Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 17.djvu/36



28 O. B. SPERLIN

creditors ; but in accordance with his ideas of rectitude he took upon himself the entire weight of his misfortunes and worked incessantly until he had paid all that he owed." Here, from a Spanish scientist, observing Indian life, we get an exact parallel to the heroism of Sir Walter Scot when he assumed all the half million debt of his firm when the crash came, and paid it all by his own heroic labor.

Of course Indians would pilfer and steal ; and the more they associated with coasting traders the more the propensity grew. Curiosity, "childish curiosity/' according to Cook, 144 played a strong part in the earliest thefts. Vancouver 142 records an attempt to steal a note-book which of course the Indians couldn't read. Nothing so fascinated the natives as a scrap of writing. This pilfering went so far among the Chugatches as a plan to plunder Cook's 143 ship, the Discovery ; and if Spaniards set up an astronomical observatory ashore, "their importunity and their inclination to steal," remarks Navarrete, 144 soon made it necessary to move the said observatory on board again. 145.

Government among the Indians seems to have been loose and simple, but sufficiently efficient. Quadra 146 on the coast found all submitting to the old men of the tribe, and appar- ently living in good harmony. Malaspina 147 likewise found chiefs the venerable old men of the tribes; but according to Cook 148 the chiefs were not always elderly men. Many of the inland tribes had two chiefs, one the civil, and the other the war chief. The former was the real head of the tribe. Lewis and Clark 149 observed that the creation of chiefs is due to their ability, bravery for a war chief being a prime requisite; that the influence of the chiefs is only such as they win, for each individual is his own sovereign master. Captain Chanal 150 of

141 Voyage: II., p. 312.

142 Voyage: Vol. II., p. 273.

143 Voyage: II., p. 360.

144 Sutil y Mexicana: Vol. I.

145 See also Malaspina: pp. is6ff.

146 Expeditions: p. 3i8ff.

147 Voyage: p. 155.

148 Voyage: II., p. 334.

149 Original Journals: Vol. II., p. 370.

150 Voyage: I., 358.