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Tous les autres exemplaires originaux sont film6s en commenpant par la premiere page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration et en terminant par la dernidre page qui comporte une telle empreinte. Un des symboles suivants apparaitra sur la derniire image de cheque microfiche, selon le cas: le symbols — ► signifie "A SUIVRE ", le symbols V signifie "FIN". Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent dtre filmds d des taux de rMuction diffirents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour dtre reproduit en un seul cliche, 11 est filmd A partir de I'angle supdrieur gauche, de gauche A droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images ndcessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mithode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 THE ADVENTURES AND SUFFERINGS or JOHN R. JEWITT, ONLY SURVIVOR OF THE SHIP Bi STON, DURING A CAPTIVITY OF NEARLY THREE YEARS , AMONG THE SAVAGES OF NOOTKA SOUND ; WITH AN ACCOUNT OF THE MANNERS, MODE OF LIVING, AND KELIGIOUS OPINIONS OF THK NATIVES. " Dire scene of horror, on a savage shore, In which, a witness saJ, a part I bore." AMERICA PRINTED. EDINBURGH: REPRINTED FOR ARCHD. CONSTABLE Sc CO. EDINUl'RGII : AND 'lURST, ROBINSON, &' CO. LONDON. 1824. J 4') Printed by Gcori»e Itiinisay & ( o. 30^:./n !* PREFACE. The Work which is now laid before the Pub- lic has passed through several editions in Ame- rica. It has been printed, without alteration, from the Author's manuscript ; for though the style was certainly susceptible of improvement, it appeared to possess that clearness and simpli- city which might be expected in the narrative of one who wrote from real impresssions, and set down the daily results of a melancholy expe- rience, with but slender hopes that the record would ever meet the eyes of his countrymen ; and, on the whole, it was deemed advisable to dispense with an attempt at ornament, whicli could only have been obtained at the expence of authenticity. The Narrative will be found to contain, in a small space, much valuable information on a . ( IV PREFACE. subject of which httlc is known, blended with much that is calculated to interest the feelings, and to awaken curiosity. The incidents of the Author's life are striking ; and his descriptions of Nootka and its inhabitants, — the minute ac- quaintance with savage manners and customs, acquired during his forced residence, and em- bodied in this Journal, and the perfect can- dour with which he details every part of his own conduct, which affords the best guarantee for the truth of his statements in other points, — combine to render the work more than usually interesting and important. Of its authenticity the Narrative itself bears internal evidence, and the statements of the Au- thor, who is now settled at Middletown, in the state of Connecticut, were confirmed by Thomp- son, the companion of his misfortunes, his im- prisonment, and his escape. Ri Vc CONTENTS. CHAPTKR f. nirtli, Parentage, and early Life of the Author, CHAPTER II. Voyage to Xootka, - . Page, 13 CIIAPTRR III. lotcrcourse with the Natives— -Mttquina — Seizure of the Vessel, and Murder of the Crew, - - 20 CHAPTER IV. Reception of Jewitt by the Savages— Escape of Thompson- Arrival of the Neiglibouring Tribes— An Indian Ban- q"et' 35 CHAPTER V. Burning of the Vessel— Commencement of the Journal, 50 CHAPTER VI. Description of Nootka — ^Manner of Building Furniture—- Dresses, - _ . - 56 CHAPTER VII. Appearance of the Natives — Ornaments — Otter-Hunting— i Fishing — Canoes, - _ - 80 CHAPTER VIII. Music — Musical Instruments — Slaves Tribsis— Trade with these — Arms, b — Neighbouring ' / • t CONTENTS. Page. CHAPTER IX. Situation of the Author — Removal to Tashees Parties, ... -Fishing 112 CHAPTER X. Conversations with Maquina— Fruits— Religious Ceremo- nies^' Visit to Upquesta, - - - 127 CHAPTER XI. Return to Nootka — Death of Maquina's Nephew— Insa- nity of Tootoosch~-An Indian Mountebank, . 145 CHAPTER XII. War with the A-y-Charts— A Night Attack — Proposals to Purchase the Author, . . . 160 CHAPTER XIII. Marriage of the Author— His Illness.— Dismisses his Wife- Religion of the Natives — Climate, - . 1 76 CHAPTER XIV. Arrival of the Brig Lydia— Stratagem of the Author— Its Success, ..... 203 i Names of the Crew of the Ship Boston, War-Song of the Nootka Tribe, A List of Words in the Nootkian Language, 233 234 235 i NARRATIVE OF i JOHN R. JEWITT. CHAPTER I. BIRTH; PARENTAGE, AND EARLY LIFE OF THE AUTHOR. I WAS born in Boston, a considerable borough town in Lincolnshire, in Great Britain, on the 21st of* May 1783. My father, Edward Jewitt, was by trade a blacksmith, and esteemed among the first in his line of business in that place. At the age of three years I had the misfortune to lose my mother, a most excellent woman, who died in childbed, leav- ing an infant daughter, -who, with myself, and an elder brother by a former marriage of my father, con- stituted the whole of our family. My father, who considered a good education as the greatest blessing he could bestow on his children, was very particu- A * I St KAllLY LTFK 01 lar in jviying every attention to us in that respect, always exhorting iis to behave well, and endeavour- ing to impress on our minds the prineiples of virtue and morality, and no cxpencc in his power was spared to have us instructed in whatever might ren- der us useful and respectable in ^society. My bro- ther, who was four years older than myself, and of a more hardy constitution, he destined for his own trade, but to me he had resolved to give an education superior to that which is to be obtained in a common school, it being his intention that I should adopt one of the learned professions. Accordingly, at the age of twelve, he took me from the school in which I had been taught the first rudiments of learning, and placed me under the care of Mr Moses, a celebrated teacher of an academy at Donnington, about eleven miles from Boston, in order to be instructed in the Latin language, and in some of the higher branches of the mathematics. I there made considerable pro- ficiency in writing, reading, and arithmetic, and ob- tained a pretty good knowledge of navigation and of surveying ; but my progress in Latin was slow, not only owing to the little inclination I felt for learning that language, but to a natural impediment in my speech, which rendered it extremely difficult for me to th< % *•!*» THE AL'TIIOil. I to })ronouncc it, so that, in a short time, with my fa- ther's consent, I wholly relinquished the study, 'J'he period of my stay at this place was the most happy of my life. My preceptor, Mr Moses, was not only a learned, but a virtuous, benevolent, and amiable man, iniiversally beloved by his pupils, who took delight in his instruction, and to whom lie al- lowed every proper amusement that consisted with attention to their studies. One of the principal pleasures I enjoyed was in attending the fair, which is regularly held twice a year at Donnington, in the spring and in the fall, the second day being wholly devoted to selling horses, a prodigious number of whicli are brought thither for that purpose. As the scholars on these occasions were always indulged with a holiday, I cannot express with what eagerness of youthful ex- pectation I used to anticipate these fairs, nor what delight I felt at the various shows, exhibitions of wild beasts, and other entertainments that they pre- sented : I was frequently visited by my father, who always discovered much joy on seeing me, praised me for my acquirements, and usually left me a small sum for my pocket expences. Among the scholars at this academy, there was EARLY LIFE OF one named Charles Rice, with whom I formed a par- ticular intimacy, which continued during the whole of my stay. He was my class and room mate, and as the town he came from, Ashby, was more than 60 miles off, instead of returning home, he used fre- q5iently, during the vacation, to go with me to Bos- ton, where he always met with a cordial welcome from my father, who received me on these occasions with the greatest affection, apparently taking much pride in me. My friend, in return, used to take me with him to an uncle of his in Donnington, a very wealthy man, who, having no children of his own, was very fond of his nephew, and on his account I was always a welcome visitor at the house. I had a good voice, and an ear for music, to which 1 was al- ways passionately attached, though my father endea- voured to discourage this propensity, considering it (as is too frequently the case) but an introduction to a life of idleness and dissipatic n, and having been remarked for ray singing at church, which was re- gularly attended on Sundays and festival days by the scholars, Mr Morthrop, my friend Rice's uncle, used frequently to request me to sing ; he was al- ways pleased with my exhib'tions of this kind, and it was no doubt one of the means tha* secured me so Si ot fol lit OI Wl THE AUTHOR. I gracious a reception at his house. A number of other gentlemen in the place would sometimes send for me to sing at their houses, and, as I was not a little vain of my vocal powers, I was much gratified on receiving these invitations, and accepted them with the greatest pleasure. Thus passed away the two happiest years of my life, when my father, thinking that I had received a sufficient education for the profession he intended me for, took me from school at Donnington, in order to apprentice me to Dr Mason, a surgeon of eminence at Reasby, in the neighbourhood of the celebrated Sir Joseph Banks. With regret did I part from my school acquaintance, particularly my friend Rice, and returned home with my father, on a short visit to my family, preparatory to my intended appren- ticeship. The disinclination I ever had felt for the profession my father wished me to pursue, was still further increased on my return. When a child I was always fond of being in the shop among the workmen, endeavouring to imitate what I saw them do ; this disposition so far increased after my leaving the academy, that I could not bear to hear the least mention made of my being apprenticed to a surgeon, and I used so many entreaties with my father to per- Cvere wanted for the trade with the Indians, on the north-west coast of America, from whence, after having taken in a lad- ing of furs and skins, she was to proceed to China, and from thence home to America. The ship, hav- ing occasion for many repairs and alterations, neces- sary for so long a voyage, the captain applied to my father to do the smith's work, which was very considerable. That gentleman, who was of a social turn, used often to call at my father's house, where he passed many of his evenings, with his chief and second mates, Mr B. Delouisa and Mr William In- graham, the latter a fine young man of about twenty, of a most amiable temper, and of such affable man- ners, as gained him the love and attachment of the whole crew. These gentlemen used occasionally to take me with them to the theatre, an amusement which I was very fond of, and which my father ra- ther encouraged than objected to, as he thought it a good means of preventing young men, who are na- turally inclined to seek for something to amuse them, from frequenting taverns, ale-houses, and places of bad resort, equally destructive of the health and ^ ml le ,Si THE AUTHOR. I ■a morals, while the stage frequently furnishes excel- lent lessons of morality and good conduct. In the evenings that he passed at my father's. Captain Salter, who had for a great number of years been at sea, and seen almost all parts of the world, used sometimes to speak of his voyages, and observ- ing me listen with much attention to his relations, he, one day, when I had brought him some work, said to me, in rather a jocose manner, John, how should you like to go with me ? I answered, that it would give me great pleasure ; that I had for a long time wished to visit foreign countries, particularly America, which I had been told so many fine stories of, and that, if my father would give his consent, and he was willing to take me with him, I would go. I Siiall be very glad to do it, said he, if your father can be prevailed on to let you go; and as I want an expert smith for an armourer, the one I have ship- ped for that purpose not being sufficiently master of his trade, I have no doubt that you will answer my turn well, as I perceive you are both active and in- genious, and on my return to America, I shall pro- bably be able to do something much better for you in Boston ; I will take the first opportunity of speak- ing to your father about it, and try to persuade him a2 10 EAILLY LIFE OF to consent. He, accordingly, the next evening that he called at our house, introduced the subject : my father, at first, would not listen to the proposal. That best of parents, though anxious for my advan- tageous establishment in life, could not bear to think of parting with me, but on Captain Salter's telling him of what benefit it would be to me to go the voyage with him, and that it was a pity to keep a promising and ingenious young fellow, like myself, confined to a small shop in England, when, if I had tolerable success, I might do so much better in Ame- rica, whero wages were much higher, and living cheaper, he at length gave up his objections, and consented that- 1 should ship on board the Boston as an armourer, at the rate of thirty dollars per month ; with an agreement, that th - amount due to me, to- gether with a certain sum of money which my fa- ther gave Captain Salter for that purpose, should be laid out by him on the north-west coast, in the pur- chase of furs for my account, to be disposed of in China, for such goods as would yield a profit on the return of the ship, my father being solicitous to give me every advantage in his power, of well esta- blishing myself in my trade in Boston, or some other maritime town of America. Such were the flatter- I I sSl THE AUTHOR. U to- ing expect«ations which this good man indulged re- specting me. Alas ! the fatal disaster that betel us, not only blasted all these hopes, but involved me in extreme distress and wretchedness for a long period after. The ship having undergone a thorough repair, and been well coppered, proceeded to take on boartl her cargo, which consisted of English cloths, Dutch blankets, looking-glasses, beads, knives, razors, &c. which were received from Holland, some sugar and molasses, about twenty hogsheads of rum, including stores for the ship, a gi'eat quantity of ammunition, cutlasses, pistols, and three thousand muskets and fowling pieces. The ship being loaded and ready for sea, as I was preparing for my departure, my fa- ther came to me, and taking me aside, said to me with much emotion, John, I am now gohig to part with you, and Heaven only knows if we shall ever again meet. But in whatever part of the world yen are always bear it in mind, that on your own con- duct will depend your success in life. Be honest, industrious, frugal, and temperate, and you will not fail, in whatsoever country it may be your lot to be placed, to gain yourself friends. Let the i3ib]e be your guide, and your reliance, in any fortune that 12 EARLY LIFE OF THE AUTHOR. may befal you, that Almighty Being, who knows how to bring forth good from evil, and who never deserts those who put their trust in him. He re- peated his exhortations to me to lead an honest and Christian life, and to recollect that I had a father, a mother, a brother, and sister, who could not but feel a strong interest in my welfare, enjoining me to write him by the first opportunity that should offer to England, from whatever part of the world I might be in, more particularly on my arrival in Boston. This I promised to do, but long unhappily was it before I was able tc fulfil this promise, j then took an affectionate leave of my worthy parent, whose feelings would hardly permit him to speak, and bidding an affectionate farewell to my brother, sister, and step-mother, who expressed the greatest solicitude for my future fortune, went on board the ship, which proceeded to the Downs, to be ready for the first favourable wind. I found myself well accommodated on board as regarded my work, an iron forge having been erected on deck ; this my father had made for the ship on a new plan, for which he afterwards obtained a patent ; while a cor- ner of the steerage was appropriated to my vice bench, so that in bad weather I could work below. . VOYAGE TO NOOTKA. 13 CHAPTER II. 4 VOYAGE TO NOOTKA, On the 3d day of September 1802, we sailed from the Downs with a fair wind, in company with twen- ty-four sail of American vessels, most of which were bound home, I was sea-sick for a few of the first days, but it was of short continuance, and on my recovery I found myself in uncommonly fine health and spirits, and went to work with alacrity at my forge, in put- ting in order some of the muskets, and making dag- gers, knives, and small hatchets for the Indian trade, while in wet and stormy weather I was occupied be- low in filing and polishing them. This was my em- ployment, having but little to do with sailing the vessel, though I used occasionally to lend a hand in assisting the seamen in taking in and making sail. As I had never before been out of sight of land, I 14 VOYAGE TO NOOTKA. cannot describe my sensations, after I had recovered from the distressing effects of sea-sickness, on view- ing the mighty ocean by which I was surrounded, bound only by the sky, while its waves rising in mountains, seemed every moment to tlireaten our ruin. Manifest as is the hand of Providence in pre- serving its creatures from destruction, in no instance is it more so than on the great deep ; for, whether we consider in its tumultuary motions the watery deluge that each moment menaces to overwhelm us, the immense violence of its shocks, the little tliat in- terposes between us and tleath, a single plank form- ing our only security, which, should it unfortunate- ly be loosened, would plunge us at once into the abyss, our gratitude ought strongly to be excited to- wards that superintending Deity who, in so wonder- ful a manner, sustains our lives amid the waves. We had a pleasant and favourable passage of twenty-nine days to the Island of St Catherine, on the coast of Brazils, where the captain had deter- mined to stop for a few days to wood and >'ater. This place belongs to the Portuguese. On entering the harbour we were saluted by the '^ort, which we returned. The next day the Governor of the Island came on board of us with his suite ; Captain Salter I 1 •V VOYAGE TO NOOIKA. 15 1 f received him with much respect, and invited him to dine^with him, which he accepted. The sliip re- mained at St Catherine's four days, during which time we were busily employed in taking in wood, water, and fresh provisions. Captain Salter thinking it best to furnish himself tic^e with a full supply for his voyage to the north-west coast, so as not to be obliged to stop at the Sandwich Islands. St Ca- therine is a very commodious place for vessels to stop at that are bound round Cape Horn, as it abounds with springs of fine water, with excellent oranges, plantains, and bananas. Having completed our stores we put to sea, and on the 25th of December at length passed Cape Horn, which we had made no less than thirty-six days before, but were repeatedly forced back by- contrary winds, experiencing very rough and tem- pestuous weather in doubling it. Immediately after passing Cape Horn, all our dan- gers and difficulties seemed to be at an end ; the weather became fine, and so little labour was neces- sary on board the ship, that the men soon recovered from their fatigue, and were in excellent spirits. A few days after, we feV in with an English South Sea whaling ship, homeward bound, which was the 16 VOYAGE TO NOOTKA. only vessel we spoke with on our voyage. We now took the trade wind, or monsoon, during which we enjoyed the finest weather possible, so that, for the space of a fortnight, we were not obliged to reeve a topsail or to make a tack, and so light was the duty, and easy the life of the sailors during this time, that they appeared the hapi)iest of any people in the world. Captain Salter, who had been for many years in the East India trade, was a most excellent seaman, and preserved the strictest order and discipline on board his ship, though he was a man of mild tem- per and conciliating manners, and disposed to al- low every indulgence to his men, not inconsistent with their duty. We had on board a fine band of music, with which, on Saturday nights, when the weather was pleasant, we were accustomed to be re- galed, the captain ordering them to play for several hours for the amusement of the crew. This to me was most delightful, especially during the serene evenings we experienced in traversing the southern ocean. As for myself, during the day I was con- stantly occupied at my forge, in refitting or repair- ing some of the iron work of the vessel, but princi- pr n( ly VOYAGE TO NOOTKA. 17 ■n '), Y k pally in making tomahawks, daggers, &c. for the north-west coast. During the first part of our voyage we saw scarce- ly any fisli, excepting some whales, a few sharks, and flying fish ; but after weathering Cape Horn, we met with numerous shoals of sea porpoises, several of whom we caught, and, as we had been for some time without fresh provisions, I found it not only a palat- able, but really a very excellent food. To one who has never before seen them, a shoal of these fish presents a very striking and singular appearance ; beheld, at a distance, coming towards a vessel, they look not unlike a great number of small black waves rolling over one another in a confused manner, and approaching with great swiftness. As soon as a shoal is seen all is bustle and activity on board the ship^ the grains and the harpoons are immediately got rea- dy, and those who are best skilled in throwing them take their stand at the bow and along the gunwale, anxiously awaiting the welcome troop as they come, gamboling and blowing around the vessel, in search of food. When pierced with the harpoon and drawn on board, unless the fish is instantly killed by the stroke, which rarely happens, it utters most pitiful cries, greatly resembling those of an infant. 18 VOYAGE TO NOOTKA. The flesh, cut into steaks and broiled, is not unlike very coarse beef, and the liarslet in appearance and taste is so much like that of a hog, that it would be no easy matter to distinguish the one from the other ; from this circumstance, the sailors have given the name of the herring hog to this fish. 1 was told by some of the crew, that if one of them happens to free itself from the grains or harpoons, when struck, all the others, attracted by the blood, immediately quit the ship and give chase to the wounded one, and as soon as they overtake it, immediately tear it in pieces. We also caught a large shark, which had followed the ship for several days, with a hook which I made for the purpose, and, although the flesh was by no means equal to that of the herring hog, yet to those destitute as we were of any thing fresh, I found it eat very well. After passing the Cape, when the sea had become calm, we saw great num- bers of albatrosses, a large brown and white bird of tlie goose kind, one of which Captain Salter shot, whose wings measured, from their extremities, fifteen feet. One thing, however, I must not omit mention- ing, as it struck me in a most singular and extraordi- nary manner. This was, that on passing Cape Horn in December, which was mid-summer in that m tlJ 4 •i I I J yet VOYAGE TO NOOTKA. 19 f climate, the nights were solitrht, without any moon, that we found no difficulty whatever in reading I small print, which we f/equently did during our 1? watches. •I 1? 'I •fv i ^ f it 20 INTERCOURSE WITH THE JJATIVKS. CHAPTER III. INTERCOURSE WITH THE NATIVES MAQUINA SEI- ZURE OF THE VESSEL, AND MURDER OF THE CREW. In this manner, with a fair wind and easy weather from the 28th ot December, the period of our pass- ing Cape Horn, we pursued our voyage to the northward, until the 12th of March 1803, when we made Woody Point in Nootka Sound, on the north- west coast of America. We immediately stood up the Sound for Nootka, where Captain Salter had determined to stop, in order to supply the ship with wood and water before proceeding up the coast to trade. But, in order to avoid tlie risk of any mo- lestation or interruption to his men from the Indians, while thus employed, he proceeded with the ship about five miles to the northward of the village, which is situated on Friendly Cove, and sent out his chief mate with several of the crew in the boat to tiij in* thi •-ig f'lp M.vaUINA. 21 m find a good place for anchoring her. After sound- ing for some time^ they returned with information, that they Iiad discovered a secure place for anchor- age, on the western side of an inlet, or small bay, at about half a mile from the coast, near a small island, which protected it from the sea, and where there was plenty of wood and excellent water. The ship, accordingly, came to anchor in this place, at twelve o'clock at night, in twelve fathom water, muddy bottom, and so near the shore, that, to prevent the ship from winding, we secured her by a hawser to tlie trees. On the morning of the next day, the 13th, several of the natives came on board in a canoe from the village of Nootka, with their king, called Maquina, who appeared much pleased on seeing us, and with great seeming cordiality, welcomed Captain Salter and hia officers to his country. As I had never be- fore beheld a savage of any nation, it may readily be supposed that the novelty of their appearance, so different from any people that I had hitherto seen, excited in me strong feelings of surprise and curio- sity. I was, however, particularly struck with the looks of their king, who was a man of a dignified aspect, about six feet in height, and extremely 22 MAQUIXA. straight and well proportioned ; his features were in general good, and his face was rendered remark- able by a large Roman nose, a very uncommon form of feature among these people; his complexion was of a dark copper hue, though his face, legs, and !:rms, were, on this occasion, so covered with red paint, that their natural colour could scarcely be perceived ; his eye-brows were painted black in two broad stripes, like a new moon^ and his long black hair, which shone with oil, was faptened in a bimch on the top of his head, and strewed or powdered all over with white down, which gave him a most curi- ous and extraordinary appearance. He was dressed in a large mantle or cloak of the black sea otter skin, which reached to his knees, and was fastened around his middle by a broad belt of the cloth of the country, wrought, or painted with figures of se- veral colours ; this dress was by no means unbe- coming, but, on the contrary, had an air of savage magnificence. His men were habited in mantles of the same cloth, which is made from the bark of a tree, and has some resemblance to straw matting ; these are nearly square, and have two holes in the upper pari, large enough to admit the arms ; they reach as low as the knees, and are fastened round thei the f ■> MAQUIN'A. 23 ties of of a tting ; in the thev found their bodies with a belt about four inches broad of the same cloth. From his having frequently visited the English and American ships that traded to the coast, Maquina had learned the signification of a number of English words, and, in general, could make himself pretty well understood by us in our own language. He was always the first to go on board such ships as came to Nootka, which he was much pleased in vi- siting, even when ne had no trade to ofler, as he al- ways received some small present, and was in ge- neral extremely well treated by the commanders. He remained on board of us for some time, durinff w liicl) tlie captain took him into the cabin and treat- ed him with a glass of rum ; these people being very f(md of distilled spirits, and some biscuit and molas- ses, whirh they prefer to any kind of food that we can offer them. As there are seldom many furs to be purchased at this place, and it was not fully the season, Captain Salter had put in here not so much with an expectation of trading as to procure an ample stock of wood and water, for the siq)ply of the ship on the coast, think- ing it more prudent to take it on board at Nootka, from the generally friendly disposition of the people, i 24 MAQUINA. than to endanger the safety of his men, in sending them on shore for that purpose, among the more fe- rocious natives of the north. With this view, we immediately set about getting our water casks in rea- diness, and the next and two succeeding days, part of the crew were sent on siiore to cut pine timber, and assist the carpenter in making it into yards and spars for the ship, while those on board were em- ployed in refitting the rigging, repairing the sails, i^c. when we proceeded to take in our wood and wa- ter as expeditiously as possible, during which time I kept myself busily employed in repairing the mus- kets, making knives, tomaxes, &c. and doing such iron work as was wanted for the ship. Meantime, more or less of the natives came on board of us daily, bringing with them fresh salmoUj with which they supplied us in great plenty, receiv- ing in return some trifling articles. Captain Salter was always very particular, before admitting these people on board, to see that they had no arms about them, by obliging them indiscriminately to throw off their garments, so that he felt perfectly secure from any attack. On the 15th the king came on board with several of his chiefs ; he was dressed as before in his mag- nifi ed, whi man .1 MAQUINA. 25 5en(liiig lore fe- iew, we ; in rea- ys, part timber, irds and ere em- le sails, and wa- ch time he mus- ig such ame on sahnoiij receiv- Salter these s about row off e from Iseveral mag- nificent otter skin robe, having his face highly paint- ed, and his hair tossed off with the white down, which looked like snow. His chiefs were dressed in mantles of the country cloth of its natural colour, which is a pale yellow ; these were ornamented witli a broad border, painted or wrought in figures of se- veral colours, representing men's heads, various ani- mals, &c, and secured around them by a belt like that of the king, from which it was distinguished only by being narrower. The dress of the common people is of the same fashion, and differs from that of the chiefs in being of a coarser texture, and paint- ed red, of one uniform colour. Captaii Salter invited Maquina and his chiefs to dine with him, and it was curious to see how these people, when they eat, seat themselves (in their country fashion) upon our chairs, with their feet un- der them crossed like Turks. They cannot endure the taste of salt, and the only thing they would eat with us was the ship bread, which they were very fond of, especially when dipped in molasses ; they had also a great liking for tea and coffee, when well sweetened. As iron weapons and tools of almost every kind are in much request among them, when- ever they came on board they were always very at- u I r*i •* 26 MAaUINA. tentive tome, crowding around me at the forge, as if to see in what manner I did my work, and in this way became (juite familiar, a circumstance, as will be seen in the end, of great importance to me. The salmon which they brought us furnished a most de- licious treat to men, who, for a long time, had lived wholly on salt provisions, excepting such few sea fish as we had the good fortune occasionally to take. VV'e, indeed, feasted most luxuriously, and flatter- ed ourselves that we should not want while on the coast for plenty of fresh provisions, little imagin- ing the fate that awaited us, and that this dainty food was to prove the unfortunate lure to our de- struction ! On the 19th the king came again on board, and was invited by the captain to dine with him. He had much conversation with Captain Salter, and inform- ed him that there were plenty of wild ducks and geese near Friendly Cove, on which the captain made him a present of a double-barrelled fowling- piece, with which he appeared to be greatly pleased, jmd soon after went on shore. On the 20th we were nearly ready for our depar- ture, having taken in what wood and water we were in need of 9 pai bro he tha ed of, add fron call: this On As ber but that wor( pres! to SI was and told risini after disco MAQIJINA. 27 I, and ehad brm- and ptain iviing- eased, epar- were The next day Maquina came on board with nine pair of wild ducks, as a present, at the same time he hrought with him tlie gim, one of the locks of which he had broken, telling the captain that it was pcshakj that is bad. Captain Salter was very much offend- ed at this observation, and considering it as a mark of contempt for liis present, he called the king a liar, adding other opprobrious terms, and taking the gun from him, tossed it indignantly into the cabin, and calling me to him, said, ^' John, this fellow has broken this beautiful fowling-piece, see if you can mend it." On examining it I told him that it could be done. As I have already observed, Maquina knew a num- ber of English words, and unfortunately understood but too well the meaning of the reproachful terms that the captain addressed to him. He said not a word in reply, but his countenance sufficiently ex- pressed the rage he felt, though he exerted himself to suppress it, and I observed him, while the captain was speaking, repeatedly put his hand to his throat, and rub it upon his bosom, which he afterwards J' told me was to keep down his heart, which was rising into his throat and choking him. He soon after went on shore with his men, evidently much discompsed. 28 MAQUINA. On the morning of the 22d, the natives came off to us as usual with salmon, and remained onboard; when about noon Maquina came alongside, with a considerable number of his chiefs and men in their canoes, who, after going through the customary ex- amination, were admitted into the ship. He had a whistle in his hand, and over his face a very ugly mask of wood, representing the head of some wild beast, appeared to be remarkably good humoured and gay, and whilst his people sung and capered about the deck, entertaining us with a variety of an- tic tricks and gestures, he blew his whistle to a kind of tune which seemed to regulate their motions. As Captain Salter was walking on the quarter deck, amusing himself with their dancing, the king came up to him, and inquired when he intended to go to sea? He answered to-morrow. Maquina then said, " You love salmon — much in Friendly Cove, why not go then and catch some?" The captain thought that it would be very desirable to have a good supply of these fish for the voyage, and, on con- sulting with Mr Delouisa, it was agreed to send part of the crew on shore after dinner with the seine, in order to procure a quantity. Maquina and his chiefs staid and dined on board, and after dinner the chief MA(iUINA 29 TYiate went off with nine men in the jolly-boat and yawl, to fish at Friendly Cove, having set the steward on sliore at our watering-place, to wash the cap- tain's clothes. Shortly after the departure of the boats, I went down to my vice bench in the steerage, where I was employed in cleaning muskets. I had not been there more than an hour, when I heard the men hoisting in the long boat, which, in a few minutes after, was succeeded by a great bustle and confusion on deck. I immediately ran up the steerage stairs, but scarcely was my head above deck, when 1 was caught by the hair by one of the savages, and lift- ed from my feet ; fortunately for me, my hair being short, and the ribbon with which it was tied slip- ping, I fell from his hold into the steerage. As I was falling, he struck at me with an axe, which cut a deep gash in my forehead, and penetrated the skull, but in consequence of his losing his hold, I luckily escaped the full force of the blow ; which, otherwise, would have cleft ray head in two. I fell, stunned and senseless, upon the floor. How long I continued in this situation I know not, but, on reco- vering my senses, the first thing that I did was to try to get up ; but so weak was I, from the loss of 30 SEIZIRE OF THE VESSEL, bJootl, that I fainted and Ibll. I was, however, sooi] recalled to my recollection, by three loud shouts or yells from the savages, which convinced ine that they had got possession of the ship. It is impossi- ble for me to describe my feelings at this terrific sound. Some faint idea may be formed of them by those who have known what it is to Iialf waken from a hideous dream, and atill think it real. Never, no, never sliall I lose from my mind the impression of tliat dreadful moment. I expected every instant to sliare the wretched fate of my unfortunate com- panions, and when I heard the song of triumph, by which these infernal yells were succeeded, my blood ran cold in my veins. Having at length sufficiently recovered my senses to look around me, after wiping the blood from my eyes, I saw that the hatch of the steerage was shut. This was done, as I afterwards discovered, by order of Maquina, who, on seeing the savage strike at me with the ixe, told him not to hurt me, for that 1 was the armourer, and would be useful to them in re- pairing their arms : while, at the same time, to pre- vent any of his men from injuring me, he had the hatch closed. But to me this circumstance wore a very different appearance, for I thought that tliese 1 AND DESTRUCTION OF THE CREW. 31 ^i # barbarians bad only prolonged my life in order to de- prive nic c)t' it by the most cruel tortures. I remained in this horrid state of suspense for a very lon«; time, when, at length, the hatch was open- ed, and Macjuina, calling me by name, ordered me to come uj). I groped my way up as well as I was able, being almost blinded with the blood that flow- €d from my wound, and so weak as with difficulty to walk. The king, on perceiving my situation, or- m 40 ESCAPE OF THOMPSON. father, and, on liis replying in the affirmative, 1 said, " And I also love mine." I then threw myself on my knees at Maquina's feet, and implored him, with tears in my eyes, to spare my father's life, if the man on board should prove to be him, tc^Uing him, that if he killed my father, it was my wish that he should kill me too, and that if he did not, I would kill myself — and that he would thus lose my servi- ces ; whereas, by sparing my father's life, he would preserve mine, which -would be of great advantage to him, by my repairing and making arms for him. Maquina appeared moved by my entreaties, and promised not to put the man to death if he should be my father. He then explained to his people what I had said, and ordered me to go on board and tell the man to come on shore. To my unspeakable joy, on going into t!ie hold, I found that my conjec- ture was true. Thompson was there ; he had escap- ed without any injury, excepting a slight wound in the nose, given him by one of the savages with a knife, as he attempted to come on deck, during the scuffle. Finding the savages in possession of the ship, as he afterwards informed me, he secreted himself in the hold, hoping for some chance to make his escape ; but that the Indian who came on board 1 J ESCAPE OF THOMPSON. 41 m in the night, approaching the place where he was, he supposed himFelf discovered, and being deter- mined to sell his life as dearly as possible, as soon as he came within his reach, he knocked him down ; but tlie Indian, immediately springing up, ran off at full speed. I informed him, in a few words, that all our men Iiad been killed ; that the king had preserved my life, and had consented to spare his on the supposi- tion that he was my father, — an opinion which he must be careful not to undeceive them in, as it was his only safety. After giving him his cue, I went on shore with him, and presented him to Maquina, who immediately knew him to be the sailmaker, {uid was much pleased, observing, that he could make sails for his canoe. He then took us to his house, and ordered something for us to eat. On the 24th and 2oth, the natives were busily employed in taking the cargo out of the ship, strip- ping her of her sails and rigging, cutting away the spars and masts, and, in short, rendering her as complete a wreck as possible ; the muskets, ammu- nition, cloth, and all the principal articles taken from her, being deposited in the king's house. While they were thus occupied, each one taking 42 PILLAGE OF THE SHIP. what he liked, my companion and myself being ob- liged to aid them, I thought it best to secure the accounts and papers of the ship, in hopes that, on some future day, I might have it in my power to restore them to the owners. With this view, I took possession of the captain's writing-desk, which con- tained the most of them, together with some paper and implements for writing. I had also the good fortune to find a blank account-book, in which I re- solved, should it be permitted me, to write an ac- count of our capture, and the most remarkable oc- currences that I should meet with during my stay among these people, fondly indulging the hope that it would not be long before some vessel would ar- rive to release us. 1 likewise found in the cabin a small volume of sermons, a Bible, and a Common Prayer-book of the Church of England, which fur- nished me and my comrade great consolation in the midst of our mournful servitude, and enabled me, under the favour of Divine Providence, to support, with firmness, the miseries of a life which I might otherwise have found beyond my strength to en- dure. As these people set no value upon things of this kind, I found no difficulty in appropriating them to it I : I cui inne, who ling bui he other conduct he floor, iy in this lispatch- lies, had lid have ^t would L as, hoAv- lan what f Divine man pC' that in- a curse. ented so now ap« d the sa- ;h there ve must fury ill is cask, spirits e recur- ■1 .f -M I rence of similar danger, I examined the cask, and finding still a considerable quantity remaining, I bored a small hole in the bottom with a gimblet, which, before morning, to my great joy, completely emptied it. By this time the wound in ray head began to be much better, so that I could enjoy some sleep, which I had been almost deprived of by the pain ; and though I was still feeble from the loss of blood, and my sufferings, I found myself sufficiently well to go to work at my trade, in making for the king, and his wives, bracelets and other small ornaments of copper or steely and ''n repairing the arms, making use of a large square stone for the anvil, and heat- ing my metal in a common wood fire. This was very gratifying to Maquina, and his women particu- larly, and secured me their good will. In the meantime, great numbers from the other tribes kept continually flocking to Nootka, bringing with them in exchange for the ship's plunder such quantities of provision, that, notwithstanding the little success that Maquina met with in whaling this season, and their gluttonous waste, always eating to excess when they have it, regardless of the morrow, seldom did the natives experience any want of food ..I 54 BUKNINCi OF TIIK VESSEL. (luring the summer. As to myself and companion, we tared as they did. never wanting for such provi- sion as they had, thougli we were obliged to eat it cooked in their manner, and with train oil as a sauce, a circumstance not a little unpleasant, both from their uncleanly mode of cooking, and many of the artl- cles of their food, which, to an European, are very disgusting; but, as the saying is, hunger will break through stone walls, and we found, at times, in the blubber of sea animals, and the flesh of the dog-fish, loathsome as it generally was, a very acceptable re- past. But much oftener would poor Thompson, who was no favourite with them, have suffered from hunger, had it not been for my furnishing him with provision. This I was enabled to do from my work, Maquina allowing me the privilege, when not em. ployed for him, to work for myself in making brace- lets and other ornaments of copper, fish-hooks, dag- gers, &c. either to sell to the tribes who visited us, or for our own chiefs, who, on these occasions, be- sides supplying me with as much as I wished to eat, and a sufficiency for Thompson, almost always made me a present of an European garment, taken from the ship, or some fachoms of cloth, which were % BURNING OF THE VESSEL. 55 mpanioii, ch provi. to eat it ,s a sauce, rom their the arti- are very ill break 3S, in the dog-fish, table re- ion, who ed from lim with y work, not em* tr brace- s' dag. ited us, ansj be- to eat, s made n from n were ^;' •I made up by my comrade, and enabled us to go comf ortably clad for some time, or small bundles of penknives, razors, scissors, Sec. for one of which we could almost always procure from the natives two or three fresh salmon, cod, or halibut ; or dried fish, clams, and herring- spawn from the stranger tribes ; and had Ave only been permitted to cook them after our own way, as we had pots and other utensils be- longing to the ship, we should not have had much cause of complaint in this respect ; but so tenacious are these people of their customs, particularly in the article of food and cooking, that the king always obliged me to give whatever provision I bought to the women to cook. And one day finding Thomp- son and myself on the shore, employed in boiling down sea- water into salt, on being told what it was, he was very much displeased, and taking the little we had procured, threw it into the sea. In one in- stance alone, as a particular favour, he allowed me to boil some salmon in my own way, when I invit- ed him and his queen to eat with me ; they tasted it, but did not like it, and made their meal of some of it that I had cooked in their country fashion. In May, the weather became uncommonly mild and pleasant, and so forward was vegetation, that 1 "•(Sill 56 BURNINC, OF THE VESSEL. r picked plenty of strawberries by the middle ot the month. Of this fruit there are great quantities on this coast, and I found them a most delicious treat. My health now had become almost re-established, my wound being so far healed, that it gave me no farther trouble. I had never failed to wash it regu- larly once a day in sea-water, and to dress it witli a fresh leaf of tobacco, which I obtained from the na. tives, who had taken it from the ship, but made no use of it. This was all the dressing I gave it, ex- cept applying to it, two or three times, a little loaf sugar, which Maquina gave me, in order to remove some proud flesh, which prevented it from closing. My cure would, doubtless, have been much soon- er effected had I been in a civilized country, where I could have had it dressed by a surgeon, and properly attended to. But, alas ! I had no good Sa- maritan, with oil and wine, to bind up my wounds, and fortunate might I even esteem myself that I was permitted to dress it myself, for the utmost that I could expect from the natives was compas- sion for my misfortunes, which I, indeed, experien- ced from the women, particularly the queen, or fa- vourite wife of Maquina, the mother of Sat-sat-sok-sis, COMMENCEMENT OF THE JOURNAL. Oi 1 ^^ ■ -i who used frequently to point to my head, and mani- fest much kindness and soh'citude for me. I must do Maquina the justice to acknowledge, that he al- ways appeared desirous of sparing me any labour which he believed might be hurtful to me, frequent- ly inquiring, in an affectionate manner, if my head pained me. As for the others, some of the chiefs excepted, they cared little what became of me, and probably would have been gratified with my death. My health being at length re-established and my wound healed, Thompson became very impor- tunate for me to begin my journal, and as I had no ink, proposed to cut his finger to supply me with blood for the purpose whenever I should want it. On the first of June, I, accordingly, commenced a regular diary, but had no occasion to make use of the expedient suggested by my comrade, having found a much better substitute in the expressed juice of a certain plant, which furnished me with a bright green colour ; and, after making a number of trials, 1 at length succeeded in obtaining a very tolerable ink, by boiling the juice of the blackberry with a mixture of finely powdered charcoal, and fil- tering it through a cloth. This I afterwards pre- served in bottles, and found it answer very well, so c 2 P^^ ,ii»*' I 58 rOMMKNCEMKNT OF THE JOURXAT. true it is that " necessity is the mother of inveii. tion." As for quills, I found no difficulty in pro- curing them, whenever I wanted, from the croM> and ravens with which the beach was almost always covered, attracted by the offal of whales, seals, Sic and which were so tame, that I could easily kill them with stones, while a large clam-shell furnish, ed me with an ink-stand. The extreme solicitude of Thompson, that I should begin my journal, might be considered as singular in a man who neither knew how to read or write,— a circumstance, by the way, very uncommon in an American, — were we less acquainted with the force of Idsibit ; he having been for many years at sea, and accustomed to consider the keeping of a journal as a thing indispensable. This man was born in Phila- delphia, and, at eight years old, ran away from hi? friends, and entered as a cabin-boy on board a ship bound to London. On his arrival there, finding himself in distress, he engaged as an apprentice to the captain of a collier, from whence he was im- pressed on board an English man-of-war, and con- tinned in the British naval service about twenty- seven years, during which he was present at the en- £?agement, under Lord Howe, with the French fleet .,« Ji J-. COMMKNCEMEN'T OF THE .70URNAL. 59 of inveii. ty in pro- the croMs )st alway, seals, ^c. easily kill 1 furnish. it I should 3 singular r write,— ion in an the force t sea, and urnal as a in Phila- from his rd a ship finding entice to was im- md con- twenty- , the en- ich fleet in June ITfJi- ; and when peace was made between Kn^land and France was discharged. He was a very strong and powerful man, an expert boxer, and perfectly fearless. Indeed, so little was his dread of danger, that, when irritated, he was whol- ly regardless of his life. Of this the following will furnisli a sulHcient proof: One evening, about the middle of April, as I was at the house of one of the chiefs, where I had been employed on some work for him, word was brought mc that Maquina was going to kill Thompson. I immediately liurried home, where I found the king in the act of presenting a loaded musket at Thomp- son, who was standing before him with his breast bared, and calling on him to fire. I instantly step- ped up to Maquina, who was foaming with rage, ;nid addressing him in soothing words, begged him, for my sake, not to kill my father, and at length succeeded in taking the musket from him, and per- suading him to sit down. On inquiring into the cause of his anger, I learn- ed, that while Thompson was lighting the lamps in the king's room, (Maquina having substituted ours for their pine torches,) some of the boys began to teaze him, running around him, and pulling him by 60 COMMENCEMENT OF THE JOURNAL. the trowsers, among the most forward of whom wat the young prince. This caused Thompson to spill the oil, which threw hini into such a passion^ that, without caring what he did, he struck the prince so violent a blow in his face with his fist as to knock him down. The sensation excited among the sa- vages by an act whi^h was considered as the high- est indignity, and a pro^... nation of the sacred per- son of Majesty, may be easily conceived. The king was immediately acquainted with it, who, on com- ing in, and seeing liis son's face covered with blood, seized a musket, and began to load it, determined to take instant revenge on the audacious offender ; and had I arrived a few moments later than I did^ my companion would certainly have paid with his life for his rash and violent conduct. I found the utmost difficulty in pacifying Maquina, who, for a long time after, could not forgive Thompson, but would repeatedly say, " John, i/ou die — Thompson kill." But to appease the king was not all that was ne- cessary. In consequence of the insult offered to their prince, the whole tribe held a council, in which it was unanimously resolved that Thompson should be put to death in tiic most cruel manner. I, how- h *Si;" COMMENCEMENT OF THE JOURNAL. 61 horn wm n to spill ior.j that, prince so to knock J the sa- the high- cred per- rhe king on com- th blood, termined offender ; an I did; with his 3und the lo, for a 5on. but lompson ■vvas ne- ered to 1 M'hich should I J how- ever, interceded so strenuously with Maquina for his life, Islling him, that, if my father was killed, I was determined not to survive him, that he refused to deliver him up to the vengeance of his people, saying, that, for John's sake, they must consent to let him live. The prince, who, after I had succeed- ed in calming his father, gave me an account of what had happened, told me that it was wholly out of regard to me, as Thompson was my father, that ■f his life had been spared ; for that, if any one of the tribe should dare to lift a hand against him in anger, he would most certainly be put to death. Yet even this narrow escape produced not much V effect on Thompson, or induced him to restrain the ;' violence of his temper. For, not many w^eeks after, ho was guilty of a similar indiscretion, in striking the eldest son of a chief, who was about eighteen years old, and, according to their custom, was con- sidered as a Tyee or chief himself, in consequence of his having provoked him, by calling him a white slave. This aliair caused great commotion in the village, and the tribe were very clamorous for his death ; but Maquina would not consent. I used frequently to remonstrate with him on the impru- dence of his conduct, and beg him to govern his m^Kmi GQ COMMEXCKMEXT OF THE JOURNAL. n temper better, telling him, that it was our duty, since our lives were in the power of these savages, to do nothing to exasperate them. But all I could say on this point availed little ; for so bitter was the hate he felt for them, which he was no w^ay back- ward in manifesting, both by his looks and actions, that he declared he never would submit to their in- suits, and that he had much rather be killed than be obliged to live among them, adding, that lie only wished he had a good vessel and s'>me guns, and he Mould destroy the whole of the cursed race ; for, to a brave sailor like him, who had fought the French and Spaniards v/ith glory, it was a punishment worse than death to be a slave to such a poor, igno- rant, despicable set of beings. As for myself, I thought very differently. After returning thanks to that merciful Being, who had, in so wonderful a manner, softened the hearts of the savages in my favour, I had determined, from the first of my capture, to adopt a conciliating conduct towards them, and conform myself, as far as was in my power, to their customs and mode of thinking, trusting that the same Divine goodness that had res- cued me from death would not always suffer me to languish in captivity among these heathens. With i.L. COMMEXCEMENT OF THE JOURNAL. as ►ur duty, J savages, 11 I could r was the ay back- l action Sj their in- d than be he only s, and he i; for, to e French nishment or, igno- After ho hadj s of the i'cm the conduct s was in linking, lad res- • me to With this view, I sought to gain their good-will, by al- ways endeavouring to assume a cheerful counte- nan e, appearing pleased with their sports and buf- foon tricks, making little ornaments for the wives and children of their chiefs, by which means I be- came quite a favourite with them, and fish-hooks, daggers, &c. for themselves. As a farther recommendation to their favour, and what miglit eventually prove of the utmost import- ance to us, I resolved to learn their language, which, in the course of a few months residence, I so far succeeded in acquiring, as to be able in general to make myself well understood. I likewise tried to persuade Thompson to learn it, as what might prove necessary to him. But he refused, saying, that he hated both them and their cursed lingo, and would have nothing to do with it. By pursuing this conciliatory plan, so far did I gain the good-will of tliese savages, particularly the chiefs, that I scarcely ever failed experiencing kind treatment from them, and was received with a smile of welcome at their houses, where I was always sure of having something given me to eat, whenever they had it ; and many a good meal hnve I had from them, when they themselves wer^ short of provi- *9^; 64 COMMENCEMENT OF THE JOURI^AL. sions, and suffering for the want of them. And it was a common practice with me, when we had no- thing to eat at home, which happened not unfre- quently during my stay among them, to go around tlie village, and on noticing a smoke from any of the houses, which denoted that they were cooking, enter in without ceremony, and ask them for something, which I was never refused. Few nations, indeed, are there so very rude and unfeeling, whom con- stant mild treatment and an attention to please will not mollify, and obtain from some return of kind at- tention. This, the treatment I received from these people may exemplify ; for not numerous, even among those calling themselves civilized, are there instances to be found of persons depriving them- selves of food to give it to a stranger, whatever may be his merits. I 1 $ ■i'' D\ M ;* fff^'^s ;al. I. And it ^e had no. not unfre. go around any of the ing, enter omething, S3 indeed, horn con- )lease will f kind at- rom these nis, even are then tig them- ever may DESCRIPTION OF NOOTKA. 65 s CHAPTER VI. DESCRIPTION OF NOOTKA MANNER OF BUILDING- FURNITURE DRESSES. rV5 It ma}^ perhaps, bo as well in this place to give a description of Nootka ; some account of the tribes w]io were accustomed to visit us ; and the manners and customs of the people, as far as I hitherto had an opportunity of observing them. The village of Nootka is situated in between 4^ and 50 degrees north latitude, at the bottom of Friendly Cove, on the west or north-west side. It consists of about twenty houses or huts, on a small hill, which rises with a gentle ascent from the shore. Friendly Cove, which affords good and secure an- chorage for ships close in with the shore, is a small harbour of not more than a quarter or half a mile in Icngtli, and about half a mile or three quarters '{ broad, formed by the line of coast on the east, and ■■I ^l»J(l*>, 66 DESCRIl'TIOX OF NOOTKA. a long point or headland, which extends as much as three leagues into the sound, in nearly a wester- ly direction. This, as well as I can judge from wliat I have seen of it, is in general from one to two miles in breadth, and mostly a rocky and unproduc. tive soil, with but few trees. The eastern and west. ern shores of this harbour are steep, and in many parts rocky, the trees growing quite to the water'« edge, but the bottom to the north and north-west is a fine sandy beach of half a mile or more in ex- tent. From the village to the north and north-east ex. tends a plain, the soil of which is very excellent, and with proper cultivation may be made to pro- duce almost any of our European vegetables ; thi; is but little more than half a mile in breadth, and is terminated by the sea-coast, which in this place i? lined with rocks and reefs, and cannot be approach- ed by ships. The coast in the neighbourhood ui Nootka is in general low, and but little broken into hills and valleys. The soil is good, well covered with fine forests of pine, sp'-uce, beech, and other trees, and abounds with streams of the finest water, the general appearance !)eing the same for manv miles around. wi '^j§ ;t I "^^^I*?, DESCRIPTION OF XOOTKA. 67 Is as much 1 a wester, udge from one to twu uiiproduc. land west' d in many ;he water'> lorth-west lore in ex- h-east ex. excellent, le to prO' ibles ; thii thj and i? s place i> ipproach- irhood of oken intt covered nd other st water, )r many The village is situated on the ground occupied by the Spaniards, when they kept a garrison here ; the foundations of the church and the governor's house are yet visible, and a few European plants ^ are still to be found, which continue to be self-pro- pagated, such as onions, pease, and turnips, but the two last are quite small, particularly the turnips, which afforded us nothing but the tops for eating. , Their former village stood on the same spot ; but the Spaniards finding it a commodious situation, de- molished the houses, and forced the inhabitants to retire five or six miles into the country. With great sorrow, as Maquina told me, did they find them- selves compelled to quit their ancient place of resi- dence, but with equal joy did they repossess them- selves of it when the Spanish garrison was expelled ,^by the English. "% The houses, as 1 have observed, are above twen- 'i ty in number, built nearly in a line. These are of different sizes, according to the rank or quality of ^. the 7Vyee, or chief, who lives in them, each having I one, of which he is considered as the lord. They I vary not nuich in width, being usually from thirty- I SIX to forty feet wide, but are of very dif!erent I lengths ; that of the king, which is much the long- ^^^!!^ 68 MANNER OF BUILDING. est, being about one hundred and fifty feet, wliik the smallest, which contain only two families, do not exceed forty feet in length. The house of tlu king is also distinguished from the others by beinp higher. Their method of building is as follows : — They erect in the ground two very large posts, at such a distance apart, as is intended for the length of the house. On these, which are of equal height, and hollowed out at tlie upper end, they lay a large spar for tlie ridge-pole of the building, or if the length ot the house requires it, two or more supporting their ends by similar upright posts ; these spars are some- times of an almost incredible size, having myself measured one in Maquina's house, which I found tc be one hundred feet long, and eight feet four inches in circumference. At equal distances from these two posts, two others are placed on each side, to form the width of the building ; these are rather shorter than the fii st, and on them are laid, in like manner, spars, but of a smaller size, having the up- per part hewed flat, with a narrow ridge on the outer side to support the ends of the planks. The roof is formed of pine planks, with a broad feather edge, so as to lap well over each other. w th th "m ''•^:: MANNER OF BUILDING. 69 ;et, whiK nilies, do ise of the by being I : — They at such a th of the tight, and arge spar length ol ting their are some, g myself found tc ur inches Dm these side, to e rather 1, in like the up- ;he outer a broad 1 other; € which are laid lengthwise from the ridge-pole in the centre, to the beams at the sides, after which, the top is covered with planks of eight feet broad, which form a kind of coving projecting so far over tlie ends of the planks that form the roof, as com- pletely to exclude the rain. On these they lay large stones to prevent their being displaced by the wind. The ends of the planks are not secured to the beams on which they are laid by any fastening, so that in a high storm, I have often known all the men obliged to turn out and go upon the roof to prevent them from being blown off, carrying large stones and pieces of rock with them to secure the boards ; always stripping themselves naked on these occa- sions, whatever may be the severity of the weather, to prevent their garments from being wet and mud- died, as these storms are almost always accompanied with heavy rains. The sides of their houses are much more open and exposed to the weather ; this proceeds from their not being so easily made close as the roof, being built with planks of about ten feet long and four or five wide, which they place be- tween stancheons or small posts of the height of the roof; of these, there are four to each ranffe of boards, two at each end, and so near each other, as 70 MANNER OF BUILDING. to leave space cnougli for admitting a })lank. Tlu planks or boards which they make use of for build. ing their liouses, and for other uses, they procuiv of different lengths, as occasion requires, by splittiiif; them out, witli hard wooden wedges, from pine \o^^^ and afterwards dubbing them down with their chi. sels, with much patience, to the thickness wanted, rendering them quite smooth. There is but one entrance ; this is placed usually at the end, though sometimes in the middle, as was that of Maquina's. Through the middle of the building, from one end to the other, runs a passage of about eight or nine feet broad, on each side oi which, the several ^Umilies that occupy it live, each having its particular fire-place, but without any kind of wall or separation to mark their respective limits ; the chief having his apartment at the upper end, and the next in rank opposite on the other side. They have no other floor than the ground ; the fire-place, or hearth, consists of a number of stones loosely put together; but they are wholly without a chimney, nor is there any opening left in the roof, but whenever a fire is made, the plank immediately over it is thrust aside, by means of a pole, to give vent to the smoke. The height of the 4 I ^'"Ilryfc FURNITURE. n mk. TIk for build. y procure y splittiiic pine lo/Tj^ their chi. IS wanted, eel usually ile^ as was lie of the a passage eh side oi [live, each hout any •espective he upper he other ground ; mber of wholly g left in e plank ns of a t of the houses in general, from the ground to the centre of the roof, does not exceed ten feet ; that of Ma- quina's was not far from fourteen ; the spar form- in^"- the ridge-pole of the latter was painted in red and black circles alternately, by way of ornament, and the large j)osts that supported it had their tops curiously wrought or carved, so as to represent human heads, of a monstrous size, which were painted in tl-cir manner. These were not, how- ever, considered as objects of adoration, but merely as ornaments. The furniture of these people is very simple, and consists only of boxes, in which they put their clothes, furs, and such things as they hold most va- luable ; tubs for keeping their provisions of spawn and blubber in ; trays from which they eat ; bas- kets for their dried fish and other purposes, and bags made of bark matting, of which tliey also J make their beds, spreading a piece of it upon the ground when they lie down, and using no other bed-covering than their garments. The boxes are of pine, with a top that shuts over, and instead of nails or pegs, are fastened with flexible twigs; they are extremely smooth and high polished, and some- , times ornamented with rows of very small white 72 DRESSES. shells. The tubs are of a square form, secured in the like manner, and of various sizes, some being extremely large, having seen them that were six feet long by four brond and five deep. The tray? are hollowed out with their chisels from a solid block of wood, and the baskets and mats are made from the bark of trees. From bark they likewise make the cloth for their garments, in the following manner : — A quantity o) this bark is taken and put into fresh water, where iti^ kept for a fortnight, to give it time to completely sof- ten ; it is then taken out and beaten upon a plank with an instrument made of bone, or some very han! wood, having grooves or hollows on one side of it, care being taken to keep the mass constantly moist ened with water, in order to separate, with more ease, the hard and woody from the soft and fibrous parts, which, when completed, they parcel out int( skeins, like thread. These they lay in the air t( bleach, and afterwards dye them black or red, a: suits their fancies, their natural colour being a pale yellow. In order to form the cloth, the women, bv whom the whole of this process is performed, take a certain number of these skeins, and twist them together, by rolling them with their hands upon 10 DRESSES. 73 ccurcd in me being were six rhe tra}> a a solid are made 1 for their uantity oi where it i- letely sot'- n a planl\ very hard side of it, tly moist ith more d fibrouj out int{ he air to |r red, a: \ig a pale men, b} ,ed, take ist tliem ds upon their knees into hard rolls, which are afterwards connected by means of a strong thread, made for the purpose. Their dress usually consists of but a single gar- ment, which is a loose cloak or mantle (called Kut- sack) in one piece, reaching nearly to the feet. This is tied loosely over the right or letl shoulder, so as to leave the arms at full liberty. Those of the common people are painted red with ochre, the better to keep out the rain, but the chiefs wear them of their native colour, which is a pale yellow, ornamenting them with borders of the sea-otter skin, a kind of grey cloth, made of the hair of some animal which they procure from the tribes to the South, or their own cloth wrought or painted with various figures in red or black, repre- •enting men's heads, the sun and moon, fish and •nimals, which are frequently executed with much diill. They have also a girdle of the same kind, for securing this mantle, or Kutsach, around them, which is in general still more highly ornamented, ind serves them to wear their daggers and knives in. In winter, however, they sometimes make use of an additional garment, which is a kind of hood, with a hole in it for the purpose of admitting the ■"^•Wl- 74. DRESSES. head, and Mh over the breast and back, as lor as the shoulders; this is bordered both at top an' boUom with fur, and is never worn, except whei they go out. The garments of the women vary not essential!' from those of tlie men, the mantle having holes it for the purpose of admitting the arms, and beii:. tied close under the chin, instead of over tl shoulder. The chiefs have also mantles of the m otter skin, but these are cnly put on upon extraord nary occasions ; and one that is made from the ski of a certain large animal, which is brought fromtl South by tlie Wickanninish and Kla-iz-zarts. Tli they prepare by dressing it in warm water, scrapir, off the hair and what flesh adheres to it careful with sharp muscle-shells, and spreading it outintl. sun to dry, on a wooden frame, so as to preserve tl shape. When dressed in this manner, it become perfectly white, and as pliable as the best deer leather, but almost as thick again. They then pair it in different figures, with such paints as they usu- ally employ in decorating their persons : thex figures mostly represent human heads, canoes en,' ployed in catching whales, &c. This skin is called Metamelth, and is probably goi DRESSES. 75 k, as lor t top aiv' :ept -vvht: essentia];' g lu)les '.. and beii. over tl. of the se-; extraord m the ski It from tl larts. Til r, scrapir; t carefuli out in tl;: eserve tl.- t become jest deer then pair; they usi;- ns : thejc anoes eii> )bablv ffoi J from an animal of the mouse kind ; it is highly priz- ed by tliese people, is their great war dress, and only worn when they wi.sh to make the best possible dis- play of themselves. Strips or bands of it, painted as above, are also sometimes used by them for gir- dles or the bordering of their cloaks, and also for bracelets and ancle ornaments by some of the infe- rior class. On their heads, when they go out upon any excur- sion, particularly whaling or fishing, they wear a kind of cap or bonnet in form not unlike a large sugar loaf witli the top cut off. This is made of the same materials with their cloth, but is in general of " a closer texture, and, by way of tassel, has a long strip of the skin of the metamelth attached to it, co- ' veredwith rows of small white shells or beads. Those worn by the common pet.ple are painted entirely red, the chiefs having theirs of different colours. The one worn by the king, and which serves to designate him from all the others, is longer and broader at the • bottom ; the top, instead of being flat, having upon it an ornament in the figure of a small urn. It is also of a much finer texture than the others, and plaited or wrought, in black and white stripes, witii the representation in front of a canoe in pursuit of a 76 COOKERY, w whale, with the harpooner standing in the proAv prepared to strike. This bonnet is called Seeija-poks Their mode of h'ving is very simple — their food consisting almost wholly of fish, or fish spawn fresh or dried, the blubber of the whale, sea), or sea-cow, muscles, clams, and berries of various kinds; all ot which are eaten with a profusion of train-oil for sauce, not excepting even the most delicate fruit, a.-> strawberries and raspberries. With so little variety in their food, no great secret can be expected in their cookery. Of this, indeed, they may be said to know but two methods, viz. by boiling and steam- ing, and even the latter is not very frequently prac- tised by them. Their mode of boiling is as follows ; . — Inlo one of their tubs they pour water sufficieni to cook the quantity of provision waiited. A num- ber of heated ttones are then put in to make it boil, when the salmon or other fish are put in with- out any other preparation than sometime3 cuttiiig off the heads, ta'ls, and fins, the boilings in th 3 mean« time, being kept up by the application of the hot stones, after which it is left to cook until the whole is nearly reduced to one mass. It is then taken out and distributed in the trays. In a similar manner they cook their blubber and spawn, smoked or dried the proAv 'eeija-poh their food awn fresh r sea-cow, ids; all ot lin-oil for ;e fruit, as le varietv pected in y be said nd steam- itly prac- s follows ; sufficieiit A num- make it ; in with. 3 cutting he mean* ' the liot he whole aken out manner or dried COOKERY. 77 fish, and, in fine, almost everything they eat, nothing jroinjr down with them like broth. When they cook their fish by steam, which are usually the heads, tails, and fins of the salmon, cod, and halibut, a large fire is kindled, upon which they place a bed of stones, which, when the wood is burnt down, becomes perfectly heated. Layers of green leaves, or pine boughs, are then placed upon the stones, and the fish, clams, &c. being laid upon them, water is poured over them, and the whole closely covered with mats, to keep in the steam. This is much the best mode of cooking, and clams and muscles done in this manner are really excel- lent. These, as I have said, may be considered as their only kinds of cookery ; though 1 have, in a very few instances, known them dress the roe, or spawn of the salmon, and the herring, when first taken, in a different manner ; this was by roasting them, the former being supported between two split pieces of pine, and the other having a sharp stick run through it, with one end fixed in the ground. Sprats are also roasted by them in this way, a num- l)er being spitted upon one stick ; and this kind of food, witn a little salt, would be found no contemp- tible eating even to an European. I 78 COOKERY. 'M At their meals, they seat themselves upon the ground, Avith their feat curled up under them, a. round their trays, which are generally about three feet long by one broad, and from six to eight inches deep. In eating, they make use of nothing but their fingers, except for the soup or oil, whicli they lade out •with clam-shells. Around one of these trays, from four to six persons will seat themselves, constantly dipping in their fingers, or clam-shells, one after the other. The k'ng and chiefs alone have separate trays, from which no one is permitted to eat with them, except the queen, or principal wife of the chief, and whenever the king, or one of the chiefs, wishes to distinguish any of his people with a special mark of favour on these occasions, he calls him, and gives him some of the choice bits from his tray. The slaves eat at the same time, and ot the same provisions, faring, in this respect, as well as their masters, being seated with the family, and only feeding from separnte trays. Whenever a feast is given by the king, or any of the chiefs, there is a person who acts as a master of ceremonies, and whose business it is to receive the guests as they enter the house, and point out to them their respective seats, which is regulated with great ¥ upon the r them, a- ibout three ght inches ►thing but vhich thev 2 of theie lemselves, am -shells, iefs alone permitted principal or one of lis people asions, he bits from le, cand of t, as well nily, and :>r any of naster of :eive the ; to them ith great COOKERY 79 punctiliousness as regards rank ; the king occupy- ing the highest, or the seat of honour, his son or brother sitting next liim, and so on with the chiefs according to their quality ; the private persons be- longing to the same family being always placed to- gether, to prevent any confusion. The women are seldom invited to their feasts, and only at those times when a general invitation is given to the village. As, whenever they cook, they always calculate to have an abundance for all the guests, a profusion in this respect being considered as the highest luxury, much more is usually set before them than they can eat. That which is left in the king's tray he sends to his house for his family, by one of his slaves, as do the chiefs theirs, while those who eat from the same tray, and who generally belong to the same family, take it home as common stock, or each one receives his portion, which is distributed on the spot. This custom appeared very singular to my companion and myself; and it was a most awkward thing for us, at first, to have to lug home with us, in our hands or arms, the blubber or fish that we receiv- ed at these times ; but we soon became reconciled to it, and were very glad of an opportunity to do it. 1 iw*^- 80 APPEARANCE OF CHAPTER VII. APPEARANCE OF THE NATIVES — ORNAMENTS — OTTER-HUNTING FISHING CANOES. a o| h sil In point of personal appearance, the people of Nootka are among the best looking of any of the tribes that I have seen. The men are in general from about five feet six to five feet eight inches in height ; remarkably straight, of a good form, ro- bust and strong, with their limbs in general well turned and proportioned, excepting the legs and feet, which are clumsy and ill-formed, owing, no doubt, to their practice of sitting on them, though 1 nave seen instances in which they were very well shaped. This defect is more particularly apparent in the women, who are for the most part of the time within doors, and constantly sitting while employed in their cooking and other occupations. The only instance of deformity that I saw amongst them was ^I^t^. I THE NATIVES. 81 VIENTS— )ES. people of ny of the 1 general inches in brm, ro- eral well and ^ing, no iiough ! ery well pp'arent he time iployed he only ?m was legs a man of dwarfish stature. He was thirty years old, and but three leet three inches high. He had, however, no other defect than his diminutive size, being well made, and as strong and able to bear fatigue as what they were in general. Their complexion, when freed from the paint and oil with which their skins are generally covered, is a brown, somewhat inclined to a copper cast. The shape of the face is oval ; the features are tolerably regular, the lijjs being thin, and the teeth very white and even. Their eyes are black, but rather small, and the nose pretty well formed, being nei- ther flat nor very prominent. Their liair is black, long, and coarse ; but they have no beard, com- pletely extirpating it, as well as the hair from their bodies, — Maquina being the only exception, who suffered his beard to grow on his upper lip, in the manner of mustachios, which was considered as a mark of dignity. As to the women, they are much whiter, many of them not being darker than those in some of the southern parts of Europe. They are in general very well looking, and some quite handsome. Ma- (juina's favourite wife, in particular, who was a Wickinninish princess, would be considered as a D 2 82 APPEAKANCE OF beautiful woman in any country. She was uncon:. monly well formed, tall, and of a majestic appear- ance ; her skin remarkably fair, for one of tlie>t people, with considerable colour; her features hand. some ; and her eyes black, soft, and languishing Her hair was very long, thick, and black, as is tha: of the females in general, which is much softer thai that of the men. In this they take much pride frequently oiling and plaiting it carefully into t\v broad plaits, tying the ends with a strip of the clotl of the country, and letting it hang down before oi each side of the face. The women keep their garments much neater anc cleaner than the men, and are extremely modest i: their deportment and dress. Their mantle, or Kut sack, which is longer than that of the men, reach- ing quite to their feet, and completely envelopin'- them, being tied close under the chin, and bount! with a girdle of the same cloth, or of sea-otter skin, around their waists. It has also loose sleeves, which reach to the elbows. Though fond of ornamenting their persons, they are by no means so partial to paint as the men, merely colouring their eye-brows black, and drawing a bright red stripe from each corner of the mouth towards the ear. Their orna- 1 J1 THE NATIVES. 8ii was iinconi. Stic appear, lie of thect itures hand. languishing k; as is tha: softer tha: uich pridt ly into t\v of the cloti 1 before or neater anc modest ir le, or Kut >en, reach- nvelopinf- tncl bound Jtter skin, ^es, which lamenting partial to ye-brows 'om each eir orna- ments consist chiefly of ear-rings, necklaces, brace- lets, rings for the fingers and ancles, and small nose-jewels ; the latter are, however, wholly con- fined to the wives of the king or chiefs. These are principally made out of copper or brass, highly po- lished, and of various forms and sizes. The nose- jewel is usually a small white shell, or bead, sus- pended to a tliread. The wives of the common people frequently wear, for bracelets and ancle rings, strips of the country cloth, or skin of the metamelth, painted in figures, and those of the king or principal chiefs bracelets and necklaces, consisting of a number of strings of Ife-voaniy an article much prized by them, and which makes a very handsome appearance. This JJe-tvaiv, as they term it, is a kind of shell, of a dazzling whiteness, and as smooth as ivory. It is of a cylin- drical form, in a slight degree curved, about the size of a goose quill, hollow, three inches in length, and gradually tapering to a point, which is broken ofi" by the natives as it is taken from the water. This they afterwards string upon threads of bark, and sell it by the fathom. It forms a kind of circulat- ing medium among these nations, five fathoms be- ing considered as the price of a slave, their most va- 84 ORNAMENTS. luable species of property. It is principally obtain- ed from the Aitizzarts, a people living about tliirty or forty miles to the northward, who collect it from the reefs and sunken rocks with which their coast abounds, though it is also brought in considerable quantity from the south. Their mode of taking it has been thus described to me : — To one end of a pole is fastened a piece ot plank, in which a considerable number of pine pegs are inserted, made sharp at the ends. Above the plank, in order to sink it, a stone or some weight is tied, and the other end of the pole suspended to a long rope. This is let down perpendicularly by the ' Ife-waw fishers in those places where that substance is found, which are usually from fifty to sixty fa- thoms deep. On finding the bottom, they raise the pole up a few feet, and let it fall. This they repeat a number of times, as if sounding, when they draw it up, and take off the IJe-ivaw, which is found ad- hering to the points. This method of procuring it is very laborious and fatiguing, especially as they seldom take more than two or three of these shells at a time, and frequently none. Though the women, as I have said, make but little use of paint, the very reverse is the case with the 3 ORNAMENTS. 85 illy obtain. bout thirty iect it from their coast msiderablr described a piece of pine pegs ^bove the weight is nded to a •ly by the substance sixty fa- raise the y repeat ey draw )und ad- uring it as they e shells ut little ^ith the men. In decorating their heads and faces, they place their principal pride ; and none of our most fashionable bcaus, when preparing for a grand ball, can be more particular ; for I Iiavo known Maquina, after having been employed more than an hour in painting his face, rub the whole off, and recom- mence the operation anew, when it did not entirely please him. The manner in which they paint themselves fre- quently varies, according to the occasion ; but it of- tener is the mere dictate of whim. The most usual method is to })aint the eye-brows black, in form of a half moon, and the face red, in small squares, with the arms and legs and part of the body red. Some- times one half of the face is painted red, in squares, and the other black ; at others, dotted with spots of red and black, instead of squares; with a variety of othci" devices, such as painting one half of the face and body red, and the other black. But a method of painting which they sometimes employed, and which they were much more particular in, was by laying on the face a quantity of bear's grease, of about one eighth of an inch thick. This they raised up into ridges, resembling a small bead in joiner's work, with a stick prepared for the purpose, and IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) // ^ m ■v..V^ 1.0 ISO "^^ in 2.5 2.2 I.I 136 III 1-8 ■•25 1.4 III 1.6 ^ 6" ► v] ^;. V '/ -(^ Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MA'iN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 > 86 OllXAMENTS, then painted them red, which gave the face a very singular appearance. On extraordinary occasions, the king and principal chiefs used to strew over their faces^ after painting, a fine black shining powder, procured from some mineral, as Maquina told me it was got from the rocks. This they call pc'lpelth, and value it highly, as, in their opi- nion, it serves to set off their looks to great advan- tage, glittering, especially in the sun, like silver. This article is brought them in bags by t^ie Netv- chemass, a very savage nation, who live a long way to the north, from whom they likewise receive a superior kind of red paint, a species of very fine and rich ochre, which they hold in much estimation. Notwithstanding this custom of painting them- selves, they make it an invariable practice, both in summer and winter, to btithe once a-day, and some- times oftener ; but as the paint is put on with oil, it is not much discomposed thereby, and whenever they wish to wash it of!', they repair to some piece of fresh water, and scour themselves with sand or tushes. In dressing their heads on occasion of a festival or a visit, they are full as particular, and almost as long, as in painting. The hair, after being well 4 h bl ii I " ORNAMENTS. 87 oiled, is carefully gathered upon the top of the head, and secured by a piece of pine or spruce bough, with the green leaves upon it. After hav- ing it properly fixed in this manner, the king and principal chiefs used to strew all over it the white down obtained from a species of large brown eagle, which abounds on this coast, and which they are very particular in arranging so as not to have a single feather out of place, occasionally wetting the hair to make it adhere. Tliis, together with the bough, which is sometimes of considerable size, and stuck over with feathers, by means of turpentine, gives them a very singular and grotesque appear- ance, which they, however, think very becoming, and the first thing they do, on learning the arrival of strangers, is to go and decorate themselves in this manner. The men also wear bracelets of painted leather or copper, and large ear-rings of the latter ; but the ornament on which they appear to set the most va- lue is the nose-jewel, if such an appellation may be given to the wooden stick which some of them em- ploy for this purpose. The king and chiefs, how- ever, wear them of a different form, being either small pieces of polished copper or brass, of which I 88 ORNAMENTS. made many for them, in the sliape of hearts and dia- monds, or a twisted conical shell, about half an inch in length, of a bluish colour, and very bright, which is brought from the south. These are suspended by a small wire or string to the hole, in the gristle of the nose, which is formed in infancy, by boring it with a pin, the hole being afterwards enlarged by the repeated insertion of wooden pegs of an increas- ed size, until it becomes about the diameter of a pipe stem, though some have them of a size nearly suffi- cient to admit the little finger. The common class, who cunnot readily procure the mire expensive jewels that I have mentioned, substitute for them, usually, a smooth round stick, some of which are of an almost incredible length, for I liave seen them projecting not less than eight or nine inches beyond the face on each side ; this is made fast, or secured in its place, by little wedges on each side of it. These sprit-sail-yard fellows, as my messmate used to call them, when rigged out in this manner, made quite a strange show ; and it was his delight, whenever he saw one of them coming to- wards us with an air of consequence proportioned to the length of his stick, to put up his hand sudden- ly as he was passing him, so as to strike the stick, in 11 I * OTTER-HUNTING. 89 order, as he said, to brace him up sharp to the wind ; this used to make them very angry, but nothing was more remote from Thompson's ideas than a wish to cultivate their favour. The natives of Nootka appear to have but little inclination for the chace, though some of them were expert marksmen, and used sometimes to shoot ducks and geese; but the seal and the sea-otter form the principal objects of their hunting, particu- larly the latter. Of this animal, so much noted for its valuable skin, the following description may not be uninte- resting : — The sea-otter is nearly five feet in length, exclusive of the tail, which is about twelve inches, and is very thick and broad where it joins the body, but gradually tapers to the end, which is tipped with white. The colour of the rest is a shining sil- ky black, with the exception of a broad white stripe on the top of the head. Nothing can be more beautiful than one of these animals when seen swim- ming, especially when on the look-out for any ob- ject. At such times it raises its head quite above the surface, and the contrast between the shining black and the white, together with its sharp ears and a long tuft of hair rising from the middle of its 90 0TTEU-in:xTiX(;. forehead, wliieh looks like three small horns, ren- (ler it quite a novel and attraetive object. They are in general very tame, and will permit a canoe or boat to apj)roach very near before they dive. 1 vas told, however, that they are become much more shy since they have been accustomed. to shoot them with muskets, than when they used only arrows. The skin is held in great estimation in China, more especially that of the tail, the fur of which is finer and closer set than that on tlie body. This is always cut off' and sold separately by the natives. The value of a skin is determined by its size, that being considered as a prime skin which will reach, in length, from a man's chin to his feet. The food of the sea-otter is fish, which he is very dexterous in taking, being an excellent swimmer, witli feet webbed like those of a goose. They appear to be wholly confined to the sea coast, at least to the salt water. They have usually three or four young at a time, but I know not how often they breed, nor in what place they deposit their young, though I have frequently seen them swimming around the mother, when no larger than rats. The flesh is eaten by the natives, cooked in their usual mode, by boiling, and riSlIING. 91 IS tar preferable to that of the seal, of which they make much account. But if not great hunters, there are few people more expert at fishing. Their lines are generally made from the sinew of the wliale, and are extreme- ly strong. For the hook, they usually make use of a straight piece of hard wood, in the lower part of which is inserted, and well secured, with thread or whale sinew, a bit of bone made very sharp at the point and bearded ; but I used to make for them hooks from iron, which they preferred, not only as being less liable to break, but more certain of secur- ing the fish. Cod, halibut, and other sea fish, were not only caught by them with hooks, but even sal- mon. To take this latter fish, they practise tlie follow- ing method : — One person seats himself in a small canoe, and, baiting his hook with a sprat, which they are always careful to procure as fresh as possi- ble, fastens his line to the handle of the paddle; this, as he plies it in the water, keeps the fish in constant motion, so as to give it the appearance of life, which the salmon seeing, leaps at it, and is in- stantly hooked, and, by a sudden and dexterous motion of the paddle, drawn on board. I have 92 FISHIXG. known some of the natives take no less than eight or ten sahnon of a morning in this manner, and have seen from twentvto thirty canoes at a time in Friend- ]y Cove thus employed. They are likewise little less skilful in taking the whale. This they kill with a kind of javelin or harpoon, thus constructed and fitted : — The barbs are formed of bone, which are sharpened on the outer side, and hollowed within, for the purpose of forming a socket for the staff; these are then secur* ed firmly together with a whale sinew, the point being fitted so as to receive a piece of muscle-shell, which is ground to a very sharp edge, and secured in its place by means of turpentine. To this head or prong is fastened a strong line of whale sinew, about nine feet in length, to the end of which is tied a bark rope from fifty to sixty fathoms long, having from twenty to thirty seal-skin floats or buoys at- tached to it at certain intervals, in order to check the motion of the whale, and obstruct his diving. In the socket of the harpoon a staff or pole of about ten feet long, gradually tapering from the middle to each end, is placed ; this the harpooner holds in his hand, in order to strike the whale, and immediately detaches it as soon as the fish is struck. ( '• FISHING. 93 The whale is considered as the king's fish, and no other person, when he is present, is permitted to touch him, until the royal harpoon has first drawn his blood, however near lie may approach ; and it would be considered almost as sacrilege tor any of the common people to strike a whale, before he is killed, particularly if any of the chiefs should be present. They also kill the porpoise and sea-cow with harpoons, but this inferior game is not inter- dicted the lower class. With regard to their canoes, some of the hand- somest to be found en the whole coast are made at Nootka, though very fine ones are brought by the Wickinninish and the Kla-iz-zarts, who have them more highly ornamented. They are of all sizes, from such as are capable of holding only one person to their largest war-canoes, which will carry forty men, and are extremely light. Of these, the largest of any that I ever saw was one belonging to Ma- quina, which I measured, and found to hejorly-two feet sijc inches in length at the bottom, and fortt/' six feet from stem to stern. These are made of pine hollowed out from a tree with their chisels solely, which are about three inches broad and six in length, and set into a handle of very hard wood. 94 CANOKS. This instrument was n)rmcrly made of flint, or some hard stone ground down to as sliarp an edge as possible, but since they have learned the use ol iron, they have almost all of them of* that metal. Instead of a mallet for striking this chisel, they make use of a smooth round stone, which they hold in the palm of the liand. With this same awkward instrument they not only excavate their canoes and trays, and smooth their plank, but cut down such trees as they want, either for building, fuel, or other purposes, a labour which is mostly done by their slav^es. The felling of trees, .is practised by them, is a slow and most tedious process, three of them being generally from two to three days in cutting down a large one ; yet so attached were they to their own method, that, notwithstanding they saw Thompson frequently with one of our axes, of which there was a number saved, fell a tree in less time than they could have gone round it with their chisels, still they could not be persuaded to make use of them. After hollowing out their canoes, which they do very neatly, they fashion the oi'tside, and slightly burn it for the purpose of removing any splinters or fANOE.^. 95 Kinall points that mi^lit obstruct its passaf^c through the water, after which tliey rub it over thoroughly witli rushes or coarse mats, in onler to smooth it, which not only renders it almost as smooth as glass, hut forms a better security for it iVom the weather : this operation of burning and rubbing down the bot- toms of their canoes is practised as often as they ac- quire any considerable degree of roughness from use. The outside, by this means, becomes quite black, and to complete their work, they paint the inside of a bright red, with ochre, or some other similar sub- stance ; the prows and sterns are almost always or- namented with figures of ducks, or some other kind of bird, the former being so fashioned as to repre- sent the head, and tlie latter the tail ; these are sepa- rate pieces from the canoe, and are fastened to it with small flexible twigs or bark cord. Some of these canoes, particularly those employ- ed in whaling, which will hold about ten men, are ornamented within about two inches below the gun- wale, with two parallel lines on each side of very small white shells, running fore and aft, which has a very pretty effect. Their war canoes have no or- nament of this kind, but are painted on the outside with figures in white chalk, representing eagles. 9G CANOES. i whales, human heads, iS:c. They are very dexter, ous in the use of their paddles, which are very neat- ly wrought, and are five feet long, with a short handle, and a blade seven inches broad in the middle, tapering to a sharp point. With these they will make a canoe skim very swiftly on the water, with scarcely any noise, while they keep time to the strokt of the paddle with their songs. iV MCfilC 97 CHAPTER VIII. MUSIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS SLAVES — NEIGH- BOURING TRIBES TRADE WITH THESE ARMS. The V have a number of songs which they sing on various occasions; as war,* M'halin^r, and fishing, at their marriages and feasts, and at public festivals or solemnities. The language of the most of these appears to be very different, in many respects, from that used in their common conversation, which leads me to bcl'eve, either that they have a different mode of expressing themselves in poetry, or that they borrow their songs from their neighbours ; and what the more particularly induces me to the latter opi- nion is, that whenever any of the Newchemass, a people from the Northward, and who speak a very "A specimen of one of their war songs will be found at the end of this work. 98 MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS. different language, arrived, tliey used to tell me that they expected a new song, and were almost always .«ure to have one. Their tunes are generally soft and plaintive, and though not possessing great variety, are not deficient in harmony.— Their singing is generally accompa- nied with several rude kinds of instrumental music ; among the most prominent of which is a kind of a drum. This is nothing more tlian a long plank hol- lowed out on tlie under side and made quite thin, which is beat upon by a stick of about a foot long, and renders a sound not unlike beating on the head of an empty cask, but nuich louder. But the two most favourite instruments are the r^ittle and the pipe or whistle ; these are, however, cmly used by the king, the chiefs, or some particu- lar person ; the former is made of dried seal-skin, so as to represent a fish, and is filled with a number of small smooth pebbles, it has a short handle, and is painted red. The whistle is made of bone, gene- rally tlie leg of a deer ; it is sliort, but emits a very shrill sound. They have likewise another kind of music, which they mak? use of in dancing, in the manner of castanets ; this is produced by a number of muscle or cockle shells tied together and shaken SLAVES. 99 to a kind of tune, which is accompanied with the voice. Their slaves, as I have observed, form their most val'jjible species of property. These are of both sexe., being either captives taken by themselves in war, or purchased from the neighbouring tribes, and who reside in the same house, forming, as it were, a part of the family, are usually kindly treated, eat of the same food, and live as well as their masters. They are compelled, however, at times, to labour severely, as not only all the menial offices are per- formed by them, such as bringing water, cutting wood, and a variety of others, but they are obliged to make the canoes, to assist in building and repair- ing the houses, to supply their masters with fish, and to attend them in war, and to fight for them. None but the king and chiefs liave slaves, the common people being prevented from holding them, I ither from their inability to purchase them, or, as I am rather inclined to think, from its being consider- ed as the privilege of the former alone to have them, especially as all those made prisoners of war belong either to the king or the chiefs, who have cap- tured them, each one holding such as ha^'^e been ta- ken by himself or his slaves. There is probably, 100 SLAVES. however, some little distinction in favour of the king, who is always the commander of the expedi- tion, as Maqiiina had nearly fifty, male and female, in his house, a numher constituting about one hall" of its inhabitants, comprehending those obtained by war and purchase, whereas none of the other chiefs liad more than twelve. The females are employed principally in manufacturing cloth, in cooking, col- lecting berries, ^c. and with regard to food and living in general, have not a much harder lot than their mistresses, the principal difference consisting in these poor unfortunate creatures being consider- ed as free to any one, their masters prostituting them whenever they think proper, for the purpose of gain. In this way many of them are brought on board the ships, and offered to the crews, from whence an opinion appears to have been formed by some of our navigators, injurious to the chastity of their females, than which nothing can be more ge- nerally untrue, as perhaps in no part of the world is tciat virtue more prized. The houses at Nootka, as already stated, are about twenty, without comprising those inhabited by the Klahars, a small tribe that lias been conquer- ed and incorporated into that of Nootka, though \" N^IGHBOUlllNG TRIBES. 101 they must be considered as in a state of vassalaoe, as they are not permitted to liave any cliiefs among them, and live by themselves, in a cluster of small houses, at a little distance from tlie village. The Xootka tribe, which consists of about five hundred warriors, is not only more numerous than almost any of the neighbouring tribes, but far exceeds them in the strength and martial spirit of its people ; and) in fact, there are but few nations within a hundred miles either to the north or south but are consider- ed as tributary to them. In giving some account of the tribes that were accustomed to visit Nootka, I shall commence at the southward with the Kla-iz-zarts and the Wickinnin- ish, premising, that, inpoint of personal appearance, there prevails a wonderful diversity between the va- rious tribes on the coast, with the exception of the feet and legs, which are badly shaped in almost all of them, from their practice of sitting on them. The Kla-iz-zarts are a numerous and powerful tribe, living nearly three hundred miles to the south, and are said to consist of more than a thousand war- riors. They appear to be more civilized than any of the others, being better and more neatly dressed, more mild and affable in their manners, remarkable 102 XEIGHBOURIXG TRIBES. for their sprightliness and vivacity, and celebrated for their singing and dancing. They exhibit also greater marks of improvement in whatever is wrought by them ; their canoes, though not supe- rior to those of Nootka in point of form and light- ness, are more highly ornamented, and their wea- pons and tools of every kind have a much higher fi- nish, and display more skill in the workmanship. Their cast of countenance is very different from that of the Nootkians ; their faces being very broad, with a less prominent nose, and smaller eyes, and the top of the head flattened as if it had been pressed down with a weight. Their complexion is also much fairer, and their stature shorter, though they are well formed and strongly set. They have a custom, which appears to be pecu- liar to them, as I never observed it ni any of the other tribes, which is, to pluck out not only their beards, and the hair from their bodies, but also their eyebrows, so as not to leave a vestige remain- ing. They were also in general more skilful in painting and decorating themselves ; and I have seen some of them with no less than a dozen holes in each of their ears, to which were suspended strings of small beads about two inches in length. NEIGHBOURING TRIBES. 103 Their language is the same as spoken at Nootka, but their pronunciation is much more hoarse and guttural. These people are not only very expert in whaling, but are great hunters of the sea-otter and other animals, with which their country is said to abound, and the inetamelth, a large animal of the deer kind, the skin of which I have already spoken of, another of a light grey colour, with very fine hair, from which they manufacture a handsome cloth, the 'beaver, and a species of large wild cat, or tyger-cat. The Wickinninish, their neighbours on the north, are about two hundred miles from Nootka. They are a robust, strong, and warlike people, but consi- dered by the Nootkians as their inferiors in courage. This tribe is more numerous than that of Nootka, amounting to between six and seven hundred war- riors. Though not so civilized as the Kla-iz-zarts, and less skilful in their manufactures, like them they employ themselves in hunting as well as in whaling and fishing. Tlieir faces are broad, but less so than the Kla-izzarts, with a darker complex- ion, and a much less open and pleasing expression of countenance, while their heads present a very dif- ferent form, being pressed in at the sides, and length- ened towards the top, somewhat in the shape o£ a su- > < 104 NEIGHBOURING TRIBES. gar-loaf. These people are very frequent visitors at Nootka, a close friendship subsisting between the two nations, Maquina's Arcomah, or Queen, Y-ya- tinila'?io, being the daughter of the Wickinniiiish king. The Kla-oo-quates, adjoining them on the north, are much less numerous, their force not exceeding four hundred fighting men ; they are also behind them in the arts of life. These are a fierce, bold, and enterprising people ; and there were none tiiat visited Nootka, whom Maquina used to be more on his guard against, or viewed with so much suspi- cion. The Eshquates are about the same number ; these are considered as tributary to Maquina : Their coast abounds with rivers, creeks, and marshes. To the north the nearest tribe of any impt stance its the Aitizzarts; these, however, do not exceed three hundred warriors. In appearance they great- ly resemble the people of Nootka, to whom they are considered as tributary ; their manners, dress, and style of living, also being very similar. They re- side at about forty miles distance up the sound. A considerable way farther to the northward are the Cayuquets ; these are a much more numerous tribe than that of Nootka, but thought by the latter to be MEIGHBOURIXG TRIBES. 105 deficient in courage anl rnartial spirit, Maquina having frequently told me that their hearts were a little like those of birds. There are also both at the north and south many other intervening tribes, but in general small in num- ber and insignificant ; all of whom, as well as the above mentioned, speak the same language But the Newchemass, who come from a great way to the northward, and from some distance inland, as I was told by Maquina, speak quite a different language, although it is well understood by those of Nootka. These were the most savage-looking and ugly men that I ever saw ; their complexion being much darker, their stature shorter, and their hair coarser, than that of the other nations, and their dress and appearance dirty in an extreme. They wear their beards long like Jews, and have a very morose and surly countenance. Their usual dress is a Kootsuk made of wolf- skin, with a number of the tails at- tached to it, of v/hich I have seen no less than ten on one garment, hanging from the top to the bot- tom ; though they sometimes wear a similar mantle of bark cloth, of a much coarser texture than that of Nootka, the original of which appears to be the E 2 k ■♦ 106 NEIGHBOURING TRIBES. same, though, from their very great filthiness, it was almost impossible to discover what it had been. Their mode of dressing their hair also varies es- sentially from that of the other tribes ; for they suf- fer that on tlie back of the head to hang loose, and bind the other over their foreheads in the manner of a fillet, with a strip of their country cloth, ornament- ed with small white shells. Their weapons are the ChectooUh, or war-club, which is made from whale- bone, daggers, bow and arrows, and a kind of spear pointed with bone or copper. They brought with them no furs for sale excepting a few wolf-skins, their merchandize consisting principally of the black shin- ing mineral called pelpeth, and the fine red paint, which they carefully kept in close mat bags, some small dried salmon, clams, and roes of fish, with occasionally a little coarse matting cloth. They were accustomed to remain a much longer time at Nootka than the other tribes, in order to recover from the fatigue of a long journey, part of which was over land, and on these occasions taught their sonijs to our savaa;es. The trade of most of the other tribes with Noot- ka ^vas principally train oil, seal or whale's blubber, fish, fresh or dried, herring or salmon spawn, clams TRADE. 107 )0t- )er, IS and muscles, and the yama, a species of fruit, which is pressed and dried, cloth, sea-otter skins, and slaves. From the Aitizzarts and the Cayuquets, particularly the former, the best I-Avhaw, and in the greatest (juantities, uas obtained. The Esh- quates furnished usj with wild-ducks and geese, par- ticularly the latter. The Wickinninish and Kla-iz- zarts brought to market many slaves, the best sea- otter skins, great quantities of oil, wliale sinew, and cakes of the yama, highly ornamented canoes, some I-whaw, red ochre, and pelpeth of an inferior qua- lity to tiiat obtained from the Newchemass, but par- ticularly the so much valued metamelth, and an ex- cellent root, called by the Kla-iz-zarts Ojuiwnoose, This is the size of a small onion, but rather longer, being of a tapering form, like a pear, and of a brownish colour. It is cooked by steam, is always brought in baskets, ready prepared for eating, and is, in truth, a very fine vegetable, being sweet, mealvj, and of a most agreeable flavour. It was highly esteemed by the natives, who used to eat it, as they did every thing else, with train oil. From the Kla-iz-zarts was also received, though in no great quantity, a cloth manufactured by them from 108 TRADE. ' ■/ the fur already spoken of, which feels like wool, and is of a grey colour. Many of the articles thus brought, particularly the provisions, were considered as presents, or tri- butary offerings ; but this must be viewed as little more than a nominal acknowledgment of superior- ity, as they rarely failed to get the full amount of the value of their presents. I have known eighteen of the great tubs in which they keep their provi- sions, filled with spawn, brought in this way. On these occasions, a great feast is always made, to which not only the strangers, but the whole village, men, women, and children, are generally invited ; and I have seen five of the largest tubs employed at such a time in cooking at the king's house. At these feasts, they generally indulge in eating to an excess, makinp- up, in this respect, for their want of inebriating liquors, which they know no method of preparing in any form, — their only drink being water. Whenever they came to visit or trade, it was their general custom to stop a few miles distant, un- der the lee of some bluff or rock, and rig themselves out in their best manner, by painting and dressing I TllADE. 109 their heads. On their first coming on shore, they were invited to eat by the king, when they brought to him such articles as he wanted, after which the rest of the inhabitants were permitted to purchase, the strangers being careful to keep them in their canoes until sold, under strict guard, to proven* their being stolen, the disposition of these people for m thieving being so great, that it is necessary to keep a watchful eye upon them. This was their usual mode of traffic ; but when- ever they wished to purchase any particular object, as, for instance, a certain slave, or some other thing, of which they were very desirous, the canoe that came for this purpose would lie off a little distance from the shore, and a kind of ambassador or repre- sentative of the king or chief by whom it was sent, dressed in their best manner, and with his head co- vered with the white down, would rise, and after making known the object of his mission in a pom- pous speech, hold up specimens of ouch articles as he was instructed to offer in payment, mentioning i,he number or quantity of each, when, if the bar- gain was concluded, the exchange was immediately made. On their visits of friendship or traffic, the chiefs I i * 4 110 ARMS 1 . I alone used to sleep on shore, — this was generally at the house of the king or the head chief, — the others passing the night on board of tlieir canoes, which was done not only for the preservation of their pro- perty, but because they were not permitted to re- main on shore, lest they might excite some disturb- ance, or commit depredations. All these people generally go armed, the common class wearing only a dagger, suspended from their neck behind with a string of metanieltli, and some- times thrust in their girdles. The chiefs, in addi- tion to the dagger, carry the checlu/l/i, or war-club, suspended in the same manner beneath their mantles. This, in the hands of a strong man, is a powerful weapon, in the management of which some of the older chiefs are very dexterous. It is made from tlie bone of a whale, and is very heavy. The blade is about eighteen inches long, and three broad, till it approaches near the point, where it expands to tlie breadth of four inches. In the middle, from whence it slopes off gradually to an edge on each side, it is from one to two inches in thickness. This blade is usually covered with figures of the sun and moon, a man's head, &c. ; and the hilt, which is made to represent the head of a man or some ani- ARMS. Ill mal, is curiously set with small white shells, and has a band of metainelth fastened to it, in order to sling it over the shoulder. Some of the tribes have also a kind of spear, headed with copper or the bone of the sting ray, which is a dangerous weapon. This is, however, not usual, and only carried by the chiefs. The bow and arrow are still used by a few ; but, since the introduction of fire-arms among them, this weapon has been mostly laid aside. fsm BUM wmmm . < 112 SITUATION OF CHAPTER IX. SITUATION OF THE AUTHOR — REMOVAL TO TASHEES FISHING PARTIES. But to return to our unhappy situation. Though my comrade and myself fared as well, and even better than we could have expected among these people, considering their customs and mode of liv- ing, yet our fears lest no ship would come to our release, and that we should never more behold a Christian country, were to us a source of constant pain. Our principal consolation, in this gloomy state, was to go on Sundays, whenever the weather would permit, to the borders of a fresh water pond; about a mile from the village, where, after bathing, and putting on clean clothes, we would seat our- selves under the shade of a beautiful pine, while I read some chapters in the Bible, and the prayers ap- pointed by our Church for the day, ending our de- THE AUTHOR. 113 votions with a fervent prayer to the Ahnighty, that he would deign still to watch over and preserve our lives, rescue us from the liands of the savages^ and permit us once more to behold a Christian land. In this manner were the greater part of our Sun- days passed at Nootka ; and I felt grateful to Hea- ven, that, amidst our other sufferings, we were at least allowed the pleasure of offering up our devo- tions unmolested ; for Maquina, on my explaining to him, as well as was in my power, the reason of our thus retiring at this time, far from objecting, readily consented to it. The pond above mention- ed was small, not more than a quarter of a mile in breadth, and of no great length, the water being very clear, though not of great depth, and bordered by a beautiful forest of pine, fir, elm, and beech, free from bushes and underwood, — a most delight- ful retreat, which was rendered still more attractive by a great number of birds that frequented it, par- ticularly the humming bird Thither we used to go to wash our clothes, and felt secure from any in- trusion from the natives, as they rarely visited it, except for the purpose of cleansing themselves of their paint. In July, we at length thought that the hope of 114 SITUATION OF delivery we had so long anxiously indulged was on the point of being gratified. A ship appeared in the offing ; but, alas ! our fond hopes vanished al- most as soon as formed ; for, instead of standing in for the shore, she passed to the northward, and soon disappeared. I shall not attempt to describe our disappointment. My heart sink within me, and I felt as though it was my desti^iy never more to be^* hold a Christian face. Four days after, there oc- curred a tremendous storm of tlrjnder and light- ning, during which the natives manifested great alarm and terror, the whole tribe hurrying to Ma- quina's house, where, instead of keeping within, they seated themselves on the roof, amid the severest of the tempest, drumming upon the boards, and looking up to heaven, while the king beat the long hollow plank, singing, and, as he afterwards told me, begging Quahooize, the name they give to God, not to kill them, in which he was accompanied by the whole tribe. This singing and drumming was continued until the storm abated. As the summer drew near its close, we began to suffer from the frequent want of food, which was principally owing to Maquina and the chiefs being out whaling, in which he would not permit Thomp- THE AUTHOR, 115 son and myself to join^ lest we should make our escape to some of the neighbouring tribes. At these times the women seldom or ever cook any prov ision, and we were often hungry, but were sometimes fortunate enough to procure secretly a piece of salmon, some other fish, spawn, or even blubber, which, by boiling in salt water, with a few onions and turnips, the remains of the Spanish gar- den, or young nettles, or other herbs, furnished us a delicious repast in private. In the meantime, we frequently received ac- counts from the tribes who came to Nootka, both from the north and south, of there being vessels on the coast, and were advised by their chiefs to make our escape, who also promised us their aid, and to put us on board. These stories, however, as I afterwards learned, were almost all of them without any foundation, and merely invented by these people with a view to get us into their power, in order to make slaves of us themselves, or to sell us to others. But I was still more stronglj'^ solicited to leave Nootka by a woman. This was a VV'ickinninish princess, a younger sister of Maquina's wife, wlio was there on a visit. I had the good fortune, if it may be so called, to become quite a favourite with IMIii 116 REMOVAL TO TASHEES. her. She appeared much interested for me — asked me many questions respecting my country, if I had a mother and sister at home, and if they would not grieve for my absence. Her complexion was fairer than that of the women in general, and her features more regular, and she would have been quite haml- some had it not been for a defect in one of her eyes, the sight of which had been injured by some acci- dent, the reason, as Maquina told me,, why she had not been married, a defect of tliis^ kind being by these savages considered as almost an insuperable objection. She urged me repeatedly to return with her, telling me that the Wickinninish were much better than the Nootkians ; that her father would treat me more kindly than Maquina, give me better food and clothes, and finally put me on board one of my own country vessels. I felt, however, little disposed to accompany her, considering my situa- tion with Maquina full as eligible as it would be with Wickinninish, if not better, notwithstanding all she said to the contrary. On the 3d of September, tlie whole tribe quitted Nootka, according to their constant practice, in or- der to pass the autumn and winter at Tashees and Cooptee, the latter lying about thirty miles up the REMOVAL TO TASHEES. 117 nding uitted in or- 3S and ip the Sound, in a deep bay, the navigation of which is very dangerous, from the great number of reefs and rocks with which it abounds. On these occa- sions every thing is taken with them, even the planks of their houses, in order to cover their new dwellings. To an European, such a removal exhi- bits a scene quite novel and strange : canoes piled up with boards and boxes, and filled with men, women, and children, of all ranks ard sizes, making the air resound with their cries and songs. At these times, as well as when they have occa- sion to go some distance from their houses, the in- fants are usually suspended across the mother's shoulders, in a kind of cradle or hammock, formed of bark, of about six inches in depth, and of the length of the child, by means of a leather band in- serted through loops on ^t^. edges ; this they also keep them in when at home, in order to preserve them in a straight position, and prevent any distor- tion of the limbs, most probably a principal cause of these people being so seldom deformed or crooked. The long boat of our ship having been repaired and furnished with a sail by Thompson, Maquina gave us the direction of it, we being better ac- quainted with managing it than his people, and 118 REMOVAL TO TASHEES. after loading her as deep as she could swim, we pro- ceeded in company with them to the north, quitting Nootka with heavy hearts, as we could entertain no hopes of release until our return, no ships ever coming to that part of the coast. Passing Cooptee, which is situated on the southern bank, just within the mouth of a small river, flowing from the east in a narrow valley at the foot of a mountain, we pro- ceeded about fifteen miles up this stream to Tashees, between a range of lofty hills on each side, which extend a great distance inland, and are covered with the finest forest trees of the country. Imme- diately on our arrival, we all went to work very di- ligently in covering the houses with the planks we had brought, the frames being ready erected, these people never pretending to remove the timber. In a very short time the work was completed, and we were established in our new residence. Tashees is pleasantly situated, and in a most se- cure position from the winter storms, in a small vale or hollow on the south shore, at the foot of a moun- tain. The spot on which it stands is level, and the soil very fine, the country in its vicinity abounding with the most romantic views, charmingly diversi- fied, and fine streams of water falling in beautiful U REMOVAL TO TASIIEES. 119 cascades from the mountains. The river at this place is about twenty rods in width, and, in its deepest part, from nine to twelve feet. This village is the extreme point of navigation, as immediately beyond, the river becomes much more shallow, and is broken into falls and rapids. The houses here are placed in a line like those at Nootka, but closer together, the situation being more confined ; they are also smaller, in consequence of which, we were much crowded, and incommoded for room. The principal object in coming to this place is the facility it affords these people of providing their winter stock of provisions, which consists princi- pally of salmon, and the sy)awn of that fish; to which may be added herrings and sprats, and her- ring spawn. The latter, however, is always pro- cured by them at Nootka, previous to their quitting it. At the seasons of spawning, which are early in spring and the last of August, they collect a great quantity of pine branches, which they place in dif- ferent parts of the C'ove, at the depth of about ten feet, and secure them by means of heavy stones. On these the herring deposit their spawn in im- mense quantities ; the bushes are then taken up, the spawn stripped from the branches, and af^r 120 FISHING PARTIES. being washed and freed from the pine leaves by the women, is dried and put up in baskets for use. It is considered as their greatest delicacy, and eaten both cooked and raw : in the former case, being boiled and eaten with train oil, and in the latter, mixed up with cold water alone. The salmon are taken at Tashees, principally in pots or wears. Their method of taking them in wears is thus : — A pot of twenty feet in length, and from four to five feet diameter at the mouth, is formed of a great number of pine splinters, which are strongly secured, an inch and a half from each other, by means of hoops made of flexible twigs, and placed about eight inches apart. At the end it taper?; almost to a point, near which is a small wicker door, for the purpose of taking out the fish. This pot or wear is placed at the foot of a fall or rapid, where the water is not very deep, and the fish driven from above with long poles, are intercept- ed and caught in the wear, from whence they are taken into tlie canoes. In this manner I have seen more than seven hundred salmon caught in the space of fifteen minutes. I have also sometimes known a few of the striped bass taken in this man- ner, but rarely. 10 FISHING PARTIES. 121 At such times there is great feasting and merri- ment among them. The women and female slaves being busily employed in cooking, or in curing the fish for their winter stock, which is done by cutting off the heads and tails, splitting them, taking out the back-bone, and hanging them up in their houses to dry. They also dry the halibut and cod ; but these, instead of curing whole, they cut up into small pieces for that purpose, and expose to the sun. The spawn of the salmon, which is a principal ar- ticle of their provision, they take out, and without any other preparation, throw it into their tubs, where they leave it to stand and ferment ; for though they frequently eat it fresh, they esteem it much more when it has acquired a strong taste, and one of the greatest favours they can confer on any per- son is to invite him to eat quakamissj the name they give this food, though scarcely any thing can be more repugnant to an European palate than it is in this state ; and whenever they took it out of these large receptacles, which they are always careful to fill, such was the stench which it exhaled, on being moved, that it was almost impossible for me to abide it, even after habit had, in a great degree, dulled the delicacy of my 8enses. When boiled it 122 FISlfING I'ARTIES. !)ecamc less oft'ensive, though it still retained much of the putrid smell, and something of the taste. Such is the immense quantity of these fish, and they are taken with such facility, that I have known upwards of twenty-five hundred brought into Ma- quina's house at once, and at one of their great feasts, have seen one hundred or more cooked in one ot their largest tubs. I used frequently to go out with Maquina upon these fishing parties, and was always sure to receive a handsome present of salmon, which I had the pri- vilege of calling mine ; I also went with him, seve- ral times in a canoe, to strike the salmon, whidi I liave attempted to do myself, but could never suc- ceed, it requiring a degree of adroitness that I did not possess. I was also permitted to go out with a gun, and was several times. very successful in^shoot- ing wild ducks and teal, which" are very numerous here, though rather shy. These they cooked in their usual manner, by boiling, without any farther dress- ing than skinning them. In many respects, however, our situation was less pleasant here than at Nootka. We were more in- commoded for room, the houses not being so spa- cious, nor so well arranged, and as it was colder, we FISHING PARTIES. 12fi ^verc conipelled to be much more within doors. We, however, did not neglect on Sundays, when the weather would admit, to retire into the woods, and by tlie side of some stream, after bathing, return our thanks to God for preserving us, and offer up to him our customary devotions. I was, liowever, very apprehensive, soon after our arrival at this place, that I should be deprived of the satisfaction of keeping my journal, as Maquina one day observing me writing, inquired of me what I was doing, and when I endeavoured to explain it, by telling him that I was keeping an account of the weather, he said it was not so, and that I was speaking bad about him, and telling how he had taken our ship and killed the crew, so as to inform my countrymen, and that, if he ever saw me writing in it again, he would throw it into the fire. I was much rejoiced that he did no more than threaten, and became very cautious afterwards not to let him see me write. Not long after I finished some daggers for him, which I polished highly ; these pleased him much, and he gave me directions to make a cheetoolth, in which I succeeded so far to his satisfaction, that he ffave me a present of cloth sufliicient to make me a 124 FISHING PARTIES. complete suit of raiment, besides other things. Thompson, also, who had become rather more of a favourite than formerly, since he had made a fine sail for his canoe, and some garments for him out of European cloth, about this time completed another, which was thought by the savages a most superb dress. This was a Kootsuk or mantle, a fathom square, made entirely of European vest patterns of the gayest colours. These were s'jwed together, in a manner to make the best show, and bound with a deep trimming of the finest otter-skin, with which the arm-holes were also bordered ; while the bottom was farther embellished with five or six rows of gilt buttons, placed as near as possible to each other. Nothing could exceed the pride of Maquina when he first put on this royal robe, decorated, like the coat of Joseph, with all the colours of the rainbow, and glittering with the buttons, which, as he strutted about, made a tinkling, while he repeatedly exclaim- ed, in a transport of exultation, Klew shish Kat- suk — tvick kum atack Nootka. A fine garment — Nootka can't make them. Maquina, who knew that the chiefs of the tribes who came to visit us had endeavoured to persuade nie to escape, frequently cautioned me not to listen FISHING PAETIES. 125 to them, saying, that should I make the attempt, and he were to take me, he should certainly put me to death. While here he gave me a book in which I found the names of sev'en persons belonging to the ship Manchester, of Philadelphia, Captain Brian, viz. — Daniel Smith, Lewis Gillon, James Tom, Clark, Johnson, Ben, and Jack. These men, as Maquina informed me, ran away from the ship, and came to him, but that six of them soon after went off in the night, with an intention to go to the Wickinninish, but were stopped by the Eshcjuiates, and sent back to him, and that he ordered them to be put to death ; and a most cruel death it was, as I was told by one of the natives, four men holding one of them on the ground, and forcing open his mouth, while they choked him by ramming stones down his throat. As to Jack, the boy, who made no attempt to go off, Maquina afterwards sold him to the Wickinni- nish. I was informed by the princess Yuqua, that he was quite a small boy, who cried a great deal, being put to hard labour beyond his strength by the natives, in cutting wood and bringing water, and that, when he heard of the murder of our crew, it had such an effect on him, that he fell sick and died 126 FISHING PARTIES, •i .sliortly after. On learning the melancholy fate of tliis unfortunate lad, it again awakened in my bosom those feelings that I had experienced at the shocking death of my poor comrades. < ONVKIISATIONS WITH MAQUIXA. 127 CHAPTER X. CONVERSATIONS WITH MAQUINA FRUITS RELI- GIOUS CEREMONIES— VISIT TO UPQUESTA. The king, finding that I was desirous of learning their language, was much delighted, and took great pleasure in conversing with me. On one of these occasions, he explained to me his reasons for cut- ting off our ship, saying, that he bore no ill will to my countrymen, but that he had been several times treated very ill by them. The first injury of which he had cause to complain was done him by a Cap- tain Tawnington, who commanded a schooner which passed a winter at Friendly Cove, where he was well treated by the inhabitants. This man, taking advantage of Maquina's absence, who had gone to the Wickinninish to procure a wife, armed himself and crew, and entered the house where there were rone but women, whom he threw into the greatest 128 CONVERSATIONS WITH MAQUINA- consternation, and searching the chests, took away all the skins, of which Maquina had no less than forty of the best ; and that about the same time, four of their chiefs were barbarously killed by a Captain Martinez, a Spaniard. That soon after Captain Hanna, of the Sea- Ot- ter, in consequence of one of the natives having stolen a chisel from the carpenter, fired upon their canoes which were alongside, and killed upwards of twenty of the natives, of whom several were Tyees, or chiefs, and that he himself being on board the vessel, in order to escape was obliged to leap from the quarter-deck, and swim for a long way under water. These injuries had excited in the breast of Ma- quina an ardent desire of revenge, the strongest passion of the savage heart, and though many years had elapsed since their commission, still they were not forgotten, and the want of a favourable oppor- tunity alone prevented him from sooner avenging them. Unfortunately for us, the long wished for opportunity at length presented itself in our ship, which Maquina finding not guarded with the usual vigilance of the North- West Traders, and feeling his desire of revenge rekindled by the insult offered him CONVERSATIONS WITH MAQUINA. 129 by Captain Salter, formed a plan for attacking, and on his return, called a council of his chiefs, and com- municated it to them, acquainting them with the manner in which he had been treated. No less de- sirous of avenging this aifront offered their king than their former injuries, they readily agreed to his proposal, which was to go on board without arms as usual, but under different pretexts, in great num- bers, and wait for his signal for the moment of at- tacking their unsuspecting victims. The execution of this scheme, as the reader knows, was unhappily too successful. And here I cannot but indulge a reflection that has frequently occurred to me on the manner in which our people behave towards the natives. For, though they are a thievish race, yet I have no doubt that many of the melancholy disasters have principally arisen from the imprudent conduct of some of the captains and crews of the ships em- ployed in this trade, in exasperating them by insult- ing, plundering, and even killing them on slight grounds. This, as nothing is more sacred with a savage than the principle of revenge, and no people are so impatient under insult, induces them to wreak their vengeance upon the first vessel or boat's crew F 2 ' 130 CONVEKrsATIONS WITH MAQUfNA. that offers, making the innocent too frequently suffer for the wrongs of the guilty, as few of them know how to discriminate between persons of the same general appearance, more especially when speaking the same language. And to this cause do 1 believe must principally be ascribed the sanguinary dispo- sition with which these people are reproached, as Maquina repeatedly told me that it was not his wish to hurt a white man, and that he never should have done it, though ever so much in his power, had they not injured him. And were the commanders of our ships to treat the savages with rather more civility than they sometimes do, I am inclined to think they would find their account in it ; not that I should recom- mend to them a confidence in the good faith and friendly professions of these people, so as in any degree to remit their vigilance, but, on the contrary, to be strictly on their guard, and suffer but a very few of them to come on board the ship, and admit not many of their canoes alongside at a time ; a precaution that would have been the means of pre- venting some of the unfortunate events that have occurred, and if attended to, may, in future, pre- serve many a valuable life. Such a regulation, too, I ■' • FRUITS. 131 from what I know of their disposition and wants, would produce no serious difficulty in trading with the savages, and they would soon become })erfectly reconciled to it. Among the provisions which the Indians procure at Tashees, 1 must not omit mentioning a fruit that is very important, as forming a great article of their food. This is what is called by them the yama, a species of berry, that grows in bunches, like cur- rants, upon a busli from two to three feet high, with a large, round, and smooth leaf. This berry is black, and about the size of a pistol shot, but of ra- ther an oblong shape, and open at the top, like the blue whortle-berry. The taste is sweet, but a little acrid, and when first gathered, if eaten in any great quantity, especially without oil, is apt to produce cholics. To procure it, large companies of women go out on the mountains, accompanied by armed men, to protect them against wdld beasts where they frequently remain for several days, kindling a fire at night, and sheltering themselves under sheds, constructed of boughs. At these parties, they col- lect great quantities. I have known Maquina's queen and her women return loaded, bringing with them upwards of twelve bushels. In order to pre- 1S2 FRUITS. serve it, it is pressed in the bunches between two planks, and dried and put away in baskets for use. It is always eaten with oil. Of berries of various kinds, such as strawberries^ raspberries, blackberries, &c. there are great quan- tities in the country, of which the natives are very fond, gathering them in their seasons, and eating them with oil ; but the yama is the only one that they preserve. Fish is, however, their great article of food, as al- most all the others, excepting the yama, may be con- sidered as accidental. They, nevertheless, are far from disrelishing meat, — for instance, venison and bear's flesh. With regard to the latter, they have a most singular custom, which is, that any one who eats of it is obliged to abstain from eatirig any kind of fresh fish whatever for the term of two months, as they have a superstitious belief, that, should any of their people, after tasting bear's flesh, eat of fresh salmon, cod, &c. the fish, though at ever so great a distance off*, would come to the knowledge of it, and be so much offended thereat, as not to allow them- selves to be taken by any of the inhabitants. This I had an opportunity of observing while at Tashees ; a bear having been killed early in December, of DRESSING THE BEAR. 133 which not more than ten of the natives would eat, being prevented by the prohibition annexed to it, which also was the reason of my comrade and my- self not tasting it, on being told by Maquina the consequences. As there is something quite curious in their ma- nagement of this animal, when they have killed one, I shall give a description of it. After well cleans- ing the bear from the dirt and blood, with which it is generally covered when killed, it is brought in, and seated opposite the king, in an upright posture, with a chief's bonnet wrought in figures on its head, and its fur powdered over with the white down. A tray of provision is then set before it, and it is invited by words and gestures to eat. This mock ceremony over, the reason of which I could never learn, the animal is taken and skinned, and the flesh and entrails boiled up into a soup, no part but the paunch being rejected. This dressing the bear, as they call it, is an occa- sion of great rejoicing throughout the village, all the inhabitants being invited to a great feast at the king's house, though but few of them, in conse- quence of the penalty, will venture to eat of the flesh, but generally content themselves witli their 134 MKTilOJ) OF I rr favourite dish of herring-spawn and water. The feast, on this occasion, was closed by a dance from Sat-sat-sak-sis, in the manner I have ah'eady de- scribed, in tlie course of which he repeatedly shift- ed liis mask for another of a different form. A few days after, a second bear was taken, like the former, by means of a trap. This I had the cu- riosity to go and see at the place where it was caught, which was in the following manner : — On the edge of a small stream of water, in the moun- tains, which the salmon ascend, and near the spot where the bear is accustomed to w^atch for them, which is known by its track, a trap or box, about the height of a man's head, is built of posts and planks, with a flat top, on which are laid a number oi large stones or rocks. The top and sides are then carefully covered witli turf, so as to resemble a little mound, and wholly to exclude the light, a narrow entrance of the height of tlie building only being left, just sufficient to admit the head and shoulders of the beast. On the inside, to a large plank that covers the top, is suspended by a strong cord a salmon, the plank being left loose, so that a forcible pull will bring it down. On coming to its usual haunt, the bear enters the trap, and in endea- 4 iV* CATCHING THE BEAR. 135 vouring to pull away the fish, brings down the whole covering, with its load of stones, upon its head, and is almost always crushed to death on the spot, or so wounded as to be unable to escape. They are always careful to examine these traps every day, in order, if a bear be caught, to bring it immediately ; for it is not a little singular, that these people will eat no kind of meat that is in the least tainted, or not perfectly fresh, while, on the con- trary, it is hardly possible for fish to be in too pu- trid a state for them ; and I have frequently known them, when a whale has been driven ashore, bring pieces of it home with them, in a state of offensive- ness insupportable to any but a crow, and devour it with high relish, considering it as preferable to that which is fresh. On the morning of the 1 3th of December com- menced what to us appeared a most singular farce. Apparently without any previous notice, Maquina discharged a pistol close to his son's ear, who imme- diately fell down, as if killed, upon which all the women of the house set up a most lamentable cry, tearing handfuls of hair from their head, and ex- claiming that the prince was dead ; at the same time, a great number of the inhabitants rushed into the t * 13G IlELIGIOUS CEREMONIES. •> t < house^ armed with their daggers, muskets, &c. in- quiring the cause of their outcry. These were im- mediately followed by two others, dressed in wolf skins, with masks over their faces, representing the head of that animal. The latter came in on their hands and feet, in the manner of a beast, and takin^j up the prince, carried hnn off upon their backs, re- tiring in the same manner they entered. We sa^v nothing more of the ceremony, as Maquina came to us, and giving us a quantity of dried provision, or- dered us to quit the house, and not return to the village before the expiration of seven days ; for that, if we appeared within that period, he should kill us. At any other season of the year, such an order would by us have been considered as an indulgence, in enabling us to pass our time in whatever way we wished ; and even now, furnished as were with suf- ficient provision for that term, it was not very un- pleasant to us, more particularly Thompson, who was always desirous to keep as much as possible out of the society and sight of the natives, whom he de- tested. Taking with us our provisions, a bundle of clothes, and our axes, we obeyed the directions of MaquJna, and withdrew into the woods, where we RELIGIOUS OEREMOKIES. 137 built ourselves a cabin to shelter us with the branches of trees, and keeping up a good fire, secured our- selves pretty well from the cold. Here we passed the prescribed period of our exile, with more con- tent than much of the time while with them, em- ploying the day in reading and praying for our re- lease, or in rambling around and exploring the coun- try, the soil of which we found to be very good, and the face of it beautifully diversified with hills and valleys, refreshed with the finest streams of water ; and at night enjoyed comfortable repose upon a bed of soft leaves, with our garments spread over us, to protect us from the cold. At the end of seven days we returned, and found several of the people of A-i-tiz-zart, with their king, or chief, at Tashees, who had been invited by Ma- quina to attend the close of this performance, which I now learned was a celebration, held by them an- nually, in honour of their god, whom they call Quahooize, to return him their thanks for his past, and implore his future favours. It terminated on the 2 1 st, the day after our return, with a most ex- traordinary exhibition. Three men, each of whom had two bayonets run through his sides, between the ribs, apparently regardless of the pain, traversed ]38 RKLIGIOUS CEREMONIES. the room backwards and forwards, singing war songs, and exulting in this disphiy ot' firmness. On the arrival of the 25th, we could not but call to mind, that this, being Christmas, was in our coun- try a day of the greatest festivity, when our fellow- countrymen, assembled in their churches, were ce- lebrating the goodness of God, and the praises of the Saviour. What a reverse did our situation offer ! Cai)tives in a savage land, and slaves to a set of ig- norant beings, unacquainted with religion or huma- nity, hardly were we permitted to offer up our de« votions by ourselves in the woods, while we felt even grateful for this privilege. Thither, with the king's permission, we withdrew, and after reading the service appointed for tlie day, sung the hynm of the Nativity, fervently praying that Heaven, in its goodness, would permit us to celebrate the next festival of this kind in some Christian land. On our return, in order to conform as much as was in our power to the custom of our country, we were desirous of having a belter supper than usual. With this view we bought from one of the natives some dried clams and oil, and a root called Kletsvp, which we cooked by steaming, and found it very palatable. This root consists of many fibres, of u r COOPTKE. 139 about six inches long, and of the size of a crow (luill. It is sweet, of an agreeable taste, not unlike the Qunnoose, and it is eaten with oil. The plant that produces it I have never seen. On the 31st, all the tribe quitted Tashees for Cooptee, whither they go to pass the remainder of the winter, and complete their fishing, taking ott' every thing with them in the same manner as at Nootka. We arrived in a few hours at Cooptee, which is about fifteen miles, and immediately set about covering the houses, which was soon cor> pleted. This place, which is their great herring and sprat ,.iery, stands just within the mouth of the river, on the same side with Tashees, in a very narrow valley at the foot of a high mountain. Though nearly as secure as Tashees from the winter storms, it is by no means so pleasantly situated, though to us it was a much more agreeable residence, as it brought us nearer Nootka, where we were impa- tient to return, in hopes of finding some vessel there, or hearing of the arrival of one near. The first snow that fell this season was the day after our arrival, on New- Year's ; a day that, like Christmas, brought with it painful recollections, but 140 VISIT TO UPdUESl > &'•• 4 at the same time led us to indulge the hope of a more fortunate year than the last. Early on the morning of the 7th of January, Maquina took me with him in his canoe on a visit to Upquesta, chief of the A-i-tiz-zarts, "who had in- vited him to attend an exhibition at his village, si- milar to the one with which he had been entertaui- ed at Tashe**?. This place is between twenty and thirty miles distant up the sound, and stands on the banks of a small river about the size of that of Cooptee, just within its entrance, in a valley of much greater extent than that of Tashees ; it con- sists of fourteen or fifteen houses, built and disposed in the manner of those at Nootka. The tribe, which is considered as tributary to Maquina, amounts to about three hundred warriors, and the inhabitants, both men and women, are among the best looking of any people on the coast. On our arrival we were received at the shore by tlxe inhabitants, a few of whom were armed with muskets, which they fired, with loud shouts and exclamations of IVcrash, luocash* We w^ere v/elcomed by the chief's messenger, or master of ceremonies, dressed in his best garments, with his hair powdered with white down, and hold- VISIT TO UPQUESTA. 141 ing in his hand the cheetoolth, the badge of his of- fice. This man preceded us to the chief's house, where he introduced and pointed out to us our re- spective seats. On entering, the visitors took off their hats, which they always wear on similar oc- casions, and Maquina his outer robes, of which he has several on whenever he pays a visit, and seated himself near the chief. As I was dressed in European clothes, I became quite an object of curiosity to these people, very few of whom had ever seen a white man. They crowded around me in numbers, taking hold of my clothes, examining my face, hands and feet, and even opening my mouth to see if I had a tongue, for, notwithstanding I had by this time become well ac- quainted with their language, I preserved the strict- est silence, Maquina, on our first landing, having enjoined me not to speak until he should direct. Having undergone this examination for some time, Maquina at length made a sign to me to speak to them. On hearing me address them in their own language, they were greatly astonished and delight- ed, and told Maquina that they now perceived that I was a man like themselves, except that I was white, and looked like a seal, alluding to my blue 11 142 VISIT TO rrauESTA. » 4 jacket and trowsers, 'vvliicli they wanted to persuade me to tpJke off, as they did not like their appear- ance. Maquina in tlie meantime gave an account to the chief of the scheme he had formed for sur- j)rising our sliip, and the manner in which he and his people had carried it into execution, with such particular and horrid details of that transaction as chilled the blood in my veins. Trays of boiled herring- spawn and train oil were soon after brought in and placed before us, neither the chief nor any of his people eating at the same time, it be- ing contrary to the ideas of hospitality entertained by these nations, to eat any part of the food that is provided for strangers, always waiting until their visitors have finished, before tliey have their own brought in. The following day closed their festival, with an exhibition of a similar kind to that which had been given at Tashees, but still more cruel, — the differ- ent tribes appearing on these occasions to endeavour to surpass each'other in their proofs of fortitude and endurance of pain. In the morning, twenty men entered the chief's house, with each an arrow run through the flesh of his sides, and either arm, with a cord fastened to the end, which, as the performers VISIT TO UPQUESTA. 143 advanced, singing and boasting, was forcibly drawn back by a person having bold of it. After this per- formance was closed, we returned to Cooptee, whicli we reached at mi'lmght, our men keeping time with their songs to the stroke of their paddles. The natives now began to take the herring and sprat in immense quantities, with some salmon, and there was nothing but feasting from morning till night. The following is the method they employ to take the herring:— A stick of about seven feet long, two inches broad, and half an inch thick, is formed from some hard wood, one side of which is set with sharp teeth, made from whale-bone, at about half an inch apart. Provided with this instrument, the fisherman seats himself in the prow of a canoe, which is paddled by another, and whenever he comes to a shoal of herrings, which cover the wa- ter in great quantities, he strikes it with both hands upon them, and at the same moment turning it up, brings it over the side of the canoe, into which he lets those that are taken drop. It is astonishing to see how many are caught by those who are dexter- ous at this kind of fishing, as they seldom fail, when the shoals are numerous, of taking as many as ten Tzsissssssaam 144 VISIT TO urau?:sTA. or twelve at a stroke, and in a very short time m\\ fill a canoe with tliem. Sprats are likewise caught in a similar manner. About the beginning of February, Maquina gave a great feast, at which were present not only all the inhabitants, but one hundred persons from A-i-tiz- zart, and a number from Wickinninish, who had been invited to attend it. It is customary with them to give an annual entertainment of this kind, and it is astonishing to see what a quantity of pro- vision is expended, or rather wasted, on such an occasion, when they always eat to the greatest ex- cess. It was at this feast that I saw upwards of an hundred salmon cooked in one tub. The whole resi- dence at Cooptee presents an almost uninterrupted succession of feasting and gormandizing, and it would seem as if the principal object of these people was to consume their whole stock of provision be- fore leaving it, trusting entirely to their success in fishing and whaling, for a supply at Nootka. • • I/: RET UllN TO NOOTKA. 145 CHAPTER XI. RETURN TO NOOTK A~DEATII OF MAQUINa's NE- PIIEW— INSANITY OF TOOTOOSCII— WHALE-FISH^ ING— DEATH OF TOOTOOSCH— AN INDIAN MOUN- TEBANK. On the 25th of February, we quitted Cooptee, and returned to Nootka. With much joy did Thompson and myself again find ourselves in a place where, notwithstanding the melancholy recollections which it excited, we hoped before long to see some vessel arrive to our relief, and for this we became the more solicitous, as of late we had become much more apprehensive of our safety, in consequence of information brought Maquina a few days be- fore we left Cooptee, by some of the Cayuquets, that there were twenty'ships at the northward, pre- paring to come against him, with an intent of de- o • ^vir U6 DEATH OF MAQUINA S NEPHEW. stroying him and his whole tribe, for cutting off the Boston. This story, which was wholly without founda- tion, and discovered afterwards to have been in- vented by these people, for the purpose of dis- quieting him, threw him into great alarm, and not- withstanding all that I could say to convince him that it was an unfounded report, so great was his jealousy of us, especially after it had been con- firmed to him by some others of the same nation, that he treated us with much harshness, and kept a very suspicious eye upon us. Nothing, indeed, could be more unpleasant than our present situa- tion, when I reflected that our lives were altoge- ther dependent on the will of a savage, on whose caprice and suspicions no rational calculation could be made. Not long after our return, a son of Maquina's sis- ter, a boy of eleven years old, who had been for some time declining, died. Immediately on his death, which was about midnight, all the men and women in the house set up loud cries and shrieks, which awakening Thompson and myself, so disturbed us that we left the house. This lamentation was kept up during the remainder of the night In the morn- tV INSANITY OF TOOTOOSCH. 147 ing, a great fire was kindled, in which Maquina burned, in honour of the deceased, ten fathoms of cloth, and buried with him ten fathoms more, eight of I-whaw, four prime sea-otter skins, and two small trunks, containing our unfortunate captain's clothes and watch. This boy was considered as a Tyee or chief, being the only son of Tootooschj one of their principal chiefs, who had mai*ried Maquina's sister, whence arose this ceremony on his interment ; it being an established custom with these people, that whenever a chief dies, his most valuable property is burned or buried with him ; it is, however, wholly confined to the chiefs, and appears to be a mark of honour ap- propriate to them. In this instance Maquina fur- nished the articles, in order that his nephew might have the proper honours rendered him. Tootoosch, his father, was esteemed the first war- rior of the tribe, and was one who had been parti- cularly active in the destruction of our ship, having killed two of our poor comrades, who were ashore, whose names were Hall and Wood. About the time of our removal to Tashees, while in the enjoy- ment of the highest health, he was suddenly seized with a fit of delirium, in which he fancied that he 148 IXSAXITY OF TOOTOOSCII. . , •« 4 t - .»» ' #« saw the gliosis of tliose two men constantly stand- ing by him, and threatening him, so that he would take no food, except what was forced into his mouth. A short time before this he had lost a daughter of about fifteen years of age, which afflicted him great- ly, and whether his insanity, a disorder very un- common amongst these savages, no instance of the kind having occurred within the memory of the oldest man amongst them, proceeded from this cause, or that it was the special interposition of an all-merciful God in our favour, who, by this means, thought proper to induce these barbarians still further to respect our lives, or that, for hidden pur- poses, the Supreme Disposer of events sometimes permits the spirits of the dead to revisit the world, and haunt the murderer, I know not, but his mind from this period, until his death, which took place but a few weeks after that of his son, was incessant- ly occupied with the images of the men whom he had killed. This circumstance made much impression upon the tribe, particularly the chiefs, whose uniform op- position to putting us to death, at the various coun- cils that were held on our account, I could not but in part attribute to this cause, and Maquina used 1.': IXSAXITY' OF TOOTOOSCH. 149 frequently, in speakini; of Tootooscli's sickness, to express much satisfaction that his hands had not been stained with the blood of any of our men. When Maquina was first informed by his sister of the strange conduct of her husband, he immedi- ately went to his house, taking us with him ; sus- pecting that his disease had been caused by us, and that the ghosts of our countrymen had been called thither by us to torment him. We found him rav- ing about Hall and Wood, saying, that they were pesha/c, that is, bad. Maquina then placed some provision before him, to see if he would eat. On perceiving it, he put forth his hand to take some, but instantly withdrew it with signs of horror, say- ing, that Hall and Wood were there, and would not let him eat. Maquina then pointing to us, asked if it was not John and Thompson that troubled him. JVikjhe replied, that is, no, John klushish — Thomp- son klushUh — John and Thompson are both good ; then turning to me, and patting me on the shoul- der, he made signs to me to eat. I tried to per- suade him that Hall and Wood were not there, and that none were near him but ourselves; he said, 1 know very well you do not see them, but I do. At first, Maquina endeavoured to convince him i 150 INSA^'iTY OF TOOTOOSCH. , -I 4' ' 4 .' 4 i-"' •.. 4 preparatory to whaling. In this state of ill humour he would give us very little to eat, which, added to the women not cooking when the men are away, re- duced us to a very low fare. In consequence of the repeated occurrence of si- milar accidents, I proposed to Maquina to make him a harpoon, or foreganger, of steel, which would be less liable to fail him. The idea pleased him, and in a short time I completed one for him, with which he was much delighted, and the very next day went out to make a trial of it. He succeeded with it in taking a whale. Great was the joy throughout the village, as soon as it was known that the king had secured the whale, by notice from a person stationed at the head-land in the offing. All the ca- noes were immediately launclied, and, furnished with harpoons and seal-skin floats, hastened to assist in buoying it up, and towing it in. The bringing in of this fish exhibited a scene of universal festivity. As soon as the canoes appear- ed at the mouth of the Cove, those on board of them singhig a triumph to a slow air, to which they kept time with their paddles, all who were on shore, men, women, and jchildren, mounted the roofs of their houses, to congratulate the king on his success. I' » (*.* WHAI.K-nsHING. 155 drumming most furious^ly on the planks, and ex- claiming IVocash—wocash Tyee* The whalc^ on being drawn ashore, was imme- diately cut up, and a great feast of the blubber given at Maquina's liouse, to which all the village were invited, who indemnified themselves for their lent, by eating, as usual, to excess. I was highly praised for the goodness of my harpoon, and a quantity of blubber given me, which I was permit- ted to cook as 1 pleased; this I boiled in salt water, with some young nettles and other greens, for Thompson and myself, and in this way we found it tolerable food. Their method of procuring the oil is to skim it from the water in which the blubber is boiled, and when cool, put it up into whale-bladders for use, and of these I have seen them so large as, when filled, would require no less than five or six men to carry. Several of the chiefs, among whom were Maquina's brothers, who, after the king has caught the first whale, are privileged to take them also, Were very desirous, on discovering the superiority of my harpoon, that I should make some for them, but this Maquina would not permit, reserving for him- self this improved weapon. He, however, gave me o 2 154 WHALE-FISHING. directions to make a number more for himself, which I executed, and also made him several lances, with which he was greatly pleased. As these people have some very singular observ- ances preparatory to whaling, an account of them will, I presume, not prove uninteresting, especia^V as it may serve to give a better idea of their man ners, A short time before leaving Tashees, the king makes a point of passing a day alone on the moun- tain, whither he goes very privately early in the morning, and does not return till late in the evening. This is done, as I afterwards learned, for the pur- pose of singing and praying to his God for success in whaling the ensuing season. At Cooptee the same ceremony is performed, and at Noot^iia, after the return thither, with still greater solemnity, as for the next two days he appears very thoughtful and gloomy, scarcely speaking to any one, ard ob- serves a most rigid fast. On these occasions, he has always a broad red fillet made of bark, bound around his head, in token of humiliation, with a large branch of green spruce on the top, and hi,, great rattle in his hand. In addition to this, for a week before commencing their whaling, both him- self and the crew of his canoe observe a fast, eating DEATH OF TOOTOOSCH. 155 but very little, and going into the water several times in the course of each day to bathe, singing and rubbing their bodies, limbs, and faces, with shells and bushes, so that, on their return, I have seen them look as though they had been severely torn with briars. They are likewise obliged to abstain from any commerce with their women for the like period, the latter restriction being considered as in- dispensable to their success. Early in .Tune, Tootoosch, the crazy chief, died. Or being acquainted with his death, the whole vil- lage, men, women, and children, set up a loud cry, with every testimony of the greatest grief, which they continued for more than three hours. As soon as he was dead, the body, according to their custom, was laid out on a plank, having the head bound round with a red bark fillet, which is with them an emblem of mourning and sorrow. After laying some time in this manner, he was wrapped in an otter-skin robe, and three fathoms of I-whaw being put about his neck, he was placed in a large coffin or box of about three feet deep, which was orna- mented on the outside with two rows of the small white shells. In this, the most valuable articles of his property were placed with him, among which 156 DEATH OF TOOTOOSCH. . t t • i 4 h. ■were no less than twenty-four prime sea-otter skins. At night, which is their time for interring the (lead, the coffin was borne by eight men, with two poles, thrust through ropes passed around it, to the place of burial, accompanied by his wife and fami- ly, with their hair cut short, in token of grief, all the inhabitants joining the procession. The place of burial was a large cavern, on the side of a hill, at a little distance from the village, in which, aftev depositing the coffin carefully, all the attendants re- paired to Maquina*s house, where a number of arti- cles belonging to the deceased, consisting of blank- ets, pieces of cloth, &c. were burned by a person appointed by Maquina for that purpose, dressed and painted in the highest style, with his head covered with white down, who, as he puts in the several pieces, one by one, poured upon them a quantity of oil to increase the flame, in the intervals between making a speech, and playing off a variety of buffoon tricks, and the whole closed with a feast, and a dance from Sat-sat-sak-sis, the king's son. The man who performed the ceremony of burn- ing, on tliis occasion, was a very singular character, named Kinneclimmets. He was held in high estima- tion by the king, though only of the common class. I* • AN INDIAN MOUNTEBANK. 157 probably from his talent for mimicry and buffoon- ery, and might be considered as a kind of king's jester, or rather as combining in his person the cha- racter of a buffoon with that of master of ceremonies and public orator to his majesty, as he was the one who at feasts always regulated the places of the guests, delivered speeches on receiving or returning visits, besides amusing the company, at all their en- tertainments, with a variety of monkey pranks and antic gestures, which appeared to these savages the height of wit and humour, but would be considered as extremely low by the least polished people. Al- most all the kings or head chiefs of the principal tribes were accompanied by a similar character, who appeared to be attached to their dignity, and are called in their language Climmer-habbee, This man Kinneclimmets was particularly odious to Thompson, who would never join in the laugh at his tricks, but, when he began, would almost always quit the house, with a very surly look, and an ex- clamation of " Cursed fool !" which Maquina, who thought nothing could equal the cleverness of his Climmer-habbee, used to remark, with much dissa- tisfaction, asked me why Thompson never laughed, observing, that I must have had a very good-tern- 158 AN INDIAN MOUNTEBANK. . 1 . t ' 4 pered woman indeed for my mother, as my father was so very ill-natured a man. Among those performances that gained him the greatest applause was his talent of eating to excess ; for I have known him devour at one meal no less than seventy-five large herrings ; and at another time, when a great feast was given by Maquina, he undertook, after drinking three pints of oil by way of a whet, to eat four dried salmon, and five quarts of spawn, mixed up with a gallon of train oil, and actually succeeded in swallowing the greater part of this mess, until his stomach became so overloaded, as to discharge its contents in the dish. One of his exhibitions, however, had nearly cost him his life ; this was on the occasion of Kla-quak-ee-na, one of the chiefs, having bought him a new wife, in cele- bration of which he ran three times through a large fire, and burned himself in such a manner, that he was not Able to stir forn more tha four weeks. These feats of savage skill were much praised by Maquina, who never failed to make him presents of cloth, muskets, &c. on such occasions. The death of Tootoosch increased still more the disquietude which his delirium had excited among the savages ; and all those chiefs who had killed our 11 (V CHIEFS ALARMED. 159 men became much alarmed, lest they should be seiz- ed with the same disorder, and die like him ; more particularly as I had told Maquina, that I believed his insanity was a punishment inflicted on him by Quahootze for his cruelty in murdering two inno- cent men, who had never injured him. V'--! * . 1 »,. 160 SCARCITY OF PROVISIONS. " -) CHAPTER X. t • WAR WITH THE A-Y-CHARTS — A NIGHT ATTACK — PROPOSALS TO PURCHASE THE AUTHOR. Our situation had now become unpleasant in tin extreme. The summer was so far advanced^ that we nearly despaired of a ship arriving to our relief, and with that expectation almost relinquished the hope of ever having it in our power to quit this sa- vage land. We were treated, too, with less indul- gence than before, both Thompson and myself be- ing obliged, in addition to our other employments, to perform the laborious task of cutting and collect- ing fuel, which we had to bring on our shoulders from nearly three miles distance, as it consisted wholly of dry trees, all of which, near the village, had been consumed. To add to this, we suffered much abuse from the common people, who, when Maquina or some of the SCARCITY OF rUOVI&IOXS. 161 ACK- ; in tlu' d, thai • relief, led the this sa- indul- elf be- ments, ollect- )ulders nsisted illage, )m the of the chiefs were not present;^ would insult us, calling us wretched slaves, asking us, where was our Tyee or captain ? — making gestures signifying that his head had been cut off, and that they would do the like to us ; thougli they generally took good care, at such times, to keep well out of Thompson's reach, as they had more than once experienced, to their cost, the strength of his fist. This conduct was not only provoking and grating to our feelings in the high- est degree, but it convinced us of the ill disposition of these savages towards us, and rendered us fearful lest they might, at some time or other, persuade or force Maquina and the chiefs to put us to death. We were also often brought to great distress for the want of provisions, so far as to be reduced to collect a scanty supply of muscles and limpets from the rocks, and sometimes even compelled to part with some of our most necessary articles of clothing in order to furnish food for our subsistence. This was, however, principally owing to the inhabitants themselves experiencing a great scarcity of provi- sions this season ; there having been, in the first place, but very f^w salmon caught at Friendly Cove, — a most unusual circumstance, as they gene- rally abound there in the spring, which was by the .t J 62 scARciry OF provisions. . 1 natives attributed to their having been driven away by the blood of our men, who had been thrown into the sea, which, with true savage inconsistency, ex- cited their murmurs against Maquina, who had pro- posed cutting off our ship. Relying on this supply, they had, in the most inconsiderate manner, squan- dered away their winter stock of provisions, so that, in a few days after their return, it was entirely ex- pended. Nor were the king and chiefs much more fortu- nate in their whaling, even after I had furnished Maquina with the improved weapon for that pur- pose, but four whales having been taken during the season, which closes the last of May, including one that had been struck by Maquina and escaped, and was afterwards driven on shore, about six miles from Nootka, in almost a state of putridity. These af- forded but a short supply to a population, including all ages and sexes, of no less than fifteen hundred persons, and of a character so very improvident, that, after feasting most gluttonously whenever a whale was caught, they weic several times, for a week together, reduced to the necessity of eating but once a day, and of collecting cockles and mus- cles from the recks for their food. FILTHY HABITS. 163 away And even after the cod and halibut fishing com- menced, in June, in which they met with tolerable success, such was the savage caprice of Maquina, that he would often give us but little to eat, finally ordering us to buy a canoe and fishing implements, and go out ourselves and fish, or we should have nothing. To do this, we were compelled to part with our great-coats, which were not only import- ant to us as garments, but of which we made our beds, spreading them under us when we slept. From our want of skill, however, in this new em- ploy, we met with no success ; on discovering which, Maquina ordered us to remain at home. Another thing, which to me in particular proved an almost constant source of vexation and disgust, and which living among them had not in the least reconciled me to, was their extreme filthiness, not only in eating fish, especially the whale, when in a state of offensive putridity, but while at their meals, of making a practice of taking the vermin from their heads or clothes, and eating them, by turns thrust- ing their fingers into their hair and into the dish, and spreading their garments over the tubs in which the provision was cooking, in order to set in motion their inhabitants. tn 1G4 FILTHY IIAHITS. 1 , Fortunately for Thompson, he regarded this much less than myself; and when I used to point out lo him any instance of their filthiness in this respect, he would laugh, and reply, '* Never mind, John ; the more good things the better." I must, however, do Maquina the justice to state, that he was nuich neater, both in his person and eating, than were the others, — as was likewise his queen ; owing, no doubt, to his intercourse with foreigners, which had given him ideas of cleanliness ; for 1 never saw either of them eat any of these animals, but, on the contrary, they appeared not much to relish this taste in others. Their garments also were much cleaner, — Maquina having been accustomed to give his away when they became soiled, till after he discovered that Thomp- son and myself kept ours clean by washing them, when he used to make Thompson do the same for him. Yet amidst this state of endurance and disap- pointment, in hearing repeatedly of the arrival of ships at the north and south, most of which proved to be idle reports, while expectation was almost wearied out in looking for them, we did not wholly despond, relying on the mercy of the Supreme Being, to offer up to whom our devotions on the i» • rONDUCT OF MAQITINA 165 s niucli out lo espect, John ; 3wever, s much ere the ) doubt, .1 given ither of )ntrary, I others, laquina I en they rhomp- 5 them, lame for I di sap- rival of proved 1 almost : wholly lupreme ; on the days appointed for his worship, was our chief con- solation and support, though we were sometimes obliged, b^ our task-masters, to infringe upon the Sabbath, which was to me a source of much regret. We were nevertheless treated at times with much kindness by Maquina, who would give us a plenty of the best that he had to eat, and occasionally some small present of cloth for a garment, promising me that if any ship sliould arrive withiii z hundred miles of Nootka, he would send a canoe with a letter from me to the captain, so that he might come to our release. These flattering promises and marks of attention were, however, at those times when he thought himself in personal danger from a muti- nous spirit, which the scarcity of provisions had excited among the natives, who, like true savages, imputed all their public calamities, of whatever kind, to the misconduct of their chief, or when he was apprehensive of an attack from some of the other tribes, who were irritated with him for cut- ting off the Boston, as it had prevented ships from coming to trade with them, and were constantly alarming him with idle stories of vessels that were preparing to come against him, and exterminate both him and his people. 166 CONDUCT OF MAQUINA. ) 4 "i At such times, he made us keep guard over him both night and day, armed with cutlasses and pis- tols, being apparently afraid to trust any of his own men. At one time, it was a general revolt of his people that he apprehended ; then three of his principal chiefs, among whom was his elder brother, had conspired to take away his life ; and at length, he fancied that a small party of Klaooquate*, be- tween whom and the Nootkians little friendship subsisted, had come to Nootka, under a pretence of trade, for the sole purpose of murdering him and his family ; telling us, probably, to sharpen our vigi. lance, that their intention was to kill us likewise ; and so strongly were his fears excited on this occa- sion, that he not only ordered us to keep near him armed by day, whenever he went out, and to pa- trole at night before his house while they remained, but to continue the same guard for three days after they were gone, and to fire at one and at four in the morning, one of the great guns, to let them know, if, as he suspected, they were lurking in the neighbourhood, that he was on his guard. While he was thus favourably disposed towards us, I took an opportunity to inform him of the ill treatment that we frequently received from his I* i* • THOMPSON. 167 people, and the insults that were oftered us by some of the stranger tribes, in calling us white slaves, and loading us with otlier opprobrious terms. He was much displeased, and said that his subjects should not be allowed to treat us ill, and that, if any )f the strangers did it, he wished us to punish the offenders with death, at the same time directing us, for our security, to go constantly armed. This permission was soon improved by Thomp- son to the best advantage ; for a few days after, having gone to the pond to wash some of our clothes, and blanket for Maquina, several Wickinninish, who were then at Nootka, came thither, and seeing him washing the clothes, and the blanket spread upon the grass to dry, they began, according to custom, to insult him, and one o£ them, bolder than the others, walked over the blanket. Thompson was highly incensed, and threatened the Indian with death if he repeated the offence ; but he, in con- tempt of the threat, trampled upon the blanket, when, drawing his cutlass, without farther cere- mony, Thompson cut oft' his head, on seeing which the others ran off" at full speed ; Thompson then gathering up the clothes and blanket, on which were the marks of the Indian's dirty feet, and taking 168 WAR WITH THE A-Y-CHARTS. with him the head, returned and informed the kiriir of what had passed, who vras much pleased, and higlily commended his conduct. This had a fa- vourable effect for us, not only on the stranger tribes, but the inhabitants themselves, who treated us afterwards with less disrespect. In the latter part of July, Maquina informed me that he was going- to war with the A-y-charts, a tribe about fifty miles to the south, on account of some controversy that had arisen the preceding summer, and that I must make a number of daggers for his men, and cheetoolths for his chiefs, which having completed, he wished me to make for his own use a weapon of quite a different form, in oi-- der to dispatch his enemy by one blow on the head, it being the calculation of these nations on going to war, to surprise their adversaries while asleep. — This was a steel dagger, or more properly a spike, of about six inches long, made very sharp, set at right angles in an iron handle of fifteen inches long; terminating at the lower end in a crook or turn, so as to prevent its being wrenched from the hand, and at the upper, in a round knob or head, from whence the spike protruded. The instrument I polished highly, and the more to please Maquina, formed, on 4 WAE WITH A-Y-CHART.S. 169 e kinfr i], and 1 a fa- ranger treated ned mt' harts, a ;Ount of ecediiifT daggers ;, which for his in oi"- 16 head, Toing to sleep. — a spike, set at es long, turn, so md, and whence polished med, on the back of the knob, the resemblance of a man's liead, with the mouth open, substituting for eyes black beads, which I fastened in with red sealing- wax. This pleased him much, and was greatly ad- mired by his chiefs, who wanted me to make simi- lar ones for them, but Maquina would not suffer it, reserving for himself alone this weapon. When these people have finally detenr^med on war, they make it an invariable practice, for three or four weeks prior to the expedition, to go into the water five or six times a- day, when tliey wash and scrub themselves from head to foot with bushes in- termixed witli briars, so that their bodies and fjices will often be entirely covered with blood. During this severe exercise, they are continually exclaim- ing, " IVocask Qiiahootze, Tccchammc ah xuelth, wik-etish tau-ilth — Kar-sab-matemas — IVik-sish to hank rtialemas — / ya-ish kah skittle — As-sniootish warich matemas ;" which signifies good or great God, let me live — Not be sick — Find the enemy — Not fear him — Find him asleep, and kill a great many of them. During the whole of this period they have no in- tercourse with their women, and for a week be- fore setting out, abstain from feasting, or any kind H 170 WAR WITH A-Y-CIIAUTS. '} 4 of merriment, appeariiiir thoughtful, *iloomy, and morose, and for tlie tliree last days, are almost constantly in the water, both by day and nifrht. scrubbing and lacerating thcmselve in a ter- rible manner. Maquina having informed Thomp- son and myself that he should take us with him, was very solicitous thj^t we should bathe and scrul) ourselves in the same way with them, telling me that it would harden our skins, so that the weapons of tlie enemy would not pierce them, but as we felt no great inclination to amuse ourselves in this man- ner, we declined it. Tile expedition consisted of forty canoes, carry- ing from ten to L,\cnty men each. Tliompson and myself armed ourselves with cutlasse;> ar^d pistols, but the natives, although they had a plenty o^ Eu- ropean arms, took with tlum only their daggers and cheetoolths, with a few bows and arrows, the latter being about a yard in length, and pointed with copper, muscle-shell, or bone; the bows are four feet and a lialf long, with strings made of whale sinew. To go to A-y-chart, we ascended from twenty to thirty miles a river about the size of that of Ta- jshees, the banks of which are high and covered A NIGHT ATTACK. 171 lioni])- h him, i scrub with v:ood. At midnight, we came in sight of the village, which was situated on the west bank, near the shore, on a steep hill difficult of access, and well calculated for defence. It consisted of fifteen or sixteen houses, smaller tlian those at Nootka, and built in the same style, but compactly placed. By Maquina's directions, the attack was deferred r-^til the first api.earance of dawn, as he said that was the time when men slept the soundest. At length all being ready for the attack, we land- ed with the greatest silence, and going around so as to come upon the foe in the rear, clambered up the hill, and while the natives, as is their custom, enter- ed the several luits, creeping on all-fours, my com- rade cind myself stationed ourselves without, to in- tercept those who should attempt to escape, or come to the aid of their friends. 1 wished, if possible, not to stain my hands m the blocd of any fellow-creature, and though Thompson would gladly have put to death all the savages in the country, he was too brave to think of attacking a sleeping enemy. Having entered the houses, on the war-whoop being given by Maquina, as he seized the head of the chief, and gave him the fatal blow, all proceed- ed to the work of death. The A-y-charts being m A NIGHT ATTACK. thus surprised, were unable to make resistance, and with the exception of a very few, who were go for- tunate as to make their escape, were all killed or taken prisoners on condition of becoming slaves to their captors. I had the good fortune to take four captives, whom Maquina, as a favour, permitted me to consider as mine, and occasionally employ them in fishing for me ; as for Thompson, who thirsted for revenge, lie Iiad no wish to take any prisoners. but with his cutlass, the only weapon he would employ against them, succeeded in killing seven stout fellows, who came to attack him, an act which obtained him great credit with Maquina and the chiefs, who, after this, held him in much higher estimation, and gave liim the appellation of Chchicl. snma-har, it being the name of a very celebrated warrior of their nation in ancient times, whose ex- ploits were the constant theme of their praise. After having put to death all the old and infirm of either sex, as is the barbarous practice of these people, and destroyed the buildings, we re-embark- ed, with our booty in our canoes, for Nootka, where we were received with great demonstrations of joy by the women and children, accompanying our war song with a most furious drumming on the PROPOSALS TO PURCHASE THE AUTHOR. 173 houses. The next day a great feast was given by Maquina, in c; iebration of* his victory, which was terminated, as usual, with a dance by Sat-sat- sak.sis. Repeated applications had been made to Maqui- na, by a number of kings or chiefs, to purchase me, especially after he had showed them the harpoon I had made for him, which he took much pride in, but he constantly refused to part with me on any terms, — Among these, the king of the Wickinnin- ish was particularly solicitouss to obtain me, having twice applied to Maquina for that purpose, once iu a very formal manner, by sending his messenger with four canoes, who, as he approached the shore, decorated in their highest style, with tlie white down on his head, &c. declared that he came to buy Too- teijoohannis, the name by which I was known to them, for his master, and that he had brought for that purpose four young male slaves, two highly ornamented canoes, such a number of the skins of metamelth, and of the qiiarllack, or sea-otter, and so many fathoms of cloth, and of i-whaw ; while, as he mentioned the different article's, they were pointed out or held up k'y his attendants, but even this tempt- ing offer had no influence on Maquina ; who, in the » • ■• • , I I 174 PKOPOSALS TO PURCIIASK latter part of tlie summer, was again very strongly urged to sell me by Ulatilla, or, as he is generally call- ed, Machee Ulatilla, chief of the Klaizzarts, who had come to Nootka on a visit. This chief, who could speak tolerable English, had much more the appearance of a civilized man than any of the savages that I saw. He appeared to be about thirty, was ratlier small in his person, but extremely well formed, with a skin almost as fair as that of an European, good features, and a countenance expressive of candour and amiableness, and which was almost always brightened with a 3mile. He was much neater both in his dress and person than any of the other chiefs, seldom wearing paint, except upon his eye-brows, which, after the custom of his country, were plucked out, and a few strips of the pelpellh on the lower part of his face. He always treated me with much kindness, was fond of conversing with me in English and in his own language, asking me many questions relative to my country, its manners, customs, &c. and appeared to take a strong interest in my fate, telling me, that if he could persuade Maquina to part with me, he would put me on board the first ship that came to his country ; a promise, which, from his subsequent TJIE AlTilOll. 175 conduct, I have irood reason to think he would have j)erfbrmed, as my dehverance, at length, from captivity and suffering was, under the favour of Divine Providence, wholly owing to him, the only letter that ever reached an European or American vessel, out of sixteen that I v/rote at different times, and sent to various parts of the coast, having heen delivered by him in person. So nuich pleased was I -with this man's behaviour to nie wliiie at Nootka, that I made for him a cheetoolth, which f burnished highly, and engraved with figures ; with this he was greatly delighted ; I also would have made for him a harpoon would Maquina have con- sented. With hearts full of dejection, and almost lost to hope, no ship having appeared off Nootka this sea- son, did my companion and myself accompany the tribe on their removal, in September, toas Thees, re- linquishing, in consequence, for six months, even the remotest expectation of relief. I 176 MAURI AGE Ot CHAPTER XIII. MARRIAGE OF THE AUTHOR HIS ILLNESS — DIS- MISSES HIS WIFE — RELIGION OF THE NATIVES — CLIMATE. ' 4 > Soon after our establishment there, Maquina in- formed me, that he and liis chiefs had held council, both before and after quitting Nootka, in •which they had determined that I must marry one of their women, urging as a reason to induce me to consent, that, as there was now no probability of a ship coming to Nootka to release me, that I must consider myself as destined to pass the remainder of my life with them ; that the sooner I conformed to their customs the better ; and that a wile and family would rendcv me more contented and satisfied with their mode of living. I remonstrated against this decision, but to no purjuK^e ; for he told me, that, should I refuse, both Thompson and myself would Jt* THE AUTIIOB. 177 be put to death ; telling me, however, that, if there were none of the women of his tribe that pleased me, he would go with me to some of the other tribes, where he would purchase for me such a one as I should select. Reduced to this sad extremity, with death on the one side, and matrimony on the other, I thought proper to choose what appeared to me the least of the two evils, and consent to be married, on condition, that, as 1 did not fancy any of the Noot- ka women, I should be permitted to make choice of one from some other tribe. This being settled, the next morning, by day- light, iMaquina, with about fifty men, in two canoes, set out with me for A-i-tiz-zart, taking with him a quantity of cloth, a number of muskets, sea-otter skins, &c. for the purchase of my bride. With the aid of our paddles and sails, being favoured with a fair breeze, we arrived some time before s\m-set at the village. Our arrival excited a general alarm, and the men hastened to the shore, armed with the weapons of their country, making many warlike de- monstrations, and displaying much zeal and activi- ty. We, in the meantime, remained quietly seated in our canoes, where we remained for about half an hour, when the messenger of the chief, dressed iu H 2 178 MARRIAGE OK 4 > their best manner, came to welcome us, and invite us on shore to eat. We followed him in j)rocession to the chief's house, Maquina at our head, taking*- care to leave a sufficient number in the boats to pro- tect the property. When we came to the house, we were ushered in with much ceremony, and our re- spective seats pointed out to us, mine being next to Maquina, by his recjuest. After having been regaled with a feast of herring- sjjawn and oil, Maquina asked me, if I saw any among the women who were present that I liked. 1 immediately pointed out to a young girl, of about seventeen, the daughter of Upquesta, the chief, who was sitting near him, by her mother. On this, Ma- quina, making a sign to his men, arose, and taking me by the hand, walked into the middle of the room, and sent off two of his men to bring the boxes con- taining the presents from the canoes. In the mean- time, Kiimeclimmets, the master of ceremonies, whom I have already spoken of, made himself ready for the part he was to act, by powdering his hair with white down. W^hen the chests were brought in, specimens of the several articles were taken out, and showed by our men, one of whom held up a musket, another a skin, a third a piece of cloth, &c. I THE Al'THOK. 179 :in^r (Iressii longetl On this, Kinneclimmets stepped forward, and ad- the chief, informed him, that all these be- I me, mentioning the number of each kind, and that they were offered to him for the purchase of his dau<^hter, Eu-stoch-ee-ex-cpia, as a wife for me. As he said this, the men who held up the va- rious articles walked up to the chief, and with a very stern and morose look, the complimentary one on these occasions, threw them at his feet ; innnc- diately on whicli, all the tribe, both men and wo- men, who were assembled on this occasion, set up a cry of Klach-ko-Tiice, — that is, Tiiank ye, chief. His men, after this ceremony, having returned to their places, Maquina rose, and in a speech of more than half an hour, said mucli in my praise to the A-i-tiz-zart chief, telling him, that I was as good a man as themselves, differing from them only in be- ing white j that I was, besides, acquainted with many things of which they were ignorant ; that f knew how to make daggers, cheetolths, and har- poons, and was a very valuable person, whom he was determined to keep always with him ; praising me, at the same time, for the goodness of my tem- per, and tlie manner in which I had conducted my- self since I had been with them j observino-, that all IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) .V4 1.0 ■^1^ 125 1.1 l.-^iiS U III 1.6 1.25 Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 877-4503 V 37 :\ \ o^ « : r; ':•■, 180 MARRIAGE OF » ♦•u .■ ' • ;'••' ■-•.' *, \ •f • ♦V ' If * -* i * • 4 ) ■<»■ •% ..0 ;t^ *, It •* ■ the people of Nootka, and even the children, loved me. While Maquina was speaking, his master of ce- remonies was continually skipping about, making the most extravagant gestures, and exclaiming JVo^ rash. When he had ceased, the A-i-tiz-zart chief arose, amidst the exclamations of his people, and be- gan with setting forth the many good qualities and accomplishments of liis daughter ; that he loved her greatly, and as she was his only one, he could not think of parting with her. He spoke in this man- ner for some time, but finally concluded by con- senting to the proposed union, requesting that she might be well used and kindly treated by her hus- band. At the close of this speech, when the chief began to manifest a disposition to consent to our union, Kinneclimmets again began to call out, as loud as he could bawl, IVvcash, cutting a thousand capers, and spinning himself around on his heel like a top. When Upquesta had finished his speech, he di- rected his people to carry back the presents which Maquina had given him to me, together with two young male slaves, to assist me in fishing. These, after having been placed before me, were by Ma- ll THE AUTHOR. 181 quina s men taken on board the canoes. This cere- mony being over, we were invited by one of the principal ciiiefs to a feast at his house, o£ Klussamit, or dried herring, where, after the eating was over, Kinneclimmets amused the company very highly with his tricks, and the evening's entertainment was closed by a new war-song from our men, and one in return from the A-i-tiz-zarts, accompanied with expressive gestures and wielding of their wea- pons. After this, our company returned to lodge at Up- questa's, except a few who were left on board the canoes, to watch the property. In the morning, I received from the chief his daughter, with an ear- nest request that I would use her well, which I pro- mised him ; when, taking leave of her parents, she ac- companied me, with apparent satisfaction, on board of the canoe. The wind being a-head, the natives were obliged to have recourse to their paddles, accompanying them with their songs, interspersed with the witti- cisms and buffoonery of Kinneclimmets, who, in his capacity of king's steersman, one of his functions which I forgot to enumerate, not only guided the course of the canoe, but regulated the singing of » . i 182 MARRIAGE OK ■'- ■ . .•' " • ■■»■ • /■:%... . * I * - '1 .'. » •« • t ^ - • ! ^>3 the boatmen. At about five in the morning, we reached Tashees, wliere we found all the inhabit- ants collected on the shore to receive us. We were welcomed with loud shouts of joy, and excla- mations of ** Wocash !" and the women, taking my bride under their charge, conducted her to Maqui- na's house, to be kept with them for ten days ; it being an universal custom, as Maquina informed me, that no intercourse should take place between the new married pair during that period. At night Maquina gave a great feast, which was succeeded by a dance, in which all the women joined, and thus ended the festivities of my marriage. The term of my probation being over, Maquina assigned me, as an apartment, the space in the up- per part of his house, between him and his elder brother, whose room was opposite. Here I esta- blished myself with my family, consisting of myself and wife, Thompson, and the little Sat-sat-sak-sis, who had always been strongly attached to me, and now solicited his father to let him live with me, to which he consented. This boy was handsome, ex- tremely well formed, amiable, and of a pleasant, sprightly disposition, I used to take a pleasure in decorating him with rings, bracelets, ear-jewels, &c. M^- • ' THE AUTHOB. 18S which I made for him of copper, and ornamented and polished them in my best manner. 1 was also very careful to keep him free from vermin of every kind, washing him and combing his hair every day. These marks of attention were not only very pleas- ing to the child, who delighted in being kept neat and clean, as well as in being dressed off in his finery, but was highly gratifying both to Maquina and his queen, who used to express much satisfac- tion at my care of him. In making my domestic establishment, I deter- mined, as far as possible, to live in a more comfort- able and cleanly manner than the others.— For this purpose, I erected, with planks, a partition of about three feet high, between mine and the adjoining rooms, and made three bedsteads of the same, which I covered with boards, for my family to sleep on, which I found much more comfortable than sleep- ing on the floor amidst the dirt. Fortunately I found my Indian princess both amiable and intelligent, for one whose limited sphere of observation must necessarily give rise to but a few ideas. She was extremely ready to agree to anything that I proposed relative to our mode of living, was very attentive in keeping her garments -:\ 184 MARRIAGE OF • I •T. 1 . ... : ■^- •«' •. « 4t ,*.. ■ H ♦^ 4k ' <: •^ ,, i t \'i t f ■f * and person neat and clean, and appeared, in every respect, solicitous to please me. She was, as I liave said, about seventeen ; her per- son was small, but well formed, as were her fejitures ; her complexion was, without exception, fairer than any of the women, with considerable colour in her cheeks, her liair \ow^, black, and much softer than is usual with them, and her teeth small, even, and of a dazzling whiteness, wliile the expression of licr countenance indicated sweetness of temper and mo- desty. She would, indeed, liave been considered as very pretty in any country ; and, excepting Ma- quina's queen, was by lar the handsomest of any of their women. With a partner possessing so many attractions, many may be apt to conclude, that I must have found myself happy, at least comparatively so; but far otherwise was it with me, — a compulsory mar- riage wMth the most beautiful and accomplished per- son in the world can never prove a source of real happiness ; and, in my situation, I could not but view this connection as a chain that was to bind me down to this savage land, and prevent my ever again seeing a civilized country ; especially when, in a few days after, Maquina informed me, that \r- /. ^'» %»*: THE AUTHOR. 185 there had been a meeting of his chiefs, in which it had been determined, that, as I had married one of their women, I must be considered as one of them, and conform to their customs ; and that, in future, neither myself nor Thompson should wear our Eu- ropean clothes, but dress in Kutsaks like themselves. This order was to me most painful ; but I persuad-* ed Maquina, at length, so far to relax in it as to per- mit me to wear those I had at present, which were almost worn out, and not to compel Thompson to change his dress, observing, that as he was an old man, such a change would cause his death. Their religious celebration, which the last year took place in December, was in this commenced on the 15th of November, and continued for fourteen days. As I was now considered as one of them, instead of being ordered to the woods, Maquina directed Thompson and myself to remain, and pray with them to Quahootze to be good to them, and thank him for what he had done. It was opened in much the same manner as the former. After which, all the men and women in the villcige assembled at Maquina's house, in their plainest dresses, and without any kind of ornaments about them, having their heads bound around ivith :Vi- -• • • * » «'■ , A"* /■»• /. 186 UKLIGIOL'S rKRKMONIHS. the red fillet, a token of dejection and lunniiiatioii, and their countenances expressive of seriousness and melancholy. The performances during the conti- nu.nice of this celebration consisted almost wholly in singing a number of songs to mournful airs, the king regulating the time by beating on his hollow plank or drum, accompanied by one of his chiefs, seated near him with the great rattle. In the meantime, they eat but seldom, and then very little, retiring to sleep late, and rising at the first appear- ance of dawn, and even interrupting this short pe- riod of repose by getting up at midnight and sing- ing. The ceremony was terminated by an exhibition of a similar character to tlie one of the last year, but still more cruel. A boy of twelve years old, with six bayonets run into his flesh, one through each arm and thigh, and through each side, close to the ribs, was carried around the room, suspend- ed upon them, without manifesting any symptoms of pain. Maquina, on my inquiring the reason of this display, informed me that it was an ancient custom of liis nation, to sacrifice a man at the close of this solemnity, in honour of their God, but that his father had abolished it, and substituted this in , V ■ . ';', 'r UELK.JOLS.CKllKMON'IKS. 187 ! its place. The whole closed on the evening of the 29th, with i: great feast of salmon-spawn and oil, at which the natives, as usual, made up for their late abstinence. A few days after, a circumstiincc occurred, which, from its singularity, I cannot forbear men- tioning. I was sent for by my neighbour Yealth- lower, the king's elder brother, to file his teeth, which operation having performed, he informed me, that a new wife, whom he had a little time be- fore purchased, having refused to sleep with him, it was his intention, provided she persisted in her refusal, to bite off her nose. I endeavoured to dis- suade hira from it, but he was determined, and, in fact, performed his savage threat that very night, saying, that since she would not be his wife, she should not be that of any other, and in the morning sent her back to her father. This inhuman act did not, however, proceed from any innate cruelty of disposition, or malice, as he was far from being of a barbarous temper ; but such is the despotism exercised by these sa- vages over their women, that he no doubt consider- ed it as a just punishr.ent for her offence, in being &o obstinate and perverse; as he afterwards told I »• * .«•'«, * « • * • 4, :• . T» • >%**• ' 4. * t 188 ECLIPSE. !■ • •• > 7 *' ' Ik " me, that, in similar cases, the husband had a right, with them, to disfigure his wife in this way, or some otlier, to prevent her ever marrying again. About the middle of December, we left Tashees for Cooptee. As usual at this season, we found the herrings in great plenty, and here the same scene of riotous feasting that I witnessed last year was renewed by our improvident natives, who, in addi- tion to their usual fare, had a plentiful supply of wild geese, which were brought us in great quan- tities by the Esquotcs. These, as Maquina in- formed me, were caught with nets made from bark, in the fresh waters of that country. Those who take them make choice for that purpose of a dark and rainy night, and with their canoes stuck with lighted torches, proceed with as little noise as pos- sible to the place where the geese are collected, who, dazzled by the light, suffer themselves to be approached very near, when the net is thrown over them, and in this manner, from fifty to sixty, or even more, will sometimes be taken at one cast. On the 15th of January, 1805, about midnight, I was thrown into considerable alarm, in conse- quence of an eclipse of the moon, being awakened from my sleep by a great outcry of the inhabitants. ECLIPSE. 189 ^. I right, vay, or fain, rashees and the c scene ear was in addi- ipply of it quan- lina in- m bark, ose who a dark ick with as pos- lected, es to be vn over ixty, or ast. dnight, conse- ^akened ibitants. On going to discover the cause of this tumult, I found them all out of their houses, bearing lighted torches, singing and beating upon pieces of plank ; and when I asked them the reason of this proceed- ing, they pointed to the moon, and said, that « great cod-fish was endeavouring to swallow her, and that they were driving him away. The origin of this superstition I could not discover. Though, in some respects, my situation was ren- dered more comfortable since my marriage, as I lived in a more cleanly manner, and had my food better and more neatly cooked, of which, besides, I had always a plenty, my slaves generally fur- nishing me, and Upquesta never failing to send me an ample supply by the canoes that came from A-i-tizzart ; still, from my being obliged at this season of the year to change my accustomed cloth- ing, and to dress like the natives, with only a piece of cloth, of about two yards long, thrown loosely around me, my European clothes having been for some time entirely worn out, I suffered more than I can express from the cold, especially as I was compelled to perform the laborious task of cutting and bringing the fire-wood, which was rendered still more oppressive to me, from my comrade, for . 3^ . * . t ' 190 acitmor's ILIA'KSS. •','•• ' '•1 ^•\ '* » • ,1 I * ■f. .'. I •• , t «» 'a r •f * • a considerable part of tlie winter, not havincr it jn his power to lend me liis aid, in conse(iiicncc of an attack of the rheumatism in one of his knees, with which he suffered for more than four months, two or three weeks of which he was so ill as to be un- able to leave the house. This state of suffering, with the little hope I now had of ever escaping from the savages, began to render my life irksome to me ; still, however, I lost not my confidence in the aid of the Supreme Being, to whom, whenever the weather and a suspension from the tasks imposed on me would permit, I never failed regularly, on Sundays, to retire to the wood to worship, taking Thompson with me when he was able to go. On the 20th of February, we returned to our summer quarters at Nootka, but, on my part, with far different sensations than the last spring, being now almost in despair of any vessel arriving to re- lease us, or our being permitted to depart if there should. — Soon after our return, as preparatory to the whaling season, Maquina ordered me to make a good number of harpoons for himself and his chiefs, several of which I had completed with some lances, when, on the l6th of March, I was taken very ill AI'THOR's ILLNKSS. 191 g it in ? of an s, with IS, two be un- ■ I now i'gan to •, I lost Beinc, pension irmit, I 2 to the e when to our , with being to re- ' there ory to make a chiefs, lances, irery ill with a violent cholic, caused, I presume, from ha- ving suffered so much from the cold, ingoing with- out pro])er clothing. For a number of hours I was in great i)ain, and expected to die, and on its leaving me, I was so weak as scarcely to be able to stand, while I had nothing comforting to take, nor any thing to drink but cold water. On the day following, a slave belonging to Ma- quina died, and was immediately, as is their custom in such cases, tossed unceremoniously out of doors, from whence he was taken by some others, and thrown into the water. The treatment of this poor creatn 'e made a melancholy impression upon my mind, as I could not but think, that such, probably, would be my fate, should I die among these hea- thens ; and so far from receiving a decent burial, that I should not even be allowed the common pri- vilege of having a little earth thrown over my re- mains. The feebleness in which the violent attack of my disorder had left me, the dejection I felt at the al- most hopelessness of my situation, and the want of warm clothing and proper nursing, though my In- dian wife, as far as she knew how, was always ready, e/en solicitous, to do every thing for me she could. •i... - ■¥ » , T. 1.' . -^ >. •. . * ■ ,1, 4 -^ ■r 4 ' 192 DISMISSES HIS WIFE. still kept me very much indisposed, which Maquina perceiving, he finally told me, that if I did not like living with my wife, and that was the cause of my being so sad, I might part with her. This j)roposal I readily accepted, and the next day Macpiina sent her back to her father. On parting with me, she discovered much emo- tion, begging me that I would suffer her to remain till I had recovered, as there was no one who would take so good care of me as herself. But when 1 told her she must go, for that I did not think I should ever get well, which, in truth, I but little expected, and that her father would take good care of her, and treat her much more kindly than Maquina, she took an affectionate leave, telling me that she hoped I should soon get better, and left her two slaves to take care of me. Though I rejoiced at her departure, I was great- ly affected with the simple expressions of her regard for me^ and couid not but feel strongly interested for this poor girl, who, in all her conduct towards me, had discovered so much mildne s, and atten- tion to my wishes ; and, had it not been that I con- sidered her as an almost insuperable obstacle to my being permitted to leave the country, 1 should, no t» Vlaquina not like ;e of my proposal lina sent ich emo- remain ho would len i told 1 should expected, her, and , she took hoped I slaves to as great- er regard iterested towards id atten- at I con- le to niy louldj no DISMISSAL OF HIS WIFE 193 doubt, have felt the deprivation of her society a real loss. After her departure, I requested Maquina, that, as I had parted with my wife, he would permit ine to resume my European dress, as, otherwise, from not having been accustomed to dress like them, I should certainly die. To this he consented, and I once more became comfortably clad. Change of clothing, but more than all, the hopes which I now began to indulge, that in the course of the summer I should be able to escape, in a short time restored me to health, so far, that I could again go to work in making harpoons for Maquina, who probably, fearing that he should have to part with me, determined to provide himself with a good stock. I shall not, however, long detain the reader with a detail of occurrences that intervened between this period and that of my escape, which, from that dull uniformity that marks the savage life, would be, in a measure, but a repetition, nor dwell upon that mental torture I endured, from a constant conflict of hope and fear, when the former, almost wearied out with repeated disappointment, offered to our sink* ing hearts no prospect of release but death, to which we were constantly exposed from the brutal I • • •;;, v. '4 ■■"4'''' ■. "iV . ■■ •:/• ,1. .'1* ,. ^:* ^f» ..< ■ ^ ■ 194 DISMISSAL OF HIS VVIFK. ignorance and savage disposition o;" the common people, who, in the various councils that were held this season to determine what to do with us, in case of the arrival of a ship, were almost always for putting us to death, expecting by thai aeans tocoi- ceal the murder of our crew, and to tljrow the blame of it on some other tribe. These barbarous senti- ments were, however, universally opposed by Ma- quina and his chiefs, who would not consent to our being injured. But as some of their customs and traits of national character, which I think deserving of notice, have not been mentioned, I shall proceed to give an account of them. The office of king or chief is, with those people, hereditary, and descends to the eldest son, or, in fail- ure of male issue, to the elder brother, who, in the regal line, is considered as the second person in the kingdom. At feasts, as I have observed, the king is always placed in the highest, or seat of honour, and the chiefs according to their respective ranks, which appear, in general, to be determined by their affinity to the royal family ; they are also designat- ed by the embellishments of their mantles, or Kut- saks. The king, or head Tyee, is their leader in war, in the management of which he is perfectly ab- ^\ ■; »'.. » . ■ « » I ,. ! I* , •^ ■,. POWERS or THE CHIEF. 195 rnraon e held in case lys for tOCo 1- ; blame 5 senti- >y Ma- ; to our ms and serving proceed people, in fail- in the in the le king lonour, ranks, J their signat- r Kut- der in tly ab- solute. He is also president of their councils, which are almost always regulated by his opinion. But he has no kind of power over the property of his sub- jects, nor can he require them to contribute to his wants, being, in this respect, no more privileged than any other person. He has, in common with his chiefs, the right of holding slaves, which is not en- joyed by private individuals, a regulation probably- arising from their having been originally captives taken in battle, the spoils of war being understood as appertaining to the king, who receives and appor- tions them among his several chiefs and warriors, according to their rank and deserts. In conformity with this idea, the plunder of the Boston was all deposited in Maquina's house, who distributed part of it among his chiefs, according to their respective ranks or degree of favour with him, giving to one three hundred muskets, to another one hundred and fifty, with other things in like pro- portion. The king is, however, obliged to support his dignity by making frequent entertainments; and whenever he receives a large supply of provi- sion, he must invite all the men of his tribe to his house, to eat it up ; otherwise, as Maquina told me, he would not be considered as conducting like a ■.|;.,. ^ • , ■ "■I - S ■ • ' ■J> /'.. 1 I ' 1 9 If • ,' »,' •('■' ■. ^# , , ^ « t.v ^ t * • /• 1 • ■ ..i ■ • • t * *^ > ', » <• ,» - , / » > t ^ • »'* . ^ , ff \ / ■s 4 i ■ V '/ ••» ; < , r 1 : . T • ■ f T* ^ ♦' A -1 '-• t ' 4 ^^ 196 RELIGION. Tyee, and would be no more thought of than a common man. With regard to their religion, they believe in the existence of a Supreme Being, whom they call Quahootze, and who, to use Maquina's expression, was one great Tyee in the sky, who gave them their fish, and could take them from them, and was the greatest of all kings. Their usual place of worship appeared to be the water ; for, whenever they bath- ed, they addressed some words in form of prayer to the God above, entreating that he would preserve them in health, give them good success in fishing, &c. These prayers were repeated, with much more energy, on preparing for whaling, or for war, as I have already mentioned. Some of them would sometimes go several miles to bathe, in order to do it in secret. The reason for this I could never learn, though I am induced to think it was in consequence of some family or pri- vate quarrel, and that they did not wish what they said to be heard ; while, at other times, they would repair in the same secret manner to the woods to pray. This was more particularly the case with the women, who might also have been prompted by a ■\ is: <«i RELIGION. 197 * than a 3lieve in they call )ression, em their was the worship ey bath- )rayer to preserve fishing, ich more /rar, as I ral miles ;ason for luced to y or pri- hat they y would i^oods to with the ted by a sentiment of decency to retire for the purpose of bathing, as they are remarkably modest. I once found one of our women more than two miles from the village, on her knees in the woods, with her eyes shut, and her face turned towards heaven, uttering words in a lamentable tone, among which I distinctly heard PVocash Ah-welth, meaning Good Lord, and which has nearly the same signifi- cation with Quahootze. Though I came very near her, she appeared not to notice me, but continued - her devotions ; and I have frequently seen the wo- ] men go alone into the woods, evidently for the pur- pose of addressing themselves to a superior being, and it was alway,^ very perceptible on their return, when they had been thus employed, from their si- lence and melancholy looks. They have no belief, however, in a state of future existence, as I discovered, in conversation with Ma- quina, at Tootoosch's death, on my attempting to convince him that he still existed, and that he would again see him after his death ; but he could compre- hend nothing of it, and pointing to the ground, said, that there was the end of him, and that he was like that. Nor do they believe in ghosts, notwithstand- ing the case of Tootoosch would appear to contra- :•■' •' I- , I- i'J'v. .'■•'• l' ■' ,» » i..*5*, .." 0,' »«, ri ••» If. • ,# >. ■ 1*. ■ ■ •' h. If .^. 'V . ■ .' ■; « :5» » »«. ^ 198 RELIGION. diet this assertion ; but that was a remarkable in- stance, and such a one as had never been known to occur before ; yet, from the mummeries performed over the sick, it is very apparent that they beheve in the agency of spirits, as they attribute diseases to some evil one that has entered the body of the pa- tient. Neither have they any priests, unless a kind of conjuror may be so considered, who sings and prays over the sick, to drive away the evil spirit. On the birth of twins, they have a most singular custom, which, I presume, has its origin in some re- ligious opinion ; but what it is I could never satis- factorily learn. The father is prohibited for the space of two years from eating any kind of meat, or fresh fish; during which time, he does >io kind of labour whatevei, being supplied with what he has occasio!! for from the tribe. In the meantime, he and his wife, who is also obliged to conform to the same abstinence, with tleir children, live entirely separate from the others, a small hut being built for their accommodation ; and he is never invited to any of the feasts, except such as consist wholly of dried provision, where he is treated with great re- spect, and seated among the chiefs, though no more himself than a private individual. ■»p'.; diseasp:s. 199 Such births are very rare among them. An in- stance of the kind, however, occurred while I was at Tashees the last time ; but it was the only one known since the reign of the former king. The fa- ther always appeared very thoughtful and gloomy, never associated with the other inhabitants, and was at none of the feasts, but such as were entirely of dried provision ; and of this he eat not to excess, and constantly retired before the amusements com- menced. His dress was very plain, and he wore around his head the red fillet of bark, the symbol of mourning and devotion. It was his daily prac- tice to repair to the mountain, with a chief's rattle in his hand, to sing and pray, as Maquina in- formed me, for the fish to come into their wa- ters. When not thus employed, he kept continual- ly at home, except when sent for to sing and per- form his ceremonies over the sick, being consider- ed as a sacred character, and one much in favour with their gods. These people are remarkably healthful, and live to a very advanced age, having quite a youthful ap- pearance for their years. They have scarcely any disease but the cholic, their remedy for which is friction, a person rubbing the bowels of the sick -I, / ♦ ■ »• . t •< ■ ' ^.■\- 'y' * Iff • •^'' 1 :' •('■'* 200 DISEASES. violently, until the pain has subsided, while the con- juror or holy man is employed, in the meantime, in making his /vestures, singing, and repeating cer- tain words, and blowing off the evil spirit, when the patient is wrapped up in a bear-skin, in order to produce perspiration. Their cure for the rheumatism, or similar pains, which I saw applied by Maquina, in the case of Thompson, to whom it gave relief, is by cutting or scarifying the part affected. In dressing wounds, they simply wash them with salt water, and bind them up with a strip of cloth, or the bark of a tree. They are, however, very expert and successful in the cure of fractured or dislocated limbs, reducing them very dexterously, and after binding them up with bark, supporting them with blocks of wood, so as to preserve their position. During the whole time I was among them, but five natural deaths occurred, — Tootoosch and his two infant children, an infant son of Maquina, and the slave whom I iiave mentioned, — a circumstance not a little remarkable in a population of about fif- teen hundred ; and as respects child-birth, so light do they make of it, that I have seen their women. 'r .. DISPOSITION. 201 " the day after, employed as usual, as if little or no- thing had happened. The Nootkians, in their conduct towards each other, are in general pacific and inoffensive, and ap- pear by no means an ill-tempered race ; for I do not recollect any instance of a violent qur'Tel between any of the men, or the men ^-^nd their wives, while I was with them, that of Yealthlower excepted. Rut when they are in the legist offended, they appear to be in the most violent rage, acting like so many ma- niacs, foaming at the mouth, kicking and spitting most furiously ; but this is rather a fashion with them than a demonstration of malignity, as in their public speeches they use the same violence, and he is esteemed the greatest orator who bawls the loud- est, stamps, tosses himself about, foams, and spits the most. In speaking of their regulations, I have omitted mentioning, that, on attaining the age of seventeen, the eldest son of a chief is considered as a chief him- self, and that, whenever the father makes a present, it is always done in the name of his eldest son ; or, if he has none, in that of his daughter. The chiefs frequently purchase their wives at the age of eight or ten, to prevent their being engaged by others^ 1 <^ . ••#1' .■ 1 1" • I I 202 CLIMATE. though they do not take them from their parents until they are sixteen. With regard to climate^ the greater part of the spring, summer^ and autumn, is very pleasant, the weather being at no time oppressively hot, and the winters uncommonly mild, for so high a latitude, at least as far as my experience went. At Tashees and Cooptee, where we passed the coldest part of the season, the winter did not set in till late in De- cember ; nor have I ever known the ice, even on the fresh water ponds, more than two or three inches in thickness, or a snow exceeding four inches in depth ; but what is wanting in snow is amply made up in rain, as I have frequently known it, during the win- ter months, rain almost incessantly for five or six days in succession. 41, • • •* ". *'. ^ .. W ",»^- ARRIVAL OF THE LYDIA. 203 CHAPTER XIV. ARRIVAL OF THE BRrO LYDIA— STRATAGEM OF THE AUTHOR — ITS SUCCESS. It was now past mid-summer, and the liopes we had indulged of our release became daily more faint, for, though we had heard of no less than seven vessels on the coast, yet none appeared inclined to venture to Nootka. The destruction of the Boston, the largest, strongest, and best equipped ship, with the most valuable cargo of any that had ever been fitted for the North- West trade, had inspired the commanders of others with a general dread of com- ing thither, lest they should share the same fate ; and though in the letters I wrote (imploring those who should receive them to come to the relief of two unfortunate Christians who ^ ere suffering among heathens) I stated the cause of the Boston's capture, and that there was not the least danger in r, ■ .v.. ■ V 204 ARRIVAL OF THE 4" «« )■■■' ■•,:.i ''.• * ' *,■^ • t '. • •• I '<* t .1 f .. ; coming to Nootka, provided they would follow the directions I laid down, still I felt very little encou- ragement, that any of tliese letters would come td hand, wlien, on the morning of the nineteenth of Ju- ly, a day that will be ever held by me in grateful remciubrancc of tlie mercies of God, while I was employed with Thompson in forging daggers for the king, my ears were saluted with the joyful sound of three cannon^ and the cries of the inlia- bitants, exclaiming, IVeeua, tveena — Mamethlee — that is, strangers — white men. Soon after, several of our people came running into the house, to inform me that a vessel under full sail was coming into the harbour. Though my heart bounded with joy, I repressed my feelings, and af- fecting to pay no attention to what was said, told Thompson to be on his guard, and not betray any joy, as our release, and perhaps our lives, depended on our conducting ourselves so as to induce the na- tives to suppose we were not very anxious to leave them. We continued our work as if nothing had happened, when, in a few minutes after, Maquina came in, and seeing us at work, appeared much sur- prised, and asked me if I did not know that a ves- sel had come. I answered in a careless manner. BRIG LYUIA. 205 [le na- leave had iquina |i sur- ves- iner. i that it was nothing to me. How, John, said he, you no glad go board? 1 replied, that I cared very little about it, as 1 had become reconciled to their manner of living, and had no wish to go away. He then told me, that he had called a council of his people respecting us, and that we must leave off work, and be present at it. The men having assembled at Maquina's house, he asked them what was their opinion should be done with Thompson and myself, now a vessel had arrived, and whether he had not better go on board himself, to make a trade, and procure such articles as were wanted. Each one of the tribe who wished gave his opinion. Some were for putting us to death, and pretending to the strangers that a differ- ent nation had cut off the Boston, while others, less barbarous, were for sending us fifteen or twenty miles back into the country, until the departure of the vessel. These, however, were the sentiments of the common people, the chiefs opposing our be- ing put to death , or injured, and several of them, among the most forward of whom were Yealthlower and the young chief, Toomnnakinnish, were for im- mediately releasing us ; but this, if he could avoid 11 mma t .* '//V, <•-• 'r'. 206 AEBIVAL OF THE ,* V.' . , -T • ;. » • ' »•'■■, t ■ f, ' X-^'. it, by no means appeared to accord with Maquina's wishes. Having mentioned Toowinnakinnish, I shall briefly observe, that he was a young man of about twenty-three years old, the only son of Toopee- shottee, the oldest and most respected chief of the tribe. His son had always been remarkably kind and friendly to me, and I had in return frequent- ly made for him daggers, cheetoolths, and other things, in my best manner. He was one of the handsomest men among them, very amiable, and much milder in his manners than any of the others, as well as neater both in his person and house, at least his apartment, without even excepting Ma- quina. With regard, however, to Maquina's going on board the vessel, which he discovered a strong inclination to do, there was but one opinion, all remonstrating against it, telling him that the cap- tain would kill him or keep him prisoner, in conse- quence of his having destroyed our ship. When Maquina had heard their opinions, he told them that he was not afraid of being hurt from going on board the vessel, but that he would, however, as it i « ♦ " i» » t BRIG LYDIA. 207 respected that, be guided by John, whom he had al- ways found true. He then turned to me, and asked me if I thought there would be any danger in his go- ing on board. I answered, that I was not surprised at the advice his people had given him, unacquainted as they were with the manners of the white men, and judging them by tlieir own, but if they had been with them as much as I had, or even himself, they would think very different. That he had al- most always experienced good and civil treatment from them, nor had he any reason to fear the con- trary now, as they never attempted to harm those who did not injure them, and if he wished to go on board, he might do it, in my opinion, with security. After reflecting a few moments, he said, v/ith much apparent satisfaction, that if I would write a letter to the captain, telling him good of him, that he had treated Thompson and myself kindly since we had been with him, and to use him well, he would go. It may easily be supposed that I felt much joy at this determination, but knowing that the least incaution might annihilate all my hopes of escape, was careful not to manifest it, and to treat his going or staying as a matter perfectly indifferent to me. I told him, that if he wished me to write such i-:'^ '/■ .. ■' ; i ■ ' * -- f . V * ,^ . ■ " It ' »'' "' •r 208 STRATAGEM OF a letter, I had no objection, as it was the truth, other- wise I could not have done it. I then proceeded to write the recommendatory letter, which the reader will naturally imagine was of a somewhat different tenor from the one he had required ; for, if deception is in any case warrant- able, it was certainly so in a situation like ours, where the only chance of regaining that freedom, of which we had been so unjustly deprived, depended upon it ; and 1 trust that few, t ven of the most rigid, will condemn me with severity for making use of it, on an occasion which afforded me the only hope of ever more beholding a Christian country, and pre- serving myself, if not from death, at least from a life of continued suffering. The letter which I wrote was nearly in the follow- ing terms : — To Captain — — — of the Brig' Sir, Nootka, July 1(), 1805. The bearer of this letter is the Indian king by the name of Maquhia. He was the instigator of the capture of the ship Boston, of Boston, in North America, John Salter captain, and of the murder i THE AUTHOR. 209 of twenty-five men of her crew, the two only sur- vivors being now on shore — Wherefore I hope you will take care to confine him according to his merits, putting in your dead-lights, and keeping so good a watch over him, that he cannot escape from you. By so doing we shall be able to obtain our release in the course of a few hours. John R. Jewitt, Armourer of the Boston, for himself and John Thompson, Sail'maker of the said Ship. I have been asked hov; I dared to write in this manner } My answer is, that, from my long resi- dence among these people, I knew that I had little to apprehend from their anger on hearing of their king being confined, while they knew his life de- pended upon my release, and that they would sooner have given up five hundred white men than have had him injured. TIjis will serve to explain the little apprehension I felt at their menaces afterwards, for otherwise, sweet as liberty was to me, I should hardly have ventured on so hazardous an experi- ment. On my giving the letter to Maquina, he asked me to explain it to him. This I did line by line. ■t. 210 STRATAGEM OF ''.V,' .M it ' « 5 *. I as he pointed them out with his finger, but in a sense very different from the real, giving him to understand that I had written to the captain, that as he had been kind to me since I had been taken by him, tliat it was my wish that the captain should treat him accordingly, and give him what molasses, biscuit, and rum, he wanted. When 1 had finished, placing his finger in a significant manner on my name at the bottom, and eyeing me with a look that seemed to read my inmost thoughts, he said to me, " John, you no lie ?*' Never did I undergo such a scrutiny, or ever experience f;reater appre- hensions than I felt at that moment, when my des- tiny was suspended on the slightest thread, and the least mark of embarrassment on mine, or suspicion of treachery on his part, would j)robably have ren- dered my life the sacrifice. Fortunately I was able to preserve my composure, and my being painted in the Indian manner, which Maquina had, since my marriage, required of me, prevented any change in my countenance from being noticed, and I replied with considerable promptitude, looking at him in my turn, with all the confidence I could muster, " Why do you ask me such a question, Tyee ? have you ever known me to lie?"-—" No." — " Then hovr ■[-■:•' THE AUTHOR. 211 can you suppose I should tell you a lie now, since I have never done it >" As I was speaking, he still continued looking at me with the same piercing eye, but observing nothing to excite his suspicion, he told me that he believed what I said was true, and that he would go on board, and gave orders to get ready his canoe. His chiefs again attempted to dissuade him, using every argument for that pur- pose, while his wives crowded around him, begging him, on their knees, not to trust himself with the white men. Fortunately for my companion and myself, so strong was his wish of going on board the vessel, that lie was deaf to their solicitations, and making no other reply to them, than, " John no lie," left the house, taking four prime skins with him as a present to the captain. Scarcely had the canoe put off, when he ordered his men to stop, and calling to me, asked me if I did not want to go on board with him. Suspect- ing this as a question merely intended to ensnare me, I replied that I had no wish to do it, not ha- ving any desire to leave them. On going on board the brig, Maquina immediately gave his present of skins and my letter to the cap- tain, who, on reading it, asked him into the cabin. ' I /'.• .'.>•' .v'.^ ''1\ It ■ ' '■•J ' M • f = V -^f .■ . ». I 212 STRATAGEM OF where he gave him some biscuit and a glass of rum, at the same time, privately directing his mate to go forward, and return with five or six of the men armed. When they appeared, the captain told Maquina that he was his prisoner, and should con- tinue so, until the two men, whom he knew to be on shore, were released, at the same time ordering him to be put in irons, and the windows secured> which was instantly done, and a couple of men placed as a guard over him. Maquina was greatly surprised and terrified at this reception ; he, how- ever, made no attempt to resist, but requested the captain to permit one of his men to come and see him. One of them was accordingly called, and Maquina said something to him which the captain did not understand, but supposed to be an order to release us, when the man, returning to the canoe, it was paddled off with the utmost expedition to the shore. As the canoe approached, the inhabitants, who had all collected upon the beach, manifested some uneasiness at not seeing their king on board ; but when, on its arrival, they were told that the captain had made him a prisoner, and that John had spoke baa about him in the letter, they all, both men and women, set up a loud howl, and ran I ? •": ■■■■■•■* ■ ■• ! • ♦, • tr } ■ » . » • ( -v. ». l' '.■••■■*.'■ » , T. »\ THE AUTHOR. 213 backwards and forwards upon the shore like so many lunatics, scratching their faces, and tearing the hair in liandfuls from their heads. After they had beat about in this manner for some time, the men ran to their huts for their weapons, as if preparing to attack an invading enemy ; while Maquina's wives, and the rest of the women, came around me, and throwing themselves on their knees, begged me with tears to spare his life, and Sat-sat- sak-sis, who kept constantly with me, taking me by the hand, wept bitterly, and joined his entreaties to theirs, that 1 would not let the white men kill his father. I told them not to afflict themselves, that Maquina's life was in no danger, nor would the least harm be done to him. The men were, however, extremely exasperated with me, more particularly the common people, who came running in the most furious manner towards me, brandishing their weapons, and threatening to cut me in pieces no bigger than their thumb nails, while others declared they would burn me alive over a slow fire, suspended by my heels. All this fury, however, caused me but little alarm, as I felt con- vinced they would not dare to execute their threats while the king was on board the brig. ' If. ' I'' I*'.'- ■ ■ "' **,'' ■ I »*•■■. .»' 214 STRATAGEM OF /!.:' f»> ^•^• if ' • 4 *> . ■ I - ,' 1.' ■ ■r.v ^-* J^i^: The chiefs took no part in this violent conduct, but canrie to me, and inquired the reason why Ma- quina had been thus treated, and if the captain in- tended to kill him. I told them, that if they would silence the people, so that I could be heard, I would explain all to them. They immediately put a stop to the noise, when I informed them that the captain, in confining Maquina, had done it only in order to make them release Thompson and myself, as he well knew we were with them, and if they would do that, their king would receive no injury, but be well treated, otherwise he would be kept a prisoner. As many of them did not appear to be satisfied with this, and began to repeat their murderous threats — Kill me, said I to them, if it is your wish, throwing open the bear-skin which I wore ; here is my breast, I am only one among so many, and can make no resistance ; but unless you wish to see your king hanging by his neck to that pole, pointing to the yard-arm of the brig, and the sailors firing at him with bullets, you will not do it. O no ! was the general cry, that must never be ; but what must we do ? I told them that their best plan would be to send Thompson on board, to desire the captain to use Maquina well till I was released, which would THE AUTHOR. S15 be soon. This t.jey were perfectly willing to do, and I directed Tliompson to go on board. But he objected, saying, that he would not leave me alone with the savages. I told him not to be under any fear for me, for that, if I could get him off, I could manage well enough for myself, and that I wished him, immediately on getting on board the brig, to see the captain, and request him to keep Maquina close till I was released, as I was in no danger while he liad him safe. When I saw Thompson off, I asked the natives what they intended to do with me. They said I must talk to the captain again, in another letter, and tell him to let his boat come on shore with Maquina, and that I should be ready to jump into the boat at the same time Maquina should jump on shore. I told them that the captain, who knew that they had killed my shipmates, would never trust his men so near the shore, for fear they would kill them too, as they were so much more numerous ; but that, if they would select any three of their number to go with me in a canoe, when we came within hail, I would desire the captain to send his boat with Ma- quina, to receive me in exchange for him. This appeared to please them, and, after some t • •■n 216 STRATAGEM OF t • * • Li'/" (•;■••■ :■>'. y '. , 4 r I ■ • ^•>-.. if- ■ ■ l*«.v ■ ,- s- i • • ■ f • • T ''» whispering among the chiefs, who, from what words I overheard, conchided, tliat, if the captain should refuse to send his boat with Maquina, the three men would liave no difficulty in bringing me back with them, they agreed to my proposal, and selected three of their stoutest men to convey me. Fortunately, having been for some time accustomed to see me armed, and suspecting no design on my part, they paid no attention to the pistols that I had about me. As I was going into the canoe, little Sat-sat-sak- sis, who could not bear to part with me, asked me, with an affecting simplicity, since I was going away to leave him, if the white men would not let his fa- ther come on shore, and not kill him. I told him not to be concerned, for that no one should injure liis father ; when, taking an affectionate leave of me, and again begging me not to let the white men hurt his father, he ran to comfort his mother, who was at a little distance, wi.h the assurances I had given him. On entering the canoe, I seated myself in the prow facing the three men, having determined, if it was practicable, from the moment I found Maquina was secured, to get on board the vessel before he was released, hoping, by that means, to be enabled ITS SUCCESS. 217 to obtain the restoration of what property, belong- ing to tlie Boston, still remained in the possession of the savages, which I thought, if it could be done, a duty that I owed to the owners. With feelings of joy impossible to be described did 1 quit the savage shore, confident now that nothing could thwart my escape, or prevent the execution of the plan that I had formed, as the men appointed to convey and guard me were armed with nothing but their paddles. As we came within hail of the brig, they at once ceased paddling, when, presenting my pistols at them, I ordered them instantly to go on, or I would shoot the whole of them. A proceeding so wholly unexpected threw them into great conster- nation, and resuming their paddles, in a few mo- ments, to my inexpressible delight, I once more found myself alongside of a Christian ship, a hap- piness which I had almost despaired of ever again enjoying. All the crew crowded to the side to see me as the canoe came up, and manifested much joy at my safety. I immediately leaped on board, where I was welcomed by the captain, Samuel Hill, of the brig Lydia of Boston, who congratu- lated me on my escape, informing me that he had "l. I • ■ 4 I » f \x 'i S ' • >•' », :f.^ [^•^.: M> ! »;♦•■ 218 ITS SUCCESS. received my letter off Kloiz-zart, from the chief Machee Ulatilla, >vho came off himself in his canoe, to deliver it to him, on which he immediately pro- ceeded hither to aid me. I returned him my thanks in tlie best manner I could for his humanity, though I hardly knew what I said, such was the agitated state of njy feelings at that moment, with joy for my escape, thankfulness to the Supreme Being, who had so mercifully preserved me, and grati- tude to those whom he had rendered instrumental in my delivery, that I have no doubt, that, what with my strange dress, being painted with red and black from liead to foot, having a bear-skin wrap- ped around me, and my long hair, which I was not allowed to cut, fastened on the top of my head in a large buneh, with a sprig of green spruce, I must have appeared more like one deranged than a rational creature, as Captain Hill afterwards told me, that he never saw any thing in the form of man look so wild as I did when I first came on board. The captain then asked me into the cabin, where I found Maquina in irons, with a guard over him. He looked very melancholy, but on seeing me, his countenance brightened up, and he expressed his ITS SUCCESS. 219 I pleasure with the welcome of " Wocash John ;" when, taking him by the hand, I asked tlie captain's permission to take off his irons, assuring him, tliat, as I was with him, there was no danger of his being in the least troublesome. He accordingly consented, and I felt a sincere pleasure in freeing from fetters a man, who, though he had caused the death of my poor comrades, liad, nevertheless, always proved my friend and protector, and whom I had recpiested to be thus treated, only with a view of securing my liberty. Maquina smiled, and appeared much pleas- ed at this mark of attention from me. When I had freed the king from his irons, Captain Hill wished to learn the particulars of our capture, observino-, that an account of the destruction of the ship and her crew had been received at Boston before he sail- ed, but that nothing more was known, except that two of the men were living, for whose rescue the owners had offered a liberal reward, and that he had been able to get nothing out of the old man, whom the sailors had supplied so plentifully with grog, as to bring him too much by the head to •♦ t ■ « ... ;. ; , < * * - ('. . >•' ■' , ' f r i ' • I * • I' i -^ *'■ '"•. * .f r 222 ANXIETY AND lie had done by me. I assured him that such was my intention ; and I requested him to remain quiet, and not alarm himself, as no harm was intended him. But I found it extremely difficult to convince liim of this, as it accorded so little with the ideas of revenge entertained by them. I told him, however, that he must restore all the property still in his pos- session belonging to the ship. This he was perfect- ly ready to do, happy to escape on such terms. But as it was now past five, and too late for the articles to be collected and brought off, I told him that he must content himself to remain on board with me that night, and in the morning he should be set on shore, as soon as the things were deliver- ed. To this he agreed, on condition that I would remain with him in the cabin. I then went upon deck, and the canoe that brought me having been sent back, I hailed the inhabitants, and told tliem that their king had agreed to stay on board till the next day, when he would return ; but that no ca- noes must attempt to come near the vessel during the night, as they would be fired upon. They an- swered, WohOf woho — Very well, very well. I then returned to Maquina ; but so great were hi" terrors, that he would not allow me to sleep. l« « 'fiM*. RELEASE OF MAQUINA. 223 constantly disturbing me M'ith his questions, and re- peating, " John, you know, when you was alone, and more than five hundred men were your enemies, I was your friend, and prevented them from put- ting you and Thompson to death ; and now I am in the power of your friends, you ought to do the same bv me." I assured hiui that he would be de- tained on board no longer tlian whilst the property was released ; and that, as soon as it was done, he would be set at liberty. At dav-break, I hailed the natives, and told them that it was Maquina's order that they should bring off the cannon, and anchors, and whatever remain- ed with them of the cargo of the ship. This they set about doing with the utmost expedition, trans- porting the cannon and anchors by lashing together two of their largest canoes, and covering them with planks ; and, in the course of two hours, they deli- vered every thing on board that I could recollect, with Thompson's and my chest, containing the pa- pers of the ship, ■•*■ AN OLD ACQUAINTANCE. 231 can properly estimate. He appeared on his part no less happy to see me, whom he supposed to be dead, as the account of our cajiture had been re- ceived in England some time before his sailing, and fill my friends supposed me to have been mur- dered. From this young man I received every at- tention and aid that a feeling licart, interested in the fate of another, could confer. He supplied me •with a new suit of clothes and a liat, a small sum of money for my necessary expences, and a number of little articles for sea stores on my voyage to Ame- rica. I also gave him a letter for my father, in which I mentioned my wonderful preservation and escape, through the humanity of Captain Hill, with whom I should return to Boston. This letter he inclosed to his father, by a ship that was just sail- ing, in consequence of which it was received much earlier than it otherwise would have been. We left China in February 1807, and after a pleasant voyage of one hundred and fourteen days, arrived at Boston. My feelings on once more find- ing myself in a Christian country, among a people speaking the same language with myself, may be more readily conceived than expressed. In the Post- Office in that place I found a letter for me 10 ;M •■ * .J. 23^2 AUTHOR AIUIIVES AT BOSTON. .» .*• v.'.' I I f from my mother, acknowledging the receipt of mine from China, expressing the great joy of my family on hearing of my being alive and well, whom they had for a long time given up far dead, and request- ing me to write to them on receiving her letter, which I accordingly did. While in Boston, I was treated with much kindness and hospitality by the owners of the ship Boston, Messrs Francis and Thomas Amory of that place, to whom I feel my- self under great obligations for their goodness to me, and the assistance which they so readily afford- ed a stranger in distress. ' » ■'• I' i Sr- . », I *. • « ' . 'it « » • 233 Names oflhe Crew of the Ship Boston, belonging to Boston in Massachusetts, owned by Messrs F. and T. Amorij, Merchants, of that place — all ojwhom, ex- cept in'. 1 '■ ;.(.•.. ► . M ^v,■^ „ * - * I I ■■•$ ' I » WAR-SONG OF THE NOOTKA TRIBE. Commencing with a Chorus repeated at the end oj each line. Hah-yee hah yar har, he yar hah. Hah-yah hee yar har — he yar hah. le yie ee yah har — ee yie hah. To yar ee yar hah — ee yar yah. le yar ee I yar yar hah — le yar ee yec yah ! I-ye ma hi-chill at-sish Kla-ha — Hah-ye-hah. Que nok ar parts arsh waw — le yie-yar. Waw-hoo naks sar hasch — Yar- hah. I-yar nee i-yar. Waw-hoo naks ar has,jh yak-queets sish ni-ese, Waw har. Hie yee ah-hah. Repeated over and over with gestures and brandish- ing of weapons. NOTE. le-yee ma hi-chill, signifies, Ye do not know. It appears to be a poetical mode of exj)ression, the common one for you do not know being, Wik' hum-ata&h ; from this, it would seem that they have two languages, one for their songs, and another lor connnon use. The general meaning of this first stanza appears to be. Ye little know, ye men of Klahar, *v]iat valiant warriors we are. Poorly can ouv loes contend with us, when we come on with our daggers, Ike. The Nootkians have no songs of an historical nature, nor do they appear to have any tradition re- specting their origin. , •■■„» 235 A LIST OF WORDS In the Nootkian Lafiguarre, the most in use I Check-up, Man. Klootz-mah, Woman. Noowexa, P':.ther. Hooma-hexa, Mother. Tanassis, Child. Katlahtik, Brother. Kloot-chem-up, Sister. Tanassis-check-up, Son. Tanassis-kloots-mah, Dau^rhter. Tau-hat-se-tee, Mead. Kassee, Eyes. Hap-se-up, Hair. Neetsa, Nose. Parpee, Ears. Chee-chee, Teeth. Choop, Tongue. Kook-a-nik-sa, Hands. Klish-klin, Feet. Oop-helth, Sun or Moon. Tar-toose, Stars. Sie-yah, Sky. Toop-elth, Sea. Clia-hak, Fresh water. Mect-la, Rain. Queece, Snow. Noot-chee, Mountain or hill. Kla-tur-miss, Earth. p ."■■■*■, J? ' '<■•'■ !«, ' J-' >,'." ■■■■' ■■?■ f ...• « .fW 2S6 i u Een-nuk-see, Fire or fuel. Mook-see, Rock. Muk-ka-tee, House. Wik, No. He-ho, Yes. Kak-koelth, Slave. Mah-hack, Whale. Klack-a-miss, Oil. Quart-lak, Sea- otter. Coo-coo-ho-sa, Seal. Moo- watch, Bea>'. So-har, Stilmon. Toosch-qiia, Povv-ee, Cod. Halibut. Kloos-a-mit, Herring. Chap-atz, Canoe. Oo-wha-pa, Paddle. Chee-me-na, A fish-hook. Chee-men, Fish-hooks. Sick-a-minny, Iron. Toophelth, Cham-mass, Cloth. Fruit. Cham-mas-sish, J Sweet or pleasant to the ( taste. Moot-sus, Powder. Chee-pokes, Hah-welks, Copper. Hungry. Nee-sim-mer-hise, Enough. Chat-ta-yek, Klick-er-yek, Quish-ar, Knife or dagger. Rings. Smoke. Mar-met-ta, Goose or duck. Pook-shit-tle, To blow. Een-a-qui-shit-tle, To kindle a fire. Ar-teese, To bathe. % 237 o the Ma-mook-su-mahj A smootish check-up, Cha-alt-seeklat-tur wah, Ma-kook, Kah-ah-pah-chilt, Oo-nah, ly-ah-ish, Ko-mme-tak, 1-yee ma-hak, Em-me-chap, Kle-whar, Mac-kam-mah-sish, Kah-ah-coh, Sah-wauk, Att-la, Kat-sa, Mooh, Soo-chah, Noo-poo, At-tle-poo, At-lah-quelth, Saw-wauk-quelth, Hy-o, Sak-aitz, Soo-jewk, Hy-e-oak, To go to fish. A warrior. Go off, or go away. To sell. Give me something. How many. Much. I understand. I do not understand. To play. To laugh. Do you want to buy. Bring it. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight. Nine. Ten. Twenty. One hundred. One thousand. Printed by George Ramsay & Co. Edinburgh, 1824.