256 HISTORY AND ETHNOLOGY. 



coast, between the forty-eighth and fifty-ninth degrees of latitude, are 

 divided into twenty different tribes, and these into four different groups of 

 languages, embracing probably only the Koloshes proper. 



1. The language of >S'z7cAa. 



Here belong the Chilcart, the Sitka, the Hoodsunhoo, the Ark and 

 Kake, the Eelikinoo, the Hennega, the Stickeen, and Tumgarse tribes. 



2. The Naass language. 



The Naass, the Chebaska, and the Millhank Indians. 



3. The language of the tribes upon Queen Charlotte's Island and of 

 some others. 



The Cumshewar, the Massit, the Skiddegat or Skittagete, the KesarUt 

 and the Kigarnee tribes. 



4. The Newettee or Newitte language, which is spoken on the northwest 

 end of Vancouver's Island in Lat. 56°. 



The Koloshes have a strong, bony structure, prominent cheekbones, a 

 broad, flat nose, large mouth, thick lips, and small black eyes. Men pluck 

 out the beard. Their complexion passes but little into reddish-brown, but 

 the practice of rubbing themselves daily with black earth gives it a darker 

 appearance than it would otherwise have. They paint the face crosswise, 

 with broad, black, red, and white stripes. Men and women bore the 

 bridge of the nose, and the ears, in order to put in all sorts of ornaments, 

 and also pierce the under lip for the reception of a bone, and a large oval 

 double button called kaluga. With the exception of a smail leather apron, 

 the Koloshes go entirely naked, and the w^ealthy alone hang around them a 

 bearskin cloak or covering of goat's hair ; the richest, however, sometimes 

 take pride also in wearing European clothing. Kotzebue calls them rapa- 

 cious, faithless, and bloodthirstv. 



*' . • . 



B. The Athapascas. According to Berghaus, if we draw a line from the 



mouth of Churchill or Missinipi River at Hudson's Bay, upwards towards 

 its source where it is called Beaver River, and thence continue it along 

 the chain of mountains which divide the north branch of the Saskatchawan 

 River from the tributaries of the Athapasca or Elk River, and finally, carry 

 it on westwards to wathin about ninety miles of the coast of the Pacific 

 Ocean at 52° or 53° north latitude : all the Indian tribes that dwell upon 

 the north side of this line, and are surrounded in all other directions from 

 Hudson's Bay to the Great Ocean by the narrow belt of Esquimaux and 

 Koloshes, belong, as far as known to us at present, with the only exception 

 of the Quarrellers or Loucheux, to one family, and speak kindred lan- 

 guages. Gallatin has comprehended them under the arbitrary denomination 

 of Athapascas. They embrace : 



1. The Northern Indians, the eastern branch of the family, extending to 

 Hudson's Bay, and separated into the following tribes : the Northern 

 Indians proper, the Cheppeyans, the Coppermine Indians, the Dog-rib, 

 the Strong-bow, the Mountain, the Ambawtawoot or Sheep, the Kancho 

 or Hare Indians, the Indians of the Rocky Mountains, the Sussees or 

 Sursees, the Nauscuddennies, and the Nagailers. Most of them speak the 

 Cheppeyan language. 

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