INDIANS OF WASHINGTON TERRITORY. 629 



For serving and eating food ^ tlie following utensils are commonly em- 

 ployed : 



j\latf. — Some of these are often placed on the ground during feasts 

 and the lood placed on them, the guests seated on the ground ou each 

 side. 



Basl-ets. — Berries are often served in the water-tight baskets. 



Plates and troiighs. — These are made of wood and are quite shallow. 

 Alder wood is preferred. They are generally from to 12 inches wide, 

 and from 16 inches to 6 feet long and 10 inches wide. Of late years, 

 since lumber has become common, troughs 6 inches wide and from 8 to 

 12 feet long are made of boards. They are for use during the large 

 feasts, food being placed upon them. Kice, boiled fish, and setui-liquid 

 food are now generally served from American kettles, plates, and pails. 



Traijs. — Occasionally trays are made. I have seen one 40 inches 

 long, 25 wide, and 7 deep, and others smaller. 



Ladles. — These are made both of wood (maple) and horn. These ladles 

 are used for semi-liquid food; but are not always placed in the mouth, 

 but near the mouth, and the food is pushed from them into the mouth 

 with a small stick, or taken from them with a smaller ladle, which is 

 placed in the mouth. 



Stone dish. — The only stone dish I have seen was obtained from the 

 Klallam Indians of Port Angeles. It is said to have been used for 

 holding oil while eating it. It is a quarter of a sphere and quite reg- 

 ular. Another one was found while plowing at Port Angeles. It is a 

 half-sphere, made of clay stone, and the Indians are not certain that it 

 was ever used as a dish, as many similar ones are found at Klallam Bay. 

 Its upper edge seems to have been trimmed for use. 



Pipes. — The only two stone pipes which I have seen, appear to have 

 been made from a soft grayish stone, perhaps clay stone. 



I can not learn that pipes or narcotics were used by these Indians 

 previous to the coming of the whites. When tobacco is scarce they 

 often mix with it the leaves of a small bush which has a red berry, 

 called sJx-a wail-dai by the Twanas; sl'c-icad, bj^ the Skwaksins, and 

 stainswot-manish fhy the Klallams. Tobacco is used by the majority of 

 this people, but they are not as much addicted to it as some other In- 

 dians. I have seldom seen them chew it. The Twanas rarely smoke it 

 except at some gatherings. The Klallams use it much more freely than 

 the Twanas. I have never known of their smoking the pipe of ])eace. 



Na^jlcins are seldom used except at great feasts. One form is made 

 of cedar bark, slightly beaten, about 2 feet long and tied into bunches 

 an inch in diameter. I have seen also a piece of calico stretched by 

 two individuals from end to end along a row of feasters, near their 

 mouths, on which they wipe their hands and mouths when done eating. 



Miscellaneous: — Fir pitch wood is generally used for torches, and when 

 this is wanting, cedar is split somewhat line and a handful of it lighted, 

 but the lights of the whites have nearly taken the place of these rude 

 lights, except for fishing and duck hunting night. 



