Omaha daily bee., 1883-03-15
INDIAN
How the Savsges Oft North Capture
the Leviathan.

othttic W - |
At Noah Bay, around Cape Fisttery
midtown the coast from Tstoosh to
Gray's hsrbor, live various tribes Of
indians, who, as hunters aud fishers,
are as fearless and hardy as any race
of original men In the known world.
Until the incoming of the white nan
and the appliances of civilization their
entire support was drawn from the
ocean, which, In their light canoes-a
simple shell followed from the trunk
Of a giant cedar, they daily visited to
catch the halibut and seal = the one
furnishlng their food, the other their
raiment. Bot 1t was to pursue q mob.
Ter game than these that brought their
daring qualities into full play. 1t was
In chase of the mighty whale they
found at once their greatest pastime
and the main source of their liveli'
hood. With no boats but their ca
noes, with ne weapons but their bone
pointed spears, aud for lines, ropes
made Of twisted sealskin or the tough
inner bark of the cedar they sought
the leviathan on the deep and slew
him. these exploits form the theme
of many of their songs and s%Sories,
sung or told around the fires In the
large and comfortable houses on the
coast and at the potlaches and other
festivities with which they fill In the
gloomy days of winter, when the
stormy weather prevents them going
out to sea.
II HOMES OF H WHALES,
The Indians on the coast are not the
drunken, worthless vagabonds that 30
many If their brethren on the sound
have become. The fatal Influences of
the white mans Civilization" have
reached them, but In a moderate de-
gree, and 80 far have tended rather TO
elevate than degrade them. They
still hunt the whale. but it is with the
harpoon and lance and whale line, and
the homes to which they return with
their spells are In many cases built in
a strong and neat n of sawed
lumber, with glass windows and pan.
eled doors. Few of them spesk any
English and a great portion do not
know the "Chineok," the jargon of
the Indian traders. With all their
primitive wants readily supplied by
the expenditure of but slight toll, and
with abundance of ready money from
the sale of sealskins and whale oil,
their condition Is much better than
that of many q white man who looks
down with contempt on the siwarh.
The whaling, which was formerly the
main resource, has been superseded of
late years by the much more profitable
sealing business, which In the past
furnished them with but their cloth.
ing but now brings them large sums
of money, and as a consequence, all
the comforts and even the luxuries of
civilization which they either desire
or know how to el Joy; but 1t is still
followed when opportunity presents
itaelf with all the ardor of former
days.
81 CANOES AND OUTFIT.
The whaling ano are somewhat of
the general model of all the Indian
canoes of this part Of the world, but
on O larger scale and very much
thicker, the better to stand the rough
usage they receive. Their weapons
consist of harpoons, lanoes with
long, sharp point of copper, short ooill
of manila line and numerous bladderi
made of whole sealskins, with all thu
apertures tied up with sinew, full O
air, and with the fur In. The writer
last fall, while on a visit to Quillute
some forty miles below Cape Fattery
where o small tribe of Indians live,
had the pleasure to witness the cap
ture of Q whale, and more exciting
sport we never engaged In. We wer'
standing on a hill in the neighborhoot
of the Indian village, when = sudden
commotion among the Indians attracted
our attention. A shouting boy rush,
ing wildly past was hailed, but simply
utteriDg some wild yells and pointinl
toward the ocean he rushed on. Fol
lowing the direction of his finger
We . the foamy spray from
thenostrils of . blowing whale, thrown
Into the air, and q moment later
momentsry glimpse of his broad blscl
back. We rushed toward the beacl
and jumped hurriedly into n of tn
larger canoes, and In q few moments
mixed up In the bottom of the csno,
with a collection of harpoons, seal
skin bladders, lsnces, ropes, etc., ant
amidst a chorus of yells and whoopl
that would have made the incurabls
ward of an insane asylum seem o.
quiet as 3 church social before supper
we we're of. Four other canoes &C
companied as, but the fifth, through
some mishap, was cspsized In the SUR
and was delayed too late for the irs,
of the sport. The dozen or more pad,
dies In each canoe flashed like light
ming, as each one strained every nerve
to distance It's competitors for the
glory and profit of getting the first
harpoon.
NARROWING A SLEEPING LRvIATHAN,
Soon we were upon the monster
who, lolling leisurely along, paid nc
attention to the demonstrations Of hill
puny assailants. But he was rudely
awakened. The foremost canoe dartet
forward, and "thud" went the heavy
harpoon into the broad back, buried
nearly to the shaft. The canoe wa,
stopped and suddenly backed, ant
none too soon, for with a sudden ant
terrific smash of his .iukes on tn,
water, barely missing the neares'
canoe, he sounded. A number O
sealskin blaiders, fastened to the har
pooh line, were thro wn over, AID eacl
canoe, In turn as it came up, mad,
asst with a line to the formost canoe
Up came the monster, and with a fear
full lurch all four canoes were dragge,
through the water at q fearful rate a!
he started for the ocean. Four or fv,
miles were run at this rate, when hi
pace slackened and the hindmos
canoe was hauled cautiously past tn,
others, and another harpoon wa
dextrously planted, and this canoe as