246 NARRATIVE OF A JOURNEY 



leathern dresses, moccasins, &c. Several of the younger of 

 these are very good looking, — I might almost say handsome. 

 Their heads are of the natural form, — not flattened and contorted 

 in the horrible manner of the Chinooks ; — their faces are in- 

 clining to oval, and their eyes have a peculiarly sleepy and 

 languishing appearance. They seem as if naturally inclined to 

 lasciviousness, but if this feeling exists, it is effectually checked 

 by their self-enacted laws, which are very severe in this respect, 

 and in every instance rigidly enforced. The dresses of the 

 women, (unlike the Chinooks, they all have dresses,) are of deer 

 or antelope skin, more or less ornamented with beads and hy- 

 quds.* It consists of one piece, but the part covering the bust, 

 projects over the lower portion of the garment, and its edges are 

 cut into strings, to which a quantity of blue beads are generally 

 attached. 



In the evening all the Indians belonglncr to the villasre 

 assembled in our lodge, and, with the chief for minister, performed 

 divine service, or family worship. This, I learn, is their invari- 

 able practice twice every twenty-four hours, at sunrise in the 

 morning, and after supper in the evening. When all the people 

 had gathered, our large lodge was filled. On entering, every 

 person squatted on the ground, and the cleric (a sort of sub- 

 chief) gave notice that the Deity, would now be addressed. 

 Immediately the whole audience rose to their knees, and the chief 

 supplicated for about ten minutes in a very solemn, but low tone 

 of voice, at the conclusion of which an amen was pronounced by 

 the whole company, in a loud, swelling sort of groan. Three 

 hymns were then sung, several of the individuals present leading 

 in rotation, and at the conclusion of each, another amen. The 

 chief then pronounced a short exhortation, occupying about 

 fifteen minutes, which was repeated by the clerk at his elbow in 

 a voice loud enough to be heard by the whole assembly. At the 



* A long white shell, of the genus Dcntalium, founil on the coast. 



