INDIANS OF WASHINGTON TERRITORY. 657 



SOCIAL LIFE AND CUSTOMS. 



Eating. — Generally they eat three times a day. At a visit of seventy- 

 five Twanas to the Klallaius of Port Gamble, they feasted tliree times 

 during one night, closing at 2 or 3 o'clock in the morning. The feast- 

 ing was interspersed with gambling, conversation, and the giving of 

 l)resents. In December, 1878, the Duuginess Indians and some In- 

 dians from Port Discovery were invited to a feast at Sequin, which 

 lasted two nights. They feasted first at one house, where they taman- 

 oused in a manner simihir to that described as occurring at the same 

 place two years previous, and made presents ; after this they went to 

 another house and did the same, then they repeated the same perform- 

 ances at a third house, and closed about 2 in the morning. On the 

 next night they went through the same acts and ceremonies; fourteen 

 boxes of biscuitand a barrel of sugar were consumed or carried away by 

 about onehundredand twenty-five persons, men, women, and children; 

 quite an amount was carried away by them, this being customary. 

 Very often their feasts occur in the day-time, and consist of only one 

 meal if the guests are few. There is more or less feasting at all their 

 large gatherings, including those for religious purposes. 



Potlatches. — A i)eculiar custom with the Indians in this region is the 

 potlatch, which takes its name from the Chinook word, meaning to give, 

 as the most prominent feature in it is the distribution of gifts. I have 

 never heard of this custom existing farther south than the Columbia 

 Kiver or farther east than the Cascade Mountains, but on the west it 

 extends to the Pacific Ocean, and on the north into Alaska, a rich 

 chief there having in 1877 made one at which four thousand Indians 

 are said to have been present. It seems to be chiefly confined to 

 those Indians who live near the salt water, as it would be difficult 

 for those who have to travel on horseback to carry the amount of 

 articles which they have need of on such occasions. How old the 

 custom is no one seems to know. A part of the ruins of a very old 

 potlatch house were found while digging below Port Gamble. The 

 origin of the custom is supposed to be as follows: A chief wishing to 

 gain the favor of his people gathered them together and made presents to 

 them; after a time this was repeated and people of other tribes were in- 

 vited on account of friendship, and the compliment was returned; chiefs 

 or other persons who wished to become prominent followed the example 

 until the custom grew to its present proportions. Now nearly all the 

 surrounding tribes are invited and almost every individual, both man and 

 woman, feels bound once, at least, to have a share in giving a potlatch; 

 the potlatches nowbecome so expensive that seldom doesa single person 

 feel able to make one, hence many combine their resources for this 

 purpose. 



Often a person will save everything possible for years in order to give 

 it away on such occasions, and when one feast is done tliey will begiii 

 H, Mis. 600 42 



