"Chinook" Jargon in Haida Gwaii before 1800?

[David D. Robertson]

>From Wright, Robin K. "Northern Haida Master Carvers".  Seattle:
University of Washington Press, 2001.

Pages 74-75:  "Captain Bishop's Journal, July 1795
Monday 27th, 54 [degrees]
...[A Native man] came on board with Confidance and taking me by the Hand
Said "How do you do Sir."  "Cluto (ship [in Chinook Jargon]) be England
King George Cluto."  "He be Boston Cluto."  When answer'd it was an English
ship He expressed great Satisfaction.  He now told us his Name, Illtadza
[yaahl da`ajee]..."

[Dave notes:]  Yaahl Da`ajee's words look to be three parts of the same
sentence, thus an either-or expression "Is this an English ship or an
American ship?"  (Formed the same way Mandarin Chinese & other languages
form similar clauses, without an overt word for "or".)  "Cluto" looks
vaguely like Chinook Jargon <klatawa> /lhatwa/ = "go", from a 'Nootkan'
term for water travel, but isn't known from anything that was ever
called "Chinook Jargon" by its speakers, eh?

Page 76:  Continuing Bishop's journal, Thursday 30th July 1795:  "Kowe
informed us that as soon as Trade was over and the 'Huen Clews' great Ships
where all gone ... the whole tribe united where going to attack Comswa..."

[Dave:]  Here's a different form meaning "ship", and a word for "big" that
also looks non-CJ.

Page 47:  Ingraham's journal, 13 July 1791:  "While they were at a
distance, Cow said they were of his tribe and had plenty of skins, but on a
nearer approach he said they were pushack--bad."

[Dave:]  Here is a 'Nootkan' word that later shows up in (what we know as)
Chinook Jargon.  In the three passages cited, we may be seeing evidence of
a Haida Jargon, according to some researchers.  But are we also seeing
evidence of a Nootka Jargon?  Of a contact medium that became what we call
Chinook Jargon?  What about the English phrases represented as the
utterances of Natives?  The above quotations all pre-date Lewis and
Clark's "first attestation" of what we know as CJ.