THE INDIANS OF THE NORTHWEST COAST 305 



use cotton sheeting for a cover in the form of an A tent. Along most of 

 the water-courses where there is much travel the frames may be seen left 

 standing near the good camping spots. These latter are selected from 

 their having a good beach to haul up the canoes, fresh water near, unex- 

 posed position and proximity to good hunting ground. The cotton 

 sheeting is stretched taut across the frame and the edges pegged into the 

 ground. This form of tent was also used in primitive times, mats of cedar 

 bark fibre or skins of animals forming the tent walls. At these camp sites 

 are often deposited piles of wood already cut for use. In the short 

 winter days it often happens that a belated canoe load arrives after 

 dark. Here they find wood already cut, and they build afire and warm 

 up without the necessity' of searching in the dark or in the snow for fire- 

 wood. It is part of the unwritten code that an Indian using such fire- 

 wood trust in the morning replace what he has used by a similar 

 amount gathered at his leisure before setting out again on his journey. 



HOUSES. 



The permanent houses are similar in form and type throughout the 

 coast, but reach their highest development amongst the Haida. North, 

 the Yakutat dwellings are but little better than the summer dwellings 

 of the Haida, while to the south the houses are equal in size but inferior 

 in artistic construction. In general, houses may be divided into three 

 classes: (1) those built on the surface of the ground ; (2) those built 

 on a foundation of logs or slightly raised platform ; (3) those raised on 

 high logs or stilts. 



Raised houses. — The last named are found amongst the Kwakiutl 

 and Bilqula, and their primitive form of construction is fully described 

 in Mackenzie, Voyages, p. 329, and Vancouver, Voyage, vol ii, pp. 268, 

 272, 274, and 284. They both visited this region in 1793. According 

 to Vancouver, amongst the Kwakiutl of Johnstone Strait, there were 

 dwellings " raised and supported near 30 feet from the ground by per- 

 pendicular spars of a very large size" with " access formed by a long 

 tree in an inclined position from the platform to the ground, with 

 notches cut in it by way of steps about a foot and a half asunder.* This, 

 however, was only one of several styles of their dwellings. In general, 

 they were ornamented in front, at the gables, and above the doors, as 

 now, with hieroglyphic drawings of their totems. 



Tlingit dwellings. — Amongst theTlingit, the permanent dwellings are 

 as a rule built on a slightly raised foundation of logs, the approach to 

 the doorway being by three or four raised steps with a platform in front 

 of the door of the principal houses. This latter is the loafing place, 

 and where the gamblers congregate for their incessant gambling bouts. 

 This form of construction is by no means universally adopted, as some 

 of the dwellings are built on the level of the ground. In any case, the 



* Vancouver, Voyage, vol. ii, p. 274. 

 H. Mis. 142, pt. 2 20 



