of houses per village, 6.0 for the Yurok. 4.5 for the
Wiyot, 6.8 for the Tolowa, and 6.0 for the Chilula. The mean of these
averages is 5.8, or let us say in round numbers 6, a value which seems
reasonable for those Athapascan tribes for which there are no direct
counts. The Yurok family number of 7.5 also appears applicable.

Merriam in his list entitled "Nekanne Tribe and Villages" mentions only
three villages on Bear River but Nomland (1938) in her more careful
examination of the territory found 8. Hence the population of this
group may be set at 360.

Apart from Bear River the Mattole territory included the drainages of
Davis Creek and the Mattole River, together with the west bank of the
Eel River for a short distance above the Wiyot. Davis Creek is much
smaller than Bear Creek and probably was sparsely settled. Nevertheless
Nomland's informant mentioned individuals who were from Davis Creek and
hence it must be assumed that there was at least one and very likely as
many as two villages there. The Mattole River was larger than Bear
River and has been well covered by Merriam in his list entitled "Bettol
or Pettol (Mattol) Tribe and Villages." He cites 10 named villages. In
addition, he includes the Kooske, who he says were a "very large band
and village ('hundreds of people') formerly on Koosky (or Cooskie)
Creek on or near the coast 2-1/2 or 3 miles southeast of Punta Gorda
lighthouse." He also cites two indentures for Indians of this tribe
which he found in the Eureka court house.

The 2 villages on Davis Creek and the 10 on Mattole River would yield
540 persons. If we accept Merriam's description of the Kooske tribe, we
may add another 300. The total for the Mattole would then be a
population of 1,200.

_Mattole ... 1,200_

THE WHILKUT

For information on the Whilkut we are indebted to Merriam for the
only village list extant. He covers the tribe, together with the
Chilula, in his list entitled "Geographic Arrangement of Hwilkut
Camps and Villages," revised, according to a pencil notation of the
title sheet, in 1939.

Merriam gives 15 villages for the Hoechkienok or "Upper Redwood" tribe,
3 for the Kotinet or "Blue Lake and North Fork Mad River" tribe and 15
for the Mawenok, who lived "on Mad River from opposite Korbel up to the
ranch of John Ahlgren about 21 miles in air line." The Chilula and
Mattole were credited with 45 persons per village. The habitat of the
Whilkut lies on smaller streams an