And, It May Be Added,
The Indians Of The North Pacific Coast To-Day Are Equally
Adept And Skilful.
The canoes of the present race of red
men do not essentially differ from those of the tribes
described
By Lewis and Clark, and who are now extinct.
The Indians then living above tide-water built canoes of smaller
size than those employed by the nations farther down the river.
The canoes of the Tillamooks and other tribes living on the seacoast
were upwards of fifty feet long, and would carry eight or ten
thousand pounds' weight, or twenty-five or thirty persons.
These were constructed from the trunk of a single tree, usually
white cedar. The bow and stern rose much higher than the gunwale,
and were adorned by grotesque figures excellently well carved
and fitted to pedestals cut in the solid wood of the canoe.
The same method of adornment may be seen among the aborigines
of Alaska and other regions of the North Pacific, to-day. The
figures are made of small pieces of wood neatly fitted together
by inlaying and mortising, without any spike of any kind.
When one reflects that the Indians seen by Lewis and Clark
constructed their large canoes with very poor tools, it is impossible
to withhold one's admiration of their industry and patience.
The journal says: -
"Our admiration of their skill in these curious constructions was
increased by observing the very inadequate implements which they use.
These Indians possess very few axes, and the only tool they employ,
from felling the tree to the delicate workmanship of the images, is a chisel
made of an old file, about an inch or an inch and a half in width.
Even of this, too, they have not learned the proper management;
for the chisel is sometimes fixed in a large block of wood, and, being held
in the right hand, the block is pushed with the left, without the aid
of a mallet. But under all these disadvantages, their canoes,
which one would suppose to be the work of years, are made in a few weeks.
A canoe, however, is very highly prized, being in traffic an article
of the greatest value except a wife, and of equal value with her;
so that a lover generally gives a canoe to the father in exchange
for his daughter. . . .
"The harmony of their private life is secured by their ignorance
of spirituous liquors, the earliest and most dreadful present
which civilization has given to the other natives of the continent.
Although they have had so much intercourse with whites, they do
not appear to possess any knowledge of those dangerous luxuries;
at least they have never inquired after them, which they probably
would have done if once liquors bad been introduced among them.
Indeed, we have not observed any liquor of intoxicating quality among
these or any Indians west of the Rocky Mountains, the universal
beverage being pure water. They, however, sometimes almost intoxicate
themselves by smoking tobacco, of which they are excessively fond,
and the pleasures of which they prolong as much as possible, by retaining
vast quantities at a time, till after circulating through the lungs
and stomach it issues in volumes from the mouth and nostrils."
A long period of quiet prevailed in camp after the first of February,
before the final preparations for departure were made.
Parties were sent out every day to hunt, and the campers were
able to command a few days' supply of provision in advance.
The flesh of the deer was now very lean and poor,
but that of the elk was growing better and better.
It was estimated by one of the party that they killed,
between December 1, 1805, and March 20, 1806, elk to
the number of one hundred and thirty-one, and twenty deer.
Some of this meat they smoked for its better preservation,
but most of it was eaten fresh.
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