Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 6.djvu/201

195 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE TO N. W. AMERICA. 195 completely neglected by every civilised power, & the state of poverty in which they are at present affords little in- ducement to the visits of mercantile adventurers. The few skins they have to dispose of, seam to make their way to Ft. George through the inter medium of other tribes, as most of their blankets & other articles were recognized to be the goods of the N. W. Company. The Cheenook custom of deforming the head prevails among the inhabitants of Vancouver's Island ; but this operation must be somewhat modified, as their heads are of a more conical shape than of the Columbia Indians. Like the Indians of Queen Charlotte's Island they wear long ear ornaments, consisting of square pieces of a shell which has a margaritaceous lustre. The practice of de- forming the lower lip does not prevail at Nootka. 8th. Since the 3d of August on which we left Nootka we have made but little progress on account of the fre- quent calms & foggy weather. As we were quitting Nootka we had an instance of the honesty of old Moaquilla. We had given his young son the loan of a musquet while we were in [illegible] & although we [were] leaving the land fast with a fair wind, a canoe was sent after us to re- store us the musquet as a proof of his honesty & friend- ship. This morning we entered the straits of Juan De Fuca. About 7 A. M. we discovered a number of canoes making towards us & in a short time we had fifteen of them about the vessel. Some of the natives who had been at Ft. George soon recognized Mr. McKenzie, & all of them be- haved in the most friendly manner, & brought us plenty of fish, turbot & mullets (Mugil auratus). The chief of these people, who is brother to the Tatooch chief, was in one of the canoes, but was so debilitated as to be unable to come on board. They carry on an inveterate war with the people on the opposite side of the straits (the Cloquatx