Newton H. Chittenden

“ An island, about a mile in length, lies across the entrance in a north-westerly direction, which so thoroughly protects the inner waters of the inlet from westerly storms, that I have called it Protection Island.* There is a canoe passage between it and a point of rocks projecting from the southern shore of the inlet, and a small island close to its south-west side. Three streams flow into the inlet—one at its head, called Athlow river, and two on its south side, the largest, from forty to fifty feet in width, rising in Sook Lake. ”

“ The climate of the islands, being under the influence of the warm Japan current, is much milder than upon the coast of the mainland opposite. I found vegetation more advanced at Massett, and all along the northern and eastern shores of the islands in April, than at Port Simpson. It is rarely severely cold, and then only a few days at a time. Snow falls, according to elevation, from one to five feet in depth, and remains upon the mountain tops until late in summer, and in a few deep gorges on their northern slopes throughout the year. ”

“ AGRICULTURAL LANDS—The resources of the west coast, Virago Sound and Massett Inlet country, so far as known at present, are fish, furs and timber. Its agricultural lands, chiefly those portions of deltas and meadows at the mouths of streams not subject to overflow, embrace in the aggregate, only a few hundred acres, the largest tracts on the west coast, lying at the head of Kio-kath-li, Tattoo and Athlow Inlets, not exceeding twenty acres. ”

“ A thick forest of spruce of small growth covers its entire area, down to its rocky shores, which are generally low, though rising to bold perpendicular bluffs from 50 to 200 feet in height at North Point and around Cloak Bay, the highest elevation on the island not exceeding 400 feet above the sea. There are four small bays on its north-eastern side, from one to two miles in depth, open to easterly winds, with fine sandy beaches at their heads where the remains of former habitations were visible. ”

“ A GAMBLING SCENE. The Indians are among the most desperate of gamblers.
They not infrequently play themselves out of everything they possess, leaving the game nearly, or quite, naked.
Chief Edensaw told me of an Indian who, having lost his money, canoe, blankets, and all his clothing, gambling at the sea otter hunters' camp on the west coast, then plunged naked into the forest, and succeeded in reaching a village on Virago Sound, the only one, so far as known, who ever crossed that portion of the island. ”

“ Hydas with fiery red hair, tow heads, blue eyes, and all complexions from black to pale white. Many of these homeless half-breeds are farmed out with relatives, by their mothers, when single, thus leaving them free to go and come without incumbrance. Barrenness, disease and early death are the fruits of such promiscuous intercourse, to such an extent that their utter extinction from these causes is inevitable, unless they are speedily removed. Their only hope of long surviving lies in the careful training of the young children by the missionaries. ”

“ At the mouth of Cedar Creek there are about twenty acres of overflowed land which could easily be reclaimed by dyking. Along Canoe Passage there is a considerably larger tract of tide-land, probably 150 acres, which from two to three feet of levee would protect from overflow. Proceeding northward there is no open country until Deleatlay* is reached, where there are about 900 acres of level land, about one-half of which is subject to overflow at high tides. This produces an abundant growth of meadow grass. It is situated about two miles southeast of the village of Massett. ”

“ The forest embraces no Douglass fir, but little available yellow cedar or cypress, and only comparatively small bodies of merchantable spruce, which are accessible without the construction of expensive roads. Between Skidegate and Cape St. James there are more than thirty islands and islets, and bays, inlets, harbors, sounds and channels in great numbers. Day after day and week after week we paddled, rowed and sailed along these wonderful shores, visiting the Indian villages of Cumshewa, Skedance, Laskeek, or Tanoo, and Ninstints, all occupied, and several others now abandoned. ”

“ Some of the elderly women, however, wear large hats of the Chinese pattern, braided by them from the roots of the spruce tree. The women are very fond of bright, striking colors; though many exhibit considerable taste by the selection of dark shades, suited to their complexion. The men are quite as much inclined to over-dress as the women, when they have the means. On one of the hottest days of summer, I saw an Indian parading through the village of Skidegate, dressed in a full suit of black, including a heavy beaver Ulster. ”

“ The Hydas live chiefly upon fish, though of late years they consume also considerable quantities of other supplies, especially flour, rice, sugar, coffee, crackers, &c., purchased from the traders. Of fish, halibut and salmon, dried and smoked, are mainly depended on, though many other varieties are eaten in their season—herring, flounder, trout, rock cod, true cod, clams, mussels, &c. Pollock, called by the Hydas skill, are caught off the west coast, principally for their oil, which is extracted by boiling them in large wooden tanks by means of heated stones. ”

“ The Inlet proper, from the entrance between Sand Spit and Dead Tree Points, to its junction with the waters of Skidegate Channel, leading through to the west coast, is twenty-five miles in depth, and from two or three hundred feet in the narrows to seven miles in width at the expansions of Bear Skin and South Bays. Its shores are generally low and frequently sandy, and the back-lying country densely timbered and sloping gradually, except on its north-western side, where the mountains rise quite precipitous from 1,500 to over 4,000 feet above the sea. ”

“ Besides the halibut bank marked on the chart, there is one near all of the villages mentioned, and inexhaustible quantities of clams and mussels along the neighboring shores. This is certainly one of the most favored regions in the world for the abode of the Indian. From the number and size of their houses now occupied, and ruins, from fifty to seventy in each village, their burial Ghans and houses filled with the dead, these islands most have contained at least ten times their present population. Smallpox and the corruption of their women have been the principal causes of their destruction. ”

“ A slave, (elaidi) , was formerly valued at from one hundred and fifty to two hundred blankets, but now, though there are still a number upon the island, they are no longer bought and sold, but enjoy unrestrained freedom. Many prefer to remain with or near their former masters and render service for food and protection—especially men—rather than return to their native villages and endure the disgrace and taunts for having been overcome in battle. Several white men have been captured and held as slaves by the Hydas within the last thirty years. ”

“ Only the women and medicine men permit the hair of the head to grow long. They walk with a springy light tread and agile step, though I easily outran a young Indian of Massett, who matched himself against me. Some of them are very strong in the arms, an Indian of Skidegate beating me at "tug of war." Many are expert swimmers, sometimes diving from their canoes into the rough sea, and bringing out wounded seal which have sunk to the bottom. ”

“ Most of the richest spots appear to have been cultivated at some time by the Indians for raising potatoes. The largest bodies of cleared arable land seen, contained not exceeding twenty acres. There are several thousand acres of lightly timbered spruce and alder lands, bordering the bays, inlets and streams, which might be cleared and brought under profitable cultivation for dairying and the raising of root crops, should the development of the other resources of the islands attract a sufficient population to create a home market for such products. ”

“ About three miles up, two old Indians and two naked boys, tending a salmon trap, were roasting splendid salmon trout, which they shared with us. They were living exclusively upon fish, which they ate without salt, generally cooked upon a stick inclined over the fire. For about 200 miles we coursed along the shores of Massett Inlet, whose long south-western arms reach the base of steep, high mountains, the western sides of which, from ten to fifteen miles distant are washed by the waters of the Pacific. ”

“ Among those Hydas who profess Christianity, marriage is solemnized by a ceremony, at which a missionary or Justice of the Peace officiates, the same as among the whites, and other unions are not regarded as binding. Polygamy was formerly much practised, especially by the chiefs, who took young women for their wives as often as they desired them, but none of the natives, so far as my obervation extended, now have more than one wife. ”

“ Immense schools of dog-fish feed on the shoals off the north and eastern shores of the islands, herring of good size and excellent quality visit Skidegate and other inlets in such great quantities that their spawn forms an important article of diet with the natives. Flat-fish, rock-cod, salmon and brook-trout, clams and mussels are plentiful. ”

“ Chown is the name of the point lying just to the westward, which is more prominent than shown on the chart. This river is about forty feet wide, but not navigable, owing to log obstructions. An inlet extends westward from near its mouth about two miles at high tide.
TOW HILL, A bold, rocky, perpendicular cliff, rising to the height of about 300 feet immediately on the sea shore, eight miles eastward, is the most prominent landmark on the north part of the island. It is visible in fair weather twenty-five miles at sea and guides the navigator approaching the harbors of the north coast. ”

“ Alexander McKenzie of the Hudson Bay Company, when we received a visit from Edensaw, oldest and ranking chief of the Hydah nation, who has erected the largest number of carved poles, given the greatest feasts, and made the most frequent and liberal potlatches. Though about seventy-five years of age, he is still quite vigorous, and being well dressed in a suit of broad cloth, would easily pass for a much younger man. He is the last of a race of powerful chiefs, his ancestors having been bold and aggressive warriors, making many captive slaves from the other coast tribes. ”

“ The immediate coast is uniformly rock-bound, with many sharp, jagged points extending far out to sea, with out-lying reefs white with breakers in stormy-weather. Most of the many
INLETS, SOUNDS, BAYS, POINTS, ISLANDS, RIVERS AND CREEKS between Skidegate Channel and Cape Knox, having been hitherto unknown, except to a few of the natives, they will lie briefly described in the order reached in advancing northward. ”

“ The Hydas generally enter the marriage state in early youth, the females frequently between the ages of fourteen and sixteen. Matches are often arranged by the parents before the children are old enough to choose for themselves. In such cases when of suitable age, the young man and woman begin to live together without other ceremony than a mutual agreement and understanding between them and their relatives, and the bestowal of presents and dowry upon the bride. ”

“ There are also banks off Sand Spit Point and Skedance. During the present spring, the Indians have caught a considerable number of black cod opposite Skidegate Channel, and also off the abandoned village of Kisson, on the north-west coast of Moresby Island. The waters just outside the entrance to Skidegate Inlet are the greatest known resort of the dog-fish on the coast; the only place where they are caught continuously from spring until fall in large numbers. ”

“ The Hyda women, being good looking compared with those of the other coast tribes, have for twenty years been the special prey of the coarse libertines of a large floating population, until virtue is almost unknown among them. Nothing can save the race from speedy extinction except the most careful Christian training of their few healthy children. There are no missionaries in any of these villages, nor have they been visited by white men, except at long intervals. ”

“ There are, probably, more well formed and featured people among the Hydas than any other aboriginal race, though there are none which can be considered handsome; indeed I have never seen an Indian beauty, nor an adult Indian woman of graceful movement. ”

“ These islands are inhabited by about 800 Hydah Indians, a very remarkable race of people. The most common type of the adult unmixed Hydah is about five feet, seven inches in height, thick-set, large-boned, with fairly regular broad features, coal-black hair and eyes, and a bronze complexion. They have generally—both men and women—finely developed breasts and fore-arms, caused by their almost daily use of the canoe paddle from infancy. ”

“ The moral degradation of these people is so great that they seem to be nearly destitute of any sense of wrong-doing, while committing the grossest social sins imaginable. There is every reason to believe that before they came in contact with the whites, that they were much given to licentious practices. ”