Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 6.djvu/204

198 198 DR. JOHN SCOULER. we came to anchor we had plenty of canoes around us. This numerous population is not to be wondered at when we consider the abundant means of support the country affords. The sea yields abundant supply of excellent fishes of the most agre[e]able kind, every rivulet teeming with myriads of salmon ; & the land affords an endless variety of berries & esculent roots. The collecting of the latter forms the occupation of the women & children, while the men are employed in procuring the former, & both are carefully dried for winter stores. The sea fish they obtain are different kinds of Pleuronectes, Mugil & Gadus. About the beginning of October they abandon their summer residence near the shore & retreat into the interior of the country, where, in addition to their winter stock, they kill abundance of birds, especially of the duck tribe, & beaver, otters & elks, whose skins afford them comfortable cloathing or the means of procuring European articles. They return to the sea coast again in the begin- ning of April. This action [?] of the Indians explains the cause of the mistake into which the very accurate C. Van- couver fell, concerning the apparent depopulation of the coast, when we reccolect [sic] that between the months of October & April the natives would be at their winter abode. 14th. This morning we left Port Discovery, & as we were getting under way these friendly Indians came of[f] to us with fishes & birds, which we could not wait for. All the time we were among these Klallums the old chief Squastin visited us every morning, never neglecting to bring us a supply of provisions, for which he would re- ceive no remuneration. His present consisted of berries of G. Shallon, shellfish, crabs, & in short, everything the country afforded. On leaving these friendly people, we coasted along a beautifull country ; the hills of moderate height & grad-