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09 - Captivity of Nearly Three Years Among the Savages of Nootka Sound by John R. Jewitt · Captivity of Nearly Three Years Among the Savages of Nootka Sound

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Speaker 1: Section nine of a captivity of nearly three years among
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Speaker 1: the savages of Nutkah's Sound by John R. Jewett. This
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Speaker 1: LibriVox recording is in the public domain. In giving some
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Speaker 1: account of the tribes that were accustomed to visit Nutka,
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Speaker 1: I shall commence at the southward with the Claitzarts and
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Speaker 1: the Wikaninish, premising that in point of personal appearance, there
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Speaker 1: prevails a wonderful diversity between the various tribes on the coast,
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Speaker 1: with the exception of the feet and legs, which are
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Speaker 1: badly shaped in almost all of them from their practice
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Speaker 1: of sitting on them. The Clitzarts are a numerous and
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Speaker 1: powerful tribe, living nearly three hundred miles to the south,
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Speaker 1: and are said to consist of more than a thousand warriors.
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Speaker 1: They appear to be more civilized than any of the others,
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Speaker 1: being better and more neatly dressed, more mild and affable
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Speaker 1: in their manners, remark arkable for their sprightliness and vivacity,
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Speaker 1: and celebrated for their singing and dancing. They exhibit also
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Speaker 1: great marks of improvement in whatever is brought by them.
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Speaker 1: Their canoes, though not superior to those of Nutka in
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Speaker 1: point of form and lightness, being more highly ornamented, and
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Speaker 1: their weapons and tools of every kind have a much
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Speaker 1: higher finish and display more skill in the workmanship. Their
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Speaker 1: cast of countenance is very different from that of the Nupeans,
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Speaker 1: their faces being very broad, with a less prominent nose
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Speaker 1: and smaller eyes, and the top of the head flattened
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Speaker 1: as if it had been pressed down with a weight.
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Speaker 1: Their complexion is also much fairer, and their stature shorter,
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Speaker 1: though they are well formed and strongly set. They have
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Speaker 1: a custom which appears to be peculiar to them, as
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Speaker 1: I never observed it in any of the other tribes,
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Speaker 1: which is to pluck out not only their beards and
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Speaker 1: the hair from their bodies, but also their eyebrows, so
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Speaker 1: as not to leave a vestige remaining. They were also,
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Speaker 1: in general more skillful in painting and decorating themselves, and
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Speaker 1: I have seen some of them with no less than
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Speaker 1: a dozen holes in each of their ears, to which
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Speaker 1: were suspended strings of small beads about two inches in length.
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Speaker 1: Their language is the same as spoken at Nootka, but
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Speaker 1: their pronunciation is much more hoarse and guttural. These people
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Speaker 1: are not only very expert in whaling, but are great
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Speaker 1: hunters of the sea, otter, and other animals with which
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Speaker 1: their country is said to abound, as the metal melth,
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Speaker 1: a large animal of the deer kind, the skin of
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Speaker 1: which I have already spoken of, another of a light
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Speaker 1: gray color with very fine hair, from which they manufacture
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Speaker 1: a handsome cloth, the bee, and a species of large
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Speaker 1: wild cat or tiger cat. The Wikaninish, their neighbours on
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Speaker 1: the north, are about two hundred miles from Nutka. They
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Speaker 1: are a robust, strong, and warlike people, but considered by
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Speaker 1: the Nutkians as their inferiors encourage. This tribe is more
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Speaker 1: numerous than that of Nutka, amounting to between six and
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Speaker 1: seven hundred warriors, though not so civilized as the Quaitzarts
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Speaker 1: and less skillful in their manufactures. Like them, they employ
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Speaker 1: themselves in hunting as well as whaling and fishing. Their
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Speaker 1: faces are broad, but less so than the Quaitzarts, with
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Speaker 1: a darker complexion and a much less open and pleasing
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Speaker 1: expression of countenance, while their heads present a very different form,
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Speaker 1: being pressed in at the sides and lengthened towards the top,
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Speaker 1: somewhat in the shape of a sugar loaf. These people
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Speaker 1: are very frequent visitors at Nutka. A close friendship subsisting
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Speaker 1: between the two nations, Makina Sarcoma or queen Ia Tindhlao,
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Speaker 1: being the daughter of the Wickaninish king. The Clautquats, adjoining
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Speaker 1: them on the north, are much less numerous, their force
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Speaker 1: not exceeding four hundred fighting men. They are also behind
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Speaker 1: them in the arts of life. These are a fierce,
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Speaker 1: bold and enterprising people, and there were none that visited
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Speaker 1: Nutka whom Makina used to be more on his guard
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Speaker 1: against or viewed with so much suspicion. The Eshquots are
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Speaker 1: about the same number. These are considered as tributary to Makina.
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Speaker 1: Their coast abounds with rivers, creeks and marshes. To the north,
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Speaker 1: the nearest tribe of any importance is the atitsarts. These however,
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Speaker 1: do not exceed three hundred warriors. In appearance, they greatly
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Speaker 1: resemble the people of Nutka, to whom they are considered
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Speaker 1: as tributary, their manners, dress, and style of living also
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Speaker 1: being very similar. They reside at about forty miles distance
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Speaker 1: up the sound. A considerable way further to the northward
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Speaker 1: are the Cayuquets. These are a much more numerous tribe
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Speaker 1: than that of Nutka, but thought by the latter to
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Speaker 1: be deficient in courage and martial spirit, Makina having frequently
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Speaker 1: told me that their hearts were little like those of birds.
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Speaker 1: There are also, both at the north and south, many
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Speaker 1: other intervening tribes, but in general small in number and insignificant,
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Speaker 1: all of whom, as well as the above mentioned, speak
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Speaker 1: the same language. But the Nuchimas, who come from a
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Speaker 1: great way to the northward and from some distance inland,
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Speaker 1: as I was told by Makina, speak quite a different language,
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Speaker 1: although it is well understood by those of Nootka. These
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Speaker 1: were the most savage looking and ugly men that I
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Speaker 1: ever saw, their complexion being much darker, their stature shorter,
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Speaker 1: and their hair coarser than that of the other nations,
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Speaker 1: and their dress and appearance dirty in an extreme. They
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Speaker 1: wear their beards long like Jews, and have a very
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Speaker 1: morose and surly countenance. Their usual dress is a kutsack
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Speaker 1: made of wolf skin, with a number of the tails
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Speaker 1: attached to it, of which I have seen no less
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Speaker 1: than ten on one garment hanging from the top to
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Speaker 1: the bottom. Though They sometimes wear a similar mantle of
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Speaker 1: bark cloth of a much coarser texture than that of Noutka,
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Speaker 1: the original color of which appears to be the same,
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Speaker 1: though from their very great filthiness it was almost impossible
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Speaker 1: to discover what it had been their motive dressing. Their
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Speaker 1: hair also varies essentially from that of the other tribes,
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Speaker 1: for they suffer that on the back of the head
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Speaker 1: to hang loose and bind the other over their foreheads
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Speaker 1: in the manner of a filet, with a strip of
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Speaker 1: their country cloth ornamented with small white shells. Their weapons
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Speaker 1: are the cheat toolf or war club, which is made
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Speaker 1: from a whale bone, daggers, bows and arrows, and a
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Speaker 1: kind of spear pointed with bone or copper. They brought
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Speaker 1: with them no furs for sale, excepting a few wolf skins,
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Speaker 1: their merchandise consisting principally of the black shining mineral called
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Speaker 1: pelpeth and the fine red paint, which they carefully kept
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Speaker 1: in close mate bags, some small dried salmon, clams and
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Speaker 1: rows of fish, with occasionally a little coarse matting cloth.
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Speaker 1: They were accustomed to remain a much longer time at
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Speaker 1: Nootka than the other tribes in order to recover from
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Speaker 1: the fatigue of a long journey, part of which was
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Speaker 1: over land, and on these occasions taught their songs to
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Speaker 1: our savages. The trade of most of the other tribes
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Speaker 1: with Noutka was principally train oil, seal or whales, blubber fish,
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Speaker 1: fresh or dried herring or salmon spawn, clams and mussels,
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Speaker 1: and the yama, a species of fruit which is pressed
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Speaker 1: and dried, cloth, sea otter skins, and slaves from the
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Speaker 1: Atitsarts and the Cayukets. Particularly the former, the best eyewa
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Speaker 1: and the greatest quantities was obtained. The Eshkuates furnished us
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Speaker 1: with wild ducks and geese, particularly the latter. The Wickaninish
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Speaker 1: and quiet SARTs brought to market many slaves, the best
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Speaker 1: sea otter skins, great quantities of oil, oil, sinew, and
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Speaker 1: cakes of the yama, highly ornamented canoes, some e waw
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Speaker 1: red ochre and pelpeth of an inferior quality to that
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Speaker 1: obtained from the Nuchimas, but particularly the so much valued
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Speaker 1: metaw mealth, and an excellent root called by the Claizarts quanous.
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Speaker 1: This is the size of a small onion, but rather longer,
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Speaker 1: being of a tapering form like a pear, and of
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Speaker 1: a brownish color. It is cooked by steam, is always
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Speaker 1: brought in baskets, ready prepared for eating, and in truth
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Speaker 1: is a very fine vegetable, being sweet, mealy and of
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Speaker 1: a most agreeable flavor. It was highly esteemed by the natives,
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Speaker 1: who used to eat it as they did everything else
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Speaker 1: with train. Oil from the Claitzarts was also received, though
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Speaker 1: in no great quantity. A cloth manufactured by them from
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Speaker 1: the fur already spoken of, which feels like wool and
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Speaker 1: is of a gray color. Many of the articles thus brought,
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Speaker 1: particularly the provisions, were considered as presents or tributary offerings,
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Speaker 1: but this must be viewed as little more than a
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Speaker 1: nominal acknowledgment of superiority, as they rarely failed to get
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Speaker 1: the full amount of the value of their presence. I
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Speaker 1: have known eighteen of the great tubs in which they
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Speaker 1: keep their provisions, filled with spawn brought in this way.
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Speaker 1: On these occasions a great feast is always made, to
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Speaker 1: which not only the strangers, but the whole village men,
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Speaker 1: women and children are generally invited, And I have seen
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Speaker 1: five of the largest tubs employed at such time in
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Speaker 1: cooking at the king's house. At these feasts, they generally
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Speaker 1: indulge in eating to an excess, making up in this
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Speaker 1: respect for their want of inebriating liquors, which they know
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Speaker 1: no method of preparing in any form, their only drink
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Speaker 1: being water. Whenever they came to visit or traid, it
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Speaker 1: was their general custom to stop a few miles distant
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Speaker 1: under the lee of some bluff or rock, and rig
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Speaker 1: themselves out in their best manner by painting and dressing
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Speaker 1: their heads. On their first coming on shore. They were
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Speaker 1: invited to eat by the king when they brought to
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Speaker 1: him such articles as he wanted, after which the rest
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Speaker 1: of the inhabitants were permitted to purchase the strangers, being
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Speaker 1: careful to keep them in their canoes until sold under
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Speaker 1: strict guard to prevent their being stolen. The disposition of
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Speaker 1: these people for thieving being so great that it is
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Speaker 1: necessary to keep a watchful eye upon them. This was
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Speaker 1: their usual mode of traffic. But whenever they wished to
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Speaker 1: purchase any particular object, as for instance, a certain slave
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Speaker 1: or some other thing of which they were very desirous,
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Speaker 1: the canoe that came for this purpose would lie off
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Speaker 1: a little distance from the shore, and a kind of
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Speaker 1: ambassador or representative of the king or chief by whom
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Speaker 1: it was sent best in their best manner, and with
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Speaker 1: his head covered with the white down, would rise and,
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Speaker 1: after making known the object of his mission in a
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Speaker 1: pompous speech, hold up specimens of such articles as he
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Speaker 1: was instructed to offer in payment, mentioning the number or
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Speaker 1: quantity of each, when if the bargain was concluded, the
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Speaker 1: exchange was immediately made. On their visits of friendship or traffic,
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Speaker 1: the chiefs alone used to sleep on shore. This was
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Speaker 1: generally at the house of the king or head chief,
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Speaker 1: the others passing the night on board of their canoes,
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Speaker 1: which was done not only for the preservation of their property,
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Speaker 1: but because they were not permitted to remain on shore
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Speaker 1: lest they might excite some disturbance or commit depredations. All
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Speaker 1: these people generally go armed, the common class wearing only
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Speaker 1: a dagger suspended from their neck behind with a string
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Speaker 1: of metal melth and sometimes thrust in their girdles. The chiefs,
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Speaker 1: in addition to the dagger, carry the cheek toolf or
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Speaker 1: war club suspended in the same manner beneath their mantles.
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Speaker 1: This in the hands of a strong man is a
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Speaker 1: powerful weapon in the management of which some of the
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Speaker 1: older chiefs are very dexterous. It is made from the
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Speaker 1: bone of a whale and is very heavy. The blade
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Speaker 1: is about eighteen inches long and three broad till it
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Speaker 1: approaches near the point where it expands to the breadth
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Speaker 1: of four inches in the middle, from whence it slopes
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Speaker 1: off gradually to an edge on each side. It is
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Speaker 1: from one to two inches in thickness. The blade is
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Speaker 1: usually covered with figures of the sun and moon, a
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Speaker 1: man's head, et cetera. And the hilt, which is made
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Speaker 1: to represent the head of a man or some animal,
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Speaker 1: is curiously set with small white shells and has a
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Speaker 1: band of metal melf fastened to it in order to
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Speaker 1: sling it over the shoulder. Some of the tribes have
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Speaker 1: also a kind of spear headed with copper or the
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Speaker 1: bone of the sting ray, which is a dangerous weapon.
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Speaker 1: This is, however, not usual and only carried by the chiefs.
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Speaker 1: The bow and arrow are still used by a few,
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Speaker 1: but since the introduction of fire arms among them, this
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Speaker 1: weapon has been mostly laid aside. But to return to
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Speaker 1: our unhappy situation, though my comrade and myself fared as
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Speaker 1: well and even better than we could have expected among
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Speaker 1: these people, considering their customs and mode of living. Yet
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Speaker 1: our fears lest no ship would come to our release,
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Speaker 1: and that we should never more behold a Christian country
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Speaker 1: were to us a source of constant pain. Our principal
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Speaker 1: consolation in this gloomy state was to go on Sundays
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Speaker 1: whenever the weather would permit, to the borders of a
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Speaker 1: fresh water pond about a mile from the village, where,
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Speaker 1: after bathing and putting on clean clothes, we would seat
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Speaker 1: ourselves under the shade of a beautiful pine while I
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Speaker 1: read some chapters in the Bible and the prayers appointed
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Speaker 1: by our Church for the day, ending our devotions with
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Speaker 1: a fervent prayer to the Almighty that he would deign
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Speaker 1: still to watch over and preserve our lives, rescue us
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Speaker 1: from the hands of the savages, and permit us once
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Speaker 1: more to behold a Christian land. In this manner were
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Speaker 1: the greater part of our sundays passed at Nootka, and
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Speaker 1: I felt grateful to Heaven that amidst our other sufferings,
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Speaker 1: we were at least allowed the pleasure of offering up
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Speaker 1: our devotions unmolested for Makina, on my explaining to him,
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Speaker 1: as well as was in my power, the reason for
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Speaker 1: our thus retiring at this time, far from objecting, readily
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Speaker 1: consented to it. The pond above mentioned was small, not
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Speaker 1: more than a quarter of a mile in breadth, and
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Speaker 1: of no great length, the water being very clear, though
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Speaker 1: not of great depth, and bordered by a beautiful forest
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Speaker 1: of pine fir, elm and beech, free from bushes and underwood,
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Speaker 1: a most delightful retreat, which was rendered still more attractive
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Speaker 1: by a great number of birds that frequented it, particularly
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Speaker 1: the humming bird. Thither we used to go to wash
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Speaker 1: our clothes, and felt secure from any intrusion from the natives,
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Speaker 1: as they rarely visited it except for the purpose of
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Speaker 1: cleansing themselves of their paint. In July, we at length
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Speaker 1: thought that the hope of delivery we had so long
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Speaker 1: anxiously indulged, was on the point of being grated. A
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Speaker 1: ship appeared in the offing, but alas our fond hopes
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Speaker 1: vanished almost as soon as formed, for instead of standing
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Speaker 1: in for the shore, she passed to the northward and
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Speaker 1: soon disappeared. I shall not attempt to describe our disappointment.
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Speaker 1: My heart sunk within me, and I felt as though
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Speaker 1: it was my destiny never more to behold a Christian face.
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Speaker 1: Four days after there occurred a tremendous storm of thunder
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Speaker 1: and lightning, during which the natives manifested great alarm and terror,
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Speaker 1: the whole tribe hurrying to Machina's house, where, instead of
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Speaker 1: keeping within, they seated themselves on the roof amid the
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Speaker 1: severest of the tempest, drumming upon the boards and looking
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Speaker 1: up to Heaven, while the king beat the long hollow plank,
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Speaker 1: singing and as he afterwards told me begging Quahoots, the
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Speaker 1: name they give to God, not to kill them, in
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Speaker 1: which he was accompanied by the whole tribe. This singing
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Speaker 1: and drumming was continued until the storm abated. As the
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Speaker 1: summer drew near its close, we began to suffer from
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Speaker 1: the frequent want of food, which was principally owing to
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Speaker 1: Machina and the chiefs being out wailing, in which they
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Speaker 1: would not permit Thompson and myself to join lest we
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Speaker 1: should make our escape to some of the neighboring tribes.
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Speaker 1: At these times, the women seldom or ever cook any provision,
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Speaker 1: and we were often hungry, but were sometimes fortunate enough
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Speaker 1: to procure secretly a piece of salmon, some other fish spawn,
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Speaker 1: or even blubber, which, by boiling in salt water with
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Speaker 1: a few onions and turnips, the remains of the Spanish
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Speaker 1: garden or young nettles and other herbs, furnished us a
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Speaker 1: delicious repast in private. In the meantime, we frequently received
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Speaker 1: a counts from the tribes who came to Nouka, both
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Speaker 1: from the north and south of there being vessels on
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Speaker 1: the coast, and were advised by their chiefs to make
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Speaker 1: our escape, who also promised us their aid and to
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Speaker 1: put us on board. These stories, however, as I afterwards learned,
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Speaker 1: were almost all of them without any foundation, and merely
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Speaker 1: invested by these people with a view to get us
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Speaker 1: into their power in order to make slaves of us themselves,
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Speaker 1: or to sell us to others. But I was still
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Speaker 1: more strongly solicited to leave Nutka by a woman. This
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Speaker 1: was the Wickaninish princess, a younger sister of Makina's wife,
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Speaker 1: who was there on a visit. I had the good fortune,
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Speaker 1: if it may be so called, to become quite a
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Speaker 1: favorite with her. She appeared much interested for me, asked
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Speaker 1: me many questions respecting my country, if I had a
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Speaker 1: mother and sister at home, and if they would not
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Speaker 1: grieve for my absence. Her complexion was fairer than that
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Speaker 1: of the women in general, and her features more regular,
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Speaker 1: and she would have been quite handsome had it not
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Speaker 1: been for a defect in one of her eyes, the
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Speaker 1: sight of which had been injured by some accident, the reason,
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Speaker 1: as Makina told me, why she had not been married,
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Speaker 1: a defect of this kind being by these savages considered
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Speaker 1: as almost an insuperable objection. She urged me repeatedly to
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Speaker 1: return with her, telling me that the wicked Inish were
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Speaker 1: much better than the Nookians, that her father would treat
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Speaker 1: me more kindly than Makina, give me better food and clothes,
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Speaker 1: and finally put me on board one of my own
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Speaker 1: country vessels. I felt, however, little disposed to accompany her,
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Speaker 1: considering my situation with Makina full as eligible as it
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Speaker 1: would be with the Wickaninish, if not better. Notwithstanding all
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Speaker 1: she said to the contrary end of Section nine