Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 6.djvu/171

165 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE TO N. W. AMERICA. 165 great violence. Along the coast are many deap canons which the tide fills at high water. In this situation the eagle takes up his abode in a situation congenial to his nature, & two of these animals devouring a duck added wildness to the scene. llth. We are still attended by several canoes, but they bring us no fresh provisions, the only articles of trade they bring are hats, bows & arrows & other articles of In- dian manufactory. These they barter for knives, buttons & other trinkets. The most curious ornament they pos- sess is a shell which they suspend from their ears, & which appears to be a species of Dentalium. The Indians con- tinue to behave very peac[e]ably towards us, although it is apparent that the utmost distrust prevails among them- selves. 12th. To-day we landed (well craved) at Ft. George, & were received in a very polite manner by Mr. McKenzie, the only gentleman at present at the fort. He informed us that the other gentlemen were employed in building a new fort, about 80 miles further up the river, at Point Van- couver, & Ft. George had been ceded to the Americans by the treaty of Ghent, & they were expected to take posses- sion of it very soon. We were informed by Mr. McKen- zie of the cause of the suspicious appearance we had seen among the Indians. Comcomli or Madsu who is the great- est chief upon the river had lost two of his sons. W T hile these two young men were sick Comcomli had placed them under the care of a neighbouring chief who pretended to great skill in medicine, & cured diseases by singing over his patients. Under this method [of] cure both the young, chiefs died, & the medicine chief was accused of procur- ing their death by enchantment. The belief in magical agency which seams to belong to every savage tribe, & exists equally among the degraded natives of the coast of