By the beginning of November the novelty of our situation had worn off; the circumscribed range of our wanderings from the village became monotonous and tiresome, and, as a number of our associates had departed for Kodiak, we began to look round for some new object of interest. The Doctor had frequently expressed a desire to become more acquainted with the Sitcha Indians, and resolved on making them a visit at their village, on the opposite side of the island, if I would accompany him, to which I readily agreed. As these were the very Indians who had recently been so roughly handled by the Russians, it was considered by the Governor and other friends to be a rather perilous adventure; but we relied a good deal on our not being Russians, and upon the fact that I had been among them during the previous summer from a people with whom they were on friendly terms. Perceiving that we were bent on going, the Governor gave his consent, and furnished us with baidarkas, Kodiak Indians, and an Indian woman as an interpreter. The latter was a daughter of one of the principal chiefs of the tribe we were to visit. She had lived with the Russians five or six years, and with her as a companion we had little fear of any other than a friendly reception.
We soon completed the preparations for our departure. We took guns, pistols, powder, and shot, for shooting as well as for safety; rice, tea, sugar, biscuit, dried fish, and brandy, for our food. Beside some kitchen utensils for dressing these provisions and a small tent to sleep in, we were provided with several ells of linen and woollen cloth, glass beads, needles, tobacco, large fishing-hooks, looking-glasses, and various similar trifles for presents to the Indians. Langsdorff, the interpreter, and myself each occupied a baidarka, and had two natives each to row.
We were three days in reaching the village, but beyond a few Indians, with whom we encamped at night, we saw nothing of interest. By nightfall of the third day we had nearly reached the place of our destination; but owing to a strong wind and tide, which were directly against us, we had the mortification of seeing the sun go down before the whole distance was accomplished. We were now in rather an unpleasant situation; to return was impossible, and to land might have excited suspicion, for the fire which was necessary as a protection from the cold would have betrayed us. We determined at last to make our way to the settlement, notwithstanding we should reach it in utter darkness. Scarcely was this resolution taken, when we were observed from the land, and hailed in a loud voice, but neither our interpreter nor our Kodiak oarsmen would reply. This sorely provoked Langsdorff and myself, and we were on the point of expressing our anger warmly, when a great commotion arose on shore. Suddenly, some hundred naked Indians, armed with muskets, and holding firebrands in their hands, thronged to the water’s edge. No sooner had we made known who we were, and approached the shore, than we were surrounded in a tumultuous manner by the Kaluschians, who dragged us towards their fortress, seizing upon our effects at the same time, whether to rob us of them or to restore them we were then ignorant. I expected nothing but an immediate and violent death. The scene certainly was one to inspire terror; the glare of the torches, the gesticulations of the savages, the brandishing of the weapons, the rough handling we received, were not calculated to inspire confidence in men whom from the outset we had distrusted. But happily our fears were groundless, and the demonstrations of the natives, as we afterwards learned, were well intended offices of friendship.
We were hurried over a rather fatiguing road to the top of a high rock, on which stood the fortress, and were immediately introduced into the very spacious habitation of the chief Dlchaetin, the father of our interpreter. He assigned us a place directly opposite the entrance, where we spread a carpet, and, by the light of a very large fire on a raised hearth in the centre of the room, were subjected to the gaze of some hundreds of the natives. Shortly after, to our great astonishment, our packages were brought to us from our baidarkas, not the smallest trifle being withheld, although there were undoubtedly many articles among them which the bearers must have coveted, and under the cover of the night might have easily concealed. Even my musket, pistols, and powder-horn, which in my hurry I had left behind, were delivered to me without the slightest injury.
We had scarcely refreshed ourselves with a dish of tea and a glass of punch, when we were invited by the eldest and most distinguished of the chiefs, the commandant of the fortress, to come and visit him. He received us with much kindness, and presented me with a sea-otter’s skin, and Dr. Langsdorff with a beautiful sea-otter’s tail. Much fatigued, and in need of rest, we returned to the habitation of our host; but we found ourselves in too exciting a scene to permit of sleep. While eating a very good dish of fish and rice prepared by him, we were entertained with a lively and pleasing melody, sung by a number of men seated round the fire, which had been piled up to a great height. Though the night was cold and windy, the savages went barefoot to the neighboring forest, and brought home large blocks of wood upon their naked shoulders, and heaped them on the hearth. It was incomprehensible how the roof, covered as it was merely with bark, was not entirely consumed. Once it did take fire; but a boy ran like a mouse up the side of the wall, and extinguished it. The sparks flew out of the opening at the top, and the flames roared as in a blacksmith’s forge; and we could not close our eyes till their fierceness had in a measure subsided, and the danger was less imminent, though the fire was very hot through the whole night.
On the morning of the next day we carried to the commandant from whom we had received the presents the evening before the counter presents due to him. At the same time, we made the proper tribute of presents to the parents of our interpreter, the latter having given us to understand that the sooner it was done, the greater would be their esteem for us. To her father we gave some ells of woollen cloth, a large knife, some fish-hooks, and some pounds of tobacco; to her mother a shift, some needles, a small looking-glass, some ribbon, and some glass beads. As soon as we had performed these necessary ceremonies, we were permitted to walk about wherever we chose, without the trouble of guides. Dr. Langsdorff even shot some birds close to the fortress without attracting any attention.
The natives of the Northwest Coast of America are called by the Russians Kaluschians, but this people call themselves Schitchachon, or inhabitants of Sitcha. Expelled from Norfolk Sound, they had fortified themselves here, upon a rock which rose perpendicularly to the height of several hundred feet above the water’s edge. The only possible access to it was on the northwest side, and here it had been rendered extremely difficult by very large trunks of trees strewn over it. The rock itself was secured against the attack of an enemy by a double palisade, measuring from twelve to fifteen feet in height, and from three to four in thickness. A natural wall of earth beyond the palisading, on the side towards the sea, conceals the habitations so effectually, that they cannot be discerned from a ship.
The houses within the fortress were placed in regular rows, and built of thick planks, fastened to posts which formed the frame-work, and covered at the top with bark. The entrance was at the gable end, and was often stained with different colored earths. The interiors of their dwellings were indescribably filthy, filled with smoke, and perfumed with decayed fish and train-oil. The men painted their faces, and, as well as the women, delighted in profuse ornaments; like other savages, they were particularly pleased with glittering trinkets, or European garments. The women on the coast had one very strange fashion, which I think is peculiar to this part of the world. At the age of fourteen or fifteen, they make a hole in their under lip and insert a small piece of wood like a button. This is increased in size as they advance in age, until it is three or four inches long, and one or two wide. I saw one old woman, the wife of a chief, whose lip ornament was so large, that, by a peculiar motion of her under lip, she could almost conceal her whole face with it. You will naturally inquire the reason of this barbarous method of adornment. I might reply by asking the reason of some equally strange fashions among civilized nations. But, without casting any reflections on my countrywomen, I may be allowed to make one observation, which has probably occurred already to my readers; and that is, that it is utterly impossible for the fair sex of the Northwest Coast to enjoy the luxury of a kiss.
The occupations of the Sitcha Indians, beside hunting and fishing, appeared to be making canoes, fishing-lines and hooks, and wooden ware. The women manufacture a kind of carpet out of the wool of wild sheep, and are very expert in wicker-work; some of their baskets are so closely woven as to hold water. Both sexes are expert in the use of firearms, and are excellent judges of their quality. I could not find that they had any organized government. Success in fishing and in the chase constitutes the source of their wealth, and consequently of their influence. In feuds between different families the right of the strongest prevails, and they are only banded together against common enemies.
Having passed two days at the Indian settlement, we set out on our return to New Archangel. On our route we visited the chief Schinchetaez, with whom we had passed a night on our way to Sitcha. This man had been friendly to the Russians, and was in consequence an outcast from his own people. He was glad to see us again, and entertained us hospitably. We gave him a few presents, which were thankfully received, and, had he been able, he would have given in return. While with him we saw some Kaluschian Indians go into the sea to bathe, when the thermometer was below freezing. They ran for some distance over the ice, and then plunged in, and performed all manner of antics, with the same apparent enjoyment as if it had been a warm spring.