd s b e ca m e still m o re d eranged; in his fits o f fury so m etim es seizing a c lu b a n d beating his slaves in a m o st dread fu l m a n n e r, a n d strik in g a n d sp ittin g at all w ho cam e n e a r him , till at length his w ife, n o longer d a rin g to rem ain in the h o u se w ith him , c am e w ith h e r son to M a q u in a ’s. T h e w haling season now c o m m e n ce d , a n d M a q u in a w as o u t a lm o st every day in his c an o e in p u rsu it o f th em , b u t for a c o n sid era b le tim e w ith no success, o n e day b re ak in g th e sta ff o f his h a rp o o n , a n o th e r a fte r having b e en a long tim e fast to a w hale, th e w eapon draw in g , ow ing to th e b re ak in g o f th e shell w hich fo rm ed its p o in t, w ith several such like accid en ts, arising fro m the im perfection o f th e instru m en t. A t these tim es he alw ays re tu rn e d very m orose a n d o u t o f tem p e r, u p b ra id in g his m en w ith having vio lated th eir oblig atio n to c o n tin e n ce p re p a ra to ry to w haling. In th is sta te o f ill-h u m o u r he w ould give us very little to e a t, w hich, a d d ed to th e w om en n ot co o k in g w hen th e m en are aw ay, reduced us to a very low fare. In co n seq u en ce o f th e re p ea te d o ccurrence o f sim ilar acci­ d e n ts, I p ro p o se d to M a q u in a to m ak e him a h a rp o o n o r foreg a n g e r3 o f steel, w hich w ould b e less liable to fail him . T h e ideap leased h im , a n d in a sh o rt tim e I co m p leted o n e for h im , w ith w hich h e w as m uch delig h ted , a n d th e very next day w ent o u t to m a k e a tria l o f it. H e succeeded w ith it in tak in g a w hale. G re a t w as th e jo y th ro u g h o u t th e village as soon as it w as know n th a t th e k in g had 3 i.e. a foreshaft interposed betw een the harpoon shaft and the detach­ able, socketed harpoon head.

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secu red th e w hale, by notice from a perso n sta tio n e d a t the h e a d la n d in th e offing. All th e c an o e s w ere im m ediately lau n ch ed , a n d , furnished w ith h a rp o o n s a n d sealskin floats, h asten e d to assist in b uoying it u p a n d tow ing it in. T h e b ringing in o f this fish ex h ib ited a scene o f universal festivity. A s so o n as th e canoes a p p e a re d a t th e m o u th o f th e C ove, th o se o n b o a rd o f them singing a triu m p h to a slow air, to w hich they k e p t tim e w ith th e ir p addles, all w ho w ere on shore, m en , w o m e n , a n d ch ild ren , m o u n te d th e roofs o f th e ir h o u ses to c o n g ratu la te th e k in g on his success, d ru m m in g m ost furiously on th e plan k s, a n d exclaim ing W ocash - w ocash, T yee! T h e w hale, o n being draw n on sh o re , w as im m ed iately cut u p , a n d a g re a t feast o f th e b lu b b e r given a t M a q u in a ’s h o u se , to w hich all th e village w ere invited, w ho ind em n ified them selves for th e ir L en t by e atin g as usual to excess. I w as highly praised for •the g o o d n ess o f m y h a rp o o n , a n d a q u a n tity o f b lu b b er given m e, w hich I w as p e rm itte d to co o k as I p leased; th is I boiled in salt w a ter w ith so m e you n g n ettles a n d o th e r greens fo r T h o m p so n a n d m yself, a n d in th is w ay w e fo u n d it to le rab le food. T h e ir m e th o d o f p ro c u rin g th e oil, is to skim it from the w ater in w hich th e b lu b b er is b o ile d , a n d w hen cool, p u t it up in to w hale b lad d e rs for use;4 a n d o f th ese I have seen th em so* large as, w h e n filled, w ould re q u ire no less th a n five o r six m en to c arry . Several o f th e chiefs, a m o n g w hom w ere M a q u in a ’s b ro th ­ ers, w ho, a fte r th e king h a s c a u g h t th e first w hale, a re privileged to ta k e them also, w ere very d e siro u s, o n discovering th e su p e ri­ o rity o f m y h a rp o o n , th a t I sho u ld m a k e so m e for th em , b u t this M a q u in a w ould n o t p e rm it, reserving fo r h im self th is im proved w e ap o n . H e, how ever, gave m e d irec tio n s to m ak e a n u m b er m o r e fo r h im s e lf, w h ich I e x e c u te d , a n d a ls o m a d e h im se v e ra l lances, w ith w hich h e w as greatly pleased. A s th ese p e o p le have som e very sin g u lar ob serv an ces p re p a ra ­ to ry to w haling, an a cc o u n t o f them will, 1 p resu m e, n o t prove u n in te restin g , especially as it m ay serve to give a b e tte r id ea o f th e ir m an n e rs. A sh o rt tim e before leaving T ashees, th e king m akes a p o in t o f passing a d a y a lo n e o n th e m o u n ta in , w h ith er he goes very privately early in th e m o rn in g , and does n o t return till late in th e evening. T h is is d o n e , as I afte rw a rd s lea rn ed , for th e p u rp o se o f singing a n d pray in g to his G o d fo r success in w h alin g th e ensuing season. A t C o o p te e th e sam e c ere m o n y is p e rfo rm e d , a n d a t N o o tk a a fte r th e re tu rn th ith e r, w ith still g re a te r so lem n ity , as fo r th e next tw o days he a p p e a rs very 4 this is the “ train-oil” to which Jew itt so often refers.

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th o u g h tfu l a n d g loom y, scarcely sp eak in g to any o n e , a n d o bserves a m o st rigid fast. O n th ese occasions he has alw ays a b ro a d red fillet m ad e o f b ark b o u n d a ro u n d his h ead , in to k en o f h u m iliatio n , w ith a large b ra n ch o f green sp ru c e on th e to p , a n d his g re a t rattle in his hand. In a d d itio n to this, for a w eek b e fo re c o m m e n cin g th eir w haling, b o th h im self a n d th e crew o f his c an o e o bserve a fast, e atin g b u t very little, a n d going in to th e w a ter several tim e s in the c o u rse o f each day to b a th e , singing a n d ru b b in g th e ir bodies, lim bs, a n d faces w ith shells a n d b u sh es, so th a t on th eir re tu rn I have seen them lo o k as tho u g h they had been severely to rn w ith briers. T hey a re likew ise obliged to a b stain from any co m m erce w ith th eir w om en for th e like p e rio d , th e la tte r restrictio n being c o n sid ere d as indisp en sab le to th e ir success. E arly in Ju n e , T o o to o sch , th e crazy chief, d ied . O n being a c q u a in te d w ith his d e a th , th e w h o le village, m en , w o m e n , and c h ild ren , set u p a lo u d cry, w ith every testim o n y o f th e g reatest grief, w hich they c o n tin u e d for m o re than th re e h o u rs. A s so o n as he w as dead , th e body, a ccording to th eir c u sto m , w as laid o u t on a p lan k , having th e h e ad b o u n d ro u n d w ith a red b ark fillet, w hich is w ith them a n em blem o f m o u rn in g a n d sorrow . A fter lying so m e tim e in th is m an n e r, h e w as w rap p ed in an o tte r-sk in robe, a n d , th re e fa th o m s o f Ife-w h aw 5 being p u t a b o u t his neck, he w as placed in a large coffin o r box o f a b o u t three feet deep , w hich w as o rn a m e n te d on th e o u tsid e w ith tw o row s o f th e sm all w h ite shells.6 In th is, th e m o st valuable articles o f his p ro p e rty w ere placed w ith h im , a m o n g w hich w ere n o less th an tw entyfo u r p rim e se a -o tte r skins. A t nig h t, w hich is th e ir tim e fo r in terrin g th e d ead , th e coffin w as b o rn e by eight m en w ith tw o poles th ru st th ro u g h ropes passed a ro u n d it, to th e place o f b u rial, a cc o m p a n ied by his wife a n d fam ily, w ith th e ir h a ir cu t sh o rt in to k en o f grief, all th e in h a b ita n ts jo in in g th e procession. T h e place o f burial w as a large cavern on th e side o f a hill at a little d istan ce from th e village, in w hich, a fte r d ep o sitin g the coffin carefully, all th e a tte n d a n ts re p aired to M a q u in a ’s house, w here a n u m b e r o f articles b elonging to th e deceased, consisting o f b lan k e ts, pieces o f cloth, etc., w ere b u rn e d by a person a p p o in te d by M a q u in a for th a t p u rp o se , dressed a n d p a in te d in th e highest style, w ith his head co v ered w ith w hite d o w n , w h o , as h e p u t in th e several pieces o n e by o n e, p o u re d u p o n them a 5 d e n t a l i a s h e lls (Dentalium 6 s n a il o p e r c u l a .

pretiosum).

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q u a n tity o f oil to increase th e flam** in th e intervals betw een m ak in g a speech a n d playing o ff a variety o f buffoon tric k s, and th e w h o le closed w ith a feast, a n d a d an ce from Sat-sat-sok-sis, th e k in g ’s son. T h e m an w ho p erfo rm e d th e c erem ony o f b u rn in g on this occasio n w as a very sin g u lar c h a ra c te r n a m e d K in n eclim m ets. H e w as held in high estim a tio n by th e king, th o u g h o n ly o f the c o m m o n class, p ro b ab ly from his tale n t for m im icry a n d b u ffo o ­ nery, a n d m ig h t b e c o n sid ere d as a kind o f k in g ’s jeste r, o r ra th e r, as co m b in in g in his p erson th e c h a ra c te r o f a buffoon w ith th a t o f m a ste r o f cerem o n ies a n d p u b lic o ra to r to his m ajesty, as he was th e o n e w ho a t feasts alw ays reg u lated th e places o f th e guests, d elivered speeches on receiving o r re tu rn in g visits, besides a m u s­ ing th e c o m p a n y at all th eir e n te rta in m e n ts, w ith a variety o f m o n k ey p ra n k s a n d an tic g estu res, w hich ap p ea red to th ese sav­ ages th e heig h t o f w it a n d h u m o u r, b u t w ould be c o n sid ere d as ex trem ely low by th e least p olished people. A lm ost all th e kings o r h e a d chiefs o f th e p rin cip al tribes w ere a cc o m p a n ied by a sim ilar c h a ra c te r, w ho a p p e a re d to be a tta c h e d to th e ir dignity, a n d a re called in th eir lan g u ag e C lim m er-habbee. T h is m an K in n eclim m ets w as particu larly o d io u s to T h o m p ­ so n , w ho w ould never jo in in th e laugh a t his tricks, b u t w hen he b e g an , w ould a lm o st alw ays q u it th e h o u se w ith a very surly look, a n d an exclam atio n o f “ C u rse d fool!” w hich M a q u in a , w ho th o u g h t n o th in g co u ld equal th e cleverness o f his C lim m e rh a b b e e, used to re m a rk w ith m uch d issatisfactio n , ask in g m e w hy T h o m p ­ son never laughed, o bserving th a t I m ust have h a d a very goodtem p e re d w o m a n indeed for m y m o th e r, as m y fath er w as so very ill-natured a m an. A m o n g th o se pe rfo rm a n ce s th a t g a in e d him th e g re atest a p p la u se w as his talent o f e atin g to excess, for I have know n him d e v o u r at o n e m eal no less th a n seventy-five large h errings; a n d at a n o th e r tim e , w hen a g re a t feast w as given by M a q u in a , he u n d e rto o k , a fte r d rin k in g th ree p in ts o f oil by w ay o f a w h e t, to eat fo u r d ried sa lm o n , a n d five q u a rts o f spaw n, m ixed up w ith a gallon o f tra in -o il, a n d actually succeeded in sw allow ing th e g re a te r p a rt o f this m ess, until his sto m ach b ecam e so o v erloaded a s to discharge its c o n te n ts in th e dish. O n e o f his e x hibitions, how ever, h a d nearly cost him his life; this w as on th e occasion o f K la -q u a k e e -n a , o n e o f th e chiefs, h aving b o u g h t him a new wife, in celeb ra tio n o f w hich h e ra n th re e tim es th ro u g h a large fire, a n d b u rn e d h im self in such a m a n n e r th a t he w as not ab le to stir fo r m o re th a n fo u r w eeks. T hese feats o f savage skill w ere m uch

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p raised by M a q u in a , w h o n ev er failed to m ak e him p re sen ts o f cloth, m uskets, etc., on such occasions. T h e d e a th o f T o o to o sch increased still m o re th e d isq u ietu d e w hich his d e liriu m had excited a m o n g th e savages, a n d all those chiefs w ho had killed o u r m en b ecam e m uch a la rm e d lest they should be seized w ith th e sam e d iso rd e r a n d d ie like him ; m ore particularly, as I h a d told M a q u in a th a t I believed his insanity w as a p u n ish m en t inflicted on him by Q u a h o o tz e , for his cruelty in m u rd erin g tw o in n o ce n t m en w ho h a d nev er injured him .

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12 War with the A-Y-Charts - a Night Attack - Proposals to Purchase the Author O ur situ a tio n h a d now b ecom e u n p leasan t in th e ex tre m e . T he su m m e r w as so far advanced th a t we nearly d esp aired o f a ship arriv in g to o u r relief, a n d w ith th a t e x p ec ta tio n alm ost relin­ q u is h e d th e h o p e o f e v e r h a v in g it in o u r p o w e r to q u it th is savage land. W e w ere tre a te d , to o , w ith less indulgence than before, b o th T h o m p so n a n d m yself bein g obliged, in a d d itio n to o u r o th e r em p lo y m en ts, to p erfo rm th e lab o rio u s task o f cutting a n d collecting fuel, w hich w e h a d to b rin ^ on o u r sh o u ld e rs from nearly th re e m iles’ d istan ce, as it consisted w holly o f d ry leaves, all o f w hich n e a r th e village h a d been c onsum ed. T o add to this, w e suffered m uch a b u se from th e co m m o n p eople, w h o , w hen M a q u in a o r so m e o f th e chiefs 'w e re not p re sen t, w ould insult us, calling us w retched slaves, ask in g us w here w as o u r T yee o r c a p ta in , m aking gestures signifying th at his h e ad h a d been cut off, a n d th a t they w ould d o th e like to us; th o u g h they g enerally to o k g o o d care a t su ch tim es to k e ep well o u t o f T h o m p s o n ’s reach, as they h a d m o re th an o n ce ex p eri­ enced, to th e ir co st, th e stren g th o f his fist. T h is c o n d u ct w as not only pro v o k in g a n d g ra tin g to o u r feelings in th e highest degree, b u t it c onvinced us o f th e ill d isp o sitio n o f these savages to w ard s us, a n d ren d ere d us fearful lest they m ight a t som e tim e o r o th e r p e rsu ad e o r force M a q u in a a n d th e chiefs to p u t us to d e ath . W e w ere also often b ro u g h t to g re at distress for th e w ant o f p rovisions, so far as to be red u ced to collect a scanty supply o f m ussels a n d lim p ets from th e rocks, a n d som etim es even c o m ­ pelled to p a rt w ith som e o f o u r m ost necessary articles o f clothing in o rd e r to p u rc h a se food for o u r subsistence. T h is w as, how ever, principally ow ing to th e in h a b ita n ts th e m ­ selves experiencing a g re at scarcity o f pro v isio n s this season; there having been, in th e first place, but very few salm on c au g h t at F rie n d ly C o v e , a m o st u n u s u a l c irc u m s ta n c e , as th e y g e n e ra lly a b o u n d th e re in th e spring, w hich w as by th e natives a ttrib u te d to th eir having been d riven aw ay by th e blood o f o u r m en w ho had been th ro w n into th e sea, w hich w ith tru e savage inconsistencyexcited th eir m u rm u rs a g ain st M a q u in a , w ho had p ro p o se d c u t­

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tin g o f f o u r s h ip . R e ly in g on th is su p p ly , th e y h a d in th e m o st in co n sid erate m a n n e r sq u a n d e re d aw ay th eir w in ter stock o f p ro ­ visions, so th a t in a few days a fte r th e ir re tu rn it w as entirely expended. N o r w ere th e king a n d chiefs m u ch m o re fo rtu n a te in th eir w haling, even a fte r I h a d fu rnished M a q u in a w ith th e im proved w eap on for th a t p u rp o se ; b u t fo u r w hales h aving been taken d u rin g th e season, w hich closes th e last o f M ay, including o n e th a t h a d b e e n stru c k by M a q u in a a n d e s c a p e d , a n d w as a f te r ­ w ard s d riven on sh o re a b o u t six m iles from N o o tk a in alm ost a sta te o f p u trid ity . T h ese affo rd e d b u t a sh o rt supply to a p o p u la tio n , including all ages a n d sexes, o f n o less th a n fifteen h u n d re d persons, a n d o f a c h a ra c te r so very im p ro v id e n t, th a t, a fte r feasting m o st g lu tto n ­ ously w henev er a w hale w as c au g h t, they w ere several tim es, for a w eek to g eth e r, reduced to th e necessity o f e atin g b u t once a day, a n d o f collecting cockles a n d m ussels from th e rocks fo r th eir food. A n d e v en a fte r th e c o d a n d h a lib u t fish in g c o m m e n c e d , in J u n e , in w hich th ey m et w ith to le rab le success, such w as th e savage c ap rice o f M a q u in a , th a t h e w ould o ften give us b u t little to e a t, finally o rd e rin g us to buy a c an o e a n d fishing im plem ents a n d g o o u t ourselves a n d fish, o r w e should have n o th in g . T o do this w e w ere com pelled to p a rt w ith o u r g re atco a ts, w hich w ere not o n ly im p o rta n t to us as g a rm e n ts, b u t o f w hich w e m a d e o u r beds, sp re ad in g th em u n d e r us w h e n w e slept. F ro m o u r w a n t o f skill, how ever, in this new em p lo y , w e m et w ith no success; on discovering w hich, M a q u in a o rd e re d us to re m a in a t hom e. A n o th e r thing, w hich to m e in p a rtic u la r p ro v e d a n alm ost c o n stan t source o f vexation a n d d isg u st, a n d w hich living am ong them had n o t in th e least reconciled m e to , w as th eir ex trem e filthiness, n o t only in e atin g fish, especially th e w hale, w hen in a sta te o f offensive p u trid ity , b u t w hile a t th eir m eals, o f m ak in g a practice o f ta k in g th e verm in from th eir heads o r clothes and eatin g th em , by tu rn s th ru stin g th e ir fingers in to th eir h a ir and into th e d ish , a n d sp re ad in g th eir g a rm e n ts o v er th e tu b s in w hich th e p rovision w as c o o k in g , in o rd e r to set in m o tio n th e ir in h a b it­ an ts. F o rtu n a te ly for T h o m p so n , h e reg ard ed this m uch less than m yself, a n d w hen I used to p o in t o u t to him any instance o f their filthiness in this respect, he w ould laugh a n d reply, “ N ever m in d , Jo h n , th e m o re g o o d things th e b e tte r.” I m u st, ho w ev er, do M a q u in a th e ju stic e to sta te , th a t h e w as m uch n e a te r b o th in his person a n d e atin g th an w ere th e o th e rs, as w as likew ise his q u e en ,

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ow ing, no d o u b t, to his in terco u rse w ith foreigners, w hich had given him ideas o f cleanliness, for I never saw e ith e r o f th em eat a n y o f th e s e a n im a ls , b u t, o n th e c o n tr a r y , th e y a p p e a r e d n o t m uch to relish this taste in o th ers. T h e ir g a rm e n ts, also w ere m uch cleaner, M a q u in a h aving been accu sto m ed to give his aw ay w hen they b e ca m e soiled, till a fte r he discovered th a t T h o m p so n a n d m yself k e p t ours clean by w ashing th e m , w hen he used to m ak e T h o m p so n do the sam e for him . Y et a m id st this sta te o f e n d u ra n c e a n d d isa p p o in tm en t, in h earin g rep eated ly o f th e arrival o f ships a t th e n o rth a n d so u th , m o st o f w hich pro v ed to b e idle re p o rts, w hile e x p ec ta tio n w as alm o st w earied o u t in looking for th em , w e did not w holly d e sp o n d , relying on th e m ercy o f th e S u p re m e Being, to offer up to w hom o u r dev o tio n s on th e days a p p o in te d for H is w orship was o u r c h ie f c onsolation a n d su p p o rt, tho u g h w e w ere so m e ­ tim es obliged, by o u r task m a ste rs, to infringe u p o n th e S ab b ath , which w as to m e a source o f m uch regret. W e w ere, nevertheless, tre a te d a t tim e s w ith m uch kindness by M a q u in a , w h o w ould give us a plenty o f th e best th a t he had to e at, a n d occasionally, so m e sm all p resen t o f cloth for a g a r­ m en t, p ro m isin g m e th a t, if any sh ip should a rriv e w ithin a h u n d red m iles o f N o o tk a , h e w ould send a -c a n o e w ith a letter from m e to th e c a p ta in , so th a t he m ight com e to o u r release. T hese flattering prom ises a n d m ark s o f a tte n tio n w ere, how ever, at those tim es w hen he th o u g h t h im self in personal d a n g e r from a m u tin o u s sp irit, w hich th e scarcity o f provisions had excited am o n g th e natives, w ho, like tru e savages, im p u ted all their pu b lic calam ities, o f w hatever k in d , to th e m isconduct o f th eir c h ie f, o r w h e n h e w as a p p re h e n s iv e o f a n a tta c k fro m s o m e o f th e o th e r tr ib e s , w h o w e re ir r ita te d w ith h im for c u ttin g o f f th e B o s to n , as it h a d p re v e n te d sh ip s fro m c o m in g to tr a d e w ith th e m , a n d w ere constantly a larm in g him w ith idle stories o f vessels th a t w ere p re p arin g to c o m e a gainst him a n d ex te rm in a te b o th him a n d his people. A t such tim es, he m ad e us keep g u a rd over him b o th night an d day, a rm e d w ith cutlasses a n d pistols, being a p p are n tly afraid to tru st any o f his ow n m en. A t o n e tim e, it w as a general revolt o f his p e o p le th at he a p p re h e n d e d ; th en th ree o f his principal chiefs, a m o n g w hom w as his elder b ro th e r, h a d co n sp ired to tak e aw ay his life; a n d a t length h e fancied th a t a sm all p a rty o f K la o o q u ates, betw een w hom a n d th e N o o tk ia n s little friendship subsisted* h a d c o m e to N o o tk a , u n d e r a p re te n ce o f tra d e , for the sole p u rp o se o f m u rd erin g him and his fam ily, telling us, p ro b ab ly to sh a rp en o u r vigilance, th a t th eir in ten tio n w as to kill us lik e­

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wise; a n d so strongly w ere his fears excited on this occasion, th a t he n o t only o rd e re d us to keep n e a r him arm ed by day, w henever h e w en t o u t, and to p a tro l a t night before his h o u se w hile they re m a in e d , b u t to c o n tin u e th e s a m e g u a rd for th re e days after they w ere gone, a n d to fire, a t o n e a n d at fo u r in th e m o rn in g , o n e o f th e g re a t gu n s, to let them k now , if, as h e suspected, they w ere lu rk in g in th e n e ig h b o u rh o o d , th a t he w as on his gu ard . W hile h e w as th u s favourably disp o sed to w a rd s us, I to o k an o p p o rtu n ity to inform him o f th e ill-trea tm e n t th a t w e frequently received from his p eople, a n d th e insults th a t w ere offered us by som e o f th e stra n g e r trib es in calling us w hite slaves, a n d loading us w ith o th e r o p p ro b rio u s term s. H e w as m uch displeased, and said th a t his subjects should not be allow ed to tre a t us ill, and th a t if a n y o f th e stran g ers did it, h e w ished us to p unish the offen d ers w ith d e ath , a t th e sa m e tim e d irectin g us, fo r o u r security, to go constantly arm e d . T h is perm ission w as soon im p ro v ed by T h o m p so n to th e best advan tag e; for a few days a fte r, h aving g o n e to th e p o n d to wash so m e o f o u r clothes, a n d a b la n k e t fo r M a q u in a, several W ic k in ­ ninish w ho w ere then a t N o o tk a cam e th ith e r, a n d , seeing him w ashing th e clothes, and th e b la n k e t sp read u p o n th e grass to dry, they b e g an , a ccording to c u sto m , to insult h im , a n d one o f th em , bolder th an th e o th ers, w alked o v e r th e b lan k e t. T h o m p so n was highly incensed, a n d th rea te n e d th e Indian w ith d e ath if he re p ea te d th e offence, b u t he, in c o n te m p t o f th e th re a t, tram p led upon th e b lan k e t, w hen, d ra w in g his cutlass, w ith o u t fu rth er cerem o n y , T h o m p so n cu t off his h e ad , on seeing w hich th e o th ers ran o ff at full sp eed . T h o m p so n th e n , g ath e rin g up th e clothes a n d b lan k e t, on w hich w ere th e m a rk s o f th e In d ia n ’s d irty feet, a n d tak in g w ith him th e h ead , re tu rn e d a n d inform ed th e king o f w hat h a d passed, w ho w as m uch pleased, a n d highly co m m en d ed his c o n d u ct. T his had a fav o u rab le effect for us, not only on the stra n g e r trib e s but th e in h a b ita n ts them selves, w ho tre a te d us afterw ards w ith less disrespect. In th e la tte r p a r t o f July, M a q u in a inform ed m e th a t he was going to w ar w ith th e A -y -c h a rts, a trib e a b o u t fifty m iles to th e so u th , on a cco u n t o f so m e co n tro v ersy th a t had arisen th e p re ce d ­ ing su m m er, a n d th a t I m u st m a k e a n u m b er o f daggers for his m en, a n d ch ee to lth s for his chiefs, w hich h aving c o m p le te d , he w ished m e to m ak e for his ow n use a w eapon o f q u ite a different form , in o rd e r to disp atch his enem y by o n e blow on th e head , it being th e calculation o f these n a tio n s, on going to w ar, to su rp rise th eir ad v ersaries w hile asleep. T h is w as a steel dagger, o r m ore p roperly a sp ik e , o f a b o u t six inches long, m ad e very sh arp , set at

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right angles in a n iron h a n d le o f fifteen inches long, term in atin g a t th e low er end in a cro o k o r tu rn , so as to p re v en t its being w renched from th e h a n d , a n d at th e u p p e r in a ro u n d k n o b o r h e ad , from w hence th e spike p ro tru d e d . T h is in stru m e n t I pol­ ished highly, a n d , th e m o re to p lease M a q u in a, fo rm ed on the b a ck o f th e k n o b th e resem b lan ce o f a m a n ’s h e ad , w ith the m o u th o p e n , su b stitu tin g for eyes black b ead s, w hich I fastened in w ith red sealing-w ax. T h is pleased him m u ch , a n d w as greatly a d m ired by his chiefs, w h o w a n ted m e to m a k e sim ilar on es for th em , but M a q u in a w o u ld n o t suffer it, reserving fo r h im self a lo n e this w eapon. W h en th ese peo p le have finally d e te rm in e d o n w ar, they m a k e it a n in variable p ra ctic e , for th ree o r fo u r w eeks p rio r to th e e x p ed itio n , to g o in to th e w a ter five o r six tim es a d ay , w hen th ey w ash a n d scrub them selves from h e ad to fo o t w ith bushes interm ixed w ith briers, so th a t th eir b o d ies and faces will o ften be entirely covered w ith b lo o d . D u rin g this severe exercise, they are c o ntinually exclaim ing, " W o c a s h , Q u a h o o tze, T e e ch a m m e ah w elth, w ik -e tish t a u - i l t h - K a r su b m a te m a s - W ik-sish to ha u k m a t e m a s - I y a -is h k a h -sh ittle - A s-sm o o tish warich m a te m a s ” ; w hich signifies, “ G o o d o r g re a t G o d , let m e l i v e - N o t be sick — F in d th e en em y - N o t fear him - F in d him asleep, a n d kill a g reat m an y o f th e m .” 1 D u rin g th e w hole o f this p e rio d th ey have no in te rco u rse with th e ir w om en, a n d for a w eek b efore se ttin g o u t, ab stain from feasting o r a n y k in d o f m e rrim e n t, a p p ea rin g th o u g h tfu l, gloom y, a n d m orose, a n d for th e th ree last days a re alm ost co n stan tly in th e w ater, b o th by day a n d n ight, scru b b in g a n d lacerating th e m ­ selves in a terrib le m an n e r. M a q u in a , h aving inform ed T h o m p so n a n d m yself th a t h e sho u ld ta k e us w ith him , w as very solicitous th a t w e sh o u ld b a th e a n d sc ru b ourselves in th e sa m e w ay w ith th e m , telling m e th a t it w ould h a rd e n o u r skins, so th a t the w eap o n s o f th e enem y w ould not pierce th e m , b u t as w e felt no g re at in clination to a m u se ourselves in this m a n n e r, w e declined it. T h e e x p ed itio n consisted o f forty can o es, carrying fro m ten to tw enty m en eac h . T h o m p so n a n d m yself a rm e d ourselves w ith cutlasses a n d pistols, b u t th e natives, a lth o u g h they h a d a plenty o f E u ro p ean a rm s, to o k w ith them only th e ir d aggers a n d cheetolths, w ith a few bow s a n d arro w s, th e latter being a b o u t a yard in length, a n d p o in te d w ith c o p p e r, m ussel-shell, o r b one; th e

1at least part o f this expression is C hinook Jargon and not N ootkan.

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bow s a re fo u r feet a n d a h a lf long, w ith strin g s m ad e o f w hale sinew . T o go to A -y -c h art, w e asc en d e d , from tw e n ty to th irty m iles, a river a b o u t th e size o f th at o f T ashees, th e b an k s o f w hich are high a n d covered w ith w o o d .A t m id n ig h t w e c am e in sight o f the village, w hich w as situ ate d on th e w est ban k n e a r th e sh o re , on a steep hill difficult o f access, a n d well calculated for d efence. It consisted o f fifteen o r sixteen houses, sm aller th an th o se at N o o tk a , a n d built in th e sam e style, b u t co m p actly placed . By M a q u in a ’s directio n s, th e a tta ck w as d e ferre d until th e first a p p e a ra n c e o f d a w n , as he said th a t w as th e tim e w hen m en slept th e soundest. A t length, all being ready for th e a tta c k , w e landed w ith the g re atest silence, a n d , g o in g a ro u n d so as to com e upon th e foe in th e re ar, cla m b ere d up th e hill, a n d w hile th e natives, as is th eir c u sto m , e n te red th e several h u ts creeping on all-fours, m y c o m ­ ra d e a n d m yself sta tio n e d ourselves w ith o u t to intercep t those w ho should a tte m p t to escape o r c o m e to th e a id o f th eir friends. I w ished, if possible, not to sta in m y h a n d s in th e blood o f any fellow -creature, a n d tho u g h T h o m p so n w ould gladly have p u t to d e ath all th e savages in the c o u n try , h e w as to o b rave to th in k o f a tta ck in g a sleeping enem y. H aving e n te red th e houses, o n th e w ar-w h o o p being given by M a q u in a as h e seized th e head o f th e c h ie f a n d g av e him th e fatal blow , all p ro ceed ed to th e w ork o f d e ath . T h e A -y -ch arts, being th u s su rp rised , w ere u nable to m a k e resistance, a n d , w ith the exception o f a very few w ho w ere so fo rtu n a te as to m a k e th eir escape, w ere all killed, o r ta k e n p riso n e rs on c o n d itio n o f b e co m ­ ing slaves to th e ir c ap to rs. I h a d th e g o o d fo rtu n e to ta k e four captives, w hom M a q u in a , as a fa v o u r, p e rm itte d m e to co n sid er as m in e, a n d occasionally em ploy them in fishing for m e. A s for T h o m p so n , w ho th irste d for revenge, he h a d no w ish to ta k e any priso n ers, b u t w ith his cutlass, th e only w eap o n he w ould em ploy a gainst th em , succeeded in killing seven sto u t fellows w ho cam e to a tta ck him , an act w hich o b ta in e d him g re a t c red it with M a q u in a and th e chiefs, w ho a fte r this held him in m uch h igher e stim a tio n , a n d gave him th e a p p ellatio n o f “ C h e h ie l-su m a -h a r,” it being th e n a m e o f a very c eleb ra ted w a rrio r o f th eir n a tio n in an cien t tim es, w hose exploits w ere th e c o n sta n t th em e o f th eir praise. A fte r h aving p u t to d e ath all th e old a n d infirm o f e ith e r sex, as is th e b a rb a ro u s practice o f th ese people, a n d destro y ed the buildings, w e re -e m b ark e d w ith o u r b o o ty in o u r c an o e s for N o o tk a , w here w e w ere received w ith g re at d e m o n stra tio n s o f jo y

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by th e w om en a n d children, a cc o m p a n y in g o u r w ar-song w ith a m o st furious d ru m m in g on th e houses. T h e next day a g re a t feast w as given by M a q u in a in c eleb ra tio n o f his victory, w hich was te rm in a te d , as usual, w ith a d a n ce by S at-sat-sok-sis. R ep eated a p p lic atio n s had been m ad e to M a q u in a by a n u m ­ b e r o f kings o r chiefs to p u rc h ase m e, especially a fte r h e had show ed them th e h a rp o o n 1 h a d m a d e for h im , w hich h e took m uch prid e in, b u t he co n stan tly refused to p a rt w ith m e on any term s. A m o n g these, th e king o f th e W ickinninish w as p a rtic u ­ larly solicitous to o b tain m e, h aving tw ice ap p lie d to M a q u in a for th a t p u rp o se , o n c e in a very form al m an n e r, by se n d in g his m essenger w ith fo u r can o es, w h o , as he a p p ro ac h ed th e shore, d e co ra te d in th e ir highest style, w ith th e w hite do w n on his head, etc., declared th a t h e cam e to buy “ T o o te y o o h a n n is ,” th e nam e by w hich I w as know n to th em , for his m aste r, and th a t h e had b ro u g h t fo r th a t p u rp o se fo u r yo u n g m ale slaves, tw o highly o rn a m e n te d can o es, such a n u m b e r o f th e sk in s o f m e ta m e lth ,2 a n d o f th e q u a r tla c k , o r se a -o tte r, and so m an y fath o m s o f cloth a n d o f Ife-w h aw ,3 w hile, as h e m en tio n ed th e different articles, they w ere p o in te d o u t o r held up by his a tte n d a n ts; b u t even this tem p tin g offer h a d no influence on M a q u in a , w ho in th e latter p a rt o f th e su m m e r w as again very strongly urged to sell m e by U latilla, or, as h e is g enerally called, M ach ee U latilla, c h ie f o f the K laizzarts, w h o had c o m e to N o o tk a on a visit. T h is chief, w ho co u ld sp e a k to le rab le E nglish, h a d m uch m o re th e a p p e a ra n c e o f a civilised m an th a n any o f th e savages th a t I saw . H e a p p e a re d to be a b o u t th irty , w as ra th e r sm all in his p erso n , b u t extrem ely well fo rm ed , w ith a skin alm o st as fair as th a t o f a n E u ro p ea n , good features, a n d a c o u n te n an c e expres­ siv e o f c a n d o u r a n d a m ia b le n e s s , a n d w h ic h w as a lm o s t alw ay s b rig h te n ed w ith a sm ile. H e w as m uch n e a te r b o th in his dress a n d person th a n any o f th e o th e r chiefs, seldom w earing p ain t, except upon his eyebrow s, w hich, a fte r th e custom o f his c o u n try , w ere plucked o u t, and a few strip s o f th e pelp elth 4 on th e lower, p a rt o f his face. H e alw ays tre a te d m e w ith m uch k in d n ess, was fond o f conversing w ith m e in E nglish and in his ow n language, a sk in g m e m any q u e stio n s relativ e to m y c o u n try , its m anners, cu sto m s, etc., a n d a p p e a re d to ta k e a stro n g interest in m y fate, telling m e th a t if h e could p e rsu a d e M a q u in a to p a rt w ith m e, he w ould put m e on b o a rd th e first sh ip th a t cam e to his c o u n try , a : i.e. w apiti. ' dentalia shells (D entalium pretiosum ). 4 m arm ot?

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prom ise w hich, from his su b seq u e n t co n d u ct, 1 h av e g o o d reason to th in k he w ould have p e rfo rm e d , as m y deliverance a t length from captivity a n d suffering w as, u n d e r th e fav o u r o f D ivine P rovidence, w holly ow ing to h im , th e only letter th a t ever reached a n E u ro p ea n o r A m e ric an vessel o u t o f sixteen th a t I w ro te at differen t tim es a n d sent to v a rious p a rts o f th e coast, h aving been delivered by him in p e rso n . So m uch pleased w as I w ith th is m a n ’s b e h a v io u r to m e w hile a t N o o tk a , th a t I m a d e for him a ch eeto lth , w hich I b u rn ish e d highly, a n d e ngraved w ith figures. W ith th is h e w as greatly d e lig h ted . I also w ould have m ad e for him a h a rp o o n , w ould M a q u in a have c o n s e n te d .. W ith hearts full o f dejection a n d alm ost lost to h o p e , n o ship having a p p e a re d o ff N o o tk a this se a so n , did m y c o m p a n io n and m yself acc o m p a n y th e tribe on th e ir rem oval in S e p tem b e r to T ash ees, relinquishing in co n seq u en ce for six m o n th s even th e rem o test e x p ec ta tio n o f relief.

13. Marriage of the A u th o r-H is Illness - Dismisses His Wife Religion of the Natives Climate S o o n a fte r o u r e stab lish m en t th ere , M a q u in a inform ed m e th a t h e a n d his chiefs h a d held council b o th before a n d a fte r q u ittin g N o o tk a , in w hich they had d e te rm in e d th a t I m ust m arry o n e o f th e ir w om en, urging as a reason to induce m e to c o n se n t, th a t, as th e re w as now no p ro b a b ility o f a sh ip com ing to N o o tk a to release m e, th a t I m ust c o n sid er m yself as destin ed to pass th e re m a in d e r o f m y life w ith th e m , th a t th e so o n e r 1 c o n fo rm e d to th e ir c u sto m s th e b e tte r, a n d th a t a w ife a n d fam ily w o u ld render m e m ore c o n te n te d a n d satisfied w ith th e ir m o d e o f living. I re m o n stra te d a gainst th is decision, b u t to n o p u rp o se , for he told m e th a t, sh o u ld I refuse, b o th T h o m p so n a n d m yself w ould be p u t to d e a th ; telling m e, ho w ev er, th a t if th e re w ere n o n e o f the w om en o f his trib e th a t p leased m e, he w ould go w ith m e to so m e o f th e o th e r tribes, w h e re h e w o u ld p u rch ase fo r m e such a o n e as I sh o u ld select. R ed u ced to th is sa d extrem ity, w ith death on th e o n e sid e a n d m atrim o n y on th e o th e r, I th o u g h t p ro p e r to ch o o se w h a t a p p e a re d to m e th e least o f th e tw o evils, and co n se n t to b e m a rrie d , on c o n d itio n th at, as I did n o t fancy any o f th e N o o tk a w om en, I should be p e rm itte d to m a k e choice o f o n e from so m e o th e r trib e . T h is b ein g settled, th e next m o rn in g by daylight, M a q u in a, w ith a b o u t fifty m en in tw o canoes, set out w ith m e for A i-tiz -za rt, tak in g w ith him a q u a n tity o f cloth, a n u m b e r o f m uskets, se a -o tte r skins, etc., fo r th e p u rc h ase o f m y b rid e. W ith th e a id o f o u r pad d les a n d sails, being favoured w ith a fair b reeze, w e a rriv e d som e tim e b e fo re su n set at th e village. O u r arrival excited a general a la rm , a n d th e m en h asten e d to the sh o re, arm ed w ith th e w eap o n s o f th e ir c o u n try , m ak in g m any w a rlik e d e m o n stra tio n s, a n d displaying m uch zeal a n d activity. W e, in th e m ea n tim e, rem ain ed quietly seated in o u r canoes, w h e re w e re m a in e d for a b o u t h a lf an h o u r, w hen th e m essenger o f th e chief, dressed in th e ir best m a n n e r, cam e to w elcom e us a n d invite us o n sh o re to e at. W e follow ed him in procession to

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th e c h ie f s h o u se , M a q u in a a t o u r h e ad , ta k in g care to leave a sufficient n u m b e r in th e b o a ts to p ro tec t th e p ro p e rty . W h en we c am e to th e h ouse, w e w ere u sh e red in w ith m uch cerem o n y , and o u r respective seats p o in te d o u t to us, m in e being next to M a q u in a by his request. A fte r having been regaled w ith a feast o f h errin g spaw n and o il, M a q u in a asked m e if I saw a n y a m o n g th e w om en w h o w ere p re se n t th a t I liked. I im m ed iately p o in ted o u t to a yo u n g girl o f a b o u t seventeen, th e d a u g h te r o f U p q u e sta , th e chief, w ho was sittin g n e ar him by h e r m o th e r. O n this, M a q u in a , m ak in g a sign to his m en, aro se, a n d , tak in g m e by th e h a n d , w alked in to th e m id d le o f th e ro o m , a n d se n t o ff tw o o f his m en to b ring the boxes c o n ta in in g th e presents fro m th e c an o e s. In th e m ean tim e, K in n eclim m ets, th e m aste r o f cerem o n ies, w h o m I have already sp o k e n of, m a d e h im self ready fo r th e p a rt he w as to a ct, by pow d erin g his h a ir w ith w h ite d o w n . W h en th e chests w ere b ro u g h t in, specim ens o f th e several a rticles w ere ta k e n o u t, and sh o w ed by o u r m en , o n e o f w h o m held u p a m u sk et, a n o th e r a skin, a th ird a piece o f cloth, etc. O n this K in n eclim m ets ste p p ed fo rw a rd , a n d ad d ressin g th e chief, in fo rm ed him th at all th ese belonged to m e, m en tio n in g the n u m b e r o f each k in d , a n d th a t th ey w ere o ffered to him for the p u rc h a se o f his d a u g h te r E u-sto ch -ee-ex q u a, as a w ife fo r m e. As he sa id this, th e m en w ho held u p th e vario u s articles w alked up to th e chief, a n d w ith a very stern a n d m o ro se look, th e c o m p li­ m en ta ry o n e on th ese occasions, th rew th em a t his feet. Im m e d i­ ately on w hich, all th e trib e , b o th m en a n d w om en, w h o w ere assem bled o n th is occasion, set up a cry o f K la c k -k o -T y e e , th at is, “ T h a n k ye, c h ie f.” H is m en , a fte r th is cerem o n y , h aving re tu rn e d to th e ir places, M a q u in a rose, a n d , in a speech o f m o re th an h a lf an h o u r, said m uch in m y p ra ise to th e A i-tiz -za rt chief, telling him th a t I w as as g o o d a m an as them selves, differing from them only in being w h ite, th a t I w as besides a c q u a in te d w ith m an y things o f w hich they w ere ig n o ran t; th a t I knew how to m ak e daggers, cheetolths, a n d h a rp o o n s, a n d w as a very valuable p e rso n , w hom he was d e te rm in e d to k e ep alw ays w ith him ; p ra isin g m e a t th e sam e tim e for th e g o o d n ess o f m y te m p e r, a n d th e m a n n e r in w hich I had c o n d u cted m yself since I had been w ith th em , o bserving that all th e p e o p le o f N o o tk a , a n d even th e ch ild ren , loved m e. W hile M a q u in a w as sp e a k in g , his m aste r o f cerem o n ies was co n tin u ally sk ip p in g a b o u t, m ak in g th e m ost e x trav ag an t gestures, a n d e x c la im in g “ IV o c a sh !” W h e n h e h a d c e a se d , th e A i- tiz -z a rt c h ie f aro se; a m id st th e a cclam atio n s o f his p e o p le , a n d beg an w ith

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se ttin g forth th e m any good qualities a n d acco m p lish m en ts o f his d a u g h te r; th a t he loved h e r greatly, a n d as she w as his only o n e , he co u ld n o t th in k o f p a rtin g w ith h e r. H e sp o k e in this m a n n e r for s o m e tim e , b u t fin ally c o n c lu d e d by c o n s e n tin g to th e p ro p o s e d u n io n , requesting th a t she m ig h t b e well used a n d k indly tre a te d by h e r h u sb a n d . A t th e close o f th e speech, w hen th e c h ie f beg an to m an ifest a d isp o sitio n to con sen t to o u r u n io n , K in n elcim m ets again beg an to call o u t as loud as h e could baw l, “ W ocash \" c u ttin g a th o u sa n d capers a n d spinning h im self a ro u n d on his heel like a top. W h en U p q u e sta had finished his sp eech , h e d irec te d his p eople to carry back th e p resen ts w hich M a q u in a had given him , to m e, to g eth e r w ith tw o y o u n g m ale slaves to assist m e in fishing. T hese, a fte r having been placed before m e, w ere by M a q u in a ’s m en ta k e n o n b o a rd th e canoes. T h is c erem ony being o v e r, w e w ere invited by o n e o f th e p rin cip al chiefs to a feast at his h ouse, o f K lu ssa m it, o r d ried h e rrin g , w here, after th e eating w as over, K inneclim m ets am u sed th e c o m p a n y very highly with his tric k s, a n d th e even in g 's e n te rta in m e n t w as closed by a new w ar-song from o u r m en , a n d o n e in re tu rn from th e A i-tiz-zarts, acco m p an ied w ith expressive gestu res, and w ielding o f th eir w e ap ­ ons. A fte r this o u r c o m p a n y re tu rn e d to lodge at U p q u e sta ’s, except a few w ho w ere left on b o a rd th e c an o es to w atch the p ro p e rty . In th e m o rn in g I received from th e c h ie f his d a u g h te r, w ith a n earn e st req u est th a t I w ould use h e r well, w hich I pro m ised him ; w h en , tak in g leave o f her p a ren ts, she a c c o m p a ­ nied m e w ith a p p a re n t satisfaction on b o a rd o f th e canoe. T h e w ind being ah ea d , th e natives w ere obliged to have recourse to th e ir p addles, a cc o m p a n y in g them w ith th eir songs, in tersp ersed w ith th e w itticism s a n d buffo o n ery o f K in n eclim ­ m ets, w ho, in his capacity o f k in g ’s ste ersm a n , o n e o f his func­ tio n s w hich I fo rg o t to e n u m e ra te , n o t only g u id ed th e c o u rse o f th e can o e , b u t regulated th e singing o f th e b o a tm e n . A t a b o u t five in th e m o rn in g w e reached T ashees, w here w e found all the in h a b ita n ts collected o n th e sh o re to receive us. W e w ere w elcom ed w ith loud sh o u ts o f jo y , a n d e xclam ations o f “ W o c a sh !" a n d th e w o m en , tak in g m y b rid e u n d e r th eir charge, c o n d u cted h e r to M a q u in a ’s house, to b e k e p t w ith them for ten days; it being a n universal custom , as M a q u in a inform ed m e, th a t no in te rco u rse should ta k e place betw een th e new m a r­ ried p a ir d u rin g th a t p erio d . A t n ig h t M a q u in a gave a g re a t feast, w hich w as succeeded by a d a n ce , in w hich all th e w om en jo in e d , a n d th u s end ed th e festivities o f m y m arriag e. T h e term o f m y p ro b a tio n bein g over, M a q u in a assigned m e

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as an a p a rtm e n t th e space in th e u p p e r p a rt o f his house betw een him a n d his e ld e r b ro th e r, w hose room w as o p p o site, H ere I established m yself w ith m y fam ily, consisting o f m yself a n d wife, T h o m p so n , a n d th e little S at-sat-sok-sis, w ho h a d alw ays been strongly a tta c h e d to m e, a n d now solicited his fath er to let him live w ith m e, to w hich he c o n se n te d . T h is boy w as h a n d so m e, ex trem ely well fo rm ed , am ia b le , and o f a p lea sa n t, sprightly d isp o sitio n . I used to ta k e a p lea su re in d e co ra tin g him w ith rings, bracelets, ear-jew els, etc., w hich I m ad e for him o f c o p p er, a n d o rn a m e n te d a n d p olished th em in m y b e st m a n n e r. I w as also very careful to k e ep him free from v erm in o f every k in d , w ashing him a n d co m b in g his h a ir every d ay . T hese m a rk s o f a tte n tio n w ere not only very pleasing to th e c hild, w ho delig h ted in being k e p t n eat a n d clean, as well as in being dressed o ff in his finery, b u t w as highly gratifying b o th to M a q u in a and his q u e e n , w ho used to express m uch satisfaction at m y care o f him . In m ak in g m y d o m estic e stab lish m en t, I d e te rm in e d , as far as possible, to live in a m o re c o m fo rtab le a n d cleanly m a n n e r than th e o th ers. F o r th is p u rp o se I e rected w ith p lan k s a p a rtitio n o f a b o u t th re e feet high betw een m in e a n d th e ad jo in in g ro o m s, and m ad e th ree b e d stea d s o f th e sa m e, w hich I covered w ith b o a rd s, for m y fam ily to sleep on, w hich I fo u n d m uch m o re co m fo rtab le th an sleeping o n th e floor a m id st th e dirt. F o rtu n a te ly , I found m y In d ian princess b o th a m ia b le and in te llig e n t, fo r o n e w h o se lim ite d s p h e re o f o b s e r v a tio n m u st necessarily give rise to b u t a few ideas. She w as extrem ely ready to agree to an y th in g th a t I p ro p o se d relative to o u r m o d e o f living, w as very a tte n tiv e in k eep in g her g a rm e n ts and perso n neat an d clean, a n d a p p e a re d in every respect so licitous to please m e. She w as, as I have said , a b o u t seventeen; her p e rso n was sm all b u t well fo rm ed , as w ere h e r features; h e r com p lex io n was, w ith o u t e xception, fa ire r th a n any o f th e w om en, w ith c o n sid e ra ­ ble co lo u r in h e r cheeks, her h a ir long, black, a n d m u ch softer th an is usual w ith th em , and h e r teeth sm all, even, a n d o f a dazzling w hiteness; while th e expression o f h e r c o u n te n an c e in d i­ cated sw eetness o f tem p e r a n d m odesty. She w ould indeed have been con sid ered as very p retty in any c o u n try , a n d , excepting M a q u in a ’s q u e en , w as by far th e h a n d so m est o f a n y o f their w om en. W ith a p a rtn e r possessing so m any a ttra c tio n s , m any m ay be a p t to con clu d e th a t I m ust h av e found m yself h a p p y , - a t least, c o m p a rativ ely so; b u t for oth erw ise w as it w ith m e. A com pulsory m arriag e w ith th e m ost beautiful a n d accom plished p erson in the

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w orld can never prove a so u rce o f real happiness; a n d , in m y situ atio n , I could n o t but view this c o n n ectio n as a c h ain th a t was to b in d m e do w n to this savage lan d , a n d p revent m y ever again seeing a civilised c o u n try ; especially w hen, in a few days after, M a q u in a inform ed m e th a t th e re h a d been a m eetin g o f his chiefs, in w hich it had been d e te rm in e d th a t, as I h a d m arried o n e o f th eir w o m e n , 1 m u st be con sid ered as o n e o f th em , and c o n fo rm to th e ir custom s, a n d th a t in fu tu re n e ith e r m yself nor T h o m p so n should w ear o u r E u ro p ea n clothes, but dress in kuts a k s 1 like them selves. T h is o rd e r w as to m e m o st p ain fu l, b u t I p ersu ad e d M a q u in a a t length so far to relax in it as to p e rm it m e to w ear those I h a d at p re sen t, w hich w ere alm ost w orn o u t, and not to com pel T h o m p so n to c h a n g e his dress, observing th a t, as he w as a n old m an , such a ch an g e w ould cause his death . T h e ir religious c e le b ra tio n ,2 w hich th e last y e ar to o k p lace in D ecem b er, w as in this co m m en ced on th e 15th o f N o v e m b er, and c o n tin u e d for fou rteen days. A s 1 w as now con sid ered as o n e o f th em , instead o f being o rd e re d to th e w oods, M a q d in a directed T h o m p so n a n d m yself to rem ain a n d p ray w ith th em to Q uah o o tze to be g o o d to th em , a n d th a n k him for w hat he h a d done. It w as o p e n ed in m uch th e sa m e m a n n e r as th e fo rm er. A fter w hich, all th e m en a n d w om en in th e village assem bled at M a q u in a ’s h ouse, in th e ir p lain e st dresses, and w ith o u t an y kind o f o rn a m e n ts a b o u t th em ,, having th eir h e ad s b o u n d a ro u n d with th e red fillet, a to k en o f dejection a n d h u m iliatio n , a n d their co u n te n an c e s expressive o f seriousness a n d m elancholy. T h e p e r­ fo rm an ces d u rin g th e c o n tin u a n ce o f this celeb ratio n consisted alm o st w holly in singing a n u m b e r o f songs to m ou rn fu l airs, the king regulating th e tim e by b e atin g on his hollow plank o r d ru m , a cc o m p a n ied by o n e o f his c h ie fs's e a te d n e ar him w ith th e great ra ttle. In th e m e a n tim e they a te b u t seldom , a n d then very little, retiring to sleep late, and rising at th e first a p p e a ra n c e o f daw n, a n d even in te rru p tin g this sh o rt p e rio d o f rep o se by gettin g up at m id n ig h t a n d singing. T h e c ere m o n y w as te rm in a te d by an exhib itio n o f a sim ilar 1 Je w itt is in co n sisten t in his spelling o f several Indian w o rd s. T he ku tsa k (also k o lsa ck) is the blanket w orn over the shoulders. ; the W inter C erem onial, see also C hapter X . N ote that Jew itt says “ I was now considered one o f th em ” ; he may m ean that he was now m ore generally accepted in N ootkan society, but m ost probably since h e was asked “ to rem ain and p ra y ," he was considered to have been initiated into the W inter C erem onial after his seclusion during that o f the previous year.

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c h ara cte r to th e o n e o f th e last y e a r, b u t still m o re cruel. A boy o f tw elve y ears o ld , w ith six b a y o n ets run in to his flesh, one th ro u g h each a rm a n d thig h , a n d th ro u g h each side close to the ribs, w as carried a ro u n d th e ro o m su sp en d ed u p o n th em , w ith o u t m anifesting a n y sy m p to m s o f p a in .3 M a q u in a , on m y inquiring th e reason o f th is display, in fo rm ed m e th a t it w as a n a n cien t c u sto m o f this n a tio n to sacrifice a m an a t th e close o f this solem nity , in h o n o u r o f th e ir G o d , b u t th a t his fath er h a d a b o l­ ished it, a n d su b stitu te d this in its place. T h e w hole closed on the evening o f th e 29th, w ith a g re a t feast o f salm o n spaw n a n d oil, at w hich th e n atives, as usual, m a d e up fo r th e ir late a b stin en ce. A few days afte r, a c irc u m stan c e o ccu rred , w hich, from its singularity, I c a n n o t fo rb ea r m en tio n in g . I w as sent for by my n e ig h b o u r Y ealthlow er, th e k in g ’s elder b ro th e r, to file his teeth, w hich o p e ratio n having been p e rfo rm e d , he inform ed m e th a t a new wife, w hom h e had a little tim e b e fo re p u rch ased , having refused to sleep w ith him , it w as his in te n tio n , p ro v id ed she persisted in h e r refusal, to b ite o ff her nose. I e n d ea v o u red to d issu ad e him from it, b u t h e w as d e te rm in e d , a n d , in fact, p e r­ form ed his savage th re a t th a t very n ight, saying th a t sin ce she w ould not be his w ife, she should not b e th a t o f any o th e r, a n d in th e m o rn in g sent h e r back to h e r father. T h e in h u m a n a ct did n o t, ho w ev er, p ro ceed from any in n ate cruelty o f d isp o sitio n o r m alice, as he w as far from bein g o f a b a rb a ro u s tem p e r; but such is th e desp o tism exercised by these savages o v er th e ir w om en, th a t h e no d o u b t con sid ered it as a ju st p u n ish m en t for h e r offence, in bein g so o b stin ate a n d perverse; as he afte rw a rd s told m e, th a t in sim ilar cases th e h u sb a n d had a rig h t w ith them to disfigure his w ife in th is w ay o r so m e o th e r, to p rev en t h e r every m arrying again. A b o u t th e m iddle o f D e ce m b er, w e left T ash ees for C o o p tee . A s usual a t th is season, w e found th e herrings in g re a t p len ty , and h e re th e sam e scene o f rio to u s feasting th a t I w itnessed last year w as renew ed by o u r im p ro v id e n t natives, w ho, in a d d itio n to th e ir usual fare, h a d a plentiful supply o f w ild geese, w hich w ere b ro u g h t us in g re at q u a n titie s by th e E shquates. T h ese, as M a q u in a inform ed m e, w ere cau g h t w ith nets m ad e from b a rk in th e fresh w aters o f th a t c o u n try . T h o se w ho tak e them m ake choice for th a t p u rp o se o f a d a rk a n d rain y night, an d , w ith th eir c an o e s stuck w ith lighted to rch e s, p ro ceed w ith as little noise as possible to th e place w here th e geese a re collected, w ho, dazzled probably an o th er exam ple o f W inter C erem onial theatrical perform ­ ance.

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by th e light, suffer them selves to be a p p ro ac h ed very n ear, w hen th e net is th ro w n o v er th em , a n d in this m a n n e r from fifty to sixty, o r even m o re, will so m etim es be tak e n a t o n e cast. O n th e 15th o f Ja n u a ry 1805, a b o u t m id n ig h t, I w as th ro w n in to c o n sid erab le alarm , in co n se q u en c e o f a n eclipse o f the m o o n , being a w ak e n e d from m y sleep by a g re at o u tcry o f th e in h ab itan ts. O n g o in g to discover th e cause o f this tu m u lt, I found th em all o u t o f th eir h o u ses, b earing lighted to rch es, sin g ­ ing a n d beating upon pieces o f p lan k ; and w hen I asked th em the reason o f this p ro c ee d in g , they p o in te d to th e m o o n , a n d said th at a g re at cod-fish w as e n d ea v o u rin g to sw allow her, a n d th at they w ere driving him aw ay. T h e orig in o f this su p e rstitio n I could n o t discover. T h o u g h , in so m e respects, m y situ a tio n w as ren d ered m ore co m fo rtab le since m y m arriag e, as I lived in a m o re cleanly m an n e r, and h a d m y food b e tte r a n d m o re neatly c o o k ed o f w hich, besides, I h a d alw ays a plenty, m y slaves generally fu rn ish ­ ing m e, a n d U p q u e sta never failing to send m e a n a m p le supply by th e canoes th a t c am e from A i-tiz-zart; still, from m y being o bliged a t this season o f th e y e ar to change m y accustom ed clothing, a n d to d ress like th e n ativ es, w ith only a piece o f cloth o f a b o u t tw o y a rd s long th ro w n loosely a ro u n d m e, m y E u ro p ean clothes having been for som e tim e entirely w orn o u t, I suffered m o re th an I can express from th e cold, especially as I was com pelled to p e rfo rm th e la b o rio u s task o f c u ttin g a n d bringing th e firew ood, w hich w as re n d ere d still m o re o ppressive to m e, from m y c o m ra d e, for a c o n sid era b le p a rt o f th e w in ter, not having it in his po w er to lend m e his aid, in co nsequence o f an a tta ck o f th e rh e u m a tism in o n e o f his knees, w ith w hich he suffered fo r m o re th an fo u r m o n th s, tw o o r th ree w eeks o f which he w as so ill as to b e u n d e r th e necessity to leave th e house. T h is sta te o f suffering, w ith th e little h o p e I now h a d o f ever escaping from th e savages, beg an to re n d e r m y life irksom e to m e; still, how ever, I lost n o t m y c onfidence in th e a id o f the S u p re m e Being, to w hom , w h en ev er th e w e ath e r and a su sp en ­ sio n from th e tasks im posed on m e w ould p e rm it, I nev er failed regularly on S undays to retire to th e w o o d to w orship, taking T h o m p so n w ith m e w hen he w as ab le to go. O n th e 20th o f F e b ru a ry , w e re tu rn e d to o u r su m m e r q u a r­ ters a t N o o tk a , b u t on m y p a rt, w ith far differen t sensations than th e last spring, being now alm ost in d e sp a ir o f any vessel arriving to release us, o r o u r bein g p e rm itte d to d e p a rt if th e re sh o u ld . S oon after o u r re tu rn , as p re p a ra to ry to th e w haling season, M a q u in a o rd e re d m e to m ake a g o o d n u m b e r o f h a rp o o n s for h im self a n d his chiefs, several o f w hich I h a d com pleted, w ith

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som e lances, w hen, on th e 16th o f M a rch , I w as ta k e n very ill w ith a violent colic, caused, I p re su m e, from having suffered so m u ch from th e cold, in going w ith o u t p ro p e r clo th in g . F o r a n u m b e r o f h o u rs I w as in g re a t p a in , a n d expected to die, a n d on its leaving m e, I w as so w eak as scarcely to b e ab le to sta n d , w hile I h a d n o th in g co m fo rtin g to tak e , n o r anyth in g to d rin k but cold w ater. O n th e day follow ing, a slave belonging to M a q u in a died, and w as im m ediately, as is th e ir custom in such cases, tossed uncerem oniously o u t o f d o o rs, from w hence h e w as ta k e n by so m e o th ers a n d th ro w n into th e w ater. T h e tre a tm e n t o f this p o o r c re a tu re m ad e a m elancholy im pression upon m y m in d , as I could n o t b u t th in k th a t such p ro b a b ly w ould b e m y fate sh o u ld I d ie a m o n g these h eath en s, a n d so far from receiving a decent b u rial, th a t I sh o u ld n o t even b e allow ed th e co m m o n privilege o f having a little e a rth th ro w n o v er m y rem ains. T h e feebleness in w hich th e violent a tta ck o f m y d iso rd e r had left m e, th e dejection I felt a t th e a lm o st hopelessness o f my situ a tio n a n d th e w an t o f w arm clothing a n d p ro p e r nursing, tho u g h m y In d ian w ife, as far as she knew how , w as alw ays ready, even solicitous, to d o ev erything fo r m e she c ould, still k e p t m e very m u ch indisposed, w hich M a q u in a perceiving, he finally told m e th a t if I d id n o t like living w ith m y w ife, a n d th at w as th e cause o f m y being so sa d , I m ig h t p a rt w ith h e r. T his p ro p o sa l I readily accepted, a n d th e next d a y M a q u in a se n t her back to her father. O n p a rtin g w ith m e she discovered m uch e m o tio n , begging m e th a t I w ould suffer her to re m a in till I had recovered, as there w as no o n e w ho w ould ta k e so g o o d care o f m e as herself. But w hen I told h e r she m ust go, for th a t I did not th in k I should ever g et well, w hich in tru th I b u t little expected, a n d th a t her fa th e r w ould ta k e good c a re o f h e r a n d tre a t h e r m uch m ore k indly th an M a q u in a, she to o k a n affectio n ate leave, telling m e th a t she h o p ed I sh o u ld so o n g et b etter, a n d left her tw o slaves to ta k e c a re o f m e. T h o u g h I rejoiced a t her d e p a rtu re , I w as greatly affected w ith th e sim p le expressions o f h e r regard for m e, a n d co u ld not b u t feel strongly interested fo r th is p o o r girl, w ho in all her c o n d u ct to w ard s m e had disco v ered so m uch m ildness a n d a tte n ­ tio n to m y w ishes; a n d h a d it n o t been th a t I c onsidered h e r as a n alm o st in su p e rab le o bstacle to m y being p e rm itte d to leave the c o u n try , I should no d o u b t have felt the d e p riv a tio n o f h e r society a real loss. A fte r her d e p a rtu re , I requested M a q u in a th a t, as I had p a rte d w ith m y w ife, h e w ould p e rm it m e to resu m e my E u ro p ea n dress, as, o therw ise, from not h aving been accustom ed

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to dress like th e m , I sho u ld certain ly die. T o th is h e con sen ted , a n d I once m o re b ecam e c o m fo rtab ly clad. C h a n g e o f clo th in g , b u t, m o re th an all, th e hopes w hich I now beg an to indulge th a t in th e course o f th e su m m e r I should be ab le to escape, in a sh o rt tim e re sto red m e to health , so far th a t I co u ld again go to w o rk in m ak in g h a rp o o n s for M a q u in a , w ho pro b ab ly , fearing th a t h e should h a v e to p a rt w ith m e, d e te rm in e d to p ro v id e h im self w ith a g o o d stock. I shall n o t, how ever, long d e ta in th e re a d e r w ith a d e ta il o f occu rren ces th a t intervened betw een this p e rio d and th a t o f m y escape, w hich from th a t dull unifo rm ity th a t m ark s th e savage life, w o u ld b e in a m ea su re b u t a re p etitio n , n o r dwell u p o n th a t m ental to rtu re I e n d u re d from a c o n stan t conflict o f h o p e and fear, w hen th e form er, alm ost w earied o u t w ith re p ea te d d isa p ­ p o in tm e n t, offered to o u r sin k in g hearts no p ro sp e ct o f release b u t d e ath , to w hich w e w ere c o n stan tly exposed from th e b ru tal ignorance and savage d isp o sitio n o f th e c o m m o n p eople, w h o , in th e v a rio u s councils th a t w ere held this season to d e te rm in e w hat to d o w ith us in case o f th e arriv al o f a sh ip , w ere alm o st alw ays fo r p u ttin g us to d e a th , expecting by th a t m ea n s to conceal th e m u rd e r o f o u r crew a n d to th ro w th e blam e o f it on so m e o th e r trib e . T hese b a rb a ro u s sen tim en ts w ere, how ever, universally o p p o se d by M a q u in a a n d his chiefs, w ho w ould n o t co n se n t to o u r being injured. B ut, as so m e o f th eir c u sto m s a n d tra its o f n a tio n a l c h a ra c te r w hich I th in k deserving o f n otice h av e not been m en tio n ed , I shall p ro ceed to give a n a cc o u n t o f them . T h e office o f k in g o r c h ie f is, w ith th o se p eople, h ered itary , a n d d escends to th e eldest son, o r, in failure o f m ale issue, to the eld er b ro th e r, w ho in th e regal lin e is c o n sid ere d as th e second person in th e k in g d o m . A t feasts, as I have observed, th e king is alw ays placed in th e highest o r seat o f h o n o u r, and th e chiefs a cc o rd in g to th e ir respective ra n k s, w hich a p p e a r in general to be d e te rm in e d by th eir affinity to th e royal fam ily; they a re also d esig n ated by th e e m bellishm ents o f th eir m antles o r k u tsak s. T he king, o r h e ad T y e e , is th e ir le a d e r in w ar, in th e m an a g em e n t o f w hich h e is perfectly a b so lu te . H e is also p resid en t o f their councils, w hich are alm ost alw ays regulated by his o p in io n . But h e has n o k in d o f p o w e r o v er th e p ro p e rty o f his subjects, n o r can h e re q u ire th em to c o n trib u te to his w ants, being in this respect no m o re privileged th an any o th e r p erso n . H e h as, in co m m o n w ith his chiefs, th e right o f holding slaves, w hich is not enjoyed by p riv ate individuals, a reg u latio n p ro b a b ly arising from th e ir having been originally c aptives tak e n in b a ttle, th e spoils o f w a r being u n d e rsto o d as a p p e rta in in g to th e king, w ho receives

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an d a p p o rtio n s th em a m o n g his several chiefs a n d w arrio rs a cc o rd in g to th e ir ran k a n d deserts. In co n fo rm ity w ith this idea, th e p lu n d e r o f th e B o sto n was all d ep o sited in M a q u in a ’s h o u se , w ho d istrib u te d p a rt o f it a m o n g his chiefs, a ccording to th e ir respective ra n k s o r d e g ree o f fav o u r w ith him , giving to o n e th re e h u n d re d m uskets, to a n o th e r o n e h u n d re d a n d fifty, w ith o th e r things in like p ro p o rtio n . T h e king is, how ever, obliged to su p p o rt his d ignity by m ak in g fre­ q u e n t e n te rta in m e n ts, and w h en ev er h e receives a large supply o f p ro v isio n , he m ust invite all th e m en o f his trib e to his h o u se to e at it u p , o therw ise, as M a q u in a told m e, h e w ould n o t be con sid ered as co n d u ctin g h im self like a T y e e, a n d w ould b e no m o re th o u g h t o f th an a c o m m o n m an . W ith regard to th e ir r e lig io n .- T h e y believe in th e existence o f a S u p rem e Being, w hom they call Q u a h o o tze, a n d w h o , to use M a q u in a ’s exp ressio n , w as o n e g re a t T y e e in th e sky, w ho gave th em th e ir fish, a n d could ta k e th em fro m th e m , a n d w as th e g re atest o f all kings. T h e ir usual place o f w o rsh ip a p p e a re d to be th e w a ter, for w h en ev er they b a th e d , they a d d ressed so m e w ords in fo rm o f p ra y e r to th e G o d a b o v e , e n tre a tin g th a t h e w ould p reserve th em in h e alth , give th e m g o o d success in fishing, etc. T h ese p rayers w ere re p ea te d w ith m uch m o re energy on p re p a r­ ing for w haling o r for w ar, as I h a v e alread y m en tio n ed . S om e o f th em w ould so m e tim es go several m iles to b a th e , in o rd e r to d o it in secret; th e re aso n for th is I co u ld n ev er learn, th o u g h I am in d u ced to th in k it w as in co nsequence o f som e fam ily o r p riv ate q u a rre l, a n d th a t they d id n o t w ish w h a t they said to b e h e ard ; w hile a t o th e r tim es they w ould re p a ir in th e sam e secret m a n n e r to th e w o o d s to pray. T h is w as m o re p a rtic u ­ larly th e case w ith th e w o m en , w ho m ig h t also h av e been p ro m p te d by a se n tim e n t o f decency to re tire for th e p u rp o se o f b a th in g , as they a re re m a rk ab ly m o d est. I o n c e fo u n d o n e o f o u r w o m e n m o re th a n tw o m iles from th e village on h e r knees in th e w o o d s, w ith h e r eyes sh u t a n d her face tu rn e d to w a rd s heaven, u tte rin g w ords in a lam e n ta b le to n e, a m o n g st w hich I distinctly h e a rd , W ocash A h -w e lth , m ean in g “ g o o d L o rd ,” a n d w hich has nearly th e sam e signification w ith Q u a h o o tze . T h o u g h I cam e very n e ar her, she a p p e a re d n o t to n o tice m e, b u t c o n tin u e d her d evotions. A n d I have frequently seen the w om en go a lo n e into th e w o o d s, evidently fo r th e p u rp o se o f ad d ressin g them selves to a su p e rio r Being, a n d it w as alw ays very percep tib le on th eir retu rn w hen they h a d been th u s em ployed, from th eir silence a n d m elancholy looks.

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T h ey h av e no belief, h o w e v er, in a sta te o f fu tu re existence, as I discovered in co n v ersatio n w ith M a q u in a a t T o o to o s c h ’s d e a th , on m y a tte m p tin g to con v in ce him th a t he still existed, and th a t h e w ould again see him a fte r his d e a th ; b u t he could c o m p re ­ h end no th in g o f it, a n d , p o in tin g to th e g ro u n d , said th a t there w as th e end o f h im , a n d th a t h e w as like th a t. N o r d o they believe in g hosts, n o tw ith sta n d in g th e case o f T o o to o sch w ould a p p e a r to c o n tra d ic t this a sse rtio n , b u t th a t w as a re m a rk ab le instance, a n d such a o n e as h a d never been know n to occur b efore; yet fro m th e m u m m eries p erfo rm e d o v er th e sick, it is very a p p a re n t th a t they believe in th e agency o f sp irits, as they a ttrib u te diseases to so m e evil o n e th a t has e n te red th e b o d y o f th e p a tie n t. N e ith e r have they any priests, unless a k in d o f c o n ju re r m ay b e so c onsidered w h o sings a n d prays o v e r th e sick to driv e aw ay th e evil spirit. O n th e b irth o f tw ins, they have a m o st sin g u lar custom , w hich, I p re su m e, has its origin in som e religious o p in io n , but w h at it is, I co u ld never satisfactorily learn. T h e fath er is p ro h ib ­ ited for th e space o f tw o y ears from e atin g any kind o f m ea t, o r fresh fish, d u rin g w hich tim e he does no k in d o f lab o u r w hatever, being supplied w ith w h at he h a d occasion for from th e trib e . In th e m ean tim e, h e a n d his w ife, w h o is also o bliged to c o n fo rm to th e sam e ab stin en ce, w ith th e ir ch ild ren , live entirely se p a ra te from th e o th ers, a sm all hut bein g built fo r th eir a cc o m m o d a tio n , a n d h e is nev er invited to any o f th e feasts, except such as consist w holly o f d rie d p ro v isio n , w h e re h e is tre a te d with g re a t respect, and seated a m o n g th e chiefs, th o u g h n o m o re h im self th a n a p riv a te individual. Such b irth s a re very ra re a m o n g th em ; an instance o f the kind, how ever, occu rred w hile I w as a t T ash ees the last tim e , but it w as th e only o n e know n since th e reign o f th e fo rm er king. T he fa th e r alw ays a p p e a re d very th o u g h tfu l a n d g loom y, n ev er a sso ­ ciated w ith th e o th e r in h ab itan ts, a n d w as a t n one o f th e feasts, b u t such as w ere entirely o f d rie d p ro v isio n , a n d o f this h e ate n ot to excess, a n d constantly re tired b efore th e a m u sem en ts c o m ­ m en ced . H is d ress w as very p la in , and h e w o re a ro u n d his head th e red fillet o f b a rk , th e sym bol o f m o u rn in g a n d d e v o tio n . It w as his daily p ractice to re p a ir to th e m o u n ta in , w ith a c h ie fs rattle in his h a n d , to sing and p ra y , as M a q u in a in fo rm ed m e, for th e fish to c o m e into th e ir w aters. W hen n o t th u s em p lo y ed , he k e p t c o ntinually a t h o m e, ex cep t w hen sent for to sing and p erfo rm his cere m o n ie s over th e sick, bein g con sid ered as a sacred c h ara cte r, a n d o n e m uch in favour w ith th e ir gods. T h ese p e o p le a re rem ark ab ly healthful, a n d live to a very

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adv an ced age, h aving q u ite a y o u th fu l a p p e a ra n c e for th e ir years. T h ey have scarcely a n y disease b u t th e colic, th eir rem edy for w h ic h is fric tio n , a p e rs o n r u b b in g th e b o w e ls o f th e sic k v io ­ le n tly , u n til th e p a in h a s s u b s id e d , w h ile th e c o n ju re r, o r h o ly m a n , is e m p lo y e d , in th e m e a n tim e , in m a k in g his g e s tu re s , singing, a n d re p ea tin g c ertain w o rd s, a n d blow ing o ff th e evil sp irit, w hen th e p a tie n t is w ra p p ed u p in a b earsk in , in o rd e r to p ro d u c e p e rsp iratio n . T h e ir c u re for th e rh e u m a tism , o r sim ilar pains, w hich I saw applied by M a q u in a in th e case o f T h o m p so n , to w hom it gave relief, is by cuttin g o r scarifying th e p a rt affected. In dressing w o u n d s, they sim ply w ash th em w ith salt w a ter, and b in d them up w ith a strip o f c lo th , o r th e b ark o f a tree. T h ey are, how ever, very e x p ert a n d successful in th e c u re o f fractu red o r d islocated lim bs, red u cin g th em very dex tero u sly , a n d , a fte r bin d in g th em up w ith b a rk , su p p o rtin g th em w ith blocks o f w o o d , so as to p res­ erve th e ir p o sitio n . D u rin g th e w hole tim e I w as a m o n g th e m , but five n a tu ra l d e a th s o ccu rred , T o o to o sch a n d his tw o infant ch ild ren , a n infant son o f M a q u in a , a n d th e slave w hom I have m en tio n ed , a c ir­ cu m sta n ce n o t a little re m a rk a b le in a p o p u latio n o f a b o u t fifteen h u n d re d ; a n d as respects c h ild -b irth , so light d o they m a k e o f it, th a t I h a v e seen th e ir w o m en , th e d a y afte r, em ployed as usual, as if little o r n o th in g h a d h ap p en e d . T h e N o o tk ia n s in th eir c o n d u c t to w a rd s each o th e r a re in general pacific a n d inoffensive, a n d a p p e a r by no m ea n s an ill-tem pered race, fo r I d o n o t recollect any instance o f a violent qu a rre l betw een any o f th e m en , o r th e m en a n d th e ir wives, w hile I w as w ith th em , th a t o f Y ealth lo w er excepted. B ut w hen they are in th e least offended, they a p p e a r to be in th e m ost violent rage, acting like so m an y m aniacs, fo am in g at th e m o u th , kicking a n d sp ittin g m o st furiously; but this is ra th e r a fashion w ith them th an a d e m o n stra tio n o f m alignity, as in th eir public speeches they use th e sam e v iolence, a n d he is e steem ed th e g re atest o ra to r w ho baw ls th e lou d est, sta m p s, tosses h im self a b o u t, foam s, a n d spits th e m ost. In sp eak in g o f th e ir reg u latio n s, I have o m itted m en tio n in g th a t, on a tta in in g th e age o f se v e n te en , th e eldest son o f a c h ie f is con sid ered as a c h ie f him self, a n d th a t w henever th e fa th e r m akes a p re sen t, it is alw ays d o n e in th e n a m e o f his eldest so n , o r, if he has n o n e , in th a t o f his d a u g h te r. T h e chiefs frequently p u rc h ase 4 4 th at is, m ake the first presentation o f bridc-w ealth; “ purchase” is an in ap p rop riate w ord here.

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th eir wives a t th e age o f eight o r te n , to p rev en t th eir being engaged by o th e rs, th o u g h th ey do n o t ta k e them fro m their p a re n ts until they are sixteen. W ith regard to clim ate, th e g re a te r p a rt o f th e spring, su m ­ m er, a n d a u tu m n is very p lea sa n t, th e w eath er being a t n o tim e oppressively h o t, a n d th e w in ters unco m m o n ly m ild for so high a latitu d e , at least, as far as m y experience w ent. A t T ash ee s and C o o p tee , w here w e passed th e coldest p a rt o f th e se a so n , the w in ter did n o t set in till late in D ecem b er, n o r have I e v er yet know n the ice, even on th e fresh -w ater p o n d s, m o re th a n tw o or th ree inches in thickness, o r a snow exceeding fo u r inches in d e p th ; but w h at is w an tin g in snow , is am p ly m ad e up in ra in , as I have frequently know n it, d u rin g th e w in te r m o n th s, rain alm ost incessantly for five o r six days in succession.

14. Arrival of the Brig “ Lydia” stratagem of the Author - Its Success I t w as now past m id su m m er, a n d th e hopes w e had indulged o f o u r release b ecam e d aily m o re fa in t, for tho u g h w e had h e ard o f no less th an seven vessels on th e co ast, yet n o n e a p p e a re d inclined to v en tu re to N o o tk a . T h e d e stru ctio n o f th e B oston , th e largest, strongest, a n d best e q u ip p e d ship, w ith th e m ost valuable carg o o f any th a t had e v er b e e n fitte d fo r th e N o r th - W e s t tr a d e , h a d in s p ire d th e c o m m a n d ers o f o th e rs w ith a general d re ad o f c o m in g th ith e r, lest they should share th e sam e fate; a n d th o u g h in th e letters I w rote (im p lo rin g those w ho should receive them to c o m e to the re lief o f tw o u n fo rtu n a te C h ristia n s w ho w ere suffering a m o n g h e ath en ), I stated th e cause o f th e Boston's c a p tu re , a n d th a t th ere w as not th e least d a n g e r in com ing to N o o tk a , p ro v id ed they w ould follow th e d irec tio n s 1 laid d o w n , still I felt very little e n co u ra g e ­ m en t th a t any o f these letters w ould com e to h a n d ; w hen, o n the m o rn in g o f th e 19th o f July, a day th a t will b e ever held by m e in g rateful rem e m b ra n c e o f th e m ercies o f G o d , w hile I w as em ployed w ith T h o m p so n in forging d aggers for th e k ing, m y ears w ere saluted w ith th e jo y fu l so u n d o f th ree can n o n , a n d the c rie s o f th e in h a b ita n ts , e x c la im in g " 'W e e n a , weena M a m eth-lee!" - th a t is, “ S tran g ers W hite m e n !” Soon after, several o f o u r p e o p le c am e ru n n in g into the house, to inform m e th a t a vessel u n d e r full sail w as com ing into th e h a rb o u r. T h o u g h m y h e art b o u n d e d w ith jo y , I repressed m y feelings, a n d , affecting to pay no a tte n tio n to w h at was said , told T h o m p so n to be on his g u a rd , a n d not b e tra y any jo y , as o u r release, a n d p e rh a p s o u r lives, d e p en d e d o n o u r cond u ctin g o u r­ selves so as to ind u ce th e natives to su ppose we w ere not very an x io u s to leave th em . W e c o n tin u e d o u r w ork as if noth in g had h a p p en e d , w hen, in a few m in u te s after, M a q u in a cam e in, a n d , seeing us a t w ork, ap p ea red m uch su rp rise d , and asked m e if did n o t k n o w th a t a vessel had com e. I answ ered in a careless m a n n e r, th a t it w as no th in g to m e. “ H ow , J o h n ,” said he, “ you n o g lad go b o a rd ? ” I replied th a t I cared very little a b o u t it, as I had becom e reconciled to their

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m an n e r o f living, and had no w ish to g o aw ay. H e th en told m e th a t h e had called a council o f his p eople respecting us, a n d th a t w e m ust leave o ff w ork a n d b e p resen t a t it. T h e m en having assem bled a t M a q u in a ’s h ouse, he asked th em w hat w as th eir o p in io n should be d o n e w ith T h o m p so n and m yself, now a vessel h a d a rriv e d , and w h e th er he had n o t b etter go on b o a rd him self, to m a k e a trad e, a n d p ro c u re such articles as w ere w a n ted . Each o n e o f th e trib e w ho w ished, gave his o p in io n . Som e w ere for p u ttin g us to d e a th , and p re te n d in g to th e stran g ers th a t a differen t n a tio n h a d c u t o ff th e B o sto n ; while o th ers, less b a rb aro u s, w ere for sending us fifteen o r tw enty m iles back into th e c o u n try , until th e d e p a rtu re o f th e vessel. T hese, how ever, w ere th e sen tim en ts o f th e c o m m o n people, th e chiefs o pposing o u r being p u t to d e a th , o r injured, a n d several o f th em , a m o n g th e m ost forw ard o f w hom w ere Y ealth lo w er and th e young c h ie f T o o w in n ak in n ish , w ere for im m ediately releasing us; but this, if he could avoid it, by no m eans a p p e a re d to accord w ith M a q u in a ’s w ishes. H aving m en tio n ed T o o w in n ak in n ish , I shall briefly observe th a t he w as a yo u n g m an o f a b o u t tw en ty -th ree y ears old, the only son o f T o o p ee sh o ttee , th e oldest a n d m o st respected c h ie f o f th e trib e . H is son h a d alw ays been re m a rk ab ly kind a n d friendly to m e, a n d I had in retu rn frequently m a d e for him daggers, cheeto lth s, a n d o th e r things, in m y best m a n n e r. H e w as o n e o f the h a n d so m est m en a m o n g th e m , very am iable, and m u ch m ild er in his m an n e rs th an any o f th e o th ers, as well as n e ater b o th in his p e rso n a n d h ouse, at least his apartm ent,- w ith o u t even excepting M a q u in a. W ith reg ard , how ever, to M a q u in a ’s going on b o a rd the vessel, w hich he discovered a stro n g in clin atio n to d o , th ere was but o n e o p in io n , all re m o n stra tin g a gainst it, telling him th a t the c a p ta in w o u ld kill him o r k e e p h im p ris o n e r, in c o n s e q u e n c e o f his having destro y ed o u r ship. W hen M a q u in a had heard their o p in io n s, he told them th a t he w as n o t afraid o f being h u rt from going on b o a rd th e vessel, b u t th at he w ould, how ever, as it respected th at, be guided by Jo h n , w hom he had alw ays found tr u e . H e th e n tu rn e d to m e , a n d a sk e d m e if 1 th o u g h t th e re w ould be a n y d a n g e r in his going on b o a rd . I answ ered, th at I w as n o t su rp rised a t the advice his p eople had given h im , u n a c ­ q u a in te d as they w ere w ith th e m an n e rs o f th e w hite m en , and ju d g in g them by th eir ow n; b u t if they had been w ith them as m u ch as I h ad , o r even him self, they w ould think very different. T h at he had alm ost alw ays ex p erienced g o o d and civil trea tm e n t from th em , n o r had he any reaso n to fear th e c o n tra ry now , as

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they nev er a tte m p ted to harm th o se w ho did n o t injure th em ; and if he w ished to go on b o a rd , he m ight d o it, in m y o p in io n , with security. A fte r reflecting a few m o m en ts, he said, w ith m uch a p p a re n t satisfactio n , th at if I w ould w rite a letter to th e c ap tain , telling him g o o d o f him , th a t he h a d tre a te d T h o m p so n and m yself kindly since we had been w ith him , a n d to use him well, he w ould go. It m ay easily be supposed th a t I felt m uch jo y a t this d e te rm i­ n a tio n , b u t, k n ow ing th a t th e least in cau tio n m ight a n n ih ilate all m y hopes o f escape, w as careful not to m anifest it, and to treat his g oing o r staying as a m a tte r perfectly indifferent to m e. I told him th a t, if he w ished m e to w rite such a le tte r, I had no objectio n , as it w as th e tru th , oth erw ise I could n o t have d o n e it. I then p roceeded to w rite th e re co m m e n d a to ry letter, w hich th e re ad e r will n atu rally im agine w as o f a so m e w h a t different te n o r from th e o n e he had re q u ire d ; for if d e ce p tio n is in any case w a rran ta b le , it w as certainly so in a situ atio n like ours, w here th e only ch an ce o f regaining th a t freedom o f w hich w e had been so unjustly d e p riv e d , d e p en d e d u p o n it; a n d I tru st th a t few, even o f th e m ost rigid, will c o n d em n m e w ith severity for m aking use o f it, on an occasion w hich a ffo rd e d m e th e only ho p e o f ever m o re b eholding a C h ristia n c o u n try , a n d preserving m yself, if not from d e a th , at least from a life o f c o n tin u e d suffering. T h e letter w hich I w rote w as nearly in th e follow ing term s: -

T O C A P T A IN _______ O F T H E B R IG _______ N o o t k a , J u ly 1 9 , 1 8 0 5 . T h e b e are r o f this letter is th e Indian king by the nam e o f M a q u in a. H e w as th e instigator o f th e c a p tu re o f th e ship B o sto n , o f B oston, in N o rth A m erica, Jo h n Salter, c a p ta in , an d o f th e m u rd e r o f tw e n ty -fiv e m e n o f h e r c re w , th e tw o o n ly survivors being now on sh o re - W h erefo re I h o p e you will tak e care to confine him a ccording to his m erits, p u ttin g in y o u r d ead-lights, and keeping so g o o d a w atch o v er him , th a t he c a n n o t escape from y ou. By so d o in g , we shall be able to ob tain o u r release in the course o f a few hours. S

ir ,

R . J e w i t t , A rm o u r e r o f th e "B oston," f o r h im se lf , a n d J o h n T h o m p s o n , S a il-m a k e r o f th e s a id ship. J

ohn

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I have been asked how I d a re d to w rite in this m an n er: m y answ er is, th a t from m y long residence a m o n g these p eo p le, I knew th a t I had little to a p p reh e n d from th eir a n g er on hearing o f th eir king being confined, w hile they knew his life d e p en d e d up o n m y release, a n d th a t they w ould so o n e r have given up five h u n d re d w hite m en , then have had him injured. T h is will serve to explain th e little ap p reh e n sio n I felt at th eir m enaces afterw ards, for o therw ise, sw eet as lib erty w as to m e, I sho u ld h ardly have ven tu red on so h aza rd o u s an ex p erim en t. O n m y giving th e letter to M a q u in a, h e asked m e to explain it to him . T h is I d id line by line, as he p o in ted them o u t w ith his finger, but in a sense very differen t from th e real, giving him to u n d e rsta n d th a t I had w ritten to th e c ap tain th at, as he h a d been kin d to m e since I had been tak e n by him , th a t it w as m y wish th a t th e c ap tain should tre a t him accordingly, and give him w hat m olasses, biscuit, and ru m he w an ted . W hen I had finished, placing his finger in a significant m an ­ ner on m y n a m e a t th e b o tto m , and eyeing m e w ith a look th a t seem ed to read m y in m o st th o u g h ts, he said to m e, “ Jo h n , you no lie?” N ever did I u n d e rg o such a scrutiny, o r ever experience g re a te r a p p reh e n sio n s th a n I felt at th a t m o m e n t, w hen m y des­ tiny w as su sp en d e d on th e slightest th re a d , and the least m ark o f em b a rra ssm e n t o n m ine, o r suspicion o f trea ch e ry on his part, w ould p ro b a b ly have ren d ere d m y life th e sacrifice. F o rtu n a te ly I w as ab le to preserve m y c o m p o su re, a n d m y being p a in te d in th e In d ia n m an n e r, w hich M a q u in a h a d since m y m arriag e req u ired o f m e, p re v en ted any change in m y c o u n te ­ n an ce from being n oticed, a n d I replied w ith c onsiderable p ro m p ­ titu d e , loo k in g a t him in m y tu rn , w ith all th e c onfidence I could m u ster, “ W hy d o y o u ask m e such a q u e stio n , Tyee? H ave y o u ever k n o w n m e to lie?” “ N o .” “ T h en how can you su p p o se I should tell you a lie now , since I have never d o n e it?” A s I w as sp eak in g , h e still c ontinued looking at m e w ith the sam e p iercing eye, b u t, observing nothing to excite his suspicion, h e told m e th a t he believed w h a t I said w as tru e, a n d th a t he w ould go on b o a rd , a n d gave o rd e rs to get read y his canoe. H is chiefs again a tte m p te d to d issu ad e him , using, every a rg u m e n t fo r th a t p u rp o se , w hile his wives crow ded a ro u n d h im , begging him on th e ir knees n o t to tru st h im self w ith th e w hite m en. F o rtu n a te ly for m y c o m p a n io n and m yself, so stro n g w as his w ish o f going on b o a rd th e vessel, th a t h e w as d e af to th eir so licitations, a n d , m ak in g no o th e r reply to th em th an

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“ J o h n no lie ,” left th e house, tak in g four p rim e sk in s w ith him as a p re sen t to th e c ap tain . Scarcely had th e c an o e p u t off, w hen he o rd e re d his m en to sto p , an d , calling to m e, asked m e if I did n o t w an t to go on b o a rd w ith him . Suspecting this as a q u e stio n m erely in ten d ed to e n sn are m e, I replied th a t I h a d no w ish to d o it, n o t having any desire to leave th em . O n g oing on b o a rd the brig, M a q u in a im m ediately g av e his p re sen t o f skins and m y letter to th e c a p ta in , w ho, on read in g it, asked him into th e cab in , w here h e gave him so m e biscuit an d a glass o f ru m , a t th e sam e tim e privately d irectin g his m ate to go fo rw ard, a n d re tu rn w ith five o r six o f th e m en arm e d . W hen they a p p e a re d , th e c ap tain told M a q u in a th a t he w as his p riso n er, a n d should c o n tin u e so , until th e tw o m en , w hom he k n e w to be on sh o re , w ere released, a t th e sam e tim e o rd e rin g him to be p u t in irons, a n d th e w indow s secured, w hich w as instantly d o n e , and a cou p le o f m en placed as a g u a rd over him . M a q u in a w as greatly surprised and terrified a t this recep tio n ; he, how ever, m ad e no a tte m p t to resist, b u t req u ested th e c ap tain to perm it o n e o f his m en to com e and see him . O ne o f them w as a c c o rd ­ ingly called, and M a q u in a said som eth in g to him w hich the c ap tain did not u n d e rstan d , but su p p o sed to b e a n o rd e r to release us, w hen, th e m an re tu rn in g to th e canoe, it w as p ad d led o ff w ith th e u tm o st ex p en d itio n to th e shore. A s th e c an o e a p p ro ac h ed , th e in h ab itan ts, w ho had all col­ lected upon th e beach, m anifested som e u neasiness at n o t seeing th eir king on b o a rd , b u t w hen, o n its arriv al, they w ere told th a t th e c ap tain had m ad e him a p riso n e r, and th a t Jo h n had sp o k e bad a b o u t him in th e letter, they all, b o th m en a n d w o m en , set up a lo u d how l, a n d ran b ack w ard s and forw ards upon th e shore like so m an y lunatics, scratching th e ir faces, a n d tearin g th e h air in handfuls from th eir heads. A fter they had beat a b o u t in this m a n n e r for som e tim e , th e m en ran to th eir h u ts fo r th e ir w eapons, as if p re p arin g to attack a n invading enem y; w hile M a q u in a ’s wives and th e rest o f th e w o m e n c a m e a ro u n d m e , a n d , th ro w in g th e m se lv e s o n th e ir k nees, begged m e w ith tea rs to sp a re his life; and S at-sat-sok-sis, w ho k e p t constantly w ith m e, tak in g m e by th e h a n d , w ept b itterly , a n d jo in e d his e n tre aties to theirs, th a t 1 w ould not let th e w hite m en kill his father. I told th em n o t to afflict them selves, th a t M a q u in a ’s life w as in no d a n g er, n o r w ould the least harm b e d o n e to him . T h e m en w ere, how ever, extrem ely exasperated w ith m e, m o re p articularly th e co m m o n p e o p le , w ho cam e running in the

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m o st fu rious m a n n e r to w ard s m e, b ran d ish in g th eir w eap o n s, and th rea te n in g to cu t m e in pieces no bigger th an th eir th u m b -n a ils, w hile o th ers declared they w ould b u m m e alive over a slow fire su sp en d ed by m y heels. A ll th is fury, how ever, caused m e but little a larm , as I felt c onvinced they w ould n o t d a re to execute th eir th rea ts w hile th e king w as on b o a rd th e brig. T h e chiefs to o k no p a rt in this violent c onduct, but cam e to m e, a n d inq u ired th e reason why M a q u in a had been th u s treated , a n d if the c ap tain intended to kill him . I told them th a t if they w ould silence th e p eople, so th a t I co u ld be h e ard , I w ould explain all to th em . T hey im m ediately p u t a sto p to th e noise, w hen I inform ed them th a t th e c a p ta in , in confining M a q u in a, had d o n e it only in o rd e r to m ak e them release T h o m p so n and m yself, as h e well knew w e w ere w ith them ; a n d if they w ould d o th a t, th eir king w ould receive no injury, b u t be well trea te d , o th erw ise he w ould be k e p t a p riso n er. A s m an y o f them did not a p p e a r to be satisfied w ith this, and began to re p ea t th eir m u rd e ro u s th rea ts - “ Kill m e ,” said I to th e m , “ if it is y o u r w ish,” thro w in g o pen th e bearskin w hich I w ore. “ H ere is m y breast. I am only o n e a m o n g so m an y , and can m ake no resistance; b u t unless you w ish to see y o u r king h an g in g by his neck to th a t p o le ,” p o in tin g to th e y a rd -a rm o f the brig, “ a n d th e sailors firing at him w ith bullets, y o u will not do it.” “ O h n o ,” w as th e general cry, “ th a t m ust never be; b u t w hat m ust we d o ? ” I told th em th a t th eir best p lan w ould be to send T h o m p so n on b o a rd , to d e sire th e c ap tain to use M a q u in a well till I w as released, w hich w ould be so o n . T his they w ere perfectly w illing to d o , and i directed T h o m p so n to go on b o a rd . But he objected, saying th a t he w ould not leave m e a lo n e w ith the savages. I told him not to be u n d e r any fear for m e, for th a t if I could get him off, I could m an a g e well en o u g h for m yself; and th a t 1 w ished him , im m ediately on g e ttin g on board th e brig, to see th e c ap tain , a n d request him to keep M a q u in a close till I was released, as I w as in no d a n g e r while he had him safe. W h en 1 saw T h o m p so n off, I asked th e natives w h at they intended to d o w ith m e. T hey said I m ust talk to th e c ap tain ag ain , in a n o th e r letter, a n d tell him to let his b o a t c o m e on sh o re w ith M a q u in a , and th a t I should be ready to ju m p in to the b o a t at the sam e tim e M a q u in a should ju m p on sh o re. I told them th at th e c a p ta in , w ho knew th a t they had killed m y sh ip ­ m ates, w ould nev er tru st his m en so n e ar th e sh o re, for fear they could kill them to o , as they w ere so m uch m o re n u m ero u s, but th a t if they w ould select any th ree o f th eir n u m b e r to go w ith m e

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in a can o e , w hen we c am e w ithin hail, I w ould desire th e cap tain to send his boat w ith M a q u in a, to receive m e in exchange for him . T h is a p p ea red to please th em , a n d a fte r som e w hispering a m o n g th e chiefs, w ho, from w h at w ords I o v e rh ea rd , concluded th a t if th e c ap tain should refuse to send his b o a t w ith M a q u in a, the th ree m en w ould have no difficulty in b ringing m e back w ith th em , they agreed to m y p ro p o sa l, a n d selected th ree o f th eir sto u test m en to convey m e. F o rtu n a te ly , having been for som e tim e accustom ed to see m e a rm e d , and suspecting no design on m y p a rt, they p a id no a tte n tio n to th e p istols th a t I had a b o u t m e. A s I w as g o in g in to th e c an o e , little S at-sat-sok-sis, w ho could not b e ar to p a rt w ith m e, asked m e, w ith a n affecting sim plicity, since I w as going aw ay to leave him , i f th e w hite m en w ould n o t let his fath er com e o n sh o re , and n o t kill him . I told him n o t to b e co n cern ed , for th a t no o n e should in ju re his father, w hen, tak in g an affectionate leave o f m e, a n d again begging m e not to let th e w hite m en h u rt his fa th e r, he ran to c o m fo rt his m o th e r, w ho w as a t a little d istan c e, w ith th e assurances I had given him . O n e n te rin g th e can o e , I seated m yself in th e p ro w facing th e th ree m en , h aving d e te rm in e d , if it w as practicab le, from th e m o m e n t I fo u n d M a q u in a w as se c u re d , to g et on b o a rd th e vessel before h e w as released, hop in g by th a t m eans to b e en ab led to o b ta in th e re sto ratio n o f w hat p ro p e rty belonging to th e B oston still rem ain ed in th e possession o f th e savages, w hich I th o u g h t, if it could be d o n e , a d u ty th a t I ow ed to th e ow ners. W ith feelings o f jo y im possible to b e described did I q u it th e savage shore, c o n fid e n t now th a t n o th in g co u ld th w a rt m y escape, o r p revent th e execution o f th e plan th a t 1 h a d fo rm ed , as th e m en a p p o in te d to convey a n d g u a rd m e w ere arm ed w ith n o th in g but th eir paddles. A s w e cam e w ithin hail o f th e brig, they a t once ceased paddling, w hen, presen tin g m y p istols a t th em , I o rd e re d them instantly to go o n , o r I w ould sh o o t th e w hole o f th em . A pro ceed in g so w holly unexpected th rew them into g re a t c o n ste rn a ­ tio n , a n d , resum ing th eir p addles, in a few m o m e n ts, to m y inexpressible d elight, I once m o re found m yself a longside o f a C h ristian ship, a h a ppiness w hich I h a d alm ost d esp aired o f ever again enjoying. All th e crew cro w d ed to th e sid e to see m e as th e c an o e cam e up, and m anifested m u ch jo y a t m y safety. I im m e d i­ ately leaped on b o a rd , w here I w as w elcom ed by th e c a p ta in , Sam uel H ill, o f th e brig L y d ia o f B oston, w ho c o n g ratu la ted m e

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on m y escape, inform ing m e th a t he h a d received m y letter o f K lo iz -z a rt1 from th e c h ie f M ach ee U latilla, w ho c am e o ff h im self in h is c a n o e to d e liv e r it to h im , o n w h ic h h e im m e d ia te ly p ro ceed ed h ith e r to aid m e. I re tu rn e d him m y th an k s in th e best m a n n e r I could for his h u m a n ity , th o u g h I h a rd ly knew w h at 1 said , such w as th e a g ita te d sta te o f th an k fu ln ess to th e S uprem e Being w ho h a d so m ercifully preserv ed m e, a n d g ra titu d e to those w h o m H e had ren d ered in stru m e n tal in m y delivery, th a t I have no d o u b t th a t, w h at w ith m y stra n g e d ress, being p a in te d w ith red an d black from h e ad to fo o t, having a b e arsk in w ra p p ed a ro u n d m e, a n d m y long h a ir, w hich 1 w as n o t allow ed to c u t, fastened on th e to p o f m y head in a large bun ch , w ith a sprig o f green sp ru c e, I m ust have a p p e a re d m o re like o n e d e ran g e d th an a ra tio n al c rea tu re , as C a p ta in Hill a fte rw a rd s told m e th a t he nev er saw an y th in g in th e fo rm o f m an look so wild as I did w hen I first cam e on b o ard . T h e c ap tain then asked m e into th e cab in , w h e re I found M a q u in a in iro n s, w ith a g u a rd o v e r h im . H e looked very m elan ­ choly, but on seeing m e his c o u n te n a n c e b rig h ten ed up, and he expressed his pleasu re w ith th e w elcom e o f " W o c a sh , J o h n ," w h en , tak in g him by th e h a n d , I a sk e d th e c a p ta in ’s perm ission to ta k e o ff his irons, assuring him th at, as I w as w ith h im , th ere w as no d a n g e r o f his being in th e least tro u b le so m e . H e a c c o rd ­ ingly c o n se n te d , a n d I felt a sincere pleasu re in freeing from fetters a m an w ho, th o u g h h e had caused th e d e a th o f m y p o o r co m ra d es, had nevertheless alw ays pro v ed m y friend a n d p ro tec ­ to r, a n d w h o m I had req u ested to b e th u s tre a te d , only w ith a view o f securing m y liberty. M a q u in a sm iled, and a p p e a re d m uch pleased a t this m ark o f a tte n tio n from m e. W h en I h a d freed the king from his irons, C a p ta in Hill w ished to learn th e pa rticu la rs o f o u r c ap tu re, observing th a t a n a cco u n t o f th e d e stru ctio n o f the sh ip a n d h e r crew h a d been received at B oston b e fo re h e sailed, b u t th a t n o th in g m o re w as kn o w n , except th a t tw o o f th e m en w e re liv in g , fo r w h o se r e s c u e th e o w n e rs h a d o ffe re d a lib e ral rew ard, a n d th a t h e h a d been ab le to get n o th in g o u t o f th e old m an , w hom th e sailors h a d supplied so plentifully w ith g ro g as to b ring him to o m uch by th e h e ad to give any in fo rm a tio n . I gave him a c o rre c t sta te m e n t o f th e w hole p roceeding, to g eth e r w ith th e m a n n e r in w hich m y life a n d th a t o f my c o m ra d e had been preserved. O n h earin g m y story, h e w as greatly irrita te d a gainst M a q u in a , a n d said h e o u g h t to b e killed. I observed th a t, how ever ill he m ig h t have acted in tak in g o u r ship, 1 an o th er spelling variant o f C lahousat.

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yet th a t it m ight p e rh a p s be w rong to ju d g e an u n in fo rm e d savage w ith th e sa m e severity as a civilised p e rso n , w ho h a d th e light o f religion a n d th e law s o f society to g u id e h im . T h a t M a q u in a ’s c o n d u ct in tak in g o u r sh ip arose from an insult th a t h e th o u g h t he h a d re c e iv e d fro m C a p ta in S a lte r, a n d fro m th e u n ju s tifia b le c o n d u ct o f so m e m asters o f vessels w ho h a d ro b b e d h im , and, w ith o u t p ro v o c atio n , killed a n u m b e r o f his p e o p le . B esides, th at a regard fo r th e safety o f o th e rs o u g h t to p re v en t his b ein g put to d e a th , as I had lived long en o u g h w ith th ese p e o p le to know th a t revenge o f an injury is held sacred by th e m , a n d th a t they w ould n o t fail to retaliate, should w e kill th e ir king, on th e first vessel o r b o a t’s crew th a t should give them a n o p p o rtu n ity ; a n d th a t, th o u g h he m ig h t c o n sid er executing him as b u t a n act o f ju stic e , it w ould p ro b a b ly cost th e lives o f m an y A m ericans. T h e c ap tain a p p e a re d to b e c onvinced from w h a t I said o f th e im policy o f tak in g M a q u in a ’s life, a n d said th a t h e w ould leave it w holly w ith m e w h e th er to sp a re o r kill h im , as h e w as resolved to in cu r no cen su re in e ith e r case. I replied th a t I m ost certainly should never ta k e th e life o f a m an w ho h a d preserved m in e, had I no o th e r re aso n , b u t as th ere w as so m e o f th e B o sto n ’s p ro p e rty still re m a in in g o n sh o re , I c o n sid ere d it a d u ty th a t I o w e d to th o se w h o w ere in terested in th a t sh ip , to try to save it for th em , a n d w ith th a t view I th o u g h t it. w ould be well to keep h im on bo a rd till it w as given u p . H e co n cu rre d in this p ro p o sa l, saying, if th e re w as a n y o f th e p ro p e rty left, it m ost certain ly o u g h t to be got. D u rin g this co n v ersatio n M a q u in a w as in g re a t anxiety, as, from w h at E nglish he kenw , he perfectly co m p re h en d e d th e su b ­ jec t o f o u r d e lib e ra tio n ; co n stan tly in te rru p tin g m e to in q u ire w h at w e h a d d e te rm in e d to d o w ith h im , w h a t th e c ap tain said , if his life w ould b e sp a red , a n d if I d id n o t th in k th a t T h o m p so n w ould kill him . I pacified him as well as I w as able, by telling him th a t h e had n o th in g to fear from th e c a p ta in , th a t he w ould not b e h u rt, a n d th a t if T h o m p so n w ished to kill him , h e w ould not be allow ed to d o it. H e w o u ld then re m in d m e th a t I w as in d eb te d to him for m y life, a n d th a t I o u g h t to d o by him as he had d o n e by m e. I assured him th a t such w as m y in te n tio n , a n d 1 req u ested him to re m a in q u iet, a n d n o t ala rm him self, as no harm w as in te n d e d h im . But I found it extrem ely difficult to convince him o f th is, as it acco rd ed so little w ith th e ideas o f revenge e n te rta in ed by th e m . I told h im , ho w ev er, th a t h e m ust re sto re all th e p ro p e rty still in his possession belonging to th e ship. T h is he w as perfectly read y to d o , h a p p y to escap e on such term s. B ut as it w as now p a st five, a n d to o late fo r th e articles to be

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collected a n d b ro u g h t off, I told him th a t he m ust c o n te n t him self to rem ain o n b o a rd w ith m e th a t nig h t, a n d in th e m o rn in g he sho u ld be set on sh o re as so o n as th e things w ere delivered. T o this h e agreed, on c o n d itio n th a t I w ould rem ain w ith him in the cab in . I th en w ent u p o n d eck , a n d th e c an o e th a t b ro u g h t m e having been se n t back, I hailed th e in h a b ita n ts a n d told th em that th e ir king h a d ag reed to stay on b o a rd till th e next d ay , w hen he w ould re tu rn , b u t th a t no c an o e s m ust a tte m p t to com e n e a r the vessel d u rin g th e n ig h t, as th e y w o u ld b e fire d u p o n . T h e y a n sw e red , “ W oho, w oho" - V ery well, very w ell.” I then re tu rn e d to M a q u in a , but so g re a t w ere his terro rs, th a t h e w ould n o t allow m e to sleep, c o n stan tly d istu rb in g m e w ith his q u e stio n s, a n d re p ea tin g , “ Jo h n , y o u k now , w hen you w as alo n e, a n d m o re th a n five h u n d re d m en w ere y o u r enem ies, I w as y o u r frien d , a n d p re v en ted th em from p u ttin g y o u and T h o m p so n to d e a th , a n d now I a m in th e p o w e r o f y o u r friends, y o u o u g h t to d o th e sam e by m e .” I assured him th a t h e w ould be d e ta in e d on b o a rd no longer than w hilst th e p ro p e rty was released, a n d th a t as so o n as it w as d o n e , h e w ould be set at liberty. A t d a y b rea k I hailed th e natives, a n d told th em th a t it was M a q u in a ’s o rd e r th a t they sh o u ld b ring o ff th e c an n o n and a n ch o rs, a n d w hatever rem ain ed w ith th em o f th e carg o o f the ship. T h is they set a b o u t d o in g w ith th e utm o st e x p ed itio n , tra n s­ p o rtin g th e c an n o n a n d an ch o rs by lashing to g e th e r tw o o f their largest can o es, a n d covering th em w ith plan k s, a n d in th e course o f tw o ho u rs they delivered e verything on b o a rd th a t I could recollect; w ith T h o m p s o n ’s a n d m y chest, c o n ta in in g th e p a p ers o f th e sh ip , etc. W h en ev erything b elonging to th e sh ip h a d been restored, M a q u in a w as p e rm itte d to re tu rn in his canoe, w hich had been sent for him , w ith a p resen t o f w h at sk in s he had collected, which w ere a b o u t sixty, for th e c a p ta in , in a ck n o w led g m en t o f his having sp ared his life, a n d allow ed him to d e p a rt u n h u rt. Such w as also th e tra n sp o rt h e felt w hen C a p ta in Hill cam e in to th e c ab in , a n d told him th a t he w as a t liberty to g o , th a t he th rew o ff his m an tle, w hich consisted o f fo u r o f th e very best skins, a n d gave it to him as a m ark o f his g ra titu d e ; in re tu rn for w hich th e c ap tain p resen ted him w ith a new g re atco a t a n d hat, w ith w hich h e a p p e a re d m u ch delig h ted . T h e c ap tain th en desired m e to inform him th a t he sh o u ld re tu rn to th a t p a rt o f th e coast in N o v e m b er, a n d th a t h e w ished him to keep w h at sk in s he sho u ld get, w hich h e w ould buy o f h im . T h is M a q u in a pro m ised , saying to m e a t th e sam e tim e , “ J o h n , y o u know I shall b e then

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a t T ashees, b u t w hen y o u com e, m a k e p o w ,” w hich m eans, fire a g u n , “ to let m e know , a n d I will c o m e d o w n .” W h en h e c am e to th e side o f th e brig, h e sh o o k m e cordially by th e h a n d , a n d told m e th a t h e h o p e d I w ould com e to see him again in a big ship, and b ring m uch plen ty o f b lan k e ts, biscuit, m olasses, a n d rum , for him a n d his son, w h o loved m e a g re at deal; a n d th a t he w ould keep all th e furs h e got fo r m e, o bserving a t th e sam e tim e, th a t h e sh o u ld never m o re ta k e a le tte r o f re co m m e n d a tio n from any o n e, o r ever tru st h im self o n b o a rd a vessel unless 1 was th ere. T h en , grasping b o th m y h a n d s w ith m uch e m o tio n , w hile th e tea rs trickled dow n his cheeks, h e b a d e m e farew ell, a n d stept into th e c an o e , w hich im m ediately p a d d le d him on shore. N o tw ith stan d in g m y jo y a t m y deliverance, a n d th e pleasing a n tic ip a tio n I felt o f o n c e m o re b e h o ld in g a civilised c o u n try , and again being p e rm itte d to offer u p m y d e v o tio n s in a C h ristia n ch u rch , 1 could n o t av o id experien cin g a p ainful se n sa tio n on p a rtin g w ith th e savage chief, w h o h a d preserved m y life, a n d in general tre a te d m e w ith kindness, a n d , c o n sid erin g th eir ideas and m an n ers, m uch b e tte r th an could have been expected. M y pleasu re w as also greatly d a m p e d by a n u n fo rtu n a te accident th a t o ccurred to T o o w in n a k in n ish . T h a t interesting yo u n g c h ie f h a d c o m e on b o a rd in th e first c an o e in th e m o rn in g , a n xious to see a n d c o m fo rt his king. H e w as received w ith m uch k in d n ess by C a p ta in H ill, from th e fav o u rab le a cc o u n t I gave o f h im , a n d invited to rem ain on b o a rd . A s th e m uskets w ere d elivered, h e w as in th e cabin w ith M a q u in a , w here w as a lso the c ap tain , w h o , on receiving th em , sn a p p e d a n u m b e r in o rd e r to try th e locks; unluckily o n e o f th em h a p p en e d to b e loaded w ith sw an sh o t, a n d , going off, d ischarged its c o n te n ts into th e body o f p o o r T o o w in n ak in n ish , w ho w as sittin g o p p o site. O n h earin g th e re p o rt, 1 instantly ran into the c ab in , w here I fo u n d him w eltering in his b lo o d , w ith th e c a p ta in , w ho w as greatly shocked at th e a ccident, e n d ea v o u rin g to assist him . W e ra is e d him u p , a n d d id e v e ry th in g in o u r p o w e r to a id and com fort him , telling him th a t w e felt m uch g rieved a t his m isfo rtu n e, a n d th a t it w as w holly u n in te n tio n a l; this h e told m e he w as perfectly satisfied of, a n d w hile w e dressed a n d b o u n d up his w ounds, in th e best m an n e r w e co u ld , h e b o re th e pain w ith g re at calm ness, a n d , bid d in g m e farew ell, w as p u t on b o a rd one o f th e c an o e s and ta k e n on sh o re , w here, a fte r languishing a few days, he expired. T o m e his m isfo rtu n e w as a so u rce o f m uch affliction, as h e had no sh a re in th e m assacre o f o u r crew , w as o f a m o st a m ia b le c h a ra c te r, and h a d alw ays tre a te d m e w ith the g reatest kindness a n d hospitality.

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T h e brig being u n d e r w eigh, im m ed iately on M a q u in a ’s q u it­ ting us, w e p ro ceed ed to th e n o rth w a rd , constantly keeping the sh o re in sight, a n d touching a t v a rio u s places for th e p u rp o se o f trading. H aving alread y exceeded th e b o u n d s I h a d prescribed myself, I shall n o t a tte m p t any a cc o u n t o f o u r voyage u p o n th e c o ast, or a descrip tio n o f th e vario u s n a tio n s w e m et w ith in th e co u rse o f it, a m o n g w h o m w ere a p e o p le o f a very sin g u lar ap p ea ran c e, called by th e sailors th e W o o d en -lip s.2 T h ey have m an y skins, and* th e tra d e is principally m an a g ed by th e ir w o m en , w ho a re not only ex p ert in m ak in g a b a rg a in , b u t as dex tero u s in th e m an ag e­ m en t o f th eir canoes as th e m en a re elsew here. A fter a p e rio d o f nearly fo u r m o n th s from o u r leaving N o o tk a , w e re tu rn e d from th e n o rth w a rd to C o lu m b ia R iver, for th e p u rp o s e o f p r o c u rin g m a s ts , e tc ., fo r o u r b rig , w h ic h h a d su ffe re d ' co n sid erab ly in her sp ars d u rin g a gale o f w ind. W e p ro ceed ed a b o u t ten m iles up th e river to a sm all In d ian village, w here w e h e a rd from th e in h a b ita n ts th a t C a p ta in s C lark and L ew is, from th e U n ited S tates o f A m e ric a, had been th e re a b o u t a fortn ig h t b efo re, on th e ir jo u rn e y o v erlan d , a n d had left several m edals w ith th em , w hich they show ed u s.3 T he riv er at th is placeis o f c o n sid era b le b re a d th , a n d b o th sides o f it from its e n tra n ce covered w ith forests o f th e forests o f th e very finest p in e tim b e rs, fir, a n d sp ru ce, in terspersed w ith th e Indian settlem ents. F ro m th is place, a fte r pro v id in g ourselves w ith sp ars, we sailed for N o o tk a , w here w e a rriv e d in th e la tte r p a rt o f N o v e m ­ b e r. T h e trib e bein g a b se n t, th e ag reed signal w as given, by firing a can n o n , a n d in a few h o u rs a fte r a can o e a p p e a re d , w hich lan d ed a t th e village, a n d , p u ttin g th e king on sh o re, c am e o ff to th e brig. In q u iry w as im m ed iately m a k e by K in n eclim m ets, w ho w as o n e o f th e th ree m en in th e canoe, if Jo h n w as th e re , as th e king h a d so m e skins to sell th em if h e w as. I then w en t forw ard a n d invited th em on b o a rd , w ith w hich they readily com plied, telling m e th a t M a q u in a h a d a n u m b e r o f skins w ith him , but th a t he w ould n o t c o m e on b o a rd unless I w ould g o on sh o re for him . T h is I a g ree d to, p ro v id ed they w ould rem ain in th e brig in th e m ea n tim e. T o this they c o n se n te d , a n d th e c a p ta in , taking them into th e c ab in , tre a te d th em w ith b read and m olasses. I then 2 i.e. th e H aida. T he nam e “ w ooden-lips” derives from the Haida practice o f w earing labrets, oval w ooden discs inserted in a perfora­ tion in the lower lip. 3 probably th e village was one o f the C latsop groups o f the lower C olum bia.

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w ent on sh o re in th e can o e , n o tw ith sta n d in g th e rem o n stran ces o f T h o m p so n a n d th e c a p ta in , w h o , th o u g h h e w an ted th e skins, advised m e by no m ea n s to p u t m yself in M a q u in a ’s pow er; b u t I a s s u re d h im th a t I h a d n o fe a r as lo n g as th o s e m en w e re on bo ard . A s I lan d ed , M a q u in a cam e u p a n d w elcom ed m e w ith m uch joy: o n in q u irin g for th e m en, 1 to ld him th a t they w ere to rem ain till m y re tu rn . “ A h , J o h n ,” said he, “ I see y o u a re afraid to tru st m e, b u t if they h a d c o m e w ith y o u , I should n o t have h u rt you, th o u g h I should h a v e ta k e n g o o d care n o t to let you go on b o a rd o f a n o th e r vessel.” H e th en to o k his chest o f skins, a n d , ste p p in g into th e canoe, I p a d d le d him alo n g sid e th e brig, w here h e w as received a n d tre a te d by C a p ta in Hill w ith th e g re atest cord iality , w ho b o u g h t o f him his skins. H e left us m uch pleased w ith his re ce p tio n , inquiring o f m e how m an y m o o n s it w o u ld be b e fo re I sh o u ld c o m e b a c k a g a in to see h im a n d h is s o n ; sa y in g th a t he w ould keep all his furs for m e , a n d th a t as so o n as m y so n , w ho w as th en a b o u t five m o n th s old, w as o f a su itab le age to tak e from his m o th e r, he w o u ld send fo r h im , a n d ta k e care o f him as his o w n. A s s o o n as M a q u in a h a d q u itte d u s, w e g o t u n d e r w e ig h , a n d s to o d a g a in to th e n o r th w a rd . W e c o n tin u e d on th e c o ast until th e 11th o f A u g u st, 1806,4 w h en , having co m p le te d o u r trad e , w e sailed fo r C h in a , to th e g re a t jo y o f all o u r crew , and p a rtic u ­ larly so to m e. W ith a degree o f satisfactio n th a t I can ill express, d id I q u it a co ast to w hich 1 w as resolved n o th in g should again te m p t m e to re tu rn , a n d as th e to p s o f th e m o u n ta in s sank in th e blue w aves o f th e ocean, I seem ed to feel m y h e a rt lightened o f an op p ressiv e load. W e h a d a p ro sp e ro u s passage to C h in a , a rriv in g at M a c a o in D ecem b er, from w hence th e brig p ro ceed ed to C a n to n . T h e re I h a d th e g o o d fo rtu n e to m eet a to w n sm an a n d an old a c q u a in t­ an ce in th e m ate o f a n English E ast In d iam an , nam ed J o h n H ill, w hose fa th e r, a w ealthy m erc h an t in H ull in th e Baltic tra d e , was a n e x t-d o o r n e ig h b o u r to m in e. S hortly a fte r o u r arriv al, th e c a p ta in bein g o n b o a rd o f an E nglish ship, a n d m en tio n in g his 4 1806 m ay b e a m isprint for 1807, by inference from Jew itt's pre­ vious rem arks about the Lewis and C lark expedition. On the other h an d , Jew itt dates th eir d ep artu re from C hina as F ebruary. 1807. T he consistency in Jew itt’s dating argues against a m isprint. H e may sim ply have m ade an erro r o f a year during conversations with his editor, R ichard A lsop. In any case, the dates given by Jew itt for the d ep artu re o f th e Lewis and C lark expedition d o not accord well with the dates given in the jo u rn als o f that expedition.

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h aving had th e g o o d fo rtu n e to lib e rate tw o m en o f th e B o sto n 's crew from th e savages, a n d th a t o n e o f th em w as nam ed Je w itt, m y fo rm e r a c q u a in ta n ce im m ed iately c o m e on b o a rd th e brig to see m e. W o rd s can ill express m y feelings on seeing him . C ircu m ­ sta n ce d as I w as, a m o n g p erso n s w ho w ere e n tire stran g ers to m e, to m eet th u s in a foreign land w ith o n e betw een w hom and m yself a c o n sid era b le intim acy h a d su b sisted , w as a pleasu re th at those a lo n e w ho have been in a sim ilar situ atio n can p roperly estim ate. H e a p p e a re d on his p a rt no less h ap p y to see m e, w hom h e su p p o sed to be dead , as th e a cco u n t o f o u r cap tu re had been received in E ngland so m e tim e before his sailing, and all m y friends su p p o sed m e to have b e en m u rd ere d . F ro m this young m an 1 received every a tte n tio n a n d a id th a t a feeling h e art inter­ ested in th e fate o f a n o th e r could confer. H e supplied m e w ith a new suit o f clothes a n d a h a t, a sm all su m o f m oney for my n ecessary expenses, and a n u m b e r o f little articles for sea sto re s on m y voyage to A m erica. I also g av e him a letter fo r m y father, in w hich I m en tio n ed m y w o n d erfu l p reserv atio n and escape th ro u g h th e h u m an ity o f C a p ta in Hill, w ith w hom 1 should re tu rn to B oston. T h is letter he enclosed to his fa th e r by a sh ip th a t was ju s t sailing, in co n seq u en ce o f w hich it w as received m uch earlier th a n it oth erw ise w ould have b een . W e left C h in a in F e b ru a ry 1807, a n d , a fte r a p leasant voyage o f o n e h u n d re d a n d fourteen d a y s, a rriv e d a t B oston. M y feelings on once m o re finding m yself in a C h ristia n c o u n try , a m o n g a p e o p le sp eak in g th e sa m e language w ith m yself, m ay be m ore readily conceived than expressed. In th e p o st office in th a t place I fo u n d a letter fo r m e from m y m o th e r, acknow ledging th e receipt o f m in e fro m C h in a , e x p re s s in g th e g re a t jo y o f m y fa m ily on h earing o f m y being alive a n d well, w hom they had for a long tim e given up for d e ad , a n d req u estin g m e to w rite to th em on receiving h e r letter, w hich I accordingly d id . W hile in B oston I w as tre a te d w ith m uch kin d n ess a n d h o sp itality by th e ow ners o f th e sh ip B o sto n , M essrs. F ra n c is a n d T h o m a s A m o ry o f that place, to w hom I feel m yself u n d e r g re at ob lig atio n s for th eir g o o d n ess to m e, a n d th e a ssistan ce w hich they so readily afforded a stra n g e r in distress.

Original Appendix 1. T h e “ B o sto n ’s ” C rew N am es o f th e C rew o f th e S hip B o sto n , belonging to B oston in M assach u setts, o w ned by M essrs. F . a n d T . A m o ry , M erch an ts o f th a t place - All o f w hom , excepting tw o, w ere on th e 22nd o f M a rch , 1803, b arb aro u sly m u rd ere d by th e savages o f N o o tk a . John Salter, B. Delouisa, W illiam Ingraham , Edward T hom pson, A dam Siddle, Philip Brown, John D orthy, A braham W aters, Francis Duffield, John W ilson (blackm an) W illiam Caldw ell, Joseph M iner, W illiam Robinson, Thom as W ilson. Andrew- Kelly, Robert Burton, Jam es M ’Clay, T hom as Platten, T hom as N ew ton, Charles Bates, John Hall, Sam uel W ood, Peter A lstrom , Francis M arten, Jupiter Senegal (blackm an) John T hom pson, John R . Jew itt,

C aptain, C hief M ate. Second M ate. Boatswain. C arpenter. Joiner. Blacksmith. Steward. T ailor. Cook. Seam an. D itto. Ditto. Ditto. D itto. Ditto. D itto. D itto. D itto. D itto. Ditto. D itto. D itto. D itto. Ditto. Sail M aker, Philadelphia, who escaped - s in c e dead. A rm ourer, o f Hull (England),

o f Boston, D itto, o f New Y ork, o f Blyth (England), o f Hull, ditto, o f C am bridge (M ass.), o f Situate, ditto, o f Philadelphia, o f Penton (England), o f Virginia, o f Boston, o f N ew port, o f L eigh1 (Scotland), o f Air,-’ ditto. D itto, d itto . o f the Isle o f M an, o f D ublin, o f Blacknev. N orfolk, Eng. o f Hull. o f St. Jam es D eeping, Eng. o f Newcastle, o f G lasgow (Scotland), N orw egian, Portuguese,

the w riter o f the Journal from w hence this N arrative is taken, and w ho at present, M arch 1815, resides in M iddletow n, in the State o f C onnecticut. 1 Leith. 2 Ayr.

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I I. W a r-S o n g o f T h e N o o tk a T rib e C o m m en c in g w ith a C horus re p e a te d a t th e e n d o f each line. H a h -y ee h a h y a r h a r, h e y a r hah. H a h -y ah hee y a r h a r - h e y a r hah. lye ie ee y a h h a r - ee yie h ah . le y a r ee y a r h a h - ee y a r yah. le y a r ee I y a r y a r hah - Ie y a r ee yee yah! Ie-yee m a hi-chili at-sish K la -h a - H a h -y e-h ah . Q u e n o k a r p a rts arsh w aw - Ie yie-yar. W aw -h o o n a k s sa r hasch - Y a r-h a h . I-yar hee I-yar. W aw h o o naks a r hasch y ak -q u ee ts sish ni-ese, W aw h a r. H ie yee a h -h a h . R e p ea te d o v er a n d over, w ith g estu res a n d b ran d ish in g o f w e ap ­ ons. N o te. Ie -y e e m a hi-ch ill signifies, “ Y e d o n o t k n o w .” It a p p e a rs to be a p oetical m o d e o f expression, th e c o m m o n o n e for “ Y o u d o not k n o w ” bein g W ik -k u m -a ta s h ; from th is, it w ould seem th a t they have tw o languages, o n e for th e ir songs a n d a n o th e r for co m m o n use. T h e general m ean in g o f th is first sta n za a p p ea rs to be, “ Y e little know , ye m en o f K la h a r, w h at v aliant w arrio rs w e are. P oorly can o u r foes c o n te n d w ith us, w hen w e c o m e on w ith o u r d a g g ers,” etc. T h e N o o tk ia n s have no songs o f a n h istorical n a tu re , n o r do they a p p e a r to h av e any tra d itio n respecting th eir origin.

II I. A L ist o f W o rd s In th e N o o tk ia n Language, th e m o st in use. C heck-up ..................................................... M an. K loots-m ah.......................................................W om an. N oow exa, ......................................................F ather. H oom a-hexa, .............................................. M other. T anassis............................................................. Child. K atlahtik, ......................................................Brother.

ORI GI NAL APPENDI X

K loot-chem -up, . . Tanassis-check-up, Tanassis-kloots-m ah, T au-hat-se-tee, . . K assee......................... H ap-se-up, . . . . N eetsa......................... P arpce......................... Chee-chee.................. C h o o p ......................... K ook-a-nik-sa. . . Klish-klin................... O op-helth................... T ar-to o se.................... Sie-yah........................ T o o p - e l t h ,............... C ha-hak...................... M cet-la....................... Q ueece........................ N oot-chee, . . . . Kla-tur-m iss, . . . Een-nuk-see, . . . M ook-see................... M uk-ka-tee................ W ik.............................. H e - h o , ..................... K ak-koelth, . . . . M ah-hack.................. Klack-e-m iss, . . . Q u a r t - l a k , .............. C oo-coo-ho-sa, . . M oo-w atch................ S o-har......................... T oosch-qua................ Pow-ee........................ K loos-a-m it............... C hap-atz..................... O o-w ha-pa................. C hee-m e-na, . . . . C hec-m en................... Sick-a-m inny, . . . T ooph elth.................. C ham -m ass................ C ham -m as-sish, . . oot-sus, .................. C hce-pokes................ Hah-welks, . . . . N ee-sim -m er-hise, .

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Sister. Son. D aughter. Head. Eyes. Hair. Nose. Ears. Teeth. Tongue. Hands. Feet. Sun o r M oon. Stars. Sky. Sea. Fresh water. Rain. Snow. M ountain o r hilT. Earth. F ire or fuel Rock. H ouse. No. Yes. Slave. W hale. Oil. Sea-otter. Seal. Bear. Salmon. Cod. Halibut H erring. Canoe. Paddle. Fish-hook. Fish-hooks. Iron. Cloth. Fruit. Sweet o r pleasant to the taste. Powder. C opper. Hungry. Enough.

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C h a t- t a - y e k ,.................. Klick-er-yek, .............. Q u ish-ar............................ M a r - m e t - t a ,.................. Pook-shit-tle..................... Een-a-qui-shit-tle, . . . A r - t e e s e ,......................... M a-m ook-su-m ah, . . Sm ootish-check-up, . . C ha-alt-see k lat-tur wah, M a-k o o k ........................... K ah-ah-pah-chilt, . . . 0 0 -n a h Iy ah -ish ............................ K o-m m e-tak.................... 1-yee.m a h a k , .............. E m -m a-chap..................... K le-w har, ...................... M ac-kam -m ah-sish, . . K ah-ah-coh....................... Sah-w auk, ...................... A t t - l a , ............................. K at-sa, ......................... M o o h................................. Soo-chah........................... N o o -p o o ............................ A t-tle-poo......................... A t-lah-quelth.................... Saw -w auk-quelth, . . . Hy-o, ............................. S a k - a i t z , ......................... Soo-jew k........................... H y-e-oak, ......................

Knife o r dagger. Rings. Sm oke. G oose o r duck. T o blow. T o kindle a fire. T o bathe. To go to fish. W arrior. G o off, o r go away. T o sell. G ive m e som ething. How m any. M uch. I understand. I do not understand. T o play. T o laugh. D o you want to buy. Bring it. O ne. Tw o. Three. F our. Five. Six. Seven. Eight. N ine. Ten Tw enty. O ne hundred. O ne thousand.

O RI GI NAL APP ENDI X

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N o te s to J e w i t t ’s A ppendices It is difficult in m any cases to follow Je w itt’s o rth o g ra p h y , but checking his list o f “ N o o tk ia n w o rd s” a gainst N o o tk a n a n d C h i­ n o o k Ja rg o n d ictio n aries show s th a t a n u m b e r o f th e w ords in his list are in fact C h in o o k Ja rg o n . A t least th e follow ing fifte e n ' glosses given by Je w itt are d e finitely C h in o o k Ja rg o n o r co n ta in Ja rg o n affixes: w om an child sister son d a u g h te r nose w ater no iron to go to fish to sell m uch I u n d e rstan d do y o u w an t to buy bring it. T rib a l and P la c e nam es

Place:

T ribal:

Je w itt’s gloss C o o p te e K laiz-zart T ash ees A i-tiz-zarts A h -o w z-arts A ytch-arts C a y -u -q u ets E squi-ates K lahars K la-izz-zarts K la -o o -q u a tes M ich-la-its M o-w atch-its N eu -ch ad -lits N eu-w it-ties N ew chem ass

M o d e rn equivalent ? C lah o u sat T ahsis E hetisat A h o u sat E chachats? K ayoquot H esq u iat K lahoose? K lah o u sats C lay o q u o t M u ch lat M oachat N u c h atlet N e w h ittie ?

T H E A D V E N T U R E S A N D S U F F E R I N G S O F J O H N R. J E W I T T

Savin-nars S ch o o -m ad -its S uth-setts W ick an n ish o r W ick an n in ish

? ? Seshat P ro b ab ly n o t a tribal n a m e , b u t ra th e r th a t o f th e c h ie f identified by M eares (1788) as having political d o m in a tio n o v e r the te rrito ry betw een C lay u q u o t S ound in th e n o rth to N itin a t in the so u th .

Editor’s Appendix A: “ T h e P o o r A rm o u re r B oy, A S o n g 1” N o th ru sh th a t e ’e r p ip ’d its sw eet note from the thorn W a s so g lad so m e a n d lively as m e, “ T ill lu r ’d by fa lse c o lo u rs , in life ’s bloom ing m orn I tem p ted m y fo rtu n e a t sea. M y fa th e r he w ept a s his blessing he gave, W h en I left him “ m y tim e to em ploy In c lim a te s re m o te on th e ru d e o c ea n w ave, B eing but a p o o r A rm o u rer Boy. W h ilst a m id st e ac h new scene th ese “ m ax im s o f o ld ” U pheld m e w hen g rie f did o p p re ss; T h a t a fa ir re p u ta tio n is b e tte r th a n gold, And c o u rag e will co n q u er d istre s s: “ S o co n ten ted I b ra v ’d th e rude s to rm , dry o r w et, B uoy’d up w ith h o p e s” lig h t p a in te d to y , In th in k in g th a t F o rtu n e w ould c e rta in ly yet D eign to sm ile on th e A rm o u re r Boy. W ith o u r sh ip , on re tu r n , w ith rich e s full fra u g h t, W e h o p ’d soon fo r B oston to ste e r, M y h e a rt it w ith e x sta c y le a p ’d a t th e th o u g h t, “ M y e y es d ro p p ’d through p le a su re a t e a r .” “ B u t, a la s ! ad v erse fa te so h a r d ” and untrue “ D id ail these gay p ro sp e cts d e s tro y ” , F o r b u rn ’d w as o u r ship and m u rd e r’d o u r crew , A nd w ounded th e A rm o u re r B oy. F o r a long tim e in pain and sick n ess I p in ’d , W ith no one to feel fo r m y w oe, No m o th e r, m y w ounds, a s she s o o th ’d m e, to bind, N o siste r h e r a id to bestow ! By sav a g es fierce fo r y e a rs held a sla v e, D id a fflictio n m y p o o r h e a rt a n n o y , T ill H o p e d ro p p ’d h e r a n c h o r a t la s t on th e grave A s th e b irth o f the A rm o u rer Boy.

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From sla v ’ry e s c a p ’d , I , jo y fu l, once m ore H a il’d a civ iliz’d la n d , b u t alone And a s tra n g e r w as I on a fa r-d ista n t shore From th a t w hich m y childhood had know n. “ I f such be life ’s fa te , w ith e m o tio n I c rie d ,” O f so rro w so g re a t th e a llo y ; “ H eav en g ra n t th a t sole blessing th a t n e ’e r is d e n ie d .” T o the frien d less P o o r A rm o u re r Boy!

1 A discussion o f this broadside and Richard A lsop’s relationship to it m ay be found in Edm ond S. M eany Jr.. “ T he L ater Life o f Jo h n R. Jew itt.” B ritish C olum bia H istorical Q uarterly, vol. 4 no. 3 (1940), pp. 143-161.

Editor’s Appendix B T E X T O F T H E P L A Y B IL L A D V E R T IS IN G T H E A R M O U R E R S E S C A P E , 1817.' P hilad elp h ia T h ea tre , Illu m in ated w ith G a s. F rid a y Evening, M a rc h 21, 1817. W ill be p resen ted a fa v o u rite C o m ed y , called the

BUSY BODY. Sir G coijc Airy. Sir Francis G ripe, M arplot, (w ith the epilogue.) Charles, Sir Jealous Traffic, W hisper, Mr. Barren. M r. Burke. M r. W ood. M r. Abercrom bie. Mr. Francis. M r. T . Jefferson. Butler, Servant to Sir Francis. Servant to Sir Jealous. M iranda, Isabinda, Patch. Sccniwell. M r. H alhw ell. [M S. to m .) [M S. to m .j M rs. Entwisle. M rs. Jefferson. M rs. Francis. M rs. Jackson. AFTER W H IC H ,

NEVER PERFORM ED, W IL L BE PRESENTED A N E W HISTORICAt MELQ-DRAMA, IN TW O ACTS, C A LLED THE

a r m o u r e r ’s e s c a p e

;

O r, th re e years a t N o o tk a Sound. [ F o u n d e d o n th e in te re s tin g n a r ra tiv e o f J o h n R. Jew itt-, a rm o u re r o f th e S hip B oston, c ap tu red by th e Savages at N o o tk a . In th is little D ra m a, is a tte m p te d a n a cc u rate sketch o f th is u n fo rtu n a te circu m stan ce; th e sufferings a n d perils o f Je w itt a n d his c o m p a n io n s, a n d th e ir pro v id en tial escape. A t th e sam e tim e p a in s have been ta k e n to represent faithfully th e costum e, m an n ers, cerem o n ies a n d su p e rstitio n s o f these e x tra o rd in a ry p e o p le , by as rigid an ad h ere n ce to the n a rra ­ tive as th e stage will p e rm it.]

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T he M U S IC co m piled a n d a rra n g e d by M r. Lefolle. T h e N ew Scenes a n d D e c o ra tio n s by M essrs. W arren a n d R einagle, a n d th e D resses by M r. H a rb au g h a n d assistants. THE DANCES C orrectly g o t up by

M

r

. F

u n d e r th e d irectio n o f

r a n c is

J

e w it t

M

r

.

.

T he p a rt o f th e A rm o u re r w ill be p e rfo rm e d b y J . R . J e w itt. C aptain o f the Boston. T h e Mate, T hom pson, M r. Robertson. Mr. Jackson. M r. Jefferson. Sailor. Sailors, & c. Mr. Hathwell. N A T IV E S . M aquina, (king o r th e N o o t k i a n s ,) ............................................................ T yee. (the prince, h is s o n . ) ........................................................................... Yealth Lower, (brother to the k i n g . ) ......................................................... T ootooch , (a ch ief warrior.) ....................................................................... M achee U tilla. (king o f th e K liz z a r ts .)..................................................... K inneclim m ets, (the k in g's b uffoon.) ..................................................... Indian C hiefs.......................................................................................................... A reom ah............................................................................................................. Y uqua. (her sister, a W ickinnish p r i n c e s s .) ...................................... Indian W om en. Children. & c „ & c THE

. . . . Mr. Barrett. M aster J. Jefferson. ...............M r. W illis. . . . M r. Steward. . Mr. T . Jefferson. M r. A bercrom bie. .............. (M S . torn .| . . M rs. Jefferson. . . . M rs. Harris.

P R IN C IP A L S C E N E S A R E : — S C E N E F IR S T ,

A B a y n e a r th e V illage o f N o o tka . T h e ship B oston is seen lying a t an ch o r, C lose to sh o re, a n d m o o red to a tree. In this scene is exhibited th e treach ery o f M a q u in a a n d his people; th e d e stru ctio n o f th e crew , except J o h n R. Je w itt, and T h o m p so n . SCENE SEC O N D ,

V iew o f P a rt o f th e Village o f N o o tk a . T h e artifice by w hich J e w i t t a tte m p ts to preserve T h o m p s o n ’ s life is successful. Scene 3d, a w o o d . T h e p a rt o f th e crew w hich had lan d e d for p rovisions, surprized & sla u g h te red by th e savages.

e d i t o r ’s a p p e n d i x b

141

SCENE FOURTH,

In te r io r o f M a q u in a 's H ouse. T he king, his chiefs, a n d w om en assem bled. In this scene will be a tte m p ted a n a cc u rate re p re se n tatio n o f th e S in g u l a r C

ustoms

F u n e ra l

C

and

C

e r em o n ie s

e r e m o n ie s

o v er th e

scene

f if t h

of the

Body

of a

N

o o t k ia n s

C

.

h ie f,

,

T h e Village o f N o o tk a . T h e M o o n in E c l i p s e - t h e c o n ste rn a tio n o f th e n atives, & c. D u rin g th e scene th e sh ip is discovered a t a d istan c e, o n f i r e , a n d is w holly c o n su m ed . A n a tte m p t to a tta c k th e N o o tk ia n s, By th e A y ch arts (a n eig h b o u rin g trib e ,) w ho a re discovered and d e fea te d ; th e ir m o d e o f a p p ro ac h accurately re p resen ted , & c. c t S e c o n d , S c e n e F i r s t , T h e N o o tk ian s, d u rin g this scene, e n te r fantastically d ressed, in th e h a b its o f th e m u rd ere d crew , a n d p a rt o f th e goo d s belonging to th e ship, a rm e d aw kw ardly w ith guns, pistols, &c.

A

A P rocession o f th e K la izza rts, A m o re civilized n a tio n , h ead e d by M ach ee U tilla th e ir k ing, (by w hose frien d sh ip Je w itt w as en ab led to c o m m u n ica te to his deliverers his situ a tio n ,) follow ed by som e o f th e W ykinnish, E squates, A ttiz a rts, C ay u q u its, a n d o th e r trib e s, a rm e d w ith clubs, bow s, a n d arrow s. T he L ud icro u s C e re m o n ies o f th e Bear. A

W

ar

D

ance

by th e N o o tk ian s.

JEW IT T, TH E ARMOURER,

S in g s th e N o o tk ia n W ar Song. is com pelled to select a W i f e , a n d chooses the Princess Y u q u a . D ance o f y o u n g N o o tk ia n girls. C hiefs en ter, m ask ed w ith heads o f anim als, to carry them o ff th e girls a re rescued, a n d a general D a n ce succeeds. T

he

A

rm ourer

Last scenc,

the sh o re.

A N A M E R IC A N B R IG , AT A LITTLE DISTANCE.

142 M

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a q u i n a is seized by th e C a p ta in , as a hostag e for th e safety o f th e A rm o u re r & T h o m p so n , W h o are a t length released, and M a q u in a restored.

E n d o f th e M e lo -D r a n ta th e S o n g o f th e A r m o u r e r B o y , W IL L BE SUNG B Y MR. JEW IT T .

Box O n e D o llar - Pit 75 cents - G allery 50 C en ts. T h e d o o rs will b e o p en ed a t h a lf p a st 5, a n d th e c u rta in rise at h a lf p a st 6 o ’clock.

1 A discussion o f this play-bill an d the play it advertises may be found in Edm ond S. M eany Jr.. " T h e L ater Life o f John R . Je w itt," British Colum bia H istorical Q uarterly, vol. 4, no. 3 ( 1940), pp. 143-161.

Suggestions for Further Reading A. C a p tiv ity N a rra tiv e s N o ra h S tory lists a n u m b e r o f C a p tiv ity N a rrativ es u n d e r her en try by th a t title in The O x fo r d C om panion to C anadian H is­ to ry a n d L ite r a tu r e (O xford U niversity Press, 1967). T hese and others are given in th e follow ing list, roughly in chronological order, w ith m y ow n b rie f a n n o ta tio n s. 1. R ad isso n , P ie rre-E sp rit, “ T h e R e la tio n o f m y V oyage, being in B ondage in th e L an d s o f th e Iro k o its, w hich w as th e next ye are after m y com ing into C a n a d a , in th e y e are 1651, th e 24th d a y o f M a y ,” in V oyages o f P e te r E sp rit R adisson. P u b lica­ tio n s o f th e . P rin c e S o c iety x v i (N e w Y o rk : B u rt F r a n k lin , 1885), (rep rin ted 1967). R adisson a n d b ro th er-in -la w M e d a rd C h o u a rt (b e tte r know n by his assum ed titled S ie u r d e s G ro seilliers - o r sim ply des G ro seilliers) w ere F ren ch a d v e n tu re rs, explorers, a n d tra d e rs w ho played a n in stru m e n tal role in th e early days o f th e H u d s o n ’s Bay C o m p an y . T h is n a rra tiv e tells o f R a d isso n ’s captiv ity by th e Iro q u o is o n his first voyage. It co n tain s m an y o b serv atio n s on Iro q u o is m an n e rs a n d custom s. L ike Je w itt, he experienced a progressive in itiatio n into th e social life o f his captives. R adisson w rote in E nglish. T h e original m an u scrip ts are in th e B odleian L ib ra ry a n d th e B ritish M u seu m . A m od ern ized a n d e d ited text T h e E xp lo ra tio n s. o f P ierre E sp rit R adisson A rth u r T . A d a m s, ed ito r; L oren K allsen, m o d ern ize r w as p u b lish ed by R o ss a n d H a in es, Inc. M in n e ap o lis, in 1961. 2. G yles, Jo h n , M e m o irs o f O d d A d ven tu res, S tra n g e D eliver­ ances, etc. in th e C a p tiv ity o f J o h n G yles, E sq., C o m m a n d er o f th e G arrison on S t. G eo rg e's R iv er (B o sto n [N ew E ng­ lan d ]: S. K n e ela n d a n d T . G re e n , 1936 [O riginally published 1736]). T h is is an a cc o u n t o f G y le s’ captivity a m o n g th e M alecite In d ian s o f N ew B runsw ick in th e late sev en teen th c en tu ry . It has a p p ea red in several e d itio n s since first p u b licatio n : eg. C incin n ati: Spiller a n d G a te s . 1869; S ain t Jo h n , N .B .: D aily T eleg rap h y S team J o b Press, 1875.

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3. T a n n e r, J o h n , A N a rra tive o f th e C a p tiv ity a n d A d ve n tu res o f J o h n T a n n er D uring T h ir ty Years R esid en ce a m o n g the In d ia n s in th e In te rio r o f N o rth A m e ric a , ed. E dw in Ja m es (N e w Y ork: G . a n d C . a n d H . C arvill, 1830). T a n n e r w as c a p tu re d in K en tu ck y in 1789 by th e S aulteaux. H e lived w ith this g ro u p in th e ir extensive w an d erin g s until 1816. In th a t y e ar he cam e to th e R ed R iver S ettlem ent as g u id e to L ord S elkirk, w h o eventually effected T a n n e r’s reu n io n w ith his fam ily. T h e re is a G e rm a n tran sla tio n by K arl A n d re e, published in L eipzig by W . E ngelm ann in 1840, and a F ren ch tra n sla tio n by E rnest de Blosseville, pu b lish ed in P aris by A . B e rtra n d , 1835. 4. B aker, C h a rlo tte A lice, T ru e S to rie s o f N ew E n g la n d C a p ­ tives carried to C anada D u rin g th e O ld F rench a n d Indian W ars (C a m b rid g e, M ass.: E. a n d A . H ollan d C o., 1897). T h is is a series o f sto ries a n d a n ec d o te s concerning those c a p tu re d by In d ian s betw een ca. 1675 a n d 1760 d u rin g sk ir­ m ishes betw een th e F ren ch a n d vario u s In d ia n g ro u p s. T his w ork w as c o n tin u e d a n d e x p an d ed by E m m a Lew is C o le ­ m an , C h a rlo tte B akers a ssista n t (cf. 5 below ) 5. C o le m a n , E m m a Lew is, N e w E n gland C aptives C a rrie d to C anada b etw een 1677 a n d 1760 D uring th e F rench a n d Indian W a rs, 2 vols. (P o rtla n d , M aine: S o u th w o rth Press, 1925). 6. D ra k e , Sam uel G a rd n e r, T ragedies o f th e W ilderness; or T rue a n d A u th e n tic N a rra tiv es o f C aptives C a rried a w a y b y th e In d ia n s f r o m th e various F rontier S e ttle m e n ts (B oston: A n tiq u a ria n B ookstore a n d In stitu te , 1841). B ased on historical m aterials, som e o f d o u b tfu l a u th en ticity . S om e very early acco u n ts a re given, eg. th a t o f th e S p an iard Jo h n O rtiz, cap tiv e a m o n g In d ian s in F lo rid a for eleven y ears. O rtiz d ied ca. 1543. D ra k e tends to em phasize the horrific, eg. to rtu re . O th e r ed itio n s by th e sam e pu b lish er a p p ea red in 1844, and 1846. D ra k e pub lish ed profusely on N ew E ngland historical m atters, a n d e d ited for re publication historical w o rk s by C o tto n a n d Increase M a th er. H e did a lot o f w o rk on th e F re n c h -In d ia n w ars o f th e eig h teen th cen tu ry , a n d p ro d u ced o th e r such w orks on Indians as P rin ­ cipal E ven ts in th e L ife o f th e Indian C h ie f B ra n t (1849); The O ld Indian C hronicle . . . ( 1836); In d ia n B iography, C o ntaining th e L ives o f M o re th a n T w o H u n d red Indian C h iefs . . . (1832, and o th e r eds.) T ragedies o f the W ilderness . . . is p ro b a b ly b e tte r know n by th e m an y e d itio n s en titled Indian C aptivities; or. L ife in the W igw am . . .

S UG G E S TI O N S FOR F URT HE R READI NG

147

7. S hea, Jo h n D aw son G ilm a ry , P erils o f th e O cean a n d W il­ derness; or. N arratives o f S h ip w re c k a n d Indian C a ptivity. G leaned f r o m E a rly M issio n a ry A n n a ls (B oston: P. D o n ah o e , 1856, 1857). T h is is a syn th etic w o rk , sh ow ing strongly S h e a ’s ow n in te r­ ests a n d disp o sitio n s. It h a s a stro n g “ m arty ro lo g ic al” cast, consistently w ith his extensive p u b lic a tio n o f such ite m s as L iv es o f th e S a in ts . . . (m any e ditions); H isto ry o f th e C a th ­ o lic M issio n s a m o n g the In d ia n Tribes o f th e U nited S ta te s, 1529-1854 (several e ditions); The J e su its, R eco llects, a n d the In d ia n s (1856); T h e L in co ln M e m o ria l; a R e c o rd o f the L ife , A ssa ssin a tio n , a n d O bsequies o f the M a r ty r e d P resi­ d e n t (1865). H e w ro te on o th e r Indian th em es, such as The In d ia n Tribes o f W isconsin (1857), a n d did som e w o rk on relatio n s betw een C a n a d a a n d th e U n ited S ta te s, eg. a tra n s­ latio n o f G a b riel D ruillettes S. J . J o u rn a l o f a n d E m b a ssy f r o m C anada to th e U n ited C olonies o f N e w E ngland, in 1650. (1857), an th e intriguing W h y is C anada n o t a P a rt o f th e U nited S ta te s'? (1889, 1890). 8. G o w an lo ck , T h ere sa , a n d T h ere sa D elaney, T w o M o n th s in the C a m p o f Big B ear: th e L ife a n d A d ve n tu res o f T heresa G ow an­ lo c k a n d T heresa D e la n ey (P a rk d ale : T im es O ffice, 1885). T h is is an a c c o u n t, slightly hysterical a n d in dignant in places to m y taste, o f a captivity d u rin g th e N o rth W est R ebellion o f 1885. 9. B rodie, N eil, T w elve D a y s w ith th e Indians, M a y 14-26 M a y 1885; bein g h is E xp e rien c e s in P o u n d m a k e r's C am p D uring th e R eb ellio n o f 1885 (B a ttlefo rd , S askatchew an H e r ­ a ld .\9 3 2 ). L ike th e G o w a n lo c k /D e la n e y a cco u n t (7 S u p ra ) this account is so m e w h a t in flam m ato ry , but fascinating as a n insight to “ race re la tio n s” in this critical p e rio d in C a n a d a ’s histo ry o f dealings w ith native peoples. B. E x p lo re r and C a p tiv ity J o u r n a ls a s L ite ra tu re 1. H o d g so n , M aurice, “ In itia tio n a n d Q uest: E arly C a n ad ian J o u rn a ls ,” C anadian L ite r a tu r e , no. 38 (A u tu m n 1968), pp. 29-40. T h is is a n article in a v o lu m e c o n ta in in g o th e rs ex p lo rers such as D avid T h o m p so n a n d A lex an d er zie. H odgson m akes in terestin g c o m p a riso n s a n d betw een th e literary form s o f exp lo rer (“ q u e st” ) and

on early M acken­ co n trasts captivity

148

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(" in itia tio n ” ) n arrativ es, using Sam uel H e arn e a n d Jo h n Je w itt as p rincipal exam ples. H od g so n a p p are n tly m istakes th e a u th o rsh ip o f Je w itt’s N a rra tiv e seem ingly u n a w are o f R ich ard A lso p ’s role. 2. H o p e w o o d , V ictor G ., “ E xplorers by Sea: T h e W est C o a st,” in L ite r a ry H isto ry o f C anada: C anadian L ite ra tu re in E ng­ lish, ed. C arl G . K linck (T o ro n to : U niversity o f T o ro n to Press, 1965), p p . 41-51. T h is is a n interesting a n d very valuable survey o f m o st o f th e e x p lo re r’s na rra tiv e s (a t least th e m ajo r ones) on th e N o rth ­ w est C o ast. T h ere is a sh o rt discussion o f Je w itt’s N arrative on p . 50. 3. M eany, E d m o n d S., J r ., “ T h e L ater Life o f Jo h n R . Je w ­ itt,” B ritish C olum bia H isto ric a l Q u a rte rly , vol. 4 , no. 3 (1940), pp. 143-161. Je w itt gives som e a cc o u n t o f his early life in th e first c h ap ter o f th e N arrative. M e a n y ’s m o st valuable a n d fascinating w ork traces Je w itt’s b io g rap h y from his rescue in 1805 until his d e a th in 1821, p ro v id in g valuable m aterial on Je w itt’s rela tio n sh ip to R ich ard A lso p and others. 4 . H a rrin g to n , K arl P., R ic h a rd A lsop: A " H a r tfo r d W it" (M id d leto w n , C o n n ecticu t: M a tta b esett Press, 1939), pp. 117-138. Je w itt’s N a rra tive w as R ich ard A lso p ’s last literary w ork. H a rrin g to n gives invaluable detail on th e p re p a ra tio n o f the text, its relatio n sh ip to th e Jo u rn a l, a n d d etails on th e revi­ sions A lsop p ro p o se d for a radically revised e d itio n , w hich never a p p ea red . 5. H o d g so n , M a u rice , “ T h e E xp lo ratio n Jo u rn a l as L ite ra ­ tu re ,” The B eaver O u tfit 298 (W in te r 1967), p p . 4-12. 6. A tw o o d , M a rg are t, Survival: A T h e m a tic G uide to C anadian L ite ra tu re (T o ro n to : A n an si, 1972). 7. H ow ay, F . W ., “ T h e E arly L ite ra tu re o f th e N o rth w est C o a st,” P roceedings a n d T ra n sa ctio n s o f th e R o y a l S o c ie ty o f C anada Series 3., vol. 18, section 2 (1924), pp. 1-31. A n a p p a re n tly little-know n article, this is a m ajo r a n d th o r­ ough survey o f early Pacific C o a st exp lo rer a n d tra d e r litera­ tu re. D escriptive ra th e r th a n analytical, it is nevertheless o f g re at value. C . T h e “ H a r tf o r d ” o r “ C o n n e c tic u t” W its, E x p ec ia lly R ich ard A lsop 1. H a rrin g to n , K arl

P.,

R ic h a rd A lso p : A

" H a r tfo r d

W it"

S U G G E S T I ON S FOR F URT HE R RE A D I NG

149

(M id d leto w n , C o n necticut: 1938). (A re p rin t w ith a n in tro ­ d u ctio n by A lex an d er C o w ie w as pu b lish ed by W esleyan U n iv ersity Press, M id d leto w n , C o n n e cticu t, 1969). 2. P a rrin g to n , V ernon L ., J r., T h e C o n n e cticu t W its. F orew o rd by K e n n eth S ilverm an (N ew Y o rk , C row ell, 1969). A re p rin t o f the first e d itio n . S ilv erm an ’s fo rew ord and P a rrin g to n ’s original in tro d u c tio n p ro v id e useful b a ck g ro u n d . A list o f o th e r w orks o n th e C o n n e cticu t w its to 1969 is given on p. xxi D . H isto ric a l and E th n o g ra p h ic W o rk s on the N o rth w e st C o a st and th e N o o tk a . 1. H ow ay, F . N ., “ E arly D ays o f th e M a ritim e F u r-T ra d e on th e N o rth w e st C o a st,” C anadian H isto ric a l R eview , vol. 4 (1923), p p . 26-44. 2. H ow ay, F . W ., “ Indian A ttac k s u p o n M a ritim e T ra d e rs o f th e N o rth w e s t C o a s t, 1 7 8 5 -1 8 0 5 ,” C a n a d ia n H is to r ic a l R eview , vol. 6 (1925), p p . 287-309. T h e experience o f Je w itt’s sh ip , th e B oston, w as n o t u n iq u e o r e x ceptional. R e la tio n s betw een In d ian s and m aritim e fu r-tra d e rs w ere often vio len t a n d b ru ta l. T h is article su m m a ­ rizes a w ide ran g e o f n a rra tiv e s and sources th o ro u g h ly o u t­ lining th e sta te o f affairs. 3. H ow ay, F . W ., “ A L isting o f T ra d in g Vessels in th e M a ri­ tim e F u r T rad e 1785-1807, “ P roceedings o f th e R o y a l S o c ie ty o f C anada, Series 3, vol. 25, section 2 (1931), p. 44. D a ta on m o st o f th e co astal vessels are g iven. Je w itt’s ship, th e B oston, is listed on p . 44. 4 . ' D ru c k er, Philip, The N o rth e rn a n d C e n tra l N o o tk a n Tribes. B ureau o f A m e ric an E th n o lo g y Bulletin 144 (W ash in g to n : S m ith so n ian , 1951). D ru c k ers’ is th e basic co m p reh en siv e so u rce on N o o tk a n e th n o g rap h y . 5. M cK elv ie, B .A ., M a q u in n a th e M a g n ific e n t (V ancouver: V ancouver D a ily P rovince, 1946). M a q u in n a (th ere a re several spellings o f his n am e) w as chief o f th e g ro u p o f N o o tk a w ho held Je w itt captive. H e a p p ea rs in o th e r N o rth w e st C oast n arrativ es, including th a t o f C a p ­ tain C o o k , M eares, and Q u a d ra . M a q u in n a is now a legend­ ary figure a m o n g In d ian s a n d n o n -In d ia n s a l i k e - a C a n ad ian Pacific S team sh ip vessel w hich plied th e w a ters o f V ancouver Islan d ’s w est coast w as n a m e d a fte r h im . T h is is a “ p o p u ­ la r,” b u t ra th e r fascinating a cc o u n t o f him .

150

T H E A D V E N T U R E S A N D S U F F E R I N G S O F J O H N R. J E W I T T

6. S p ro a t, G . M ., S c e n e s a n d S tu d ie s o f Sa va g e L ife (L o n d o n : 1868). S p ro a t lived in th e A lb e m i a re a o f V ancouver Island, w here m an y N o o tk a n Indians w ere cen tred in th e n in ete en th cen ­ tu ry . H e to o k a n avid interest in th eir m an n e rs and custom s. H is w ork c o n ta in s interesting o b serv atio n s on a p e rio d o f intensive a cc u ltu ra tio n o f th e N o o tk a , but is so m etim es alm o st un b earab ly “ p re ac h y ” a n d m oralistic. 7. D uff, W ilson., The Indian H isto ry o f B ritish C o lu m b ia , Vol. 1, “ T h e Im p ac t o f th e W hite M a n ” A n th ro p o lo g y in British C o lu m b ia M e m o ir no. 5 (V ictoria: P rovincial M u seu m o f B ritish C o lu m b ia , 1964). T h is is a d etailed study o f p o p u latio n tre n d s from th e m ari­ tim e fur tra d e to th e p re sen t, a n d a co m p reh en siv e stu d y o f th e tren d s o f social a n d eco n o m ic change. 8. M c F e a t, T o m ., Indians o f th e N o rth P a c ific C o a st, C arleto n L ibrary no. 25 (T o ro n to : M cC lelland a n d S tew art, 1966). T h is collection o f readings on N o rth w e st C o a st In d ian social o rg a n iz atio n p o tlatch , stra tifica tio n , cerem onialism , social c o n tro l, and cultural e th o s re p rin ts m aterial on the N o o tk a by Je w itt, S p ro a t, and D ru ck er. It is a very useful collection, e sp e­ cially since it brings to g eth e r som e o f th e key articles on the “ ra n k a n d c la ss” d e b a te n e c e ssa ry to u n d e rs ta n d in g th e N o o tk a . 9 . M u rd o c k , G e o rg e P ., E th n o g r a p h ic B ib lio g r a p h y o f N o r th A m e r ic a (N e w H a v en : H u m a n R e la tio n s A re a F ile s P re ss, 1972). U n d e r th e e n try “ N o o tk a ” th e re is a co m p reh en siv e b ibliog­ ra p h y o f th e N o o tk a including th e M a k a h o f C ap e F lattery . 10. W ike, Jo y ce, “ Problem s in F u r T ra d e A nalysis: T h e N o rth ­ w est C o a st” A m e ric a n A n th r o p o lo g ist, vol. 60, no. 6, p t. 1 (1959) p p . 1086-1101. T h is article exam ines th e p ro p o sitio n th a t m any aspects o f th e fur tra d e served to “ intensify” alread y existing p a tte rn s in N o rth w e st C o a st Indian cultures ra th e r th an eroding th em , at least in th e e arlie r phases o f th e co n tact process.

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the

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64.

65.

Cl I TURAI

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T H E C A N A D IA N IN D IA N S AND

edited and with an Introduction by Bruce Cox 66. r e c o l l e c t i o n s o f t h e o n t o o t t a w a I R E K , by R onald Liversedge, with D ocum ents Relating to the V ancouver Strike and the On to O ttaw a T rek, edited and with an Introduction by Victor H oar Es

67.

k im o s

,

th e om budsm an p lan : essay s o n t h e w o r ld w id e s p re a d o f an ID E A ,

by D onald C. Row at

68.

N A T U R A L R E S O U R C E S : T H E E C O N O M IC S O I C O N S E R V A T I O N ,

by

A nthony Scott C hester M artin, edited and w ith an Introduction by Lewis H. T hom as

69.

d o m in io n i a n d s p o lic y , b y

70.

r e n e g a d e in p o w e r ,

by Peter C . N ew m an, with an Introduction by

Denis Smith 7 1.

CUTHBERT g r a n t

oi

g r a n to w n ,

M argaret A. M acLeod and

W . L. M orton 72.

T H E N A T IV E P E O P L E S O I A T L A N T IC C A N A D A : A R E A D E R IN R E G IO N A L E T H N IC R E L A T IO N S ,

73.

fr e e d o m

H. F. M cG ee

an d o r d e r /c o lle c te d

essays,

Eugene Forsey. with an

Introduction by D onald C reighton 74.

c r i s i s in Q U E BE C , 1 9 1 7 ,

Elizabeth A rm strong, with an Introduction by

Joseph Levitt 75.

G o urlay ’s s t a t i s t i c a l a c c o u n t o f u p p e r with an Introduction by S. R. M ealing

76.

T H E A D V E N T U R E S A N D S U F F E R I N G S O F J O H N JE W IT T A M O N G THE

77.

C A P IT A L F O R M A T IO N i n C a n a d a , 1 8 9 6 - 1 9 3 0 .

NOOTKA,

C anada,

A bridged, and

with an Introduction by D erek G . Smith K enneth Buckley, with

an Introduction by M. U rquart 78.

B E Y O N D T H E A T L A N T IC R O A R :

\ V I I DY OI

rill

N O \ A S C O T IA S C O IS

D. Cam pbell an d R. A . M acL ean K. D . M cR ae

79.

C O N S O C IA T IO N A I. D E M O C R A C Y ,

80.

V A U D R IE U L , G O V E R N O R OF N E W F R A N C E ,

Yves Zoltvany