THE MONGOLIAN RACE. 



25 



to my attendant native, he looked sorrowful, and made some gestures 

 which I thought referred to the common lot of mortality. He also 

 showed me the marks of a wound, received by him, as well as I could 

 make out, in an engagement with a Northern tribe. 



The Vincennes touched at Classet, just within the entrance of the 

 Straits, and where the capture of whales is chiefly carried on. The 

 natives here were more numerous, more insolent, and had acquired a 

 greater number of EngHsh words than those living further up the 

 Straits. Several had a ring through the septum of the nose; others 

 had trinkets in the ears; and others again, had the face fancifully 

 marked with lines of soot, somewhat after the pattern of New Zea- 

 land tattooing. Arrows were kept in flat wooden boxes, with the lid 

 set in; and I observed also, the double-pointed arrow, for shooting 

 fish. Mantles were procured here, made of vegetable fibre, perhaps 

 bark; similar, but of inferior workmanship to those of New Zealand. 

 A jealousy was found to exist at Classet, between the two principal 

 men of the tribe, and one spoke of the other as a 'small Indian.' 



All the natives inhabiting the southern shore of the Straits, and 

 the deeply indented territory as far and including the tide-waters of 

 the Columbia, may be comprehended under the general term of Chi- 

 nook s : though various minor subdivisions are recognised. They were 

 found to hold some aboriginal commerce with the inland tribes; and 

 they appear to have enemies only in the North, in the 'Yookulty' 

 or Nootka people. I did not myself see the Chinooks of the Lower 

 Columbia; but the only particular difference I have found in the ac- 

 counts of them, consists in the substitution of the water-proof basket, 

 (derived apparently with other arts and customs, from California,) for 

 the square wooden bucket of the Straits. 



Tlie Chinook canoes were distinguishable, in the distance, from 

 the Polynesian, by the oblique position in which the paddle is held ; 

 the end moreover, in making a sweep, being elevated above the plane 

 of the horizon. On two occasions we were surprised by the approach 

 of a canoe larger than usual, some of the men standing and flourish- 

 ing their paddles, and all singing in chorus, in a loud clear voice : 

 these canoes were found to contain principal men, or chiefs. Sails 

 were very rarely seen; and one of matting, which we procured, has 

 been pronounced to be of the ' Russian pattern :' so that there is room 

 for doubt, whether the use of sails is aboriginal in this part of 



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