188 POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



or Cannibal Society. The chief object of this outfit, apart from the 

 white and red cedar bark rings, was a long club, one side of which 

 was ornamented by a fringe of red cedar tassels. Of interest also 

 was the curious cap made of plaited bands of red cedar bark, and so 

 ornamented as to represent the head of the owl. Another object 

 secured from a shaman was a peculiar bow and arrow. These were 

 purely ceremonials, and were only used in the dances of the secret 

 societies. By an ingenious device the point of the arrow could be 

 opened out, and in this position represented the open jaws of a ser- 

 pent. On the bow were two fins, that could be lowered or raised at 

 will by means of cords, which represented the fin-back whale. The 

 bow itself is of light soft wood, and is bent by means of a string pass- 

 ing around the operator's body, the two ends of the bow being 

 fastened to the body of the bow by leather hinges. 



In all the ceremonies, both religious and civil, an important part 

 of the costume is the mask. These are generally of wood, and por- 

 tray all manner of real and fanciful personages. Some of them are 

 wonders of ingenuity, being so constructed that the eyes, mouth, and 

 often the ears can be moved at the will of the wearer. Some of 

 them are even double, and so arranged that by drawing open the 

 outer mask, an inner one of an entirely different character can be 

 revealed. One of the rarest masks which was ever brought out of 

 the Tsimshian country is one in the possession of the museum, which 

 was acquired some time ago. It is of bone and finely carved, while 

 the teeth and tusks are those of animals. 



Hazelton is of much interest to the observer of the human coun- 

 tenance, for, while the residents of the town are Tsimshians, there is 

 a village near by on the Bulkley River, the people of which belong to 

 the great Tinneh or Athabascan stock, which extends from the Arctic 

 Circle on the north to the Territories of Arizona and New Mexico on 

 the south, where it is represented by the Apaches. In some respects 

 the differences between the Tsimshians and Tinnehs, or Howgelgaits, 

 as this branch is called, are quite marked, and these differences stand 

 out in greater relief because more or less of the population of Howgel- 

 gait spend a part of their time in Hazelton, and so one sees represent- 

 atives of the two stocks in close contact. The Tsimshians, like the 

 Haidas, are great canoe people, and are rather short-legged, with great 

 development of the chest and shoulders. Like the Haidas, also, 

 they have strong, long arms, which bespeak familiarity with the 

 paddle. The Howgelgaits, on the other hand, are a pure moun- 

 taineer people, and are tall, robust, and finely proportioned. Their 

 hair is black, coarse, and abundant. The eyebrows are thick and 

 remarkably wide at the outer side. This same peculiarity may be 

 observed in the masks of this tribe. The beard is sparse, but it must 



