242 OBSERVATIONS ON NISQUALLY. 



They are all of wandering habits, and change their resi- 

 dences in search of their food, which consist, principally, of 

 fish and clams ; the latter may be seen in great quantities in 

 their tents, strung on sticks, upon which they have been pre- 

 served by smoking and drying. They likewise store up for 

 winter use the camass root and smoked salmon ; but generally, 

 however, they are not well fed, as they are too lazy to exert 

 themselves for a supply of food, unless they are in actual want. 



In the winter several families live together in lodges con- 

 structed of plank ; when warm weather returns they break 

 up, and resort in small parties to those places where they can 

 obtain their food most easily. They all understand the Che- 

 nook language, but when speaking to each other, they use a lan- 

 guage which they call their own, and which differs materially 

 from the Chenook. 



The mean temperature during our stay was found to be 59°, 

 and during the same period, the barometer averaged 29.30 

 inches. 



The following morning, at the request of Mr. Eld, I pro- 

 ceeded to the portage, for the purpose of seeing the Chief Squaw 

 before mentioned, and making arrangements with her for 

 Indians and horses to carry the party across the Portage. I 

 arrived there after a pull of ten or fifteen minutes, and shortly 

 after saw an Indian, who informed me that he had been sent 

 by the chief woman to say, that she could not afford us the 

 promised assistance that day, but would to-morrow without 

 fail. I requested the Indian to show me to her house, as I 

 imagined that by seeing her in person I could persuade her to 

 change her mind, but he assured me that she was absent, and 

 would not return home until late in the evening. It was vex- 

 atious to meet with so many impediments at the very outset 

 of the expedition 



