The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1893-09-14
THE NEAH BAY INDIANS.
Interesting Letter From a Former Resi-.
dent Of North Yakima.
RELICS OF EARLY-DAY CONQUESTS
Peculiar Habits OF the Indians.
Their Traffic with Pioneer Trad
ers-uistoric Massacre OF whites.
spanish Fort over a Century Old.

EDITOR YAKIMA HERALD:
A number of friends in the Yakima
country have asked me to give them SOME
idea of this country and agency. As your
valuable paper is read by men, women
and children in all that section, ! thought
letter through that channel would bt
the thing.
This reservation ,Ncah Bay is situated
at the extreme northwestern point of the
state, embracing $4,000 acres; takes in
Cape Flattery, and extends south along
the Pacific ocean six miles. The land is
rugged and broken and very heavily tim.
bered, but OF little value for agriculture.
The Industrial school raises Some potatoes,
cabbages, turnips, psrsnips and onions.
The Indians as yet have taken little in
terest in the cultivation OF their vegetables.
They prefer larger game. As their home
has always been near the ocean, they
have become very expert seamen and
fishermen. These Indians have fore
knowledge of the weather akin to that Of
many animals and sea birds. They will
not venture out to sea when there is a
storm pending, and il they advise you TO
stay at home, you had better take their
advice and do 80 They obtain liveli-
hood by seal hunting and fishing.
The seal rendezvous near the mouth of
the straits from February to June and, in
the time intervening, great numbers OF
them are taken. This does not satisfy
them, however, as numbers OF the more
venturesome 20 as far north as Alaska
and come home laden with skins and fish.
Halibut and salmon are the varieties
caught. Many OF the Indians are wealthy.
They OVID twelve schooners and q gre,a.
number Of canoes. They frequently get
from $500 to $4,000 at Seattle or Tacoma
for load Of skins and fish. They dry the
halibut and salmon in quantities for
winter use. They live in villages and in
fairly good frame houses. They are quiet
and peaceable. The young people enjoy
tripping the fantastic and number Of
both sexes dance quite well.
These Indians have attracted the atten-
ton of the pale face for over hundred
years. There are the remains Of an old
Spanish fort here that was built in 1880.
The Indians did not take well to the
Spanish and made them go back TO Mex
leo, and those that did net go, went like
McGinty, Ito the bottom Of the sea-" not
in their best suit of clothes, for those the
Indians kept and displayed them at their
cultus potlatches Tor many years after
ward.
There was a large vessel wrecked on an
island, near the agency, early il the CEN
fury, so the older Indians tell me, and
the entire crew was massacred, men
women and children. The effects of the
unfortunate people were coniscated and
some OF the jewelry is said to be in posses
sion Of the old Indians yet but they keep
it hidden and no white person is permit
ted to see it. The two principal tribes on
the reserve are the Makahs and guile
hntes. They generally kill four or five
whale dnring the year They extract the
oil for sale and use parts Of them for food.
The hunting here is not very good; some
elk and deer, but bard to find. There is
the greatest rainfall at Neah Bay of any
place in the world-about ia inches OF
precipitation during the year. 1t is de-
light.ul place to spend the summer, the
thermometer seldom rising to 70 degrees.
The temperature is usually about 65 de-
grees at noon and gets down to so degrees
at night, during July and August. Cap
tain w. l.. Powell is the agent. He is
much liked by the Indians and is clever
gentleman. The school numbers 81 pupils.
A Mr.. Taber, of Nebraska, is superintend-
ent, and he has an assistant teacher by
the name of Myers, from Kansas. Miss
Donnell, the seamstress, halls from Ohio.
| have the honor of looking after the SAN
itary matters Of the reserve. Many of the
diseases prevalent among the Yakima In
dams are common here.
ALBERT WILGUs, NJ. ID.