The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-08-12
THE PUGET SOUND KELP.
Its Stem 500 Feet Long, Its kfhbo
Leaves 40 Feet Long.
Prom Paper IL Judge yames 9. swan.

From Paper ~ Judge James G. Swan.
The giant kelp, which lines the shores
of the Northwest coast. is the Nersocystis
of the order of Ldminaridoes. Harvey. in his
Nereis Boreai Americana, thus describes
this species:
"0iive-colored, insrticulate seaweeds.
usually tough and leatnery in substance.
The plants OF this order are almost always
large. frequently Of gigantic size, with a
solid cylindrical stem. which expands into
a hollow cylinder or tube, terminating in
n globular head. from which fronds or
aprons float on the surface OF the water. !"
The Nereocystis of the northwest coast Is
said, when fully grown, TO have q stem
measuring 500 feet in length, which bears
at ITS summit an air bulb. from which q
tuft of upwards of fifty long streamer-like
leaves extend, each of which is from thirty
to forty feet in length. The stem, which
anchors this floating mass. though no
thicker than common window cord, Is
of great strength and fiexibility, and has
for ages been used By the natives as fish,
ing lines, being first cut of the required
length, which IS where the stem begins to
expand into the hollow tube, ami varies
from ten to fifteen fathoms, then soaked
in fresh water in q running brook until It
is nearly bleached. then stretched. rubbed
in the lodge. When dried it is very brittle,
but when Wet it is exceedingly strong, and
equal TO the best fax or cotton fishing
lines OF the white fishermen.
These pieces, varying from ten to fifteen
fatboms each, are knotted together 20 the
required length of eighty fathoms, re-
Quired in the deep-water fishing around
the entrance to Fuca strait, or 20O fathoms
at Queen Chariottee islands, British CO.
lumnia, where the natives take the black
cod at that profound depth.
Until within few years the coast In
dams used the upper or hollow portion of
these great kelp stems as receptacles for
holding dogfish oil, which, together with
the paunches of seals and sea lions and
whale gut, properly prepared, were the
utensils found in every house for holding
the family supplies of whale, seal or SAL
mon oil, which are used as articles of
food, or for dogfsh oil, which is used for
trading purposes only. Now, however.
the Indians use coal oil cans, barrels and
other utensils easily procured from the
white traders. and the use of kelp for
holding oil is nearly abandoned.
Among my collections for the National
museum in 1856 / received number of
specimens of this kelp which had been
used for dogish oil. split one open and
found that the oil had hardened the inside
of the kelp tube to the consistency of
AcdtutI. SpcCAIucn Il WASutu with
soap and water, then wiped it to remove
the moisture, and then rubbed and
manipulated 1t after the manner used by
natives in dressing deer skins. and when
perfectly dry by this process of continual
rubbing, 1t was soft and flexible, present.
ing an appearance of wash leather, but
If allowed to dry without manipulation il
would be hard and brittle. A party of
coast Indians were camped at the beach
at Port Townsend, and. at my request,
they showed me their method OF pre-
pairing kelp for holding oil. The great
stems of the hereocystis are covered with a
thin coating of slick. which is carefully
peeled Oft as one might peel the skin from
an APPLE only the hollow or upper part
of the stem is used. When the skin is re-
moved the tube is placed above the fire
and smoked in the lodge, and, as it dries,
the salt 1t contains exudes on the surface !;
this is carefully removed by rubbing.
which also serves TO soften the kelp and
render il piiable. 1t IS then again placed
over the fire and the process continued
until the Salts removed; then the tube is
blown up like a bladder and allowed to
dry until il will retain its shape and il is
then filed with dogdsh oil and is ready
for market.