The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1889-01-17
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? the western coast Of Washing

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arated from the Puget Sound country
by the Olympic range of mountains, are
various small tribes Of Indians who have
6Stle. or no contact with the whites,
and who are brave and hardy race of
aunters. Their, arms. and equipments
are rude, and with the exception of thu
use of fire arms and blankets, introduced
By few scattering traders, they retain
the primitive ways Of their forefathers.
Their canoes, which are hewed from g.
single trunk of a gigantic cedar, are
many of them Of great size and strength
and beautifully nodded, and they arei
handled with remarkable ease and skill
In the seal fishing the canoe used is a
Hight one, with very sharp stem. The
crew will consist of three men, the boat
steerer, generally the owner of the
canoe and outfit, the boat puller,, and
the sportsman or harpooner. The
equipment is simple--three days pro-
visions of bread, wbale-oil, smoked
blubber. and dried elk meat and their
weapons, consisting of seal spears,
skinning knives, and heavy hardwood
olnb. The spear used is curious affair.
II consists.ef long, heavy handle Ut
about an inch and quarter IN diameter
and some eight or nine feet in length,
made of some three or more pieces of
well yew, dovetailed together,
and which acquires a fine polish by long
years of use Some two feet or more
from the end it is split and forks to two
points, an inch or so apart. Each of
these points is surmounted by q sharp
spearhead of bone or deer horn, with
bArbs of the same material dashed on at
such an angle as to afford secure hold.
These spearheads are fastened to stout
line made of sinew or plated sealSkin,
which passes through ''beoket" on
the shaft and is made fast on the canoe.
This line is some twenty feet long.
So equipped they start out on their
perilous expedition, launching theiI
canoe through the surf, and pushing
boldly out thirty miles to sea- The
seals are captured as they float asleep
on the top of the water, and the most
successful hauls are made in the calm
succeeding Storm when they are ex-
hausted by their long bout with the
waves and sleep so soundly that they
can be readily approached, Arriving at
the place, where there is prospect of
finding .aseal, the spearman abandons
the paddle which he has been vigorously
plying and takes his station in the bow,
where, as the canoe rises on each sue
eeeding swell, he watches for the black
head ofthe sleeping seal. The instant
one isspied, q motion warns the boat
pRller, who ceases his work, and the
canoe proceeds, propelled only by the
sseersman under whose light and abso-
lutely silent strokes of the paddle they
glide slowly on the victim. The senses
OF the seals are so acute that within any
reasonable distance the mere grating of
apaddle on the side of the canoe is suf-
fcient to arouse them, when the hunt is
up, so far as they are concerned As
she canoe silently nears the victim, the
sportsman, throwing aside his blanket,
stands erect, naked and motionless in
the bow. posing high the heavy spear.
At motion of his hand the way of the
canoe is stopped and he launches his
weapon, generally transfixing the seal
with enc or botA,of the twin barbs. The
handle loosens and floats to the surface.
A steady pull on the line brings the
struggling animal alongside, when q
sharp blow with the heavy club winds
mp his career- Occasionally there is
lively tussle, as the seal is armed with q
fine set of teeth and is far from being of
q. cowardly disposition when cornered,
and instances are not uncommon where
In the hunters have been severely Bit
ten. Usually three days is the limit of
their stay At sea, when they return to,
the beach, skin their catch, and sell the
pelts TO the nearest trader, who salts
them down to ship at the end of the sea-
son.
In the last'few years there has been
change in the manner Ut conducting the
fishery, the traders finding that the work
Of the Indians from the beach is too
precariOus and unreliable, aud a large
number of schooners are now engaged
Indians are. still employed in the actual
werk OF taking the seals and their
method of hunting remains unchanged.
except that, instead of padding out to
sea from the beach, they are taken on
board the schooners. with their canoes.
spears, food. ETC., and, accompanied by
sheir wives, are taken of on cruise to
the banks, where they remain for weeks
at time. leaving the vessel in their
canoes early in the morning and return
lag with the results of their labors late
u night. The women remain ON the
schooner preparing the food for the
annters and skinning the seals with
which they return. The Indians receive
10 pay beyond a small bonus.giyen
them By the schooner owners at the
commencement of the season, but are
paid fair sum for each, pelt brought in.
ranging from two dollars and fifty cents
% tsn dollars, according to size and
condition. At these figures they make
good wages, and some Of the more lucky
- skilful ones sometimes net for the
season IS high IS nine hundred dollars.
About six schooners from Puget Sound
Sake part in the seal fishery of Cane
Liatsery every year, as many more from
British Columbia, and two or three from
San Francisco. This year, for the first
ame, white men have been substituted
Tor Indians on some of the schooners
Nnd ahosguns substituted for spears, but
while they have been very successful the
change 10 locked on with disfavor by
ths other traders, as it Is claimed the
noase Of the firearms makes the seals