270 PAPERS RELATING TO ANTHROPOLOGY. 



looms were unexpectedly discovered by the curious wliite man among- 

 heaps of old rags, basket grass, strips of dried fish, and lumps ot fer- 

 mented cheese-like fish eggs that bad accumulated in dark and grimy 

 corners of the lodges. Still they are much prized and no poor family 

 can afford to own them. The Quinaielts are not inclined to take an in- 

 terest in agriculture, on account of the abundance of fish to be obtained. 

 They also use the tender shoots of rushes, young salmon-berry sprouts, 

 and other succulent growths of the spring-time. The salmon-berry 

 sprouts are very freely eaten in the early spring, and their use is always 

 followed by an eruption of the skin and by inflamed eyes, rendering 

 many of the Indians sightless for a time. I have seen the same efiect 

 produced among- the Makahs when I was in charge of that agency, but 

 to a far less extent. 



A plentiful supply of bulbous roots, as those of the lakamas and fern 

 roots, are made available for food by this people. Strawberries, the 

 wild currant, and gooseberry, thimble berrries, blackbeiries, crab- 

 apples, sal-lal, and cranberries, huckleberries, and other small fruits 

 are found in large quantities. Sal-lal berries are mashed, dried, and 

 smoked in large cakes for winter use. J>ear, whale, and seal oil are 

 largely drank at their feasts. Berries are also served upon such occa- 

 sions, floating- in these oils. Sometimes, but rarely, a deer, bear, or 

 elk is secured, and the fiesh of seal ami otter is eaten. Any putrid 

 fiesh that floats ashore is eagerly devoured. The beaching- of a whale 

 creates the greatest excitement, and the largest amount possible of the 

 decaying blubber is secured to be eaten or dried for future use. Sea- 

 gulls, ducks,, geese, and other fowl, eggs of sea-birds, sea-weeds, crabs, 

 clams, and other shell-fish complete their bill of fare. 



The drag-net is used for fishing- in narrow streams of water ; for using 

 it two canoes are necessary, with strut from G to 8 feet apart and bows 

 diverging. An Indian sits in the stern of each canoe, each Indian 

 holding one pole of the net in one hand, while the other hand holds tight 

 the string that keeps the mouth of the net open. The string always 

 remains fastened to the pole, but when the Indian relaxes his hold on 

 the string, as he does in hauling up the net, the mouth of the net closes, 

 preventing the fish from escaping. The two canoes go up the river 

 until 200 or 300 yards from the mouth ; the net is then placed, as in illus- 

 tration, and one Indian in each canoe i)addles, while another throws 

 stones to frighten the fish. Then they paddle down the river with the 

 current into the narrow passage near the bar. Thus while catching 

 salmon in the drag-net, as tliey proceeded down stream, they are at the 

 same time driving the fish towards the Indians, who are standing in 

 the shallow water on the bar, ready to spear them. Tiien from fifteen 

 to twenty Indians stand on tlie bar, from 8 to 10 feet apart, and throw- 

 ing stones, drive the salmon towards the bar, where, at low tide, the 

 water is from 8 to 12 inches deep. The shaft of the salmon spear is 



