ARRIVAL AT THE COAST 85 



Joe asked me if I would like to see an underground Indian house. 

 I remember saying: "Of course." "Well, come with me then," 

 said Joe, and I went and found a number of Indians living below 

 the surface of the ground close to the old village. The mode of 

 descent was difficult. Joe asked me if I would like to go down, 

 and I descended the pole by means of cleats nailed to it and when 

 I reached the bottom I found a circle of Indians sitting round, 

 apparently quite comfortable and warm. However, the stench 

 was so great, I immediately caught my nose and closed my nostrils 

 and rushed for the pole, up which I scrambled in a great hurry. 

 I had never seen an underground house before and I have never 

 seen one since. 



Without any mishap, we reached Yale, and, as we carried the 

 mail, we immediately embarked in a canoe with two Indians sitting 

 abreast paddling, and another man who steered. It was a large 

 Indian canoe and was quite comfortable and carried at least ten 

 passengers, perhaps more. In due course of time, we stopped at 

 Langley and stayed over-night at Harrison River. Here again, 

 Joe was willing to show us around and asked us to go and see a 

 tribal house which then stood near the landing. We found this 

 to be a large building like a shed, roofed over and built of split 

 cedar logs, and in it we found at least a dozen different families of 

 Indians. Each of these families had their own private fire and 

 sleeping place but no partitions whatever. All this was so new to 

 me that the impression which was formed then has stayed with 

 me ever since. I never saw a tribal house again. 



When we reached New Westminster, we could telegraph to 

 Victoria and I learned that the San Francisco boat was there and 

 about to leave shortly. We asked them to stay over at the outer 

 wharf until we could reach it as a number of us were going on at 

 once to California. At this time, this was the quickest way to 

 the East. They told us they would. In the evening, when we 

 arrived at Victoria, we found the boat was just passing out. My 

 friends asked if we were to be left and the Captain said, "Oh, we 

 will get you when we come back again." This left me with four- 

 teen days to spend in Victoria and I immediately took up my 

 quarters with Mr. Watt, who had then charge of the Dominion 



