Pacific Coast and Islands 183 



consultation from all sides which gradually in 

 creased in volume, during which the chief was in 

 close consultation with his leading advisers. At 

 length the loud tap of a stick by one of these 

 caused silence, and the chief arose to speak. 

 Your words are good, he replied. They are 

 wise words. We have heard of the white man s 

 wisdom. We have heard that he possesses the 

 secret of life. He has heard the words of the 

 Chief above. We have seen the change in the 

 Tsimsheans. But why did you not come before ? 

 Why did the iron people (white men) not send us 

 the news when it was sent to the Tsimsheans? 

 The smallpox which came upon us many years 

 ago killed many of our people. It came first 

 from the north land, from the iron people who 

 came from the land where the sun sets (Russia, 

 from whence it was brought to Alaska). Again 

 it came not many years ago, when I was a young 

 man. It came then from the land of the iron 

 people where the sun rises (Canada and the 

 United States) . Our people are brave in warfare 

 and never turn their backs on their foes, but this 

 foe we could not see and we could not fight. 

 Our medicine men are wise, but they could not 

 drive away the evil spirit, and why? because 

 it was the sickness of the iron people. It came 

 from them. You have visited our camps, and 

 you have seen many of the lodges empty. In 

 them the camp fires once burned brightly, and 

 around them the hunters and warriors told their 

 deeds in the past. Now the fires have gone out 



