198 ETHNOGRAPHY. 



2. The North-Oregon division. All the tribes north of the Colum- 

 bia, except those of the first section, and some of the Wallarvallas, 

 belong to this division, as well as three or four to the south of that 

 river. It includes the Tahkali-Umkrva family (the Carriers, Qua- 

 lioguas, Tlatskanies, and Umguas), the Taihaili-Selish family (Shoush- 

 waps, Flatheads, Chikoilish, Cowelits, and Killamuks), with the 

 Chinooks, the Yakones (or southern Killamuks) and, in part, the 

 Calapuyas. The Nootkas, and other tribes of Vancouver's Island, 

 also belong to it. 



The people of this division are among the ugliest of their race. 

 They are below the middle size, with squat, clumsy forms, very broad 

 faces, low foreheads, lank black hair, wide mouths, and a coarse rough 

 skin, of a tanned, or dingy copper complexion. This description 

 applies more particularly to the tribes of the coast. Those of the 

 interior (the Carriers, Shoushwaps, and Selish,) are of a better cast, 

 being generally of the middle height, with features of a less exagge- 

 rated harshness. In the coast-tribes, the opening of the eye has very 

 frequently the oblique direction proper to the Mongol physiognomy ; 

 but in the others this peculiarity is less common. 



The intellectual and moral characteristics of these natives are not 

 more pleasing than the physical. They are of moderate intelligence, 

 coarse and dirty in their habits, indolent, deceitful, and passionate. 

 They are rather superstitious than religious, are greatly addicted to 

 gambling, and grossly libidinous. All these disagreeable qualities 

 are most conspicuous in the tribes near the mouth of the Columbia, 

 and become less marked as we advance into the interior, and towards 

 the north. It is also at the same point (the mouth of the Columbia) 

 that the custom of compressing the head prevails to the greatest 

 extent. The Chinooks are the most distinguished for their attachment 

 to this singular usage, and from them it appears to have spread 

 on every side, to the Chikailish on the north, the Wallawallas and 

 Nez-perces on the east, and the Killamuks and Calapuyas on the 

 south ; the degree of distortion diminishing as we recede from the 

 centre. 



It is not a little singular that all the tribes of this division (except 

 the Calapuyas, who seem to hold a middle position,) speak languages 

 which, though of distinct families, are all remarkable for the extreme 

 harshness of their pronunciation, while those of the division which 

 follows, are, on the contrary, unusually soft and harmonious. 



3. The South- Oregon division. To this belong the Sahaptin family 



