244 SYSTEMS OF CONSANGUINITY AND AFFINITY 



furnishes the highest evidence of its long-continued occupation. It is explained 

 by the hypothesis that it was the cradle land of the Ganowanian family. Under 

 the operation of the law which tended to the disintegration of particular nations, 

 with their increase and spread, the several dialects thus formed would widen in the 

 long course of ages until they become hardened by use into independent stock 

 languages, all traces of identity in their vocables having disappeared. The struggle 

 for the possession of this area would tend to equalization by the failure of any 

 single nation to acquire such a preponderance of numbers as would enable it to 

 overmaster and expel the other nations. The number of these stock languages 

 necessarily implies an occupation of the Valley of the Columbia from an antiquity 

 as great as can be assigned, from other considerations, to the Ganowanian family 

 upon any part of the Continent. It is also a reasonable and a probable inference 

 that the greater part of the stock languages found upon the North American Con- 

 tinent were indigenous within this area, or derived from such as were immediately 

 traceable to this source. 



Judging from the more recent instead of the older vocabularies, there are pecu- 

 liarities in the dialects of this area which do not exist in the dialects spoken in 

 other parts of the Continent, and which are difficult of reduction to equivalent 

 sounds represented by the English letters. This marked difference is surprising. 

 It suggests, at least, the supposition that an attempt has been made by means of 

 an improved notation to preserve minute phonetic elements in these dialects which 

 have been disregarded in other areas. Unless great care is taken this new method 

 will magnify and even create differences where none such to any great extent 

 actually exist. 



In 1855 the Indian nations in Washington Territory and Oregon were estimated 

 at 27,000.' At the time of Lewis and Clarke's visit they were several times 

 more numerous. 



II. Salish Nations. 



1. Salish or Flathead. 2. Shoushwhiip (Atna). 3. Samena. 4. Okinaken. 

 5. Schwoyelpi. 6. Sketunesh (Cceur d'Alene). 7. Piskwous. 8. Spokane. 

 9. Slkatomlch (Upper Pend d'Oreilles). 10. Kiilispelm (Lower Pend d'Oreilles). 

 11. Balhoolii. 12. Kowooks, Sashalt, and Cowiitahin. 13. Kwiintlan and 

 Taieet. 14. Clallam, Lummi, Skagit, Chamakeem, Toanhook, and Nesqually. 

 15. Kwclaliyate, Kwaniiwult, and Chehalis. 16. Kwiiwaletsk. 17. Tellamooks. 



The Salish stock language, spoken in the seventeen dialects above enumerated, 

 has a wider spread than any other within the area vmder consideration. Mengarini 

 names ten nations speaking this language, most if not all whom are seated between 

 the Rocky and Cascade Mountains ;" but Mr. Gibbs has traced it west of the Cas- 

 cade range, and quite down to the sea-coast. The above list of nations speaking 

 dialects of the Salish language was furnished by Mr. Gibbs. 



1. Spokane. Out of this large list of nations, the Spokane and Okinaken only 



» Schoolcraft, Hist. Cond, and Pres., YI. 705. 

 * Salish or Flathead Grammar, p. 120. 



