The west shore., May 01, 1884, Page 157, Image 33

THE WEST SHORE.
167
Queen Charlotte ItlantU-Continueil from Ptiae 1M.
Sabbath. Metlakathla is also the headquarters of the
Bishop of Caledonia, his bishopric embracing the Indians
of the Northwest Coast generally.
About fifteen miles further, acrobd CL.ilh.im Sound,
brings us to Port Simpson, the principal trading pout of
the Hudson's Bay Company upon the North Pacific
Coast. It has been the favorite abode of the Tsimpsheean
Indians, one of the most populous and powerful of the
native tribes of North America, from time immemorial.
When first occupied by the Hudson's Bay Company thoir
village here contained over 2,000 people. They were
found living in houses, Borne of which are still standing,
strongly built of great hewn timbers and thick planks
split from enormous cedars. Some of their canoes, made
from a single tree, are over sixty feet in length, carrying
from fifty to seventy-five people, in which they not infre
quently make voyages as far south as the Straits of Fucn,
and hundreds of miles northward into the waters of
Alaska. The situation was the most commanding which
could have been selected for traffic with the island and
mainland tribes. For several years most of this barter
was carried on through the Tsimpsheeans, who would not
allow the interior tribes to deal directly with the agents
of the company, but jealously reserved that privilege'for
their own people. Port Simpson was then the base of
supplies for all the trading posts of this region. The
fort consisted of a stockade about twenty feet in height,
made from large cedar poles, with watch and shx)ting
towers, enclosing the store, warehouses and quarters of
the servants of the company. The village contains at
present about 800 Indians, most of whom live in comfort
able houses and dress in civilized costumes. They are
under the missionary instruction of the Rev. Mr. Crosby
and wife, of the Wesleyan Methodist Church of Canada.
Port Simpson is situated about 85 miles from the mouth
of the Skeena, 40 miles from the Nass, (!0 miles from the
Queen Charlotte Islands, 1G0 miles from Fort Wrangell
and (12 miles from Victoria.
We proceed up the Portland Channel, through which
runs the dividing line botween British Columbia and
Alaska. Into it flows the Nass River, the greatest known
resort of the Oolachan. They aie a bright, silver-colored
fish, smaller than the herring, of most delicious flavor,
and bo rich in oil that when dried they burn liko a
candle. In the spring of the year, generally commencing
between the 20th and the 25th of March, for about three
weeks, they run by the million. The various Indian
tribes of this region congregate here by the thousands
and catch them in immense numbers. Their oil is a
staple article of food and diet among them. The ShIi are
caught frequently a canoe load at a haul, in purse net
about four fathoms long, and piled in bins on the shore.
They are then put into tanks mode of planks, with sheet
iron bottoms, holding from three to five barrels, and after
boiling in water about four hours are strained through
baskets made from willow roots and run into red cedar
boxes, containing about fifteen gallons each. Sometimes
heated stones are dropped into the oil for the purioBe of
increasing its keeping qualities. Formerly, before the
introduction of sheet-iron loiling tanks by a white nmn
named Snow, the fish were boiled altogether by means of
heated stones. When the run of Ool iclmn is i'k1 neh
tribe will make about twenty boxes of oil. This season
the run is so light and the fish so pxr than none will
put up over five boxes. The Oolnehan are also taken
through the ice, sometimes in great quantities. There
ore two salmon fisheries near the mouth of the river,
packing alxmt 7,000 cases of canned and several hundred
barrels of salted salmon annually. Upwards of JHK)
Indians dwell upon the banks of tho Nass, within seventy
five miles of its mouth, principally in the villages of
Kincolith, Greenville, Kitwunshilth, Kittocks and KiU
lak-damuksh. Newton H, Ciuttenhen.
m
SALMON FISHING ON THB COLUMBIA.
IROM April till August the Coluntbin River below
. Astoria is dotted with the whito sails of fishing boats
constantly passing betwoen tho fishing grounds and the
net racks and d(X'ks at the canneries. At all times of
the day these Ixmts may bo seen beating out to the bar or
coming in before the wind with a load of fish, though
they appear in the greatest numlxu-s just before and
after the change of the tide. During tho fishing season
Astoria is a busy place. At least .1,000 men are added to
its ixpulatiou, whoso wages, spent with liberality and
even recklessness, swell tho volume of retail trade, and
contribute to tho support of many institutions which, if
not morally or commercially lonoflciol to the city, at
least do their share toward making tilings lively.
Salmon fishing is a business requiring both skill and
courage Nearly every year some luckless ones nro car
ried out to sea and lost, and yet their comrades continue
to fish on tho bar with as much recklessness and as heed
less of danger as before. Boats frequently remain out
twenty-four hours. Many go out in tho night and fish on
the incoming tide, returning with their catch when the
tide ebbs. This industry has developed to enormous
proortions since its inception in lH(!(i. Two boats then
represented tho fishing fleet, while now there are 1,7(30 of
them on the river; 4,(HK) cases were packed that year, as
against 0110,000 put up in 18811. To accomplish this
result required !1H canneries, 1,700 Ixiats, !J,1)0 fishermen
and as many hands in the canneries. There are
$'2,000,000 invested in buildings, machinery, Ixmts, nets,
etc. During 1KH.') fishermen alone were paid l,r50,000,
and 1,080,000 fish were caught, averaging 20 k)UIm1m each.
The total value of the season's pack was over f.'l,0(X),0)0,
nearly all of which was paid for lnW in one form or
another (since the fish represent luWonly), the wages
being paid in Astoria and chiefly expudod thero.
The long racks of nets; the prwesH of spreading a net
upon them or loading it into the boat; tho unloading of
the fish at the dx:k; tho interior of the factory, witlt its
many curious machines and busy operatives, and the
fleet on the river, are all interesting and curious scones.
Our engravings represent a few of these, from the load
ing of the net to the shipping of the cases.