Clemmens -> Klimmin?

[Mike Cleven]

I meant to post what's below a week ago before I fried my video board
(don't ask) and it just occurred to me when I saw the mention of
"clemels" for elk-skin armour, plus this l->n mutation Dave just brought
up in Halqemeylem.  See the Magee quote below.  I'm now wondering if
"clemmens" isn't from klimmin, as I'd ventured, but is a native word
(from whichever language) that's gone through various mutations.  If the
family tree of those mutations can be figured out, perhaps it'd be
possible to say which language the root for "animal skin armour" first
came from.....would seem to most likely (but not necessarily) be the
tongue of the people who first invented and/or traded them, i.e. where
they originated.  Has anyone ever seen a cite, perhaps, for "moolack
klimmin/klemel"?

MC



My WC reading lately has been from "The Nootka Connection" by Derek
Pethick, which is an account of the political and commercial intrigues
surrounding the formation of the Nootka Convention.  Like most of
Pethick's books it has copious amounts of quotes from ship's journals.
The one following is from the "Jefferson" of Boston, captained by Josiah
Roberts; the second mate was Solomon Kendrick, younger son of Capt. John
Kendrick.  The following is from log entries from early July of 1791,
when the ship was moored at Coyai's Harbour in Houston Stewart Channel
(entry from Bernard Magee, first mate):

[Pethick:]  At this point an unforeseen difficulty developed.  The
ship's smith had been kept busy making iron collars, which were expeted
to be eagerly snapped up by fashion-conscious Haidas.  It became
evident, however, that tastes had recently changed, and that arrow-proof
vests made from moose hides were now the article in greatest demand.

[Magee] Several canoes came alongside in the afternoon from which
purchased a quanityt of halibut with towees, and one sea otter skin for
a copper cap.  They had more skins, but would not sel them for anything
but moose skins, which we had none of.  These skins they call clemmens,
which if we had would command skin for skin.

We've seen klimmin before to mean skins, but not specifically for
moose-skin armour; if this is Jargon and not an actual Haida word.
Sounds like the Haida were more concerned with defence that fashion at
the time, huh?  Any guesses what "towees" are?

MC