THE CHINOOK INDIANS. 



17 



return to the sea, but all die in the river ; the Columbia is hardly 

 ever free from gill nets, and no salmon has ever been taken re- 

 turning ; and in the fall, wherever still water occurs, the whole place 

 is tainted by their putrid bodies floating in immense masses. I have 

 been obliged to travel through a whole night trying to find an encamp- 

 ment free from their disgusting effluvia. 



The Chinooks also catch a considerable number of sturgeon, which 

 here attain to an enormous size, weighing from four to six cwt. ; this 

 is done by means of a long-jointed spear handle seventy or eighty 

 feet in length, fitted into, but not actually fastened to a barbed spear- 

 head, to which is attached a line, with this they feel along the bottom 

 of the river, where the sturgeon are found lying at the spawning sea- 

 son. Upon feeling the fish the barbed spear is driven in and the 

 handle withdrawn. The fish is then gradually drawn in by the line, 

 which being very long allows the sturgeon room to waste his great 

 strength, so that he can with safety be taken into the canoe or towed 

 ashore. 



At the mouth of the river a very small fish, about the size of our 

 Sardine, is caught in immense numbers. It is called there Uhlekun, 

 and is much prized on account of its delicacy and extraordinary fat- 

 ness. When dried this fish will burn from one end to the other with 

 a clear steady light like a candle. The Uhlekuns are caught with 

 astonishing rapidity by means of an instrument about seven feet 

 long ; the handle is about three feet, into which is fixed a curved 

 wooden blade about four feet, somewhat the shape of a sabre, with 

 the edge at the back. In this edge, at the distance of an inch and 

 a-half, are inserted sharp bone teeth about an inch long. The Indian 

 standing in the canoe draws this edgeways with both hands, holding 

 it like a paddle, rapidly through the dense shoals of fish which are 

 so thick that almost every tooth will strike a fish. One knock across 

 the thwarts safely deposits them in the bottom of the canoe. This is 

 done with such rapidity that the Indians will not use nets for this 

 description of fishing. 



There are few whales now caught on the coast, but the Indians are 

 most enthusiastic in the chase. Upon a whale being seen blowing in 

 the offing they rush down to their large canoes and push off, with ten 

 or twelve men in each. The canoes are furnished with a number of 

 strong seal skin bags filled with air, and made with great care and 

 skill, capable of containing about ten gallons. To each bag is 

 attached a barbed spear-head by a strong string about eight or nine 

 feet long, and in the socket of the spear-head is fitted a handle five or 



Vol. II— b 



