Unidentified language in Sir Francis Drake's Nova Albion journal(1579)

[Mike Cleven]

Dave Robertson wrote:
>
> LhaXayEm!
>
> Can any of you help identify the indigenous language quoted in Sir Francis Drake's Nova Albion journal (1579)?
>
> Here are four very brief quotations:
>
> -"the herbe tabah...bagges of Tobah"

> -"the root petah, whereof they make a kind of meale, and either bake it into bread, or eate it raw"

sounds like camas, wake nah?

>
> -"their Hioh or king" (also "Hyoh")

Again, wasn't there something in Meacham like this?


Other comments; in the text it describes the king's/hioh's sceptre of
being made of some (polished) black or dark wood.  This sounds awfully
like argillite.  Then when Drake gets around to describing the local
"conies" (rabbits) the furs of which they were made presents of, and
which the hioh/king wore as his cloak, it starts sounding like sea
otter, or at least a dryland cousin like the fisher or mink.....muskrat
maybe?  long-tailed rock pika?  Jackalope?:  here's the quote (speaking
of what was to be found in the lands "beyond the shoare":
*_*_*_*_*_*_*
besides a multitude of a strange kinde of Conies, by far exceeding them
in number: their heads and bodies, in which they resemble other Conies,
are but small; his tayle like the tayle of a Rat, exceeding long; and
his feet like the paws of a Want or Moale; vnder his chinne, on either
side, he hath a bagge, into which he gathereth his meate, when he hath
filled his belly abroade, that he may  with it, either feed his young,
or feed himselfe, when he lists  not to trauaile from his burrough: the
people eate their bodies,  and make great account of their skinnes, for
their kings holidaies coate was made of them.
*_*_*_*_*_*_*