[92] In Meares's time (1788) Wickinninish was regarded as the most powerful chief, next to Maquina or Maquilla, as he calls him. His residence was usually at "Port Cox" (Clayoquat Sound), but his territory extended as far south as Nettinaht, his subjects comprising thirteen thousand people. Meares does not fall into Jewitt's blunder of confounding the name of the chief with that of his tribe. But Meares derived his information first hand, while Jewitt obtained it merely from hearsay, never having visited any other part except the immediate vicinity of Nootka Sound. [93] Klayoquahts. They have now barely two hundred warriors. [94] Hishquahts. If they have twenty men, that is all. Thirty years ago they had only thirty adult males. [95] Ayhuttisahts. Thirty years ago they had thirty-six men fit to fight. [96] Ky-yoh-quahts. In 1860 they numbered two hundred and thirty adult men. [97] Namely, the Kwakiool spoken on the east and north coasts of Vancouver Island from Comox northwards. [98] These implements have fallen out of use. [99] The salal (_Gaultheria Shallon_), which forms a carpet to the ground, especially where the soil is poor. [100] The bulb of a pretty blue lily (_Gamassia esculenta_), well known all over North-West America as the "gamass" or "kamass." The digging and storing of it in summer form one of the most picturesque of Indian occupations. The gamass camps are always lively, and the skill and industry which a girl displays in this important part of her future duties are carefully noted by the young men in search of wives. CHAPTER IX SITUATION OF THE AUTHOR--REMOVAL TO TASHEES--FISHING PARTIES But to return to our unhappy situation. Though my comrade and myself fared as well, and even better than we could have expected among these people, considering their customs and mode of living, yet our fears lest no ship would come to our release, and that we should never more behold a Christian country, were to us a source of constant pain. Our principal consolation, in this gloomy state, was to go on Sundays, whenever the weather would permit, to the borders of a freshwater pond about a mile from the village, where, after bathing and putting on clean clothes, we would seat ourselves under the shade of a beautiful pine, while I read some chapters in the Bible, and the prayers appointed by our Church for the day, ending our devotions with a fervent prayer to the Almighty, that He would deign still to watch over and preserve our lives, rescue us from the hands of the savages, and permit us once more to behold a Christian land. In this manner were the greater part of our Sundays passed at Nootka; and I felt gratified to Heaven that, amidst our other sufferings, we were at least allowed the pleasure of offering up our devotions unmolested, for Maquina, on my explaining to him as well as was in my power the reason of our thus retiring at this time, far from objecting, readily consented to it.