Ma2’ with! regard to the public regulations, or private oeconomy, of thefe
—ir— 1 people. The fituation and appearance of the places we found them generally
inhabiting, indicated their being much accuftomed to a change of
relidence; the deferted villages tended to ftrengthen the conjefture of
their being wanderers. Territorial property appeared to be of little
importance; there was plenty of room for their fixed habitations, and
thofe of a temporary nature, which we now found them moftly to occupy,
being principally compofed of crofs flicks, covered with a few mats, as
eafily found a fpot for their erection, as they, were removed from one
ftation to another, either as inclination might lead, or neceflity compel:
and having a very extenfive range of domain, they were riot liable to
interruption or oppofition from their few furrounding neighbours.
From thefe circumftances alone, it may be fomewhat premature to
conclude that this delightful country has always been thus thinly inhabited
; on the contrary, there are reafons to believe it has been infinitely
more populous. Each of the deferted villages was nearly, if not quite,
equal to contain all the fcattered inhabitants we faw, according to the
cuftom of the Nootka people; to whom thefe have great affinity in their
perfons, falhions, wants, comforts, confirm'.! ion o f thefe their fixed habitations,
and in their general character. It is allb polfible, that moft of the
clear fpaces may have been indebted, for the removal of their timber and
underwood, to manual labour. Their general appearance furnilhed this
opinion, and their fituation on the moft pleafant and commanding eminences,
protefted by the foreft on every fide, except that which would
have precluded a view of the fea, feemed to encourage the idea. Not
many years fince, each of thefe vacant places might have been allotted
to the habitations of different focieties, and the variation obferved in
their extent might have been conformable to the fize o f each village ;
on the fcite of which, fince their abdication, or extermination, nothing
but the fmaller Ihrubs and plants had yet been able to rear their heads.
In our different excurfions, particularly thofe in the neighbourhood
of port Difeovery, the fcull, limbs, ribs, and back bones, or fome
other veftiges of the human body, were found in many places promif-
cuoufly fcattered about the beach, in great numbers. Similar relics
were alfo frequently met with during our furvey in the boats ; and I was
informed
R O U N D T H E W O R L D , 255
informed by the officers, that in their feveral perambulations, the like ygP
appearances had prefented themfelves fo repeatedly, and in fuch abun- '---- ,---- )
dance, as to produce an idea that the environs of port Difeovery were
a general cemetery for the whole of the furrounding country. Not-
withftanding thefe circumftances do not amount to a direft proof of
the extenfive 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 prefent. Some of the
human bodies were found difpofed of in a very lingular manner. Canoes
were fufpended between two or more trees about twelve feet from
the ground, in which were the fkeletons of two or three perfons; others
of a larger fize were hauled up into the outfkirts of the woods, which
contained from four to feven fkeletons covered over with a broad plank.
In fome of thefe broken bow's and arrows were found, which at firft
gave rife to a conjefture, that thefe might have been warriors, who after
■ being mortally wounded had, whilft their ftrength remained, hauled up
their canoe for the purpofe of expiring quietly in them. But on a further
examination this became improbable, as it would hardly have been
poffible to have preferved the regularity o f pofition in the agonies of
death, or to have defended their fepulchres with the broad plank with
which each was covered.
The few fkeletons we faw fo carefully depofited in the canoes, were
probably the chiefs, priefts, or leaders of particular tribes, whofe followers
moft likely continue to poffefs the higheft refpeft for their memory
and remains : and the general knowledge I had obtained from
experience of the regard which all favage nations pay to their funeral
folemriities, made me particularly folicitous to prevent any indignity
which might be wantonly offered to their departed friends. Balkets were
alfo found fufpended on high trees, each containing the Ikeleton o f a
young child ; in fome o f which were alfo fmall fquare boxes filled with a
kind of white pafte, refembling fuch as I had feen the natives eat, fup-
pofed to be made of the faranne ro o t; fome. of thefe boxes were quite
full, others were nearly empty, eaten probably by the mice, fquirrels, or
birds.