THE KWAKIUTL INDIANS. 317 



and my kDowledge of the language is not sufficient to overcome the 

 difficulties of an adequate translation. 



I. The Indian Tribes of the North Pacific Coast. 



The Pacific Coast of America between Juan de Fuca Strait and 

 Yakutat P>ay is inliabited by a great many Indian tribes distinct in 

 physical characteristics and distinct in languages, but one in culture. 

 Their arts and industries, their customs and beliefs, differ so much 

 from those of all other Indians that they form one of the best defined 

 cultural groups of our continent. 



While a hasty glance at these people and a comparison with other 

 tribes emphasize the uniformity of their culture, a closer investigation 

 reveals many peculiarities of individual tribes which prove that their 

 culture has developed slowly and from a number of distinct centers, 

 each people adding something to the culture which we observe at the 

 present day. 



The region inhabited by these people is a mountainous coast inter- 

 sected by innumerable sounds and fiords and studded with islands, 

 large and snuill. Thus intercourse along the coast by means of canoes 

 is very easy, while access to the inland is difficult on account of the 

 rugged hills and the density of the woods. A few fiords cut deep into 

 the mainland, and the valleys which open into them give access to the 

 heart of the high ranges which se])arate the coast from the highlands 

 of the interior, forming an effectual barrier between the people of the 

 interior and those of the coast. These fiords and their rivers and val- 

 leys offer comparatively easy access to the coast, and along these lines 

 interchange of culture has taken place. Extending our view a little 

 beyond the territory defined above, the passes along which the streams 

 of culture flowed most easily were Columbia Kiver in the south and 

 the pass leading along Salmon and Bella Coola rivers to Dean Inlet 

 and Bentinck Arm. Of less importance are Chilcat Pass, Stikine 

 River, Nass and Skeena rivers, and Fraser Kiver. Thus it will be seen 

 that there are only two important and four less important passes, over 

 which the people of the coast came into contact with those of the 

 interior. Thus they have occupied a rather isolated position and have 

 been able to develop a peculiar culture without suffering important 

 invasions from other jiarts of America. 



As the precipitation all along the coast is very great, its lower parts 

 are covered with dense forests which furnish wood for building houses, 

 canoes, implements, and utensils. Among them the red cedar {Thuya 

 (jigautea) is the most prominent, as it furnishes the natives with mate- 

 rial for most manufactures. Its wood serves for building and carving; 

 its bark is used for making clothing and ropes. The yellow cedar, pine, 

 fir, hemlock, spruce, yew tree, maple, alder, are also of importance to 

 the Indians. The woods abound with numerous kinds of berries, which 



