NISQUALLY AND COLUMBIA RIVER. 297 



The north shore is rocky, and composed, as far as we could examine 

 it of conglomerate, and in some few places of a reddish granite. 



In the morning we were boarded by a large canoe, with Indians 

 who spoke a few words of English ; and we had occasion to notice 

 the wide difference between them and the Polynesians, both in lan- 

 guage and appearance. No contrast can be more striking than this. 

 They seemed to have scarcely any idea of decency, and to be little 

 less elevated in their moral qualities than the Fuegians. 



The principal man of the party was dressed in a coarse coat of red 

 cloth, with the Hudson Bay Company's buttons, and corduroy trou- 

 sers. He had neither shirt, shoes, nor hat, although the rain was fall- 

 ing: fast. The others were habited in blankets or skins, and woro 

 conical grass hats, resembling in shape those of the Chinese. 



The first inquiry was, whether we were Boston or King George's, 

 ships, by which terms they distinguish Americans and English. 



They brought with them for sale some fish and a few furs. On uV 

 latter they appeared to set a high value, and were not a little disap- 

 pointed when they learned that we had no desire to purchase them. 

 They readily parted with their fine fish for a few fish-hooks and a little 

 tobacco. 



These Indians were short, thick-set, bow-legged, muscular, and 

 seemed capable of enduring great fatigue. The most obvious pecu 

 liarity was the shape of their heads, which appeared to have been 

 compressed, both before and behind, so as to give them the form of a 

 wedge. Their cheek-bones were high, and their eyes, which were 

 fine, were set wide apart: their colour was a light copper. The 

 oblique eye of the Chinese was not uncommon, and they had long 

 flowing hair: aquiline or Roman noses were prevalent. Their coun- 

 tenances wore an expression of wildness, and they had, in the opinion 

 of some of us, a melancholy cast of features. 



It was amusing to us, who had no very exalted opinion of the Fee- 

 jeeans, to observe the contempt our prisoner Vendovi entertained for 

 these Indians, which was such that he would hardly deign to look at 

 them. 



They manifested little curiosity, which was not excited even by the 

 appearance of a ship so much larger than any they could have before 

 seen, armed and manned in a manner so superior to what is usual in 

 the vessels that visit them for traffic. 



They wore but few ornaments, and that on which they seemed to 

 set the greatest value was a small silver tube stuck through the carti- 

 lage of the nose. A few of them had small brass bells suspended 

 around the rim of their ears. 



vol. iv. 38 



