CHAPTER XI 



THE COUNTRY OF THE CHILCATS 



ON October 30 we visited a camp of Hoonas at 

 the mouth of a salmon-chuck. We had seen 

 some of them before, and they received us kindly. 

 Here we learned that peace reigned in Chilcat. The 

 reports that we had previously heard were, as usual 

 in such cases, wildly exaggerated. The little camp hut 

 of these Indians was crowded with the food-supplies 

 they had gathered — chiefly salmon, dried and tied in 

 bunches of convenient size for handling and trans- 

 porting to their villages, bags of salmon-roe, boxes of 

 fish-oil, a lot of mountain-goat mutton, and a few 

 porcupines. They presented us with some dried sal- 

 mon and potatoes, for which we gave them tobacco 

 and rice. About 3 p.m. we reached their village, and in 

 the best house, that of a chief, we found the family 

 busily engaged in making whiskey. The still and 

 mash were speedily removed and hidden away with 

 apparent shame as soon as we came in sight. When 

 we entered and passed the regular greetings, the 

 usual apologies as to being unable to furnish Boston 

 food for us and inquiries whether we could eat Indian 

 food were gravely made. Toward six or seven o'clock 

 Mr. Young explained the object of his visit and held 

 a short service. The chief replied with grave delibera- 

 tion, saying that he would be heartily glad to have a 

 teacher sent to his poor ignorant people, upon whom 



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