The Native Races (Vol. 1-5). Hubert Howe Bancroft

sur des peaux le plan, des pays qu'ils ont parcourus, marquant les distances par journées, demi-journées ou quarts de journées.' De Smet, Voy., p. 205. Count years by snows, months by moons, and days by sleeps. Have names for each number up to ten; then add ten to each; and then add a word to multiply by ten. Parker's Explor. Tour, p. 242. Names of the months in the Pisquouse and Salish languages beginning with January;—'cold, a certain herb, snow-gone, bitter-root, going to root-ground, camass-root, hot, gathering berries, exhausted salmon, dry, house-building, snow.' Hale's Ethnog., in U. S. Ex. Ex., vol. vi., p. 211. 'Menses computant lunis, ex spkani, sol vel luna et dies per ferias. Hebdomadam unicam per splcháskat, septem dies, plures vero hebdomadas per s'chaxèus, id est, vexillum quod a duce maximo qualibet die dominica suspendebatur. Dies antem in novem dividitur partes.' Mengarini, Grammatica Linguae Selicae, p. 120; Sproat's Scenes, p. 270; Lewis and Clarke's Trav., p. 374.

403. The twelve Oakinack tribes 'form, as it were, so many states belonging to the same union, and are governed by petty chiefs.' The chieftainship descends from father to son; and though merely nominal in authority, the chief is rarely disobeyed. Property pays for all crimes. Ross' Adven., pp. 289–94, 322–3, 327. The Chualpays are governed by the 'chief of the earth' and 'chief of the waters,' the latter having exclusive authority in the fishing-season. Kane's Wand., pp. 309–13. The Nez Percés offered a Flathead the position of head chief, through admiration of his qualities. De Smet, Voy., pp. 50, 171. Among the Kalispels the chief appoints his successor, or if he fails to do so, one is elected. De Smet, Western Miss., p. 297. The Flathead war chief carries a long whip, decorated with scalps and feathers to enforce strict discipline. The principal chief is hereditary. Cox's Adven., vol. i., pp. 241–2, vol. ii., p. 88. The 'camp chief' of the Flatheads as well as the war chief was chosen for his merits. Ind. Life, pp. 28–9. Among the Nez Percés and Wascos 'the form of government is patriarchal. They acknowledge the hereditary principle—blood generally decides who shall be the chief.' Alvord, in Schoolcraft's Arch., vol. v., pp. 652–4. No regularly recognized chief among the Spokanes, but an intelligent and rich man often controls the tribe by his influence. Wilkes' Nar., in U. S. Ex. Ex., vol. iv., pp. 475–6. 'The Salish can hardly be said to have any regular form of government.' Hale's Ethnog., in U. S. Ex. Ex., vol. vi., pp. 207–8. Every winter the Cayuses go down to the Dalles to hold a council over the Chinooks 'to ascertain their misdemeanors and punish them therefor by whipping'! Farnham's Trav., p. 81–2. Among the Salish 'criminals are sometimes punished by banishment from their tribe.' 'Fraternal union and the obedience to the chiefs are truly admirable.' Domenech's Deserts, vol. ii., pp. 343–4; Hines' Voy., p. 157; Stanley's Portraits, p. 63; Dunn's Oregon, pp. 311–12; White's Oregon, p. 189; Pickering's Races, in U. S. Ex. Ex., vol. ix., p. 108; Joset, in Nouvelles Annales des Voy., tom. cxxiii., 1849, pp. 334–40.

404. 'Slavery is common with all the tribes.' Warre and Vavasour, in Martin's Hud. B., p. 83. Sahaptins always make slaves of prisoners of war. The Cayuses have many. Alvord, in Schoolcraft's Arch., vol. v., p. 654; Palmer's Jour., p. 56. Among the Okanagans 'there are but few slaves … and these few are adopted as children, and treated in all respects as members of the family.' Ross' Adven., p. 320. The inland tribes formerly practiced slavery, but long since abolished it. Parker's Explor. Tour, p. 247. 'Not practised in the interior.' Mayne's BC, p. 243. Not practiced by the Shushwaps. Anderson, in Hist. Mag., vol. vii., p. 78.

405. Each Okanagan 'family is ruled by the joint will or authority of the husband and wife, but more particularly by the latter.' Wives live at different camps among their relatives; one or two being constantly with the husband. Brawls constantly occur when several wives meet. The women are chaste, and attached to husband and children. At the age of fourteen or fifteen the young man pays his addresses in person to the object of his love, aged eleven or twelve. After the old folks are in bed, he goes to her wigwam, builds a fire, and if welcome the mother permits the girl to come and sit with him for a short time. These visits are several times repeated, and he finally goes in the day-time with friends and his purchase money. Ross' Adven., pp. 295–302. The Spokane husband joins his wife's tribe; women are held in great respect; and much affection is shown for children. Among the Nez Percés both men and women have the power of dissolving the marriage tie at pleasure. Wilkes' Nar., in U. S. Ex. Ex., vol. iv., pp. 410, 475–6, 486, 495. The Coeurs d'Alêne 'have abandoned polygamy.' Stevens, in Pac. R. R. Rept., vol. i., pp. 149, 309; Gibbs, in Pac. R. R. Rept., vol. i., p. 406. Pend d'Oreille women less enslaved than in the mountains, but yet have much heavy work, paddle canoes, etc. Generally no marriage among savages. De Smet, Voy., pp. 198–9, 210. The Nez Percés generally confine themselves to two wives, and rarely marry cousins. No wedding ceremony. Alvord, in Schoolcraft's Arch., vol. v., p. 655. Polygamy not general on the Fraser; and unknown to Kootenais. Cox's Adven., vol. ii., pp. 155, 379, vol. i., pp. 256–9. Nez Percés have abandoned polygamy. Palmer's Jour., pp. 129, 56. Flathead women do everything but hunt and fight. Ind. Life, p. 41. Flathead women 'by no means treated as slaves, but, on the contrary, have much consideration and authority.' Hale's Ethnog., in U. S. Ex. Ex., vol. vi., p. 207. 'Rarely marry out of their own nation,' and do not like their women to marry whites. Dunn's Oregon, pp. 313–14. The Sokulk men 'are said to content themselves with a single wife, with whom … the husband shares the labours of procuring subsistence much more than is usual among savages.' Lewis and Clarke's Trav., p. 351; Dunniway's Capt. Gray's Comp., p. 161; Gray's Hist. Ogn., p. 171; Tolmie and Anderson, in Lord's Nat., vol. ii., pp. 231–5; Ind. Aff. Rept., 1854, p. 208; De Smet's West. Miss., p. 289.

406. The wife of a young Kootenai left him for another, whereupon he shot himself. Ross' Fur Hunters, vol. ii., p. 169. Among the Flatheads 'conjugal infidelity is scarcely known.' Dunn's Oregon, p. 311. The Sahaptins 'do not exhibit those loose feelings of carnal desire, nor appear addicted to the common customs of prostitution.' Gass' Jour., p. 275. Inland tribes have a reputation for chastity, probably due to circumstances rather than to fixed principles. Mayne's BC, p. 300. Spokanes 'free from the vice of incontinence'. Among the Walla Wallas prostitution is unknown, 'and I believe no inducement would tempt them to commit a breach of chastity.' Prostitution common on the Fraser. Cox's Adven., vol. i., pp. 145, 199–200. Nez Percé women remarkable for their chastity. Alvord, in Schoolcraft's Arch., vol. v., p. 655.

407. In the Salish family on the birth of a child wealthy relatives make presents of food and clothing. The Nez Percé mother gives presents but receives none on such an occasion. The Flatheads and Pend d'Oreilles bandage the waist and legs of infants with a view to producing broad-shouldered, small-waisted and straight-limbed adults. Tolmie and Anderson, in Lord's Nat., vol. ii., pp. 231–2. Among the Walla Wallas 'when traveling a hoop, bent over the head of the child, protects it from injury.' The confinement after child-birth continues forty days. At the first menstruation the Spokane woman must conceal herself two days in the forest; for a man to see her would be fatal; she must then be confined for twenty days longer in a separate lodge. Wilkes' Nar., in U. S. Ex. Ex., vol. iv., pp. 426–8, 485. The Okanagan mother is not allowed to prepare her unborn infant's swaddling clothes, which consist of a piece of board, a bit of skin, a bunch of moss, and a string. Ross' Adven., pp. 324–30. 'Small children, not more than three years old, are mounted alone and generally upon colts.' Younger ones are carried on the mother's back 'or suspended from a high knob upon the forepart of their saddles.' Parker's Explor. Tour, p. 98. Houses among the Chopunnish 'appropriated for women who are undergoing the operation of the menses.' 'When anything is to be conveyed to these deserted females, the person throws it to them forty or fifty paces off, and then retires.'