, 1890-09-11

tributing pieces of calico among cer-
tain OF the be.rying people party
of over n hundred entered large
shack, closing tho door to us white
outsiders. Therclthcy went through
some long ceremony, requiring q
low, strange, inonotonous song or
songs, preparatory to distributing
the berry harvest among the famil-
les of the tribe. Just before the
close of the ceremonies managed
to get Inside and was not disturbed.
All were squatted around the great
room, In the center of which was u
fire, the smoke going out ofan apcr-
ture In the roof-their house" have
no chimneys, and consist Of only
one huge room, In which fifty or
more people often live In common,
II sort of tribal family under head
or sort of chief When l entered
all were singing In so low n tone that
IT could almost be termed grooming.
The. whole thing was weird and
wild, but the singing was not lack
Ing in untutored melody. Some
other tourists seeing me get In also
entered, opening the door SO widely
that the wind drove the smoke back
into the room. A sort of head man
who was next the fire leading the
song got angry-gave the word,
when all got up hurrledly, and each
taking large basket or bowl full of
berries, went Oft to their respective
homes.
THE DELEGATES OF THE TABLE.
went into another house; sever
al women and children with one
man were squatted around the fire
taking their dinners. This consisted
of large dried salmon. A woman
held 1t up before the hot fire, SCREEN
ing her hand by fold of the fish.
When 1t was cooked enough to burn
her hand she turned another fold
and when satisfied with her culina-
ry art she tore 1t apart in q large
wooden bowl. Each member of the
family then tore piece off with
fingers or teeth. The hands of the
young girls were soaked with the
oil cxuding from the hot and fat sal
mon- They wiped them clean sew
eral times during the meal upon
their Iuxuriant tresses, which hung
down their backs In massive braids.
| think l must have good natured
face, for | have never in any land
offended when making such dOmi-
cling visits. In this instance the
women wished me to join them In
| their feast, assuring me 1t was good.
| AT least L so took the words with
the expressions of the face used.
They had no bread of any sort.
After they had sufficiently filled
themselves each took u long draught
of water.
Salmon Is the staple article of food
and hangs drying by the scores and
| hundreds on racks In front of each
shack or house. The smaller fish
seemed to be reserved for home con-
sumption, the larger being sold to
the canneries. 1t must be fattening
food, for men and women are gener-
ally plump and the children are as
rounded as well-fed pigs The lit
tie ones are as frisky and happy as
in Japan, which thought the para
disc of pabies. During the summer
season the Indians consume large
quantities of berries-blue or buckle
berries and salmon berries. The
English call this cloud berry in
Norway. l saw basket full of II
white clustered root in front of n
shack. A sort of bunch of small
seed like bulbs compacted into II
single bulb, very white, not unlike
mass of snowdrops glued together
into q ball walnut-sized. | asked a
woman who was washing them If
they were good. She grinned and
put handful into her mouth as an
swer, at the same time Offering me
some. They tasted like a starchy
paste made from impalpable flour.
| asked the name She replied
"Chinook Indian1 lice" They
can not pronounce "r," but, Chi
nese-like substitute 'P' for 1t.
Another delicacy Is kind of fish
egg, deposited by "a sort of herring
on fine twigs of hemlock deposited
by the natives in certain places in
the sea for the purpose. The eggs
are clustered on the twigs until they
are as big as ones thumb, thousands
upon thousands, upon a small
to dry. When used they are soaked
In fresh water and stripped off by
the hand. The eggs when soaked
swell till they seem perfectly fresh.
/ asked the woman | saw soaking
/ tucIll IL tDeN WcIc EoVu. "A siiilc
from ear to ear illumed her face; she
opened her capaclous mouth into
which she threw handful which
she crunched with evident delight.
GUM-CHEwING AMONG THE GLA-
CIERS.
When selling berries TO the ship
passengers the women are either all
the while eating of their goods or
are chewing some kind of gum.
AT each town visited by us lines
of women with some men were
crouched down on their launches
with their wares for sale: Dressed
skins, carved wood, spoons, totems,
and uncouth images of animals,
baskets beautifully woven with a
kind of grass, very close, very lrong,
and harmonious decorated In bold,
natural colors. They have what 50
many untutored but somewhat self
cultured half savage people have, a
thorough conception of harmony of
color. AT frat, to our cultivated
estheticism, the coloiing used by
them is too glaring, but when toned
down by time, or seen at little dis
tance, no civilized people can sur
pass them. For example, look ut
the rugs, especially the old ones
brought TO Chicago from the back
tribes of Turkey and the Caucasus.
QUART MINING AND SEAL FISHING.
"The Thlinkets''-one family or