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and as such does not follow the rule of distribution, but on the death of 

 hor husband returns to her tribe or family. The number of persons thus 

 held ujion the Sound is less than farther north, but probably amounts to 

 one-tenth of the population. Many of them belong to distant tribes, and 

 others belonging to these are held elsewhere. The system has been the 

 cause of constant disturbance among themselves, as well as of wars with 

 their neighbors ; for not only were the latter often made for the purpose of 

 obtaining them, but the occasional escape or stealing of slaves created 

 difficulty and led to retaliation. For this reason, it was thought expedient 

 in the treaties with the Sound tribes to stipulate its abolition. The life of a 

 slave was entirely at the disposal of his master or mistress, and it was for- 

 merly customary among most of the tribes to kill part at least on the death 

 of the owners. At Tsiniik, as lately as 1850, an attempt was made to 

 starve a little slave girl to death, who had been given to a child in the 

 family, previously deceased, and her life was only saved by the intervention 

 of the citizens, who offered to pay her price, representing that it would be as 

 good to destroy the value in merchandise, and adding the weight of a threat 

 in case of refusal. 



Dr. Tolmie informs me that the course of the slave trade has always 

 been from south to north; the only exception in his knowledge being that 

 the Kowlitz Indians, formerly a very strong tribe, used to make forays on 

 the Sound and carry their prisoners to the Columbia River. 



Retaliation. — The law of life for life is fully recognized, subject, how- 

 ever, to compromise on payment of damages. The procedure is about as 

 follows: If one Indian has taken another's life, the revenge is not immediate; 

 it is talked over for some time, perhaps months, during which any overture 

 for settlement can be made. If none is offered, the relatives of the deceased, 

 with a sufficient party of their friends, proceed to the murderer and make a 

 demand on him for satisfaction. If he or his friends can make up a sufficient 

 amount of goods to appease the next of kin, the affair is settled, the other 

 friends being paid something for their trouble in the matter, and some return 

 is' then usually made by them in token that peace is restored. If the mur- 

 derer cannot himself make a suitable recompense, or his friends will not 



