The Ozette Prairies of Olympic National Park - Natural Resources ...

the Sarah Newton in 1861, and (3) in 1879, when he and Chas. Willoughby met the Quileute chiefs
Xawishat’a, Tlakishka, and Taxa’wil at the mouth of the Quillayute River, all of whom signed an affidavit
that they had been misled by the treaty negotiators in 1856.
Swan describes the location and size of the “cammass” prairie in sufficient detail (7 miles from the mouth
of the river, on the north side of the river, and bounded on the south by a steep hill about 100 feet high,
about 4 ½ miles long by ¾ mile wide) for us to recognize it as the Quillayute Prairie (Sat’ayaqw). He
remarks its openness and the immense ferns. Finally, he notes that there was a well-defined trail that led
into the prairie, suggesting that it had considerable thoroughfare. Finally, it is of interest that the chiefs
decided, of all places in their territory, to take Swan to the prairie that contained the village’s most accessible
camas beds.
[Part One]
I wrote you, my dear sir, that I purposed a cruise on the coast during the past summer, as far south as
Quillehuyt River. I will now give your readers the result of my observation.
…..When the tide rose, we pulled the schooner into the river and anchored in ten feet of water near the
Indian village. The Indians immediately came on board in great numbers, all friendly and very curious.
I perceived among them some of the Quenaiults, old acquaintances, Mackamus, on the chiefs. He soon
made me acquainted with Hawelatl, head chief of the Quillehuyts, who invited Capt. Beynon and myself
on shore, where he conducted us through the lodges of his village.
The following day we passed in trading and on Thursday, August 1st, I made arrangements with Howelatl
and Wackamus to accompany me up the river to Cammass Prairie…..
QUILLEHUYT RIVER. The Quillehuyte River is a fine little stream, varying from fifty to two hundred
yards in width and with a depth of eight to twelve feet of water…. About a mile up from the bend of the
river (which looks from the ocean as if it was the real entrance), we came to a rapids extending some 300
feet at the head of which is a lodge and a strong weir for taking salmon…. We proceeded up the stream
three-fourths of a mile, when we stopped at the mouth of a small brook and all went ashore to walk, as
the current here was two (sic) strong for us to row any further although canoes go miles beyond. The
Indians requested me to drink some of the water of this brook, which I did and found it remarkably cool
and refreshing, and totally unlike the river water, which is also very pure. After securing the boat, we
started off on foot, walking along the river bank for a quarter of a mile, when we came to another fish
weir and an Indian lodge. Here we struck of into a trail which led to the CAMMASS PRAIRIE, which lies
in a northerly direction through a bottom of alder, willow and vine maple. We passed several patches of
potatoes planted by the Indians, and all fenced in. After walking through a bottom for half a mile over
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