incipal chief came down with
several of his warriors, and smoked with us. We were also visited by
several men and women, who offered dogs and fish for sale; but as
the fish was out of season, and at present abundant in the river, we
contented ourselves with purchasing all the dogs we could obtain.

"The nation among which we now are call themselves Sokulks; with them
are united a few of another nation, who reside on a western branch which
empties into the Columbia a few miles above the mouth of the latter
river, and whose name is Chimnapum. The languages of these two nations,
of each of which we obtained a vocabulary, differ but little from each
other, or from that of the Chopunnish who inhabit the Kooskooskee and
Lewis' rivers. In their dress and general appearance they also much
resemble those nations; the men wearing a robe of deer- antelope-skin,
under which a few of them have a short leathern shirt. The most striking
difference is among the females, the Sokulk women being more inclined to
corpulency than any we have yet seen. Their stature is low, their faces
are broad, and their heads flattened in such a manner that the forehead
is in a straight line from the nose to the crown of the head. Their
eyes are of a dirty sable, their hair is coarse and black, and braided
without ornament of any kind. Instead of wearing, as do the Chopunnish,
long leathern shirts highly decorated with beads and shells, the Sokulk
women have no other covering but a truss or piece of leather tied round
the hips, and drawn tight between the legs. The ornaments usually worn
by both sexes are large blue or white beads, either pendant from their
ears, or round the neck, wrists, and arms; they have likewise bracelets
of brass, copper, and horn, and some trinkets of shells, fishbones, and
curious feathers.

"The houses of the Sokulks are made of large mats of rushes, and are
generally of a square or oblong form, varying in length from fifteen to
sixty feet, and supported in the inside by poles or forks about six feet
high. The top is covered with mats, leaving a space of twelve or fifteen
inches the whole length of the house, for the purpose of admitting the
light and suffering the smoke to escape. The roof is nearly flat, which
seems to indicate that rains are not common in this open country; and
the house is not divided into apartments, the fire being in the middle
of the enclosure, and immediately under the bole in the roof. The
interior is