THE INDIANS OF CAPE FLATTERY. 51 



with shouts, and firing volleys of musketry. When they had landed on the beach, 

 they formed a circle, and having placed the two heads on the sand in the centre, 

 they danced and howled around them like fiends. Speeches were then made, another 

 volley fired, and the heads taken from village to village, at each of which the same 

 scenes were repeated, until they finally arrived at Tsuess, the residence of the chief of 

 the expedition, where they were stuck on two poles, and remained several months, 

 presenting a weather-beaten and very ghastly appearance. From the parade the 

 Indians made on starting, and after their return, one would be led to suppose that 

 they had boldly attacked their enemies and burned their village; but such was not 

 the fact. They crept along the coast, and after they had reached a point a few 

 miles from Elwha, they hid themselves and sent a canoe to reconnoitre. This 

 party discovered a couple of Elwhas fishing, and getting between them and the 

 shore, killed them, cut off their heads, and returned to the main body, who, con 

 sidering the murder of the chief fully avenged, returned without making any 

 further demonstrations. Formerly, however, these battles were very sanguinary, 

 numbers being killed on both sides and prisoners taken, who were invariably made 

 slaves ; but of late years they have confined themselves to occasional murders only, 

 fearing lest any more extensive warfare would call down upon them the vengeance 

 of the whites. They do not appear to have practised scalping, their custom being 

 to cut off the heads of their enemies, which they bring home as trophies. 



Since the system of reservations has been established, with officials residing upon 

 them, there have been no attempts made by the Makahs to go. on these war parties; 

 but they refer all their grievances instead to their agent ; they have, however, been 

 threatened with an attack from some of the Vancouver Island Indians, and during 

 the time the apprehension lasted they put themselves in a state of defence by erect 

 ing stockades of poles and brush about their houses, which they pierced with loop 

 holes, and by keeping a constant watch night and day. Formerly they had stockade 

 forts at Tatoosh Island, and on one of the rocky islets composing Flattery Rocks, 

 where on an attack by their enemies, or during any alarm, they retired as to strong 

 holds, in which they could easily defend themselves. These forts have been done 

 away with for several years, and the only one that I know of at present, between 

 the Columbia Eiver and Cape Flattery, is at Kwilleyute. A precipitous rock, 

 several hundred feet high, situated at the mouth of that river, is still fortified, and 

 to all Indian attack is perfectly impregnable. I visited this rock a few years since, 

 and found it several acres in extent on the surface, and with quite a growth of large 

 spruce trees upon it, which are used both for firewood and for defence. There is 

 but one path by which the summit can be gained, and to defend this they roll great 

 logs to the brink of the descent, whence they can be easily thrown down on any force 

 attacking them. As the approach is steep and slippery, nothing could prevent a log 

 from sweeping down as many as might be in its path. The only way they could 

 be subdued would be by siege and starvation ; but that species of warfare does not 

 seem to be practised among the coast tribes, their plan being to go in a body in 

 their canoes, surprise their enemies, and return as soon as possible whether suc 

 cessful or not. 



It has been customary to kill the men who fall into their hands, and to make 



