A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels Volume Xvi Part 15

Some account of a Spanish voyage to this coast, in 1774, or 1775, had reached England before I sailed; but the foregoing circ.u.mstances sufficiently prove that these ships had not been at Nootka.[4] Besides this, it was evident, that iron was too common here; was in too many hands; and the uses of it were too well known, for them to have had the first knowledge of it so very lately; or indeed at any earlier period, by an accidental supply from a ship. Doubtless, from the general use they make of this metal, it maybe supposed to come from some constant source, by way of traffic, and that not of a very late date; for they are as dexterous in using their tools as the longest practice can make them. The most probable way, therefore, by which we can suppose that they get their iron, is by trading for it with other Indian tribes, who either have immediate communication with European settlements upon that continent, or receive it, perhaps, through several intermediate nations. The same might be said of the bra.s.s and copper found amongst them.

[Footnote 4: We now know that Captain Cook's conjecture was well founded. It appears, from the Journal of this Voyage, already referred to, that the Spaniards had intercourse with the natives of this coast only in three places, in lat.i.tude 41 7'; in lat.i.tude 47 21'; and in lat.i.tude 57 18'. So that they were not within two degrees of Nootka; and it is most probable that the people there never heard of these Spanish ships.--D.]

Whether these things be introduced by way of Hudson's Bay and Canada, from the Indians, who deal with our traders, and so successively across from one tribe to the other; or whether they be brought from the north-western parts of Mexico in the same manner, perhaps cannot be easily determined. But it should seem, that not only the rude materials, but some articles in their manfactured state, find their way hither. The bra.s.s ornaments for noses, in particular, are so neatly made, that I am doubtful whether the Indians are capable of fabricating them. The materials, certainly, are European; as no American tribes have been found, who knew the method of making bra.s.s; though copper has been commonly met with, and, from its softness, might be fashioned into any shape, and also polished. If our traders to Hudson's Bay and Canada do not use such articles in their traffic with the natives, they must have been introduced at Nootka from the quarter of Mexico, from whence, no doubt, the two silver table-spoons, met with here, were originally derived. It is most probable, however, that the Spaniards are not such eager traders, nor have formed such extensive connections with the tribes north of Mexico, as to supply them with quant.i.ties of iron, from which they can spare so much to the people here.[5]

[Footnote 5: Though the two silver table-spoons, found at Nootka Sound, most probably came from the Spaniards in the south, there seems to be sufficient grounds for believing that the regular supply of iron comes from a different quarter. It is remarkable, that the Spaniards, in 1775, found at _Puerto de la Trinidad_, in lat.i.tude 417', _arrows pointed with copper or iron, which they understood were procured from the north_. Mr Daines Barrington, in a note at this part of the Spanish journal, p. 20, says "I should conceive, that the copper and iron here mentioned, must have originally been bartered at our forts in Hudson's Bay."--D.]

Of the political and religious inst.i.tutions established amongst them, it cannot be supposed that we should learn much. This we could observe, that there are such men as chiefs, who are distinguished by the name or t.i.tle of _Acweek_, and to whom the others are, in some measure, subordinate. But I should guess, the authority of each of these great men extends no farther than the family to which he belongs, and who own him as their head. These _Acweeks_ were not always elderly men; from which I concluded that this t.i.tle came to them by inheritance.

I saw nothing that could give the least insight into their notions of religion, besides the figures before mentioned, called by them _Klumma_. Most probably these were idols; but as they frequently mentioned the word _acweek_, when they spoke of them, we may, perhaps, be authorised to suppose, that they are the images of some of their ancestors, whom they venerate as divinities. But all this is mere conjecture; for we saw no act of religious homage paid to them; nor could we gain any information, as we had learned little more of their language than to ask the names of things, without being able to hold any conversation with the natives, that might instruct us as to their inst.i.tutions or traditions.

In drawing up the preceding account of the people of this Sound, I have occasionally blended Mr Anderson's observations with my own; but I owe every thing to him. that relates to their language; and the following remarks are in his own words.

"Their language is by no means harsh or disagreeable, farther than proceeds from their using the _k_ and _h_ with more force, or p.r.o.nouncing them with less softness than we do; and, upon the whole, it abounds rather with what we may call l.a.b.i.al and dental, than with guttural sounds. The simple sounds, which we have not heard them use, and which, consequently, may be reckoned rare, or wanting in their language, are those represented by the letters _b, d, f, g, r,_ and _v_. But, on the other hand, they have one, which is very frequent, and not used by us. It is formed, in a particular manner, by clashing the tongue partly against the roof of the mouth with considerable force, and may be compared to a very coa.r.s.e or harsh method of lisping. It is difficult to represent this sound by any composition of our letters, unless somehow from _lszthl_. This is one of their most usual terminations, though we sometimes found it in the beginning of words. The next most general termination is composed of _tl_; and many words end with _z_ and _ss_. A specimen or two of each of these is here put down:

_Opulszthl_, The sun.

_Onulszthl_, The moon.

_Kahsheetl_, Dead.

_Teeshcheetl_, To throw a stone.

_Kooomitz_, A human scull.

_Quahmiss_, Fish roe.

"They seem to take so great a lat.i.tude in their mode of speaking, that I have sometimes observed four or five different terminations of the same word. This is a circ.u.mstance very puzzling at first to a stranger, and marks a great imperfection in their language.

"As to the composition of it, we can say very little; having been scarcely able to distinguish the several parts of speech. It can only be inferred, from their method of speaking, which is very slow and distinct, that it has few prepositions or conjunctions; and, as far as we could discover, is dest.i.tute of even a single interjection, to express admiration or surprise. From its having few conjunctions, it may be conceived, that these being thought unnecessary, as being understood, each single word with them will also express a great deal, or comprehend several simple ideas; which seems to be the case. But, for the same reason, the language will be defective in other respects; not having words to distinguish or express differences which really exist, and hence not sufficiently copious. This was observed to be the case in many instances, particularly with respect to the names of animals. The relation or affinity it may bear to other languages, either on this or on the Asiatic continent, I have not been able sufficiently to trace for want of proper specimens to compare it with, except those of the Esquimaux and Indians about Hudson's Bay; to neither of which it bears the least resemblance. On the other hand, from the few Mexican words I have been able to procure, there is the most obvious agreement, in the very frequent terminations of the words in _l_, _tl_, or _z_, throughout the language."[6]

[Footnote 6: May we not, in confirmation of Mr Anderson's remark, observe, that _Opulszthl_, the Nootka name of the Sun; and _Vitziputzli_, the name of the Mexican Divinity, have no very distant affinity in sound?--D.]

The large vocabulary of the Nootka language, collected by Mr Anderson, shall be reserved for another place,[7] as its insertion here would too much interrupt our narration. At present I only select their numerals, for the satisfaction of such of our readers as love to compare those of different nations in different parts of the world:

_Tsawack_, One.

_Akkla_, Two.

_Katsitsa_, Three.

_Mo_, or _Moo_, Four.

_Sochah_, Five.

_Nofpo_, Six.

_Atstepoo_, Seven.

_Atlaquolthl_, Eight.

_Tsawaquulthl_, Nine.

_Haeeoo_, Ten.

[Footnote 7: It will be found at the end of the voyage.]

Were I to affix a name to the people of Nootka, as a distinct nation, I would call them _Wakashians_; from the word _wakash_, which was very frequently in their mouths. It seemed to express applause, approbation, and friendship. For when they appeared to be satisfied, or well pleased with any thing they saw, or any incident that happened, they would, with one voice, call out, _wakash! wakash!_ I shall take my leave of them, with remarking, that, differing so essentially, as they certainly do, in their persons, their customs, and language, from the inhabitants of the islands in the Pacific Ocean, we cannot suppose their respective progenitors to have been united in the same tribe, or to have had any intimate connection, when they emigrated from their original settlements, into the places where we now find their descendants.

My account of the transactions in Nootka Sound would be imperfect, without adding the astronomical and nautical observations made by us, while the ships were in that station.

_Lat.i.tude._

The lat.i.tude of the Sun 49 36' 1", 15"'

observatory, by } Stars / South 49 36 8, 36 / North 49 36 10, 30 ________________ The mean of these means 49 36 6, 47 north.

_Longitude._

Twenty sets taken on the 233 26' 18", 7"'

21st and 23d of March. / The longitude, by / Ninety-three lunar observations. taken at the } 233 18 6, 6 observatory /

Twenty-four taken on the 233 7 16, 7 1st, 2d, and 3d of May. / The mean of these means 233 17 14, 0 East.

But by reducing each set, taken before we arrived in the Sound, and after we left it, by the time- 233 17' 30", 5"'

keeper, and adding them up / with those made on the spot, the mean of the 137 sets, will be

Longitude by the / Greenwich rate 235 46' 51", 0"'

time-keeper Ulietea rate 333 59 24, 0

From the results of the last fifteen days observations of equal alt.i.tudes of the sun, the daily rate of the time-keeper was losing, on mean time, 7"; and on the 16th of April, she was too slow for mean time by 16^h 0^m 58",45. There was found an irregularity in her rate greater than at any time before. It was thought proper to reject the first five days, as the rate in them differed so much from that of the fifteen following; and even in these, each day differed from another more than usual.

_Variation of the Compa.s.s._

/A.M. Observatory / 15 57' 48-1/2" April 4.{ } { } 15 49' 25" East.

PM / Mean of four Needles 15 41 2 /

5. /A.M. On board the ship / 9 50 49 { } { } 19 44 47-1/2 6. P.M./ Mean of four Needles 19 38 46 /

The variation found on board the ship ought to be taken for the true one; not only as it agreed with what we observed at sea, but because it was found that there was something ash.o.r.e that had a considerable effect upon the compa.s.ses; in some places more than others. At one spot, on the west point of the Sound, the needle was attracted 113/4 points from its proper direction.

_Inclination of the Dipping Needle._

April 5th. /Marked End North 71 26' 22-1/2" On board with { } } } 71 40' 22-1/2"

balanced needle. Unmarked /and dipping / 71 54 22-1/2 /

The Same needle /Marked End North 72 3 45 at the { } } } 70 0 0 observatory. Unmarked /and dipping / 71 56 15 /

/Marked End North 71 58 20 18th ditto { } } } 72 7 15 Unmarked /and dipping / 72 16 10 /

5th. Spare needle /Marked End North 72 32 30 at the { } } } 72 49 15 observatory Unmarked /and dipping / 73 6 0 /

/Marked End North 72 55 0 18th ditto { } } } 73 11 45 Unmarked /and dipping / 73 28 30 /

22d. Spare /Marked End North 73 28 38 needle on { } } } 73 11 0 board Unmarked /and dipping / 72 53 30 /

Hence the mean dip, with both needles, on sh.o.r.e, was 72 32 3-1/4

On board 72 25 45-1/4

This is as near as can be expected; and shews, that whatever it was that affected the compa.s.ses, whether on board or ash.o.r.e, it had no effect upon the dipping needles.