Boas.] 4-0 ^-^Qy^ Ig^ 



Besides this spirit, tlie crane, and the so-called "Hatnaa, " can become 

 the genii of the cannibals. The right to become cannibal is hereditary in 

 certain gentes, but every individual has to acquire it by being initiated. 

 For this purpose he goes into the woods, where he lives for three or four 

 months. After this time, he approaches the village, whistling and sing- 

 ing ; then the people know that he has become a cannibal (Hamats'a). 

 The next morning they go into the woods in order to fetch him back. 

 They sit down in a square and sing four new songs which are composed 

 for the occasion. The first song has a slow movement, the second is in a 

 five-part measure, while the third and fourth have a quick movement. As 

 soon as these are sung, the new Hamats'a makes his appearance. He is 

 surrounded by ten men, who carry rattles, and is accompanied by them 

 to the village. All those partaking in the ceremony wear head-rings and 

 neck-rings made of hemlock branches. Four nights the new Hamats'a 

 dances in the house of his father. On the fourth night he suddenly leaves 

 the house, and after a short time returns, carrying a corpse. As soon as 

 the old cannibals see this, they rush forward and cut the corpse to pieces, 

 which they devour. This custom is principally practiced among all tribes 

 of Kwakiutl lineage ; but it is also found among the Bilqula and Komoks, 

 who have evidently adopted it from the Kwakiutl. Similar customs pre- 

 vail among the Tsimpshian. G. M. Dawson says that they have four 

 dilferent systems of rites of religious character, which he calls Simhalait, 

 Mihla, Noohlem, and Hoppop. The third of these are dog-eaters, while 

 the last are the cannibals. 



According to my inquiries, this refers to the following tradition : A man 

 went out hunting. After some time he saw a white bear, and pursued it 

 until it disappeared in a mountain. The hunter followed him, and saw that 

 it was transformed into a man, who led him through his house, which 

 stood in the interior of the mountain. There he saw four groups of men, 

 and what they were doing. The first were the Meitla, the second were 

 the Nootlam ("dog-eaters"), the third were the Wihalait (" the canni- 

 bals"), and the fourth were the Semhalaidet. Four days the man staid 

 in the house. Then he returned ; but when he came to his village, he 

 found that he had staid in the mountain four years. The bear had told 

 him to do as he had seen the men in the mountain doing. Since that 

 time the Tsimpshian eat dogs and bite men. There are no reports that 

 cannibal ceremonies exist among the Haida and Tliugit. 



The masks which all these tribes use in their dances represent spirits or 

 some of the heroes of their legends. Most of the winter dances are pan- 

 tomimical performances of their traditions. At the great feasts other 

 masks are used, which refer to the tradition of the gens of the man who 

 gives the feast. The use of masks is most extensive among the northern 

 tribes. The variety of masks of the Haida, Tlingit, Tsimpshian, and 

 Kwakiutl, is wonderful, but the more southern tribes have only a very 

 limited number. Among the Nanaimo their use is the privilege of certain 

 gentes. The Lkungen of Victoria use only very few masks, which they 

 destroy by fire as soon as a death occurs in their tribe. 



