Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1861-07-27


ment and near Chcnook. While in the
Columbia, they traded principally with
old Comcomoly, or through hisagency.
Every one of the fur trading vessels
had one or more persons on bo,rd who
could speak the Nootka language, and
rs the Chenooks could understand
of that language for trading
purposes, it became the medium Of
The Chenooks in
the meantime had learned few Eng
lish words, and when Astor's company
arrived in the Columbia, in 1872, they
found the Chepooks already in posses
sion of a jargon which was readily
learned by the whites.
The Hudson Bay Company next
made their appearance on the coast
and succeeded Astor's company, having
bought them out in October, 1913.
The Canadian voyageurs and half
breeds introduced from Canada by the
Hudson Bay Company, took wives from
among the tribes of the Columbia, and
as an Indian appears to learn French
much more readily than English, it was
not long before Canadian French was
introduced into the Jargon. Tho Ian
guage has also received additions by
words from the Chehalis and Chcnook,
and some of the tribes on Puget Sound.
AS it is at present used, it varies little
with every locality, from the fact that
tribal words will be introduced by per-
SONS residing among the different bands
which soon become incorporated into
the Jargon as the original.
A residence Of several months with
the Mackah Indians at Capc Flattery,
during 1859, aud recently, for the past
five months, during which time have
made the study of the early history of
the coast tribes and their languages a
speciality, has enabled me to trace out
the origin of many of the words in the
Jargon that have been derived from
the Nootkan language. The limit of
this article, however, will only permit
of couple ofillustrations.
The true meaning of the name of Ia
tooche Island, for instancc-thc word
Tootoochc or Tatoochc in the Jargon
means, milk, or breasts, but there is
another word in the Nootkan dialect
pronounced Tootootchc, which sounds
very similar although it is not Jargon
word, which means thunder, or the
thunder bird, or thunder storm. One
of the Nootkan chiefs mentioned by
Meares and Vancouver, and still re.
membered by some of the Indians at
Neeah Bay, was named Too-toochc.at-
icus, and he formerly owned the land
about Cape Flattery. From this tact,
Meares named the island at the extrcm-
ity of the Cape Tatooche or Tatootshe
island. The Indian name for the Is
land is O.pojec-ta.
Tatooche or milk Island is not 80 ap-
propriate name for the storm-beaten
little island on our extreme north
western coast, through whose hollow
caves the waves of the Pacific reverber.
ate with q continuous roar like thun-
der, and whose summit is crowned with
the tall light-house-a beacon by day
and pillar of fire by night-as Ta-
tootshe, thunder or fire island.
Cd, The word Cdmmass, the Cam
massia EsewIemta, little plant Of the
lilly species, with pretty hyacinth-
shaped blue flowers, and . bulbous
root, the size and shape Of email gar
lies. This root IL eaten BY Ill the In
dams west Of the mountains, and is
found in great abundance. 1t is pre-
by roasting or baking, and
when cooked is very sweet The na-
tivss on the coast make it mp into
loaves, which they cover either With
fern leaves or ane cedar bark, and in
this state It d sold. The Nootkan word
fbr ftuit y cAsm-wass, and for anything
sweet end pleasant 10 the taste il Il
ehsw-Nsss'-isA, and their word for mo.
lassss b cham '.mo-sst.
The sasay traders With the Nootlans
were odsced these loaves Tor sale,