Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Anacortes, Wash. Ter.) 1882-1887, 1885-04-11
A PECULIAR PEOPLE.
Queer Ways Of Living ON the Hatterae
Banks-H0gs and Cattle.

Banks-HOgS ana C0ttloe
fFrom the Ralsigh News and Observsr.1
The people of this region are OF an
amphibious nature, and live so much ON
and In the water that most Of them, I am
vure, are web-footed. They live mainly
on fish, CLANS, oysters, crabs, terrapins
and wild fowl. When they leave home
they go in boat, and whether they 60
to court or go courting, or to trade, or to
the mill, or to funeral, they always 60
by sail. Their corn-mills are run by
sails, and some of them pump their
water with windmills. They don't go
up stairs, but Ego aloft," and when they
60 to bed they "turn in" when they
are Ill they are "under the weather."
and when IN robust health they say they
are chung up and bilge Free" They
speak of a trim-built sweetheart as
"clipper built" If she is little stout
they say she Is "broad in the beam, or
she is "wide across the transom."
Many of them have ships cabin doors in
their houses, that slide on grooves, and
to their buildings they give coating Of
tar instead of painting them. The cold
woman" blows a conch-shell when dim
ner is ready, and they measure time by
"bells." Their babies are not rocked
in cradles, but swung in hammocks.
They chew black pig-tail tobacco and
drink a wild tea called "Yeopon." They
manure their land with sea-grass and
bury their yam potatoes in the sand
hills. When they want q doctor they
hang red flag against hillside as =
signal of distress. If he don't come, be-
cause the "wind amt fair, they take o
dram of whisky and copperas, soak their
feet in sea water, "turn in," and trust
to luck. If they die they will be buried
on the top of sand ridge, and when
you see several sail boats on the water
in procession, with flag at half mast,
you are looking at funeral.
They ornament their houses with
whales ribs and jaws, sharks teeth,
swordtish spouts, deyilfish arms, sawfish
swords (six feet long), miniature ships,
camphor-wood chests, Honduras gourds.
spy-glasses, South American Iariats, war
clubs from the Mozambique islands,
Turkish pipes, West India shells, san
dal-wood boxes, Chinese chessmen,
Japanese faces, -Maiaeaanan-id idols. Aus
tralian hrenaerHngs and other strange,
outlandish things. Their hogs are
raised on clans, mussels, offal of fish
and garbage, and their cattle wade out
ON the shoals for miles, whore the water
covers their backs, to feed on sea grass,
and if they are carried up-country and
fed on corn aud fodder they will not
live.
Every man is Captain Of some kind Of
boat, and "she Is always better than
any other boat in some way. "She is
hard TO beat in gale of wind, !" or "be.
fore the wind" or "boatiDg to wind
ward" or with the wind on the BEAM"
or "she can ssI closer to the wind, or
"wil' carry sail longest" or "hsrd to
beat in light Wind" or "totes moro
stock" or is "stronger," or "dryer."
or digger" or "she is . big little
boat" or draws the least water" or
"needs less ballast" or "she is the
newest" or "has the best timbers," or
"steers the best" or "she is lucky
boat" or "stands up better" or "needs
less sail than any other boat, or "she is
best for fishing" etc. Perhaps "shs
comes about better than any other
boat" She is bound to have something
about her better than anybody slss's
host.