The Adventures of John Jewitt Part 8

CHAPTER IX

SITUATION OF THE AUTHOR--REMOVAL TO TASHEES--FIs.h.i.+NG PARTIES

But to return to our unhappy situation. Though my comrade and myself fared as well, and even better than we could have expected among these people, considering their customs and mode of living, yet our fears lest no s.h.i.+p would come to our release, and that we should never more behold a Christian country, were to us a source of constant pain. Our princ.i.p.al consolation, in this gloomy state, was to go on Sundays, whenever the weather would permit, to the borders of a freshwater pond about a mile from the village, where, after bathing and putting on clean clothes, we would seat ourselves under the shade of a beautiful pine, while I read some chapters in the Bible, and the prayers appointed by our Church for the day, ending our devotions with a fervent prayer to the Almighty, that He would deign still to watch over and preserve our lives, rescue us from the hands of the savages, and permit us once more to behold a Christian land.

In this manner were the greater part of our Sundays pa.s.sed at Nootka; and I felt gratified to Heaven that, amidst our other sufferings, we were at least allowed the pleasure of offering up our devotions unmolested, for Maquina, on my explaining to him as well as was in my power the reason of our thus retiring at this time, far from objecting, readily consented to it.

The pond above mentioned was small, not more than a quarter of a mile in breadth, and of no great length, the water being very clear, though not of great depth, and bordered by a beautiful forest of pine, fir, elm,[101] and beech,[101] free from bushes and underwood--a most delightful retreat, which was rendered still more attractive by a great number of birds that frequented it, particularly the humming-bird.[102]

Thither we used to go to wash our clothes, and felt secure from any intrusion from the natives, as they rarely visited it, except for the purpose of cleansing themselves of their paint.

In July we at length thought that the hope of delivery we had so long anxiously indulged was on the point of being gratified. A s.h.i.+p appeared in the offing; but, alas! our fond hopes vanished almost as soon as formed; for, instead of standing in for the sh.o.r.e, she pa.s.sed to the northward, and soon disappeared. I shall not attempt to describe our disappointment--my heart sank within me, and I felt as though it was my destiny never more to behold a Christian face. Four days after, there occurred a tremendous storm of thunder and lightning, during which the natives manifested great alarm and terror, the whole tribe hurrying to Maquina's house, where, instead of keeping within, they seated themselves on the roof, amid the severest of the tempest, drumming upon the boards, and looking up to heaven, while the king beat the long hollow plank, singing, and, as he afterwards told me, begging _Quahootze_, the name they give to G.o.d, not to kill them, in which he was accompanied by the whole tribe; this singing and drumming was continued until the storm abated.

As the summer drew near its close, we began to suffer from the frequent want of food, which was princ.i.p.ally owing to Maquina and the chiefs being out whaling, in which he would not permit Thompson and myself to join, lest we should make our escape to some of the neighbouring tribes.

At these times the women seldom or ever cook any provision, and we were often hungry, but were sometimes fortunate enough to procure secretly a piece of salmon, some other fish, sp.a.w.n, or even blubber, which, by boiling in salt water, with a few onions and turnips, the remains of the Spanish garden, or young nettles or other herbs, furnished us a delicious repast in private.

In the meantime, we frequently received accounts from the tribes who came to Nootka, both from the north and south, of there being vessels on the coast, and were advised by their chiefs to make our escape, who also promised us their aid, and to put us on board. These stories, however, as I afterwards learned, were almost all of them without any foundation, and merely invented by these people with a view to get us into their power, in order to make slaves of us themselves, or to sell us to others.

But I was still more strongly solicited to leave Nootka by a woman. This was a Wickinninish princess, a younger sister of Maquina's wife, who was there on a visit. I had the good fortune, if it may be so called, to become quite a favourite with her. She appeared much interested for me, asked me many questions respecting my country, if I had a mother and sister at home, and if they would not grieve for my absence. Her complexion was fairer than that of the women in general, and her features more regular, and she would have been quite handsome had it not been for a defect in one of her eyes, the sight of which had been injured by some accident; the reason, as Maquina told me, why she had not been married, a defect of this kind being by these savages considered as almost an insuperable objection. She urged me repeatedly to return with her, telling me that the Wickinninish were much better than the Nootkians; that her father would treat me more kindly than Maquina, give me better food and clothes, and finally put me on board one of my own country vessels. I felt, however, little disposed to accompany her, considering my situation with Maquina full as eligible as it would be with Wickinninish, if not better, notwithstanding all she said to the contrary.

On the 3rd of September the whole tribe quitted Nootka, according to their constant practice, in order to pa.s.s the autumn and winter at Tashees[103] and Cooptee, the latter lying about thirty miles up the Sound, in a deep bay, the navigation of which is very dangerous, from the great number of reefs and rocks with which it abounds.

On these occasions everything is taken with them, even the planks of their houses, in order to cover their new dwellings. To an European such a removal exhibits a scene quite novel and strange; canoes piled up with boards and boxes, and filled with men, women, and children, of all ranks and sizes, making the air resound with their cries and songs.

At these times, as well as when they have occasion to go some distance from their houses, the infants are usually suspended across the mother's shoulders, in a kind of cradle or hammock, formed of bark, of about six inches in depth, and of the length of the child, by means of a leather band inserted through loops on its edges; this they also keep them in when at home, in order to preserve them in a straight position, and prevent any distortion of the limbs, most probably a princ.i.p.al cause of these people being so seldom deformed or crooked.

The longboat of our s.h.i.+p having been repaired and furnished with a sail by Thompson, Maquina gave us the direction of it, we being better acquainted with managing it than his people, and, after loading her as deep as she could swim, we proceeded in company with them to the north, quitting Nootka with heavy hearts, as we could entertain no hopes of release until our return, no s.h.i.+ps ever coming to that part of the coast. Pa.s.sing Cooptee, which is situated on the southern bank, just within the mouth of a small river flowing from the east in a narrow valley at the foot of a mountain, we proceeded about fifteen miles up this stream to Tashees, between a range of lofty hills on each side, which extend a great distance inland, and are covered with the finest forest trees of the country. Immediately on our arrival, we all went to work very diligently in covering the houses with the planks we had brought, the frames being ready erected, these people never pretending to remove the timber. In a very short time the work was completed, and we were established in our new residence.

Tashees is pleasantly situated, and in a most secure position from the winter storms, in a small vale or hollow on the south sh.o.r.e, at the foot of a mountain. The spot on which it stands is level, and the soil very fine, the country in its vicinity abounding with the most romantic views, charmingly diversified, and fine streams of water falling in beautiful cascades from the mountains. The river at this place is about twenty rods in width, and, in its deepest part, from nine to twelve feet. This village is the extreme point of navigation, as, immediately beyond, the river becomes much more shallow, and is broken into falls and rapids. The houses here are placed in a line like those at Nootka, but closer together, the situation being more confined; they are also smaller, in consequence of which we were much crowded, and incommoded for room.

The princ.i.p.al object in coming to this place is the facility it affords these people of providing their winter stock of provisions, which consists princ.i.p.ally of salmon, and the sp.a.w.n of that fish; to which may be added herrings and sprats, and herring sp.a.w.n. The latter, however, is always procured by them at Nootka, previous to their quitting it. At the seasons of sp.a.w.ning, which are early in spring and the last of August, they collect a great quant.i.ty of pine branches, which they place in different parts of the Cove at the depth of about ten feet, and secure them by means of heavy stones. On these the herring deposit their sp.a.w.n in immense quant.i.ties; the bushes are then taken up, the sp.a.w.n stripped from the branches, and, after being washed and freed from the pine leaves by the women, is dried and put up in baskets for use. It is considered as their greatest delicacy, and eaten both cooked and raw; in the former case, being boiled and eaten with train-oil, and in the latter, mixed up with cold water alone.

The salmon are taken at Tashees, princ.i.p.ally in pots or wears. Their method of taking them in wears is thus:--A pot of twenty feet in length, and from four to five feet diameter at the mouth, is formed of a great number of pine splinters, which are strongly secured, an inch and a half from each other, by means of hoops made of flexible twigs, and placed about eight inches apart. At the end it tapers almost to a point, near which is a small wicker door for the purpose of taking out the fish.

This pot or wear is placed at the foot of a fall or rapid, where the water is not very deep, and the fish, driven from above with long poles, are intercepted and caught in the wear, from whence they are taken into the canoes. In this manner I have seen more than seven hundred salmon caught in the s.p.a.ce of fifteen minutes.[104] I have also sometimes known a few of the striped ba.s.s taken in this manner, but rarely.

[Ill.u.s.tration: SALMON WEAR NEAR THE INDIAN VILLAGE OF QUAMICHAN, V. I.]

At such times there is great feasting and merriment among them. The women and female slaves being busily employed in cooking, or in curing the fish for their winter stock, which is done by cutting off the heads and tails, splitting them, taking out the back bone, and hanging them up in their houses to dry. They also dry the halibut and cod, but these, instead of curing whole, they cut up into small pieces for that purpose, and expose to the sun.

The sp.a.w.n of the salmon, which is a princ.i.p.al article of their provision, they take out, and, without any other preparation, throw it into their tubs, where they leave it to stand and ferment, for, though they frequently eat it fresh, they esteem it much more when it has acquired a strong taste, and one of the greatest favours they can confer on any person, is to invite him to eat _Quakamiss_, the name they give this food, though scarcely anything can be more repugnant to an European palate, than it is in this state; and whenever they took it out of these large receptacles, which they are always careful to fill, such was the stench which it exhaled, on being moved, that it was almost impossible for me to abide it, even after habit had in a great degree dulled the delicacy of my senses. When boiled it became less offensive, though it still retained much of the putrid smell, and something of the taste.

Such is the immense quant.i.ty of these fish, and they are taken with such facility, that I have known upwards of twenty-five hundred brought into Maquina's house at once; and at one of their great feasts, have seen one hundred or more cooked in one of their largest tubs.

I used frequently to go out with Maquina upon these fis.h.i.+ng parties, and was always sure to receive a handsome present of salmon, which I had the privilege of calling mine; I also went with him several times in a canoe, to strike the salmon, which I have attempted to do myself, but could never succeed, it requiring a degree of adroitness that I did not possess. I was also permitted to go out with a gun, and was several times very successful in shooting wild ducks and teal, which are very numerous here, though rather shy. These they cooked in their usual manner, by boiling, without any farther dressing than skinning them.

In many respects, however, our situation was less pleasant here than at Nootka. We were more incommoded for room, the houses not being so s.p.a.cious, nor so well arranged, and as it was colder, we were compelled to be much more within doors. We, however, did not neglect on Sundays, when the weather would admit, to retire into the woods, and, by the side of some stream, after bathing, return our thanks to G.o.d for preserving us, and offer up to Him our customary devotions.

I was, however, very apprehensive, soon after our arrival at this place, that I should be deprived of the satisfaction of keeping my journal, as Maquina one day, observing me writing, inquired of me what I was doing, and when I endeavoured to explain it, by telling him that I was keeping an account of the weather, he said it was not so, and that I was speaking bad about him, and telling how he had taken our s.h.i.+p and killed the crew, so as to inform my countrymen, and that if he ever saw me writing in it again, he would throw it into the fire. I was much rejoiced that he did no more than threaten, and became very cautious afterwards not to let him see me write.

Not long after, I finished some daggers for him, which I polished highly; these pleased him much, and he gave me directions to make a cheetolth, in which I succeeded so far to his satisfaction, that he gave me a present of cloth sufficient to make me a complete suit of raiment, besides other things.

Thompson also, who had become rather more of a favourite than formerly, since he had made a fine sail for his canoe, and some garments for him out of European cloth, about this time completed another, which was thought by the savages a most superb dress. This was a _kotsuk_ or mantle, a fathom square, made entirely of European vest patterns of the gayest colours. These were sewed together in a manner to make the best show, and bound with a deep tr.i.m.m.i.n.g of the finest otter-skin, with which the arm-holes were also bordered; while the bottom was further embellished with five or six rows of gilt b.u.t.tons, placed as near as possible to each other.

Nothing could exceed the pride of Maquina when he first put on this royal robe, decorated, like the coat of Joseph, with all the colours of the rainbow, and glittering with the b.u.t.tons, which as he strutted about made a tinkling, while he repeatedly exclaimed, in a transport of exultation, "_Klew s.h.i.+sh Kotsuk--wick k.u.m_ _atack Nootka_."[105]--"A fine garment--Nootka can't make them."

Maquina, who knew that the chiefs of the tribes who came to visit us had endeavoured to persuade me to escape, frequently cautioned me not to listen to them, saying that, should I make the attempt, and he were to take me, he should certainly put me to death. While here, he gave me a book, in which I found the names of seven persons belonging to the s.h.i.+p _Manchester_, of Philadelphia, Captain Brian--viz. Daniel Smith, Lewis Gillon, James Tom, Clark, Johnson, Ben, and Jack. These men, as Maquina informed me, ran away from the s.h.i.+p and came to him, but that six of them soon after went off in the night, with an intention to go to the Wickinninish, but were stopped by the Eshquates, and sent back to him, and that he ordered them to be put to death; and a most cruel death it was, as I was told by one of the natives, four men holding one of them on the ground, and forcing open his mouth, while they choked him by ramming stones down his throat.

As to Jack, the boy, who made no attempt to go off, Maquina afterwards sold him to the Wickinninish. I was informed by the Princess Yuqua that he was quite a small boy, who cried a great deal, being put to hard labour beyond his strength by the natives, in cutting wood and bringing water, and that when he heard of the murder of our crew, it had such an effect on him, that he fell sick, and died shortly after. On learning the melancholy fate of this unfortunate lad, it again awakened in my bosom those feelings that I had experienced at the shocking death of my poor comrades.

FOOTNOTES:

[101] These trees are not found in Vancouver Island. Possibly, though they are not very like, Jewitt mistook them for the Oregon alder and the American ash, both trees of that locality.

[102] This is the migratory red-backed species (_Selasphorus rufus_, p.

19).

[103] "Tas.h.i.+s Ca.n.a.l" of seamen--the Tas.h.i.+s River flows in at its head, Coptee is at the mouth, Tas.h.i.+s farther up the stream.

[104] Salmon used to be bought at Alberni at the rate of a cent apiece.

There have been times when the garden at Fort Rupert was manured with fresh salmon.

[105] This is a fair specimen of the kind of _lingua franca_ which even then had begun to spring up in the intercourse of the early traders with the Indians, and which by now takes the shape of the Chinook Jargon.

For, apart from the imperfectly p.r.o.nounced Indian words, there is no such term as Nootka in any language. It was a misconception of the first visitors there. They probably mistook _Nootchee_, a mountain, for the name of the country generally (p. 29).

CHAPTER X

CONVERSATION WITH MAQUINA--FRUITS--RELIGIOUS CEREMONIES--VISIT TO UPQUESTA

The king, finding that I was desirous of learning their language, was much delighted, and took great pleasure in conversing with me. On one of these occasions he explained to me his reasons for cutting off our s.h.i.+p, saying that he bore no ill will to my countrymen, but that he had been several times treated very ill by them. The first injury of which he had cause to complain, was done him by a Captain Tawnington, who commanded a schooner which pa.s.sed a winter at Friendly Cove, where he was well treated by the inhabitants. This man, taking advantage of Maquina's absence, who had gone to the Wickinninish to procure a wife, armed himself and crew, and entered the house, where there were none but women, whom he threw into the greatest consternation, and, searching the chests, took away all the skins, of which Maquina had no less than forty of the best; and that about the same time, four of their chiefs were barbarously killed by a Captain Martinez, a Spaniard.[106]

That soon after, Captain Hanna, of the _Sea Otter_[107] in consequence of one of the natives having stolen a chisel from the carpenter, fired upon their canoes which were alongside, and killed upwards of twenty of the natives, of whom several were _Tyees_ or chiefs; and that he himself, being on board the vessel, in order to escape was obliged to leap from the quarter-deck, and swim for a long way under water.

These injuries had excited in the breast of Maquina an ardent desire of revenge, the strongest pa.s.sion of the savage heart, and though many years had elapsed since their commission, still they were not forgotten, and the want of a favourable opportunity alone prevented him from sooner avenging them. Unfortunately for us, the long-wished-for opportunity at length presented itself in our s.h.i.+p, which Maquina finding not guarded with the usual vigilance of the North-West traders, and feeling his desire of revenge rekindled by the insult offered him by Captain Salter, formed a plan for attacking, and on his return called a council of his chiefs, and communicated it to them, acquainting them with the manner in which he had been treated. No less desirous of avenging this affront offered their king than their former injuries, they readily agreed to his proposal, which was to go on board without arms as usual, but under different pretexts, in great numbers, and wait for his signal for the moment of attacking their unsuspecting victims. The execution of this scheme, as the reader knows, was unhappily too successful.

And here I cannot but indulge a reflection that has frequently occurred to me on the manner in which our people behave towards the natives. For, though they are a thievish race, yet I have no doubt that many of the melancholy disasters have princ.i.p.ally arisen from the imprudent conduct of some of the captains and crews of the s.h.i.+ps employed in this trade, in exasperating them by insulting, plundering, and even killing them on slight grounds. This, as nothing is more sacred with a savage than the principle of revenge, and no people are so impatient under insult, induces them to wreak their vengeance upon the first vessel or boat's crew that offers, making the innocent too frequently suffer for the wrongs of the guilty, as few of them know how to discriminate between persons of the same general appearance, more especially when speaking the same language. And to this cause do I believe must princ.i.p.ally be ascribed the sanguinary disposition with which these people are reproached, as Maquina repeatedly told me that it was not his wish to hurt a white man, and that he never should have done it, though ever so much in his power, had they not injured him.

[Ill.u.s.tration: CALLIc.u.m AND MAQUILLA, CHIEFS OF NOOTKA SOUND.]

And were the commanders of our s.h.i.+ps to treat the savages with rather more civility than they sometimes do, I am inclined to think they would find their account in it; not that I should recommend to them a confidence in the good faith and friendly professions of these people, so as in any degree to remit their vigilance, but, on the contrary, to be strictly on their guard, and suffer but a very few of them to come on board the s.h.i.+p, and admit not many of their canoes alongside at a time; a precaution that would have been the means of preventing some of the unfortunate events that have occurred, and if attended to, may in future preserve many a valuable life. Such a regulation, too, from what I know of their disposition and wants, would produce no serious difficulty in trading with the savages, and they would soon become perfectly reconciled to it.