NATIVE TRIBES. 41

many years, consisting as it did of stout cedar posts set in opposite pairs on all
four sides of the building, and grooved at the top to receive the massive, horizontal
roof-beams. “The number of the pairs of posts depended upon the dimensions
of the house; in thickness they varied from a few inches to 2 feet and in height
from 10 to 20 feet. The length of the roof-beams naturally depended upon the
length of the house, which might be 30 feet or upwards of 60 feet. Resting on
the posts in the front and rear of the house were cross-beams, from 1 to 2 feet in
diameter, of a length equal to its width.

The Haida usually employed six heavy beams to support the roof, three on
each side of the central line; the Tsimshian and Kwakiutl used only two, one on
each side of the small rectangular doorway. “The Tsimshian placed these two
beams half-way between the central line and the side-walls; the Kwakiutl placed
them only 6 feet apart, resting on heavy posts.

The planks forming the walls of these houses were of great width; they were
laid vertically by the Haida and Tsimshian and horizontally by the Nootka and
Salish. Before putting them in position a bank of earth about 3 feet high was
raised round the house, retained in front by a thick plank, the upper edge of
which was grooved to receive the lower ends of the planks forming the end wall;
their upper ends being firmly lashed to the ends of the cross-beams and the first
rafters of the roof frame. “The planks of the side-walls and rear were simply
embedded in the banks of earth; but the thick base planks of these, too, were
grooved to receive the thinner planks of the walls. These planks were all secured
to the framework by cedar or spruce withes and plugged with wooden wedges.

The height of the walls was influenced by the form of roof, of which two
were in use. ‘The “‘ gable” type, which necessitated a central ridge-pole, was
most general among the Haida, Tsimshian, and, to a lesser degree, the Kwakiutl.
The ‘‘shed ” type, which might be almost flat or incline upwards from front to
rear or vice versa, was most frequently adopted by the Nootka and Salish. ‘The
great width of these ‘“‘ shed ” houses (40 feet or more) gave the roof a very gentle
pitch. ‘This almost level space was often used for drying fish or provided a
platform for spectators at a potlatch or other festivity.

The roofing consisted either of planks or slabs of bark held in place by beams,
cross-pieces, or stones. “The smoke-hole was surmounted by a frame carrying a
shutter, which could be opened or closed according to the direction of the wind.
It revolved on a kind of axle worked by a rope which was pulled from below,
shifting the shutter from one side to the other.

Light was admitted only through this smoke-hole or through irregular spaces
between the planks which formed the walls.

This mode of structure with its permanent framework and easily chitted
covering of planks actually had an economic value connected with the custom of
seasonal migrations to fishing or berry-picking grounds. So costly was the erec-
tion of a complete house that a relatively small outlay was incurred by the labour
‘of shifting the outer shell of planks by water transport to cover a similar frame-
work at these temporary quarters.

Possibly this custom also contributed to the fact that many houses might
present a very finely decorated, gabled, frontal elevation with but pitifully poor
sheds behind this imposing appearance; and certainly it resulted in a frequent
appearance of dilapidation, increased by the squalor which reigned within as well
as without. These people seemed indifferent to the stench of decayed animal and