, 1877-09-14

as coal passer during her voyages
from Portland, Oregon, to Sitka, aud
has also worked in Port Townsend
two and half years cutting cord.
wood. We took him on board, to.
gether with Mr.. Turk, his trader,
Mr.. Dickenson and steamed around
kalgan or kaigarny point, to Port
Bazan, an unfrequented harbor where
the Indian pointed out the remains
which were enveloped in a
military coat with the chevrons Of a
Paymastsr US. A, upon the sleeve,
The remains were taken on board by
Lieut., Kilgore, and placed in box,
and afterwards taken by the VOL.
colt to Fort Wrangell and there
turned over TO the military comman-
dant and by him sent to Portland and
final y they were buried at Fort Van
'couver with military honors. After
receiving the remains we returned
to Hov.kan.
The collection of carved posts and
monuments at this place is very fine,
but owing to the absence Of nearly
every Indian, / could not procure
any, especially as they ask the most
fabulous prices for their carvings,
Soon after our arrival, chiefs wife
came with some of her people. She
is the most intelligent woman have
met. She had lived at Victoria long
enough to acqnire a knowledge Of
the English language. She told me
the monuments and columns we're to
commemorate some great event. hut
mostly were erected ~ mem ry of
the dead. She said, "v" will not
sell them any more than ven white
people will sell grave stones or mon
uments in your cemeteries, but, you
can have one made" She pointed
to one pillar 80 feet high and most
elaborately carved. "That COST"
said she, Zone thousand blankets, or
$4,000. l found, however, that the
cost is not what they pay the man or
men who do the carving, but VIII en- a
chief or head man thinks to
prove himself as such, he will cause
one of the carved pillars to be set up
in front of his house, and on the day
of the "raising," he calls together a
vast number of people and distributes
blankets, -four, and other things
among them. Another chief, feel
ing jealous will put up another and
a higher stick of carved timber, and
the greater the number of blankets
distributed, the greater is considered
the chief.
subsequently secured one at Fort
Simpson, which cost at Victoria
about $l20. Ipurchased several ar
ticles of Indian manufacture from
this woman. Her husband who was
chief Of the tribe vas half f.breed.
He had recently died, and she had
him in box in the lodge waiting
the decision of the Indians whether
they would burn the body or bury
it. The Indians have been induced
by the influence of the missionaries
90 abandon their practice of crema-
tion, particularly at Fort Simpson and
Metlakatla, and the influence seems
to have extended to Alaska.
On the morning of the I'd day of July
1875, we left Howkan for Kemma.
koan village on the north side Of Cor.
doom Bay, and arrived there at 3 p.
NJ. The chief of this village is
half beed named Kinowen, a cele.
brated silver.smith, from whom |
purchased some beautiful bracelets,
and other jewelry of silver.
This village is the largest and has
more carvings than any l have seen,
but the Indians were unwilling to
part with any.
Kinowen came on board the Cut.
ter with his wife and four children i,
and told me, if the American Gov.
ernmsnt would send 4 teacher, he
would let him select a place to suit
him, and the Indians would build
him house and send the children to
school.
On the 4th of July we arrived at
Fort Tongass, which is now a de.
serted military post, but the resi- =
dence of about 400 Tongass Indians.
The chief came on board and again
expressed the same views regarding
a school, which he did on our first
visit in June, and this time Captain
Scammon, through an interpreter,
told him that he would do all in his
power to induce the Government to
attend to the matter. Yahsoot, after
,t;,,r, ,,o n n 80 ,,;,.I L III -