ON THE ETHNOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA. 583 
life and condition of these village communities is that of a rude and 
simple, but virtuous people, living at peace among themselves under the 
mild patriarchal sway of their local chiefs, who were assisted in their 
government by the elders of the tribe. We find them skilful and resource- 
ful in the adaptation of means to ends, exhibiting at times remarkable 
ingenuity—as witness their skill in basketry ; hardy and _ successful 
hunters, preferring peace to war, but ready and prepared to defend their 
homes and property when called upon to do so. The picture makes their 
lives stand out in strong contrast to those of their congeners on the 
coast, whose totemic and clan system, secret societies, ceremonial dances, 
and other peculiar institutions find no counterpart here at all. If we 
admit the principle that the simpler the life and institutions of a people 
are, the nearer they are to their primitive original condition, we learn 
from a consideration of these stories that the manners and customs and 
life of the coast Salish have been much modified since the separation of 
the stock into its present divisions. This, it may be pointed out, inci- 
dentally confirms what Dr. Boas and other investigators have called atten- 
tion to in their writings. 
It may be of interest to add here that a body of mythological matter, 
collected by Mr. James Tait, of Spence’s Bridge, B.C., from the upper 
N’tlaka’pamug, has recently been published by the American Folklore 
Society. I have not yet seen this, but I have no doubt a comparison of 
the two will bring out many points of interest. 
Marriage Customs of the Yale Tribe. 
The following account of the marriage customs of the Yale tribe of the 
Salish stock of B.C. was given to the writer by chief Mischelle, of Lytton, 
whose father was a Yale Indian. These customs have been much modified 
of late years. Some of the Indians are now married, after the manner of 
the whites, by the priest or minister, some few retain the old customs, 
and others unite, the church service with the customs of their forefathers, 
and thus go through what is practically a double marriage. 
Formerly, when a young man wished to marry a girl he went to the 
house of her father at daybreak and squatted down just inside the door 
with his blanket so wrapped about him that only his face was visible. 
When the father rose he perceived the young man there, but passed by 
him without taking any notice of his presence. All the other members of 
the household did the same. They prepared the morning meal, sat down 
to it, and still continued to ignore the young man’s presence, who, as soon 
as the meal was finished, quietly left the house without speaking. The 
members of the girl’s family make no comment upon the occurrence. The 
following morning the young man enters the house and squats down again 
by the door. After breakfast he departs still without speaking. After 
his departure on this second occasion the father of the girl calls the family 
and relatives together and discusses with them the eligibility of the suitor. 
If acceptable to the family, when he presents himself next morning he is 
invited to breakfast, and knows thereby that his suit is accepted. After 
the meal is over, without in any way referring to the object of his visits, 
he leaves the house, and in the course of a day or two sends a message to 
the girl’s father saying that he intends paying him a formal visit. The 
girl’s people make preparation to receive him and the friends who accom- 
pany him. Accordingly at the time appointed, in company with his 
friends, who all, as well as himself, bring gifts and food to the girl’s father, 
he makes his formal call, and presents the gifts of himself and friends, 
