224 ETHNOGRAPHY. 



overran the Mexican plateau, had made their way through this terri- 

 tory, we might conclude that the numerous small tribes there found 

 were the scattered remnants of these wandering nations, left along 

 their line of march, as they advanced from the frozen regions of the 

 north into the southern plains. This conjecture acquires some weight 

 from two facts, which, though of a dissimilar character, both bear 

 upon this point. The first is, that such a progress is now going on, 

 particularly in the interior plains, where, according to the testimony 

 of the most respectable traders and hunters, all the tribes are slowly 

 proceeding towards the south. The Shoshonees formerly inhabited 

 the country of the Blackfeet, and there are old men among the former 

 who are better acquainted with the defiles and secret passes of that 

 country than the Blackfeet themselves. At the same period, the 

 territory east of the Salt Lake, now occupied by the Shoshonees, 

 was in the possession of the Bonnacks, who have been thrust by 

 them partially into the southwestern desert. The Shyennes, the 

 Kaiawas, and the Comanches, were mentioned as another instance of 

 the same kind. This movement is easily explained as resulting from 

 the superior energy and prowess of the northern tribes, together with 

 the general desire of attaining a more fertile country and genial 

 climate. 



The other circumstance alluded to is the singular manner in which 

 tribes speaking allied languages, are dispersed over this territory, in a 

 direction from north to south. Taking, for example, the Selish family, 

 we have the Shoushwaps on Frazer's River, and at Friendly Village, 

 in latitude 53 30' ; the Flatheads and Pisquous on the Upper Colum- 

 bia ; the Nisqually about Puget's Sound ; the Cowelits and Chikailish 

 beyond these ; and a single tribe, the Nsietshawas or Killamuks, quite 

 separate from the rest, south of the Columbia, below 45. A yet more 

 striking instance is found in what we have termed the Tahkali-Umqua 

 family. The Tahkali, or Carriers, are closely allied to the Chippe- 

 wyans,* who are spread over the whole northern portion of the 

 American continent, from Hudson's Bay to the vicinity of Behring's 

 Strait. On comparing together the vocabularies of the Oregon tribes, 



* These must not be confounded with the Chippeways, or Ojibwaig, who belong to a 

 different stock. Mr. Gallatin, in his great work, the " Synopsis of the Indian Tribes," 

 has assigned to the Chippewyans and Carriers the general name of Athapascas, derived 

 from the original designation of a lake and district in the central part of the country which 

 they occupy. The Tahkali-Umqua must therefore be regarded as a subdivision of the 

 Athapascan family. 



