Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-03-09

hard cushions of cedar bark, thus giving
them sugar-loaf shape. Men and women
go barefoot. They wear blankets and cot
ton shirts The women have adopted pet
ticoats, which have replaced cedar bark
aprons. Members of the tribe sometimes
visit Victoria, adopting the apparel OF
white people temporarily, and. go back to
their native garb on their return They use
steel knives, axes and other civilized imple-
mentS.
Skill in Carving.
The Fort Rupert Indians are good car
penters and great boat builders. They
make huge wooden canoes for travelling.
and such boats were formerly employed for
war expeditions. Smaller boats they en-
ploy for fishing and sealing. They are
admirable carvers, all of their designs hav-
ing a NEUROLOGICAL significance and re-
ferring to legends of the clans or of the
secret societies. Their morals are by no
means first-rate. Wealth determines the
position of the man, and they will do any
thing to accumulate property. Their houses
are square in shape and built Of wood.
Around the interior runs a platform four
feet wide, on which are erected small sheds
for bed rooms. Ordinarily each house is
occupied by four families. and in each
corner is fire. one for each family. The
floor is of earth, as well the platform,
which is banked with planks.
A very important social institution is
the ''potlatch." A man invites his friends
to feast and gives them presents. 1t may
be a small potlatch. only few blankets
being given away, or perhaps as many as
10000 blankets will be donated. The gifts
are not such in reality. however, but are
loans, which the recipients are obliged
to repay with interest at later period.
Customarily it Is expected that they shall
return double the value received. Blankets
are a common medium of exchange in that
region, representing 80 cents apiece. Dou-
BILE blankets are worth S1.5O apiece. These
blankets are of British manufacture. OF
course, no family would possess 10000 blan-
are borrowed back Immediately and given
away again, SO that the same blanket may
be given half dozen times. A man ap-
pointed for that office keeps tally, and thus
| record is made Of all debts.
The currency of the United States would
suffice to settle only small fraction OF
the debts outstanding in this country. and
it is the same way with business among
the Fort Rupert Indians. A few thousand
blankets kept constantly in circula ton
satisfy the financial problem. Every mem
Der of the tribe must pay what he owes,
losing his social consideration. Another
form of money in common use Is "cop-
pers'-that is, sheets of copper Of pecu-
| liar shape, stamped with faces. These
| used to be manufactured by the Hudson
Bay Company. They might be compared tc
| bank notes, but, oddly enough, their value
does not depend upon their intrinsic worth
They become more valuable in proportion
to the number of times they are given
away. DR.. BoaS has seen a copper that
| was valued at 1000 blankets or $500. A
brand-new one of equal weight might no;
| be worth more than two or three blan,
kets. This idea has something to do with
| the native mythology. Copper, by the way
| is supposed to represent the sunset.
RENE BACHE.