A ' COPPER.' 257 



it, of the tribe. Some use an eye, others an 

 eagle's head, others a frog; indeed, nearly every 

 tribe adopts some rude heraldic symbol, but for 

 what purpose I could not discover. 



When staying at Fort Rupert I saw, by mere 

 chance, what the Hudson's Bay trader called an 

 ' Indian copper.' lie told me that it was only on 

 very high festivals that it was ever produced, and 

 that its value to the tribe was estimated to be 15 

 slaves, equal to 200 blankets. 



This wonderful ' medicine ' was contained in a 

 wooden case, most elaborately ornamented on its 

 exterior with differently-shaped pieces of nacre 

 neatly inlaid, brass-headed nails, and pieces of 

 bone. The inside was lined with the softest kind 

 of cedar-bark. The ' copper ' was 2 feet 4^ inches 

 in length, wider at one end than the other, the 

 wider end 1 foot 6^ inches ; and brilliantly 

 painted, representing all sorts of curiously-shaped 

 devices ; interspersed amongst them were eyes of 

 all sizes. It was made from a solid piece of 

 native copper, that had been hammered flat. 

 The trader also told me that some imitation ' cop- 

 pers ' had been made for the Company and offered 

 to the Indians, but nothing would induce them 

 either to purchase or have them as a gift. What 

 use this ' copper ' is I cannot tell, unless it is a kind 



VOL. II. S 



