The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-11-16
THE QUEKS CHARLOTTE CROFT.
Life Among the Inai~ss-s. slendid Cii-
mate Of the lsiands

mate Oh the 1@tAm0N
J.F Bul6nch In Port Townsend Leader
Nowhere have i seen . inner climate than
that OF the Queen Charlotte group Of is
lands. Laying some eighty-tv miles west
OF the mainland Of British Columbia. the
great Japan warm current encircles them,
and even in winter the temperature is
high, and the air dry and warm.
We were there twelve months, and
in that time had good opportunity of
studying this curious people. Among my
acquaintance was q lad, cit Koon"
(Moon). of perhaps Is years of age, who
attached himself to me. and whose great
friendship was shown by his oft-repeated
desire of my visiting his native town or
ranch. Cit-Koon was very proud of his
town and people, and was always telling
wonderful things of them and of their past
history.
One nne day, he and / went in very
small canoe to an immense salmon berry
patch some miles away, which was said to
be frequented by bears, and where we ex.
pected some sport. We had filled our
buckets, not with bears. but berries, when.
late in the evening. heavy headwind set
in, which delighted Cit, for he now saw
chance of our going TO his big town. U.s.
ing blanket for sail, we fairly flew along
be ore the wind, taking care TO keep close
to the beach, and, some time after dark,
turning ou- bow inshore and giving yell,
ran in and were picked up, canoe and all,
and landed high and dry.
A Haidob house is sometimes structure
200 feet long by 100 feet wide. Standing
outside you can lean on the roof, which is
made of cedar boards four or five feet wide,
and capped at the edges to turn water.
They are very substantial indeed, and last
manv years. Entering the narrow and
only door. a step or two down leads to the
very cleanly and comfortable interior,
where many families live, each one at their
own fire, with all their posse ssions except
their canoes piled near. Into such builds
ing, sparkling with family fires, and eyes
that perhaps had never seen white man
before, Cit showed the way. Approaching
a large fire and family in one corner, told
me they were his folks. and were very
glad, etc., etc.
Talk about hospitality; Spaniard will
bow you into his door and say, Senior,
everything is yours" But Haidah actu-
ally means it. They were sociabe also.
/ have a filled tooth, and the old lady
would keep patting her fingers in my
mouth, which / had to keep open until
every Indian had seen the pilchicka-
man, and then the cooking began.
Cit had intimated that the culinary ar
engagements OF his family were just away
up, and observing the old woman with
sack of -four, served to verify the pleasing
ioea. Mixing up the dough, she finally
patted it into pan, and though IT looked
like a blue print OF Scow bay from the
marks of her fingers, would swear it was
made of flour; then some tea was brewed
and thew had sugar and dried biscuit in
cake form, and some fine seal blubber
(which amt bad) and large rockcod fish
roasting on stick.
This was a feast, and we were hungry,
and the old woman did talk and act in a
bashfsl deprecating way. | saw she had
strained her resources and was compli-
mentary accordingly.
Supper over, l was handed q plug of
tobacco. and looking around, was aston.
ished TO find the whole population had
dropped in to spend the evening.
When l went North i had an American
cavalry overcoat, and It's many brass but
tons had so impressed Cit that ne per-
sisted in believing, and tod the other In.
dams, that l was a relation of Governor
Douglas. and our fellows encouraged the
idea, which wasn't . bad one, for the
Haidobe, who are wariike and notorious
thieves, held Sir James in awe, and the
word gunboat in noisy crowd produced
instant silence.
Cit about the Boston," about big steam
ships. electricity balloons, etc.. and now
here at this fire in the far North. sur
roanded by these dusky Norseman. re-
peated these stories, emDeilishing now and
TO answer myself.
The throng sat around. the young ones
all with their mouths open. in silence lis
tening, as Cit. more particularly, and ex-
pect more geographically. for he was an
eloquent rascal, repeated my description of
the Lowell mills, locomotive and as
train, and an eight-story stone building,
etc.
Profound and thoughtful attention was
given TO all their recitals, but when spoke
of giass-blowlng they thought he was blow
ing il little too much. Even Cts stole
ism was shaken. for he asked, shall l tell
them that? His mother told him sq1are,
he lied (kiikidongl. and few old gents in
scant attire got disguised and LETT.
These Indians are q weil-built, hne-look-
ing lot, and some Is fine cut Grecisn pro-