Page:Voyage of Discovery to the North Pacific Ocean, and Round the World in the Years 1791–95, volume 1.djvu/319

Rh informed by the officers that in their several perambulations, the like appearances had preented themelves o repeatedly, and in uch abundance, as to produce an idea that the environs of Port Dicovery were a general cemetery for the whole of the urrounding country. Notwithtanding thee circumtances do not amount to a direct proof of the extenive population they indicate, yet, when combined with other appearances, they warranted an opinion, that at no very remote period this country had been far more populous than at preent. Some of tin; human bodies were found dipoed of in a very ingular manner. Canoes were upended between two or more trees about twelve feet from the ground, in which were the keletons of two or three perons; others of a larger ize were hauled up into the outkirts of the woods, which contained from four to even keletons covered over with a broad plank. In ome of thee broken bows and arrows were found, which at firt gave rie to a conjecture, that thee might have been warriors, who alter being mortally wounded had, whilt their treiigth remained, hauled up their canoe for the purpoe of expiring quietly in them. But on a further examination this became improbable, as it would hardly have been poible to have preerved the regularity of poition in the agonies of death, or to have defended their epulchres with the broad plank with which each was covered. The few leletons we aw f carefully depoited in the canoes, were probably the chiefs, priets, or leaders of particular tribes, whoe fol- lowers mot likely continue to poes the highet refpcft for their memory and remains: and the general knowledge I had obtained from experience of the regard which all avage nations pay to their funeral olemnities, made me particularly olicitous to prevent any indignity which might be wantonly offered to their departed friends. Bakets were alo found upended on high trees, each containing the keleton of a young child; in ome of which were alo mall quare boxes filled with a kind of white pate, reembling uch as I had een the natives eat, uppoed to be made of the aranne root; ome of thee boxes were quite full, others were nearly empty, eaten probably by the mice, quirreld, or