Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1861-08-03
From our Port Townsend Correspondent.
Hydrography Of the Coast Of WasAingtsa
Territory.

From our Port Townsend Correspondent.
Hydroersphy Of the Coast Of wasAi,gtsa
Territory.
In The 18th volume Of Pacific Rail
Road Reports, part first, chap. Nv, is
an article prepared by DR.. ]. G. Koh!,
Of the United States Coast Survey, en-
titled d" Hydrcgrophy Of the Coasts and
Narigabe Waters Of Washington Terri
tory"
The article, taken as whole, is we'll
written, interesting, and the general
description of the coast SO far as my
personal observation extends, is very
correct. But where DR.. Kohl has at
tempted to give Indian names to places
he is most sing"larly incorrect. Nor
is this to be wondered at, for DR.. Kohl,
instead of availing himself Of the recent
investigations of the officers of both
the United States and English surveys,
refers back for authority to the voyages
of the early Spanish explorers.
If it is of any importance to retain
Indian names of places, it is important
to get them correct. The Spanish names
for Indian places are in no instance
given as the Indians of the present day
call them. There arc now living at
Neeah Bay, several old Indians, both
male and female, who we'll remember
when white men first made their ap-
pcarance in these waters-who remem-
Der and speak Of Vancouver, Mears,
and of tho Spanish. Some of these
old people were alive undoubtedly at
the period spoken of, though of course,
very young. Others having heard from
their earliest infancy the tales of the
white men who came to trade. can give
most accurate information respecting
the carly settlements both at Nootka
and Nceah Bay.
DR.. Kohl should have recollccted
that the Spaniards, coming among a
race of savages whose language they
did not understand, and who never at
tempted to cultivate friendly relations
with those Indians, could scarcely be
so correct in their information us the
more recent explorers, who have not
only the assistance of white settlers,
who, for years had resided among and
knew the Indians but also the Jargon
language by means Of which the white
men and Indians can readily converse.
The apparent discrepancy in the
names given to the cape at the south
ern entrance Of the Straits Of Fuca, and
the various names given to the Indians
residing in that vicinity, can be easily
explained. The Indians on Vancou-
ver's Island, at Nootka, Cloquot, Nitti-
nat and other portions Of the western
coast, call the Cape Fiattcry Indians,
"Classett." The Indians on the Straits
of Fuca and Puget Sound call them
Mackah. The tribes south Of Cape
Flattery term them Quc-naik-sath, and
the tribe call themselves Que-naik-chat
or Que-naik-che-chat. As the Spanish
and other early explorers obtained their
information from the Nootka Indians,
they called the tribe Classets, and the
point of land Cape Classct.
1t is now universally called Cape
Flattery, and what was formerly called
Cape Flattery, but which in fact, is no
cape, is now called Fattery rocks.
Tatooche Island was named by Mears
in honor of northern chief named
7atoochatticus, who with Maquila, and
Calcium, two other powerful northern
chiefs, held sway over the country in
the region of the straits of Fuca. These
names are we'll known and remembered
to this day by the Mackahs, and the
old people I before alluded to, bear evi.
dence, by their narratives Of the cor
rectucss of Greenhow's views in his
history of Oregon and California.
There is one point that should be per-
fectly understood, and that is that the
Indian names for the localities on the
Straits are precisely the same as they
were when the Sull and Mericana made
their voyages. I have been particular
to enquire of the Indians on this point,
and haye hoan invnrinl,lv 0ssnred fhaf