The review. [volume] (High Point, N.C.) 1908-19??, 1914-06-18
TOWARD SETTING sun

l. TOWARD SETTING sun
Last Chief Drove His Frail Canoe in
Teeth of Fierce Gale.
A fishing sooner putting into one
F., of the many fords on the west coast
of Vancouver Island found cast up
on the shore a battered dugout
canoe. It is believed to be the frail
craft in which a year ago, Charlie
White. headman of the Makah tribe,
put out 10 sea and never returned.
The Makahs dwell on Flattery Rocks
the lands end. Beyond is the
ocean and the setting sun. They
are a gloomy prophecy of the end to
which prideful people must come.
The Last of Mohicans" persisted
long, long ago. The Long House of
the Iroquois is dim memory The
Huron-Where is he? The Seminole,
driven back and back, dies in the
miasmic vapors of his swampy soil
tude. The Ap. che even keeps to
his reservation, content with the
doles of beef and blankets.
But. they were fighting people
once those Makahs, the Cape Peo-
pie" The Clallams, to the eastward,
knew and feared them. So did the
Quinaults, to the south They were
always at war with one or the other.
or both; and they even crossed the
straits to harrass the fierce tribes of
Vancouver. Charlie Whites father
was headman before him. He never
bowed his head to the white mans
rules. Five years ago the old chief
was persuaded to 60 to San Fran
cisco. He was dined and wined and
shown the marvels of civilization.
He saw railroad trains, and electric
cars, and skyscrapers, and theaters,
and ships propelled by steam. AS
he stalked through those noisy,
crowded thoroughfares and saw so
many palefaees he must have re-
flected with bitterness on the awful
depth of the fall Of his people.
He was a young man when in the
SOS an epidemic of smallpox took
half his five hundred fighting men.
Then came white mans whisky and
tuberculosis. Now there are not
five hundred men, women and CHI
dren in all the tribe on Neap bay
and Flattery Rocks. When the old
chief returned home he gathered his
people about him and said: No
fightum. Too many Then he
walked with slow step to the beach
and launched his canoe, and put out
to sea. The sun was setting Once
he rose to his feet, turned, and lifted
an arm in a gesture of farewell.
They watched him in silence, for
they understood. When the sun
dipped down to the edge of the
world, half disk of mellow fire,
they saw him ,silhouetted against its
golden glory. The sun dropped out
of sight, and it was night.
Charlie White succeeded to the
leadership of his people. In his
hatred of us, inherited from his ia
ther, was the impotence of despair.
The steam trawlers had swept the
sea of whales. His people were
poor. And when the Makahs and
the Callams realized that the day of
the canoe in halibut fishing was
past, and they pooled their money
and bought scooners with which to
compete against the white man. the
white mans government confiscated
the scooners. and told the Indians
that they must work for white men,
or fish from canoes, or leave the
sea. Then Charlie White put off his
Store clothes.and wrapped a dogs
hair blanket about him, and jour
neyed eastward to parley with his
one time enemies, the CIallams.
We have been fools" he told the
Clallams. We have fought one an
other when we ought to have made
common cause against the white
men, but the Clallams said: The
white men pay good wages. They
buy our fish, our sons 60 to business
college, our daughters take music
lessons. Charlie White returned to
his people When they asked. him
what message be brought from the
Clallams, he answered not word
but launched his canoe in the teeth
of a gale. Once he rose and gestur-
ed farewell. Then with swift, sure
strokes he headed for the setting sun.
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