North-West Continent of America. 



239 



sions, utensils, and whatever they possess. The inter- 

 mediate space is sufficient for domestic purposes. On 

 poles that run along the beams, hang roasted fish, and the 

 whole building is well covered with boards and bark, except 

 within a few inches of the ridge pole ; where open spaces 

 are left on each side to let in light and emit the smoke. At 

 the end of the house that fronts the river, is a narrow scaf- 

 folding, which is also ascended by a piece of timber, with 

 steps cut in it ; and at each corner of this erection there are 

 openings, for the inhabitants to ease nature. As it does 

 not appear to be a custom among them to remove these 

 heaps of excremental filth, it may be supposed that the ef- 

 fluvia does not annoy them. 



The houses which rest on the ground are built of the 

 same materials, and on the same plan. A sloping stage 

 that rises to a cross-piece of timber, supported by two 

 forks, joins also to the main building, for those purposes 

 which need not be repeated. 



When we were surrounded by the natives on our arrival, 

 I counted sixty-five men, and several of them may be sup*, 

 posed to have been absent; I cannot, therefore, calculate 

 the inhabitants of this village at less than two hundred souls. 



The people who accompanied us hither, from the other 

 village, had given the Chief a very particular account of 

 every thing they knew concerning us : I was, therefore, 

 requested to produce my astronomical instruments ; nor 

 could I have any objection to afford them this satisfaction, 

 as they would necessarily add to our importance in their 

 opinion. 



Near the house of the Chief I observed several oblong 

 squares, of about twenty feet by eight. They were made 

 of thick cedar boards, which were joined with so much 

 neatness, that I at first thought they were one piece. They 

 were painted with hieroglyphics, and figures of different 

 animals, and with a degree of correctness that was not to 

 be expected from such an uncultivated people. I could 

 not learn the use of them, but they appeared to be calcu- 

 lated for occasional acts of devotion or sacrifice, which all 

 these tribes perform at least twice in the year, at the spring 

 and fall. I was confirmed in this opinion by a large build- 

 ing in the middle of the village, which I at first took for 

 the half-finished frame of an house. The ground-plot of 

 it was fifty feet by forty-five ; each end is formed by four 

 stout posts, fixed perpendicularly in the ground. Ths 



