The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-09-20


sino Indians had their last big potlatch and
than any of the others. wallas distributed
LOO blankets among the tribes assembled,
which means more than that many dollars;
and now no one is quite good enough to
converse with him, but must talk through
an intermediary. I got good picture of
Mrs. wallas and her sister, posing them
in front of their house. and then Mrs. Wal
las wanted me to give the sister Eng
lish name. telling me her unpronounceaole
Siwash one. / said. Call her Sallie.
which seemed to delight them, as they re-
peated il many times to fix IL i'm their
memory. MRS. wallas'' then made us
understand she would give me an Indian
name, which was ''Ocomish." At the time
We could none of US find out what it
meant but did so later. 1t seems they
have a god of the sea corresponding to our
Neptune, who dwels I'm beautiful caves
under the ocean. He had a daughter with
long golden hair who is fair and tall (as
the Indians worship their opposites), and
the name of this creature Ocomish.
'Salle's'' head had been bound in boards
until she was nearly grown. and now comes
almost TO point at the crown, giving her,
according to Indian taste, air of dis
tinction.
A RACE DYING OUT.
In this village of several hundred adults
there are only three four children. as
the race is dying out very rapidly in this
part OF the country. In twenty-five years
the Quatsino race will be extinct, and now
many of them go blind at an early age
from disease OF the fashion they have of
smoking themselves and no ventilation. We
came across a rare old 'tom-tom' or drum
that they use at their feasts. 1t is made OF
deer skin stretched tight over wooden
ring, put together before the time OF
nails, and is covered with their designs
a large eagle I'm the center, colored with
their native stains. The owner was loath
to part with it. but the chink of the coin
banished his scruples. They make you well
come with oft repeated "klahowyas." TAX
ing quite as much interest in you as you
have in them. Ono "potlatched' me with a
string of genuine wampum that was their
currency until few years ago. In some
houses belonging to the aristocrats you
find large fiat pieces of copper, hammered
aud colored i'm designs, which are their
family heirloor1s. Though they would be
worthless to us, the Indian agents and
traders loan as high as 800 on them. know
ing they will always be redeemed. Our
steamer captain had secured two pieces
from an ancient but impoverished family
and held them worth 500 TO curio hunters.
These Indians make baskets, mats, wooden
spoons, ETC., but the oldest things are their
collins.
These are wooden boxes averaging two
and half feet square, one side projecting
slightly, indicating the top. When one of
them is nearly dead, but before he becomes
stiff, they stuff him down in one of these
boxes and take him to his grave. wailing in
a weird monotone during all that day. They
are a curious race in this country, but
simple and kindly. An amusing complica-
ton arose between two of them, Apples"
and Jim" shortly before we were there.
which illustrates the two foregoing epithets.
Money is often loaned among them. but is
never returned until the whole sum can be
given back, and the interest is always 100
per cent, whether the time is one day or one
year. Apples borrowed $3.50 of Jim, who
waited several months before demanding
payment, which was double, making 50. APP
pies said he couldn't pay up. but would loan
Jim So, which loan was accepted. Now. when
Jim went to collect the % still coming to
him. Apples said: you owe me twelve
dolla. You pay me twelve dolla, I'll give you
three doIla." After much debating, they
took their difficulty to the agent to
straighten out. 1t was peculiar posi-
ton that only an Indian could understand,
as they both thought they were right. 1t
hadn't been settled when we left.
Sunday, Aug. "A. we were awakened at
Z by the storekeeper hammering on the
door. and one OF the other men throwing
rocks on the roof. with the news that the
steamer had whistled far down the bay.
After hurriedly dressing and consuming
our breakfast i'm gulps, we rushed back,
jammed everything into our trunks and
were ready TO start by 9. but the boat
pulled out at 10 in the evening.
A JOLLY DAY.
Our last day was jolly one. as all our
friends, including a few Indians from the
village, had assembled TO bid us Godspeed
and bon voyage. During the morning one
OF the nice dogs belonging to the camp
limped i'm just barely alive and terribly
chewed up. Later a man Off one of the
small boats which congregate when the
steamer is due, rushed in telling of a close
brush he had with panther. The beast
lunged missed him but foot or two and
had fallen on the dog. leaving him In
most pitiable plight. This happened but
little distance from cabin. The men
formed party and went after the panther,
but had not yet returned when the boat
sailed 1t was hard to say goodbye to
the friends and the little cabin, and turn
our backs on one of the pleasantest months
we ever spent
The trip down was little different from
the one going up, save for putting into a
few places during the day that we made
at night before. or Cape Cook there were
hundreds OF sea lions summing themselves
on the rocks, which would be quite as
famous as those at Golden Gate were
this part OF the country frequented by
tourists. The ride through beautiful AL
berni sound Is quite unsurpassed, but our
epithets of praise had been long exhausted,
as each place on the whole trip seemed
more magnificent than the last. Coming
round Cape Beale, the last night, it was
too rough to sleep, almost impossible 10
stay in the bunk, but morning broke
glorious and the blue Straits Of San
Juan were verify Pacific. After day or
so spent i'm Victoria, the Rosalie took US