The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1890-09-05

camp. Tho canoe il hauled up on
shore and covered with mating TO
protect it from the sun. The pick
ing generally lasts about two weeks,
and during that time the indian j.
on shore fnr the Longest period in the
whole. The whole family work in
duStriousIy during that time, unless
too old to leave the teepee or too
young to stand alone. If the fprrner
they are left to guard camp. a service
in which they are v2ry proficient,
being generally So ugly aS to be ter
rOr to anything with life in it if the
latter, tneV are carried in slIaWlS
swung from their mothers shoul,
ders. The Siwa+h infant never
SEEMS to impair its mothers ability
tn contribute TO the family support,
whether by digging CLANS, picking
hops or padding the canoe. FJr ex-
ample, You NAV frequently see no.
bic red man marching into town,
followed by his K?Onchman carrying
an infant SiWash swung over her
shoulder, and bucket of freshly
gathered CLANS in either hand. These
CLAIMS are for sale to Wh0,aaVer will
huy. She clrries them to market
and he carries the mCney home, or
10 the shop where it is spent, and so
the burdens of life are divided be.
tween them.
A few oft the Kloochmen, generally
those from the interior, can manage
pony right craftiIy, They inyar-
iablY ride astride after the manner OF
their lords, and always behind them
if i'll their company. She always
takes the family on her pony. if too
young To manage ponies Of their own.
| have seen one with -four youngsters
mounted n one cayu<p, Que at her
breast, hungry but comfortably ap-
peasing his appetite, one in TIE shawl
at her back ANA the two others seated
behind, with feet sticking out yearly
at right angles from their bodies,
| hanging to her waist for dear life
, wolfe The pn9y .ntercd gai v along
as il proud of his burden. The hop
| picking season generally lasts abOut
two weeks and during that time the
SWa>h is really industrious. The
crop is always largo in this region
! harvested just when it is ripe. The
! pickerS therefore command good
wages and tNis stimulates them to
constant application. When it is
over they flock to town and spend
! the proceeds for the rehdest fabrics
] they can buy, for trinkets, for little
totldy. if they canget it, then they sit
around on the sidewalk for Il few
weeks Looking at the things they
haye not bought but wish they had.
Then they disappear AS they came.
For a month or more after the
picking is over the Sound is dotted
with sWarms of canoes going north.
ward. The homeWard trip is made
leisurely, the voyagers stopping
wherever they feel inclined to sleep
for a night, week or possibly a
month, They take no thought of
the morrow apparently. The waters
of the Sound never fail to supply
them with food. "When the tide is
out the table is set," is the saying of
the old settler, and the Indian knows
it even better than the white man.
| CLANS, or shell fish of various sorts
can be picked up at any season of the
year, and in few minutes i'm guam
tity to make meal for family, or
if it is more agreeable a hook dam
gled over the side Of canoe is almost
sure to catch salmon, Goldfish or a
haliDut. Fish of some sort is the
constant diet of the SiWash tribes.
The Sound supplies them in unfail-
ing abundance and Its waters are to
them double necesSity-they fur
nish food and means of transporta.
ton. The use of water for any other
purpose seems to the Indian un-
known. The constant inward and
outward application of fish therefore
gives him ian ancient and tish-like
smell" that no human being can APP
preciate without smelling it. 1t is so
strong that it really seems to have
substance, and it is about the only
element of strength in the Indian
make up. AS voyager and as Il
hop picker the Indian of the Coast is
picturesque. but keep TO windward
of him, oh white man, if you value
comfort.
All the numerous tribes on this
part of the Coast, from the mouth OF
the Columbia northward are called
Siwashes. The name is not Indian,
and is not the name of nation. as
Sioux. or Iriquois or Algonquin was.