The West Shore.
VOL. 6 No. 1. L "ral, PubllihM, Pl j n t
' '"Mnin8M 1 ortland, Oregon, January, 1880.
Per Annum, I Nlnilr rnnle
too. I "ViHi
OUR MAMMOTH NUMBER.
As rapidly as possible the material
ior me mammoth number of The West
Shoke is being gathered, and in aalv
spring we hope to have the same ready
tor delivery to our subscribers. It will
consist of 160 pages, will be handsnmPlv
illustrated, and contain a vast amount
ot historical, statistical, and literary ar
ticles of rare merit. This number will
be alone worth the entire amount which
we charge for a year's subscrmtion
We shall, however, furnish one copy
of the same free to every one of our
yearly subscribers. A limited number
of extra copies will be sold at one dol
lar eacn. Persons who want this num
ber ought to send their subscriptions in
witliout delay.
SEEDS FREE OF CHARGE.
Any of our readers who will send us
one new subscriber for the West SHORE
for iSSo, may select fifty cents worth
ot flower or vegetable seeds from any
seedsman's catalogue, and we will for
ward the same free of charge. For a
club of five subscribers, we will give as
a premium seeds to the value of three
dollars. This seed offer will hold good
only during the month of February.
shell beds ok clatsop beach,
ore;on.
T II. B. CI.AKKR.
The coast of the Pacific ocean, some
distance below the mouth of the Co
lumbia and above, even to the colder
latitudes, show, in its shell mounds or
beds, evidences of a dense population
that must hive long ago lived and
thrived on the bounteous sea-food that
the ocean provides. Up the little
streams and inlets may these beds ulso
be found, but not of the immense pro
nortions to be seen on this ocean beach.
While swimming at the sea-side
house at Clatsop, my attention was
drawn to the material with which the
roads were being macadamized ; shells
of oyster and clam predominated, but
the rather frequent sight of human
bones and skulls excited my curiosity.
Following the wagons, I found my
way to the pits from which this dump
was taken. The excavation showed a
depth of from five to six feet of this
debris, and the original dirt strata had
not yet been reached.
I stood by the wall of this seemingly
unlimited bed, and with a stick duff
into the bank, finding shells of various
kinds, some of which are not now found
on this coast, all bearing evidences of
having been used for food, sometimes
calcined; also the bones and vertebra
of fish, bones of birds, deer, and other
animals, and among them the bones of
the human body, sometimes the tiny
rib of a little child, and sometimes the
arm bones or the shoulder blade of an
adult ; skulls, too, were not infrequent.
The horrible suspicion of cannibalism
suggested itself to my mind. These
remains were scattered indiscriminately.
just as one might imagine the garbage
of a house might be thrown dav by
day, and so accumulate in a heap, while
earth and stones were mixed with the
bones. Of the length of this bid I
have no knowledge, and can only
imagine the age. It was in shore half
a mile, and must have, in ancient times,
been the beach proper.
Ages have passed since these wild
people encamped by the booming
waves, for immense old firs, five and
six feet in diameter, arc growing over
the prostrate giant trees that preceded
them. I saw no implements of any
sort, nor did I hear of any leing found
in these bed, though they might be
easily overlooked, as no one had ever
before exhibited any interest or curiosity
in the matter.
I have been told that similar beds are
found on the Alaska coast. Remain!
of ancient junks are said to be found
there. Certainly the almond-eye may
be traced in the physiognomy of the
Indians at this day.
While Lewis & Clark, and after
wards, Catlin, found in the North
west, on the upi)cr Missouri, three
small, neighboring tribes, one of
whom the Maudlins had no affili
ation with any other known family.
They lived in huts which were very
neat in BppcaflUKsl and had separate
apartments for lodgings. They were
a mere handful of a tribe, and, while
they acquired the language of other
tribes, none learned theirs. They made
a great variety of ottery, and manu.
factored beads which were highly
prized.
Catlin suggests that they are the re
maining tribe or descendants of the
Mound-builders which have been driven
from the valleys of the Ohio and Mis
sissippi. Among the many relics of this
ancient race, which were found by
Squicr during his cxploiations of the
valley of the Mississippi, was a most
characteristic head, made of red nfoa
clay, the workmanship of these un.
kiiown builders, which exhibits the ne.
culiar Indian features.
He says, further, "that the Mound.
builders were American Indians in
type, that time has not changed the
type of this indigenous group of races.
and that the Mound-builders were
probably acquainted with no other race
but themselves. In every way proving
ine views oi the author of Crania
Americana."
As to what became of this nre-
historic race of Mound-builders, but
little can be said beyond conjecture.
I he numerous temples of Mexico and
Central America arc said to be as
ancient as the mounds found in various
parts of the United States.
These two lucidities may have been
the birth place and centre of original
American civilization, or the Mound
builders may have been the original
occupants of the Mississippi valley, and
themselves given the civilization to
Mexico, but in reference to these ques
tloni no decision can yet lie given, and
every one is left to his own conjec
ture. AT TIH HIIII' YAkl).
Messrs. Hall brothers, of the Port
Ludlow ship-yard, hove just launched
the schooner Kau Kioule," mid will
immediately place another one of the
same size and model on the stocks.
They disposed of the one just com
pleted, to Allen k Robinson, of Mono
lulu. She is iGo tons measurement, is
exacted to lie n rapid sailer, and will
at once enter into the Islmtd trade,