294 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1888. 



what means nets were woven before the advent of the whites, the 

 writer was unable to learn. 



Dip nets. — Two varieties of these are shown In Plate xxxii, Figs. 

 163 and 164, the frame of the one being oval and the other triangular. 

 Details of the netting are shown in h and c. Fig. 163 is the kind used 

 by the Indians for scooping up echini or sea-urchins at low tide, while 

 Fig. 164 is the kind used for dipping out salmon caught in the river- 

 traps, and for herring, eulachon, etc , during the "runs." 



Weirs. — Across the streams where salmon run weirs are usually 

 built for trapping them. Where the water is shallow and swift, frames 

 of split sticks, interwoven with older branches in a kind of basket- 

 work, are stretched across, driven into the bottom, and strengthened 

 with braces held in position by pegs. These frames,*or weirs, are 

 spaced a little distance apart, so that when the salmon leaps the first 

 frame he is trapped between it and the second, and is removed by a 

 dip-net or speared at leisure. In deeper water the dam, or weir, consists 

 of a basket-work frame with round openings here and there, with pass- 

 age-ways conical in shape, formed by converging pointed sticks, like 

 some kinds of wire rat-traps. The salmon going up stream forces his 

 way through and is trapped in a basket-work compartment and dipped 

 out at leisure. 



Bird and other land traps. — The usual forms of Indian traps are found 

 in this region, consisting of a cage and figure-of-four trigger, a bent 

 sapling with snare noose, and the larger game traps of the usual dead- 

 fall pattern. 



Canoes. — The canoe is to the northwest coast what the camel is to the 

 desert. It is to the Indian of this region what the horse is to the Arab. 

 It is the apple of his eye and the object of his solicitous attention and 

 affection. It reaches its highest development in the world amongst 

 the Haida of the Queen Charlotte Islands. Classified according to 

 shapes, sizes, and uses, there may be said to be four kinds on the north- 

 west coast: (1) hunting, (2) family and transporting, (3) voyaging, 

 and (4) war. The voyaging and war canoes, although kept for different 

 purposes are practically the same in size and shape, the differences, if 

 any, being slight. 



Hunting and fishing canoes. — These are somewhat similar throughout 

 the whole coast and are well illustrated in the models shown in Plate 

 XXXIII. The upper view in the illustration is by far the most common 

 type of hunting canoes, but the lower one is that seen about Dixon 

 Entrance. They are light portable dugouts carrying from one to three 

 people. 



Family or transportation cawoes.— These are from 25 to 35 feet long 

 and 4 to 6 feet beam, carrying whole families of from four to fifteen with 

 camping outfit, trading supplies, baggage, provisions, etc., amounting 

 often to 2 tons weight or more. Farther south, around Puget Sound 

 and Vancouver Island, this kind of canoe has a straight stern post, as 



