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FAMILY PINACEAE: Pine Famity. 
Genus Chamaecyparis. : 
C. nootkatensis (Lamb) Spach: Alaska Cedar. This tree is found on all 
the mountain ridges below 3,500 feet elevation. It is a conspicuous tree on 
the ridges at the headwaters of the Soleduck and Bogachiel rivers and in the 
vicinity of the Soleduck Hot Springs. It is often called Yellow Cedar. It 
is also more abundant in the swamp regions near the Pacific coast, bordering 
the rivers near their mouths. It is a medium tree in height for this region, 
but exceeds the Red Fir in girth. Its greatest development is usually where 
it stands the heaviest. It averages about 140 feet in height and 50 inches 
in diameter. This tree is subject to rot; half of the stand is injured by this 
disease.§ 
Genus Thuja. 
T. plicata Donn: Red Cedar; Giant Cedar. This cedar is found in all 
parts of the peninsula, except in the high mountain districts. It is of larger 
growth near the coast, where it often measures from 40 to 50 feet in cireu- 
ference; some trees in the Elwa valley are said to measure even 80 feet in 
circumference. 
This tree differs from C. nootkalensis above in its wood being reddish in 
color, in its larger size in circumference-measurements, and in the seales 
of its cones being oblong, not pileate. 
8The juice of the bark of this tree and that of the Giant Cedar is used by the 
natives in dyeing basket straw. The other coloring matter used by these Indians 
is burned yellow clay, black earth, blood, soot and charcoal. 
°Of this giant cedar the Indians make their dug-out canoes, canoes ranging from 
the size of «a little river canoe to an ocean-whaling canoe that will hold ten whale 
hunters, or three tons of freight. These canoes are in each case made from a single 
piece (section) of log and the canoe is in each case one continuous piece 
when finished, except just the front totem (river-deer) part. In making these canoes 
in the old time it was a slow process of burning and scraping with clam shells, and a 
possible chiseling with some wedge-shaped stone. Today they are hewed out with 
ax and Indian adz. A canoe for ocean use in now worth about $100. 
The cedarz are used for may purposes by the Indians of the coast. The juice 
cf the green bark is used as medicine, after being boiled. The outer bark is used in 
malting wigwams. In the old times they also shredded the inner bark of these species 
and wove it into a sort of cloth. Of this cloth they then made skirts for the women, 
and other wearing «wpparel both for the men and the women. They also lined their 
cradles with this bark and wrapped their babies up in it before tying them in the 
cradles. A peculiar raincoat was made from this bark to be worn by the men while 
fishing in stormy weather. 
