192 



Tlie armor mentioned by Cox consisted of an elk skin shirt, remarkably 

 thick, doubled, and thrown over the shoulders, with holes for the arms. It 

 descends to the ankles, and from the thickness of the leather is perfectly 

 aiTow proof. The head is covered with a species of helmet made of cedar- 

 bark, bear grass, and leather, and is also impenetrable by aiTows. The 

 neck, therefore, is the only vital part of the body exposed to danger in 

 action. In addition to the above they have another kind of armor, which 

 they occasionally wear in place of the leathern shirt. It is a species of 

 corset formed of thin slips of hard wood, ingeniously laced together by bear 

 grass and is much lighter and more pliable than the former; but it does not 

 cover so much of the ])ody. Neither is any longer used in this Teiritory.* 



The Sound Indians, but more particularly those on the Straits of Fuca, 

 sometimes fortify their dwellings by stockades made of heavy puncheons 

 twelve or fifteen feet high, set in the ground, and strengthened by large 

 posts and cross pieces. These were loop holed, and calculated very well 

 to serve even against muskets. 



The bow and arrow, and a heavy club carved at the end, were their 

 original weapons. They have gone almost entirely out of use, not being 

 often employed even for game except among the Makah, who still adhere 

 to them. The arrows are pointed with hard wood or bone, atid resemble in 

 every respect the figures in the third volume of Mr. Schoolcraft's work. 

 They are in no respect equal in workmanship to those of the interior or the 

 coast of California. 



None of the western tribes within my observation have pursued the 

 practice of scalping the slain, nor do they wear scalp-locks. The Indians 

 on the Straits of Fuca and thence northward decapitate their enemies, as 

 was noticed by Vancouver. While surveying Port Townshend, he saw on 

 one of the low points of Craven Peninsula, "two upright poles set in the 

 ground, about fifteen feet high, and rudely carved. On the top of each was 

 stuck a human head, recently planted there. The hair and flesh wei-e nearly 

 perfect, and the head appeared to carry the evidence of fury or revenge, as, 

 in driving the stakes through the throat to the cranium, the sagittse, with 



* The above was written before the breaking out of the existing war, in which it is iiuueces- 

 sary to say that they have displayed a hardihood and pertinacity for whioh credit was never given 

 them. 



