PREFACE. VII 



naturally (Miougli, ihoso most easily uttoi'ed by all, except, of course, that objects 

 new to the natives Ibiind their names in French or Enj^lish, and such niodilications 

 were ma<le in pronunciation as suited toiij^ucs accustomed to diflerent sounds. Thus 

 Ihe ifutturals of the Indians were softene<l or dropped and the/ and r of the English 

 and French, to them unpronounceable, w<!rc modified into p and I. (irammatical 

 forma were reduced to tluiir simplest expression and variations in mood and tense 

 conveyed only by adverlts or liy the context. The language continued to receive 

 additicms and assumed a more distinct and settled meaning under the Northwest 

 and Hudson's Bay Companies, who succeeded Astor's party, as well as through the 

 American settlers in Oregon. Its advantage was soon perceived by the Indians, and 

 the Jargon became to some extent a means of communication between natives of 

 ditferent 8i)eech as well as between them and the whites. It was even used as such 

 between Americans and Canadians. It was at first most in vogue upon the Lower 

 Columbia and the Willamette, whence it spread to Puget Sound and with the 

 exttiusion of trade found its way far up the coast, as well as the Columbia and 

 Eraser rivers; and there are now few tribes between the 42d and 57th parallels of 

 latitude in which there are not to be found interpreters througli its medium. Its 

 juevalence and easy acquisition, while of vast convenience to traders and settlers, 

 has tended greatly fo hinder the accjuirement of the original Indian languages; so 

 much So that, except by a few missionaries and pioneers, hardly one of them is 

 spoken or understood by white men in all Oregon and Washingtcm Territory. Not- 

 withstanding its apparent poverty in number of words and the absence of grammat- 

 ical forms, it possesses much more flexibility and power of expression than might be 

 imagined and really serves almost every purpose of ordinary intercourse. 



The number of words constituting the Jargon proper has been variously stated. 

 Many formerly employed have become in great measure obsolete, while others have 

 been locally introduced. Thus, at The Dalles of the Columbia, various terms are 

 coiumon which would not be intelligible at Astoria or on Puget Souud. In making 

 the following selection, I have included all those which, on reference to a number 

 of vocalnilaries, I have fouud current at any of these places, rejecting on the other 

 hand such as individuals partially acciuainted with the native languages have 

 employed for their own convenience. The total number falls a little short of live 

 hundred words. 



This iuternational idiom, as it is called by Mr. Hale, is yet a live 

 language, and, though lapsing into disuse — being superseded by the 

 English — in the land of its birth, is gradually extending along the 

 northwest coast, adding to its vocabulary as it travels, until it has 

 become the means of intertribal communication between the Indians 

 s[)eaking different languages and between them and the white dwellers 

 in British Columbia and portions of Alaska. Indee<l, there seems 

 to be almost a revival of the early interest shown in it, if we may judge 

 from the amount of manuscript material relating to it now being made 

 ready to put into print. 



One of the most curious and interesting of all the curious attempts 

 which have been made to instruct and benefit the Indians by means of 

 written characters, is that knowu as the Kandoops Wawa, a periodical 

 described herein at some length under the name of its founder, Pere 

 Le Jeune. Written in an internaticnial language, " S(^t up" in steno- 

 graphic characters, and printed on a mimeograph by its inventor, 

 editor, reporter, printer, and publisher all in one, this little weekly 

 seems to leave nothing in the way of novelty to be desired. The account 



