Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 6.djvu/285

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Journal of a Voyage to N. W. America.
279

bulb of the Phalangium esculentum. I have been careful to relate the minutiae of this case, not in a medical view, but to illustrate the manners of the Indians. After Futillifurns [?] death it was recollected that 6 months previously, while in good health, he had eaten a quantity of Camas at the house of a Kowlitch chief who was famed for his skill in medicine. The superstitious fancy of the Indians immediately took fire; they believed that their favourite warrior Futillifums had been charmed to death by the Kowlitch chief; while their resentments were yet warm a party was sent off & unfortunately succeeded in shooting the devoted [?] chief. Such occurrences as these are very frequent causes of war among the natives of the Columbia, & it is seldom that a chief of any consequence dies without some bloodshed taking place.

20 September.—To-day I took my final leave of Fort Vancouver, & it would be ungratefull if I did not on this occasion acknowledge my obligations to the kind, polite reception I experienced from every individual connected with the establishment.

Our voyage down the river was very uncomfortable as it rained almost incessantly & the wind was very unfavourable. At Mount Coffin I availed myself of the opportunity of examining the mode of interment, & to procure a specimen of their compressed skulls. The opportunity was very favourable, as the boat I was in was manned with Owyhees, who had less superstition than any people in the country, not excepting the Canadians. All the canoes of dead are placed along the steap sides of the rock near the river & none of them were placed toward the summit of the hill, which is about 150 feet above the level of the river. The canoes are not raised from the ground, as is the custom in many places. The canoes were covered by boards fixed firmly by cords & pressed down by large stones. On many of these canoes were placed carved