662 ANTHROPOLOGICAL PAPERS. 



The distribution of gifts was the last sceue, for then the visitors put 

 their things in their canoes and left with very little ceremony as quickly 

 as possible, and in three weeks from the first arrival the house was de- 

 serted by the visitors. It is considered by them a breach of etiquette 

 to remain in the house any longer than absolutely necessary after the 

 gifts are distributed. A few of the Twanas remained in the house, 

 using it as a dwelling, for a month or two, after which it was deserted 

 for nearly two years, and some things about it suffered to go to ruin. 

 This whole affair occurred 3 miles from my residence. I was not able 

 to be there all the time, but was present a few evenings and a part of 

 nearly every day and gathered what information I could from others 

 who were there in my absence. 



Another potlatch took place at Jamestown, in Clallam County, and 

 was giv^eu from February 2 to February 10, 1^78, by a part of the In- 

 dians of that place. The house was built for a large dwelling a j'ear 

 or two before, the potlatch, however, being in contemplation, and was 

 about 32 by 84 feet. It was by no means large enough to hold all of 

 the Indians who attended, but in the village there were about a dozen 

 dwellings, in which some of the visitors were received. The beds and 

 seats of this potlatch house were much the same as that of the Twanas, 

 but the shelves overhead for the storing of articles were differently 

 arranged. Instead of being all around the house over the beds, they 

 were along the side walls, with one shelf across the middle of the house. 

 The two at the ends were used chiefly for storing articles belonging to 

 the visitors, and the central one was for storing food, which included 

 sixty sea-biscuit and a few half barrels of sugar, brought by the guests 

 and presented to their hosts. In one corner a blanket was fastened up, 

 evidently to make a screen for a dressing-room. I was present nearly 

 all of the time, having been requested by the Twana and Klallam chiefs 

 and the Indian agent to go, in order to oversee the festivities and pre- 

 vent any conduct that might tend to produce a disturbance. 



The invitation was received at Skokomish on the 20th of January, 

 and on the 30th we started, and arrived at Dungiuess on the evening 

 of February 2. The morrow being Sunday, I induced them to land 

 at once, instead of postponing it until next day as is usually their cus- 

 tom when reaching a potlatch place in the evening. My companions 

 preferred that I should not be with them during the reception and hence 

 I went ashore in a Klallam canoe which came to meet us. 



About ten canoes from Sook, in British Columbia, had arrived that 

 morning, with perhaps one hundred and twenty-five Indians ; twenty, 

 five persons from Port Discovery, the same number from Port Town- 

 send, and forty from Sequim had arrived during the day; sixty from 

 Port Gamble had also arrived within a day or two. 



That evening was given to the Twanas, who sang and danced the 

 black tamanous. In the dance each remained in one place, and, to keep 

 time to the music, jumped up and down a little or bent the knees. Their 



