Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-11-12

fan q slaza, an - Ind1nns ~ fksix
food supply very easily - sendznG oux
khesr sQuaws 10 die thsu. Aarvezou9
s<oriss srs lid In Ors9on - - - sis
Of she Pu9ef Sound eln0a. bot thouGh
very largs shells are sen the clzUs o.
sxensr and forty pounds usieht must
nov be sxfiuct. aincs nnuec4n - found
at the fsm0us points. The avsEaas clam
i . sender, delioats mofseI encaBed In .
scafIopsd shell from IN inch To-
too inches In dixnetef. Al very lov
tide the Indians End immense scaliops,
and pair Of bic 61s scnIlop sheils brought
over By the Duke Of York, chief Of the
ClaIIam tribe. vas SIX inches IN diam
efsr, ribbed with pink and white lines,
and dotted with tiny specks OF hafna-
cIes Clam hzkes are great diversions Tor
tbs Pert Townsend people, and thsy
quite surpess the Rhode Island fesxzvlty.
Judge Kahn, political naenate OF the
Territory. who qualities every prophscy
with q whsn Cleveland 10 elected,
gave great eiam-bake as his sand
point mp the harbor last week The
guests were taken over IN large barge
foxed By steam launch and m neet
Of sail boats that enilvened the Day al
the morning. The Duke Of YorkuIth bis
wife, Queen Victoria By name, came
over from their estates IN dnR-out or
nos propelled BY q square mat sail. ana
broaeht baskets and baskets filed with
litfIe siams. The chosen artists built
the Ere, heated the rocks and piled IN
the clans and seaveeds. and after the
great feasts the Indians expressed thslr
JOY at the occasion By original songs and
dances.
An ECCENTRIC COLLECTOR.
Far a. IL IL toward the LAST northwest
end of the United States, Port Townsend
Il NOT vet the true jumping OF place,
since Cape FiatteFy runs its rocky head
land into the ocean, seventy miles west
of il. Within the shelter of tbs cape
lies Eeah Bay, where the Makah tribe
are gathered around tbs agency build
inQsf Judge Swan, nov OF Port Town
send, collector for the Smithsonian In
stftute and member OF the United States
Fish Commission, resided at Neah Bay
for many years, and gave his studies OF
Indian life In contributions to Smithso-
MAN publications and TO journals and
magazines. He Is the great adviser and
helper 10 whom these Indians appeal,
and dusky deputations visit his office
dally. His later studies among the In
dams OF the British Columbia coast,
more particularly the Hydahs of the
Queen Charlotte Islands, have made him
chief counselor and friend of those
people, and the Indian life of the q
can be studied from the living examples,
az well az from books, magazines, jour
nails. sketches and eurios in his office.
A tall poflafch pole from the northern
coast. capped by q mythical swan,
stands before his house, and all the In
dians can read that door plate. His
cabinet is a perfect curiosity shop, filed
With everything in the way Of curios,
and books line the wall. Whatever the
topic, the judge has always the very
book at hand that touches on that point,
and voyages Of the old navigatsrs and
researches of modern scientists appear
from dusty and unexpected corners.
Lately he has been made Hawaiian Con-
sui, and rarities from the TROPICS are
now beginning to drift into his museum.
In support Of his belief that the Hydah
Indians emigrated last from the south
ward, Judge Swan tells of the qnickness
with which they recognized Cushing's
illustrations of Zuni life, as being the
same as the customs Of their people.
The Zuni dance masks are identical
with those OF the dydans, ana there are
innumerable points of resemblance be-
tween these distant tribes. Several
weeks ago Judge Swan attended a great
potlatch, or Indian feast at Ncah Bay.
The Indians came from near and from
far, and the ceremonies began with the
landing of 1000 guests at once, the sixty
long canoes being drawn in line of the
beach and landing in regular file
along its length, TO the music of a savage
boating chorus. Blankets, calico and
money we're given away, and the guests
were RECALLED from canoes filed with
rice, FISH, and other refreshments. A
great dance in fancy blankets and gro
tesque masks rounded of the day and
night of the Makah festival, and the
white haired judge and his party of
friends, the officers of the revenue cut
ter, were paid distinguished honor dur
ing the ceremonies.