The numerals, probably, are taken from the native tongues, and some of them are as follows: 1, "ikt"; 2, "mokst"; 3, "klone"; 4, "lakit"; 5, "kwinum"; 6, "taghum"; 7, "sinnamoket"; 8, "stotekin"; 9, "kwaist"; 10, "tahtlelum"; 11, "tabtlelum pe ikt"; 20, "mokst tabtlelum"; 100, "ikt tukamonuk."
the missionaries who labor among the natives of the northwest coast from necessity learn Chinook. I once attended a church service in Washington Territory, where, the congregation being made up of Indians, the praying and preaching were both in Chinook. The Lord's prayer is rendered thus:
| "Nesika papa klaksta mitlite kopa saghalie, kloshe kopa |
| "Our father who stayeth in the above, good in |
| nesika tum-tum mika nem; kloshe mika tyee kopa konaway |
| our heart (be) thy name; good thou chief among all |
| tillikum; kloshe mika tum-tum kopa illahee, kahkwa kopa |
| people; good thy will upon earth, as in |
| saghalie. Potlatch konaway sun nesika muckamuck. Spose |
| the above. Give every day our food. If |
| nesika mamook mesachie, wake mika hyas solleks; pe spose |
| we do ill, (be) not thou very angry; and if |
| klaksta mesachie kopa nesika, wake nesika solleks kopa |
| any one (do) evil toward us, (be) not we angry toward |
| klaska. Mahsh siah kopa nesika konaway mesachie." |
| them. Send away far from us all evil." |
Any one can acquire Chinook whose memory is retentive enough to enable him to learn a certain number of words; and then, with practice, he will speak it fluently. It is not uncommon to hear young children in Washington Territory and Oregon talk in Chinook as easily as in English.
Many Chinook words have taken root in, and form part of, the Pacific coast vernacular. Some of the most common of these are "tillicum," friend; "tyee," chief, or boss; "kiutan," horse; "mtickamuck," food; "cultus," worthless; and "siwash," which is always used for Indian. The motto on the seal of Washington Territory is a word used in Chinook, but native in origin, i. e., "Alki," meaning by-and-by, or in the future.
From what has been said, it will be seen that while Chinook does not rise to the dignity of a language, it is an important factor in every-day life as it exists on the northern Pacific coast. The Indians of that region are peculiar. They get their food easily by fishing, hunting, and gathering the wild roots and berries of the woods. Nomadic bodies hang about the towns and settlements, earning money from the whites in various ways. In a word, they procure their living too readily to develop habits of industry and thrift. The experiment of supporting them on Government reservations, and educating them in useful pursuits, is but partially successful. They become discontented, and long for the freedom
