The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1882-08-17
Queen Charlotte L. ands and the Haidas.

. 1
The climate of the Queen Charlotte
Islands is excessively humid, and thew
are almost everywhere covered with
magnificent coniferous trees. Mount
aims 1000 to 5000 feet high rise in their
central portion, and they are penetrated
on all sides by dark deep tiords with
rocky walls.
10 the northeast, it is true, q wide
stretch OF low and nearly level country
occurs, which may some day support q
farming population; but at the present
time it's somber woods, filled with dense
underground, and barricaded with
prostrate trunks in every stage Of de-
cay, offer little to induce either Indian
or white to penetrate them. The Hal
das, therefore, though cultivating here
and there along the shores Small pota-
10 patches, are essentially fishermen.
Few paths or trails traverse the into
rlor OF the'islands, and of these some
formerly used when the population was
greater are now abandoned.
The halibut is found in great abun-
dance in the vicinity of the islands, and
1t Is more particularly on this fish that
the Haidas depend. Their villages are
invariably situated along the shore,
often on bleak, wave-laShed parts of the
coast, but always in proximity to pro-
ductiye halibut banks. Journeys arc
made in canoes along the coast. The
canoes are skillfully followed from the
great cedar-trees Of the region, which,
after being worked down to a certain
small thickness, arc steamed and spread
by the insertion of cross-pieccs till they
| are made to assume n most graceful
form, and show lines which would salts
fy the most fastidious ship builder. In
their larger canoes the Haidas do not
hesitate to make long voyages on the
open sea; and in former days, by their
| frequent deScentS on the coast of the
mainland, and the facility with which
| they retreated again to their own islands,
they rendered themselves more dread
ed than any tribe from Vancouver to
Sitka.
In their mode of life, and the inccnu-
ity and skill they display in their man
utacture of canoes and other articles,
the Haidas do not differ essentially from
the other tribes inhabtng the northern
| part of the coast of British Columbia
and Southern Alaska. In the Queen
| Charlotte Islands. however, the peculiar
| style of architecture and ART elsewhere
among the Indians OF the west coast
more or less prominently exhibited
appears to attain its greatest develop
ment. Whether this may show that
to the Haidas or their ancestors the in-
PRODUCTION of this is due, or Indicate
merely that with the greater isolation of
these people, and consequent increased
measure of security, the particular ideas
OF tho Indian mind We're able to BODY
themselves forth more fully. we NAV
never know. The situation OF the
islands, and the comparative infrc-
4ucncy with which they have been vis-
tied for many years, have ut least tend
ed to preserve intact many features
which have already vanished from the
customs and manufactures of most other
tribes.
AS before stated tho permanent viii
lages OF the llaidaS are invariably stu
ated at the scashorc. They consist
generally of single long row OF houses,
with but narrow grassy border be-
tween it and the beach, ON which the
canoes Of tho tribe (for each village
constitutes chicftaincy) are drawn uI.
In front OF each house stands SYMBOL
teal carved post, while other carved
posts, situated irregularly, and differing
somewhat in form from those proper to
the houses, are generally memorial, to
the dead. Such Il village, sonn from a
little distance of, The houses and posts
gray with tho weather. resembles
strip of half burned forest with dead
rampikes." The little cloud of smoke
from the various fires may, however,
serve to indicate it's true character
george M. DdWSOn. IN Ha1pc1'S MaQa-
zine.