486 EEPORT— 1900. 



from the cedar trunk. The cedar (Thuya giyantea) of British Columbia 

 lends itself readily to operations of this kind, and the task is not as 

 difficult as might be imagined. The white settlers almost everywhere 

 build their houses, stables, fences, and barns of cedar split by themselves 

 in this way. I ha\'e seen boards split out as smooth and uniform as if 

 they had been cut out with a saw and planed. In the native dwellings 

 the boards were held in place by withes or ropes made from young cedars 

 or from the branches of older ones. There were no windows in these 

 buildings ; sunlight and air came in through the doors or by the roof, a 

 part of which was pulled down a few feet to let the smoke out and the 

 air and light in during the day in fine weather. These structures are 

 open from end to end without partitions or divisions of any kind. The 

 chief quite commonly occupied the centre of the dwelling. Next to him, 

 on either side, came his brothers and other notabilities, and beyond these 

 the baser folk. Each family had its own allotted space at tlie side of the 

 dwelling and its own fire. This sjaace was commonly just ample enough 

 to allow of the Ijeds of the family being arranged around three sides of a 

 square with an open front towards the tire and centre of the room 



thus . The bed was raised by a kind of platform or bed-stand about 



two feet from the ground. In the space beneath were stored roots 

 and such-like commodities. Above and over the beds shelves were hung. 

 On these were stored the dried fish and utensils of the family. If the 

 family were one of position and wealth, several large cedar l)oxes would 

 be found lying about. These would contain the blankets and skins and 

 other valuables of the owners. To separate the beds of one family from 

 another, hanging curtains of grass and reeds were suspended on either 

 side, but the front was left open. The beds of the Sk-qo'niic consisted of 

 reed mats and slo'wi, i.e., the inner bark of the cedar beaten till fine and 

 soft. Rolls of the same material formed their pillows. Their coverings 

 were, for the poorer class, mats of the same materials. For the wealthy 

 these were supplemented by mountain- goat blankets and dressed deer- 

 skins. The Sk-qu'mic husband and wife ditl not sleep side by side, but 

 feet to feet. If the bed space was coniincd the feet of ojie would reach 

 to the head of the other ; but usually this was not the case, plenty of 

 room being allowed. 



In winter it was customary to keep the fires burning all night, large 

 logs being placed upon them for the purpose. On the occasion of feasts 

 and dances the hanging mats about the beds would all be taken down, 

 the beds themselves serving for seats or platforms for the drummers and 

 spectators. 



Househiild Vicndh. 



The Sk'qo'mic housekeeper possessed cooking pots of both cedar and 

 basketry. Food was served in large shallow cedar troughs or dishes. 

 Smaller platters of the same material were also in use, likewise spoons, 

 though these were also made of horn. When eating they sat on mats or 

 squatted on their haunches. Of baskets they had a great variety. Some 

 of these were made from the split roots of young cedar, spruce, or fir trees, 

 others from the bark of the alder and birch. 



Dress. 



Tlie dress of the Sk'qo'mic in prse-trading days did not differ materially 

 from that of other tribes of this region. The men commonly wore high 



