166 Mackenzie’s Voyages

laid ourselves down to rest, but I never enjoyed a more sound
and refreshing rest, though I had a board for my bed and a
billet for my pillow.”

A dam across the river built with great labour and con-
siderable ingenuity, below which a series of salmon-traps
were placed, enabled the natives to obtain large supplies of
salmon annually with the least possible exertion. It was
owned exclusively by the chief, who portioned out the catch
as he saw fit among the tribesmen. Here was evidence of an
aristocracy of wealth, and of capitalism in its primitive form.
This possession gave the chief great power among his people.
Mackenzie found it impossible to obtain fresh salmon from
them, although there were literally thousands of the fish
available. He, however, was supplied with an unlimited
quantity of cooked fish, with berries and oil. It appears that
the Indians had certain superstitions regarding the ‘“‘Salmon-
Spirit.” If certain observances were violated the great
Salmon-Spirit would be offended, and the salmon would
abandon the river. Animal flesh was taboo at this time. One
of the visitors threw a bone of a deer into the river and an
Indian, seeing the act of desecration, immediately dived for the
bone and burned it, afterwards carefully washing his polluted
hands. A dog which swallowed a bone from the camp was
beaten until he disgorged it, when the offending article was
carefully burned as in the former case. They would not
permit Mackenzie to examine the weir too closely, and
refused him a canoe, because the fish would instantly smell
the venison they had and would quit the river for ever.
But this difficulty was got over when the chief suggested
that the venison should be given to one of the strangers in
the village belonging to a tribe of meat-eaters.

Mackenzie’s request for fresh salmon seems to have roused
suspicions in the minds of the people. Their food supply