346 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1895. 



Debts wbicli are repaid in the wa'lasila were mostly contracted in this 

 manner. 



In order to better illustrate this curious proceeding, I will describe 

 the sale of a copper which took place in the winter of 1894-95. 



First, a feast was celebrated, in which the Ma'maleleqala offered the 

 copper Ma/xts'olEra for sale to the Kwakiutl. Ma'Xua, chief of the 

 clan Maa'mtag-ila, invited all tlie tribes to his house. Then he spoke : 



"Come, tribe, to my house. This is the house of the first Ma'Xua 

 at G-agaxsdals. 



"This is the feast house of Ma'Xua here. 



"This is the house to which Msi'Xua invited at Bg'ivsbalis. 



"This is the house to which Ma'Xua invited at Qald'gwis. 



"This is the feast house of Ma'Xua at G-a/qis. 



"This is the house to which my father invited at Tsa'xis. 



"I take the place of my father now. 



"I invited you, tribes, that j^ou should come and see my house here. 



"I am proud to speak of my ancestor, the chief who in the beginning 

 of the world had the name Ma'Xua." 



Then Ma'Xua turned to his own tribe and said: " Yes, K''esoyag*ilis. 

 Yes, Ma'Xuag-ila. Let me speak of my ways, Wa, wa! thus I speak, 

 my tribe." Then he turned again to the other tribes and told them 

 to sing, saying, "Go on, tell the whole world, tribes! go on and sing; 

 this was given to our ancestors in the beginning of the world by 

 Kuekuaxa'oe.*" 



Now Ma'Xua stopped speaking, and Qoayo'Llas, chief of the Ma'mal- 

 eleqala of the clan Wa'las, spoke: "Yes, Chief! it is true what you said. 

 I thank you for your words, Chief! Our ways are not new ways. They 

 were made by our chief (the deity) and marked out for us when he made 

 our ancestors men. We try to imitate what our ancestors were told to 

 do by the creator. Keep in your old ways, Kwakiutl; keep in the ways 

 of your grandfathers, who laid down the custom for you." Then 

 he turned to his own tribe and said: "That is what I say, Wa'k-as. 

 That is what I say, XEg-e'. The word of the chief shall not hurt 

 me." Now he took the copper (Plate 6) and said: "Now sing my 

 song!" His tribe sang, and after they had finished Qoayo'Llas spoke 

 again: "Yes, my tribe! I can not help how I feel; I have nothing 

 against the way, Kwakiutl, in which you treat me and my tribe. Now 

 I will promise blankets to you, Kwakiutl, blankets to you, Gue'tEla, 

 blankets to you, Q'd'mdyue, blankets to you, Q'd'mk-utis, blankets to 

 you, Walas Kwakiutl: this copper belongs to Ts'a'xts'agits'Emqa, the 

 son of Walas XEmd'gwis. Now take care, great tribe! This great 

 copper has a high price; its name is Ma'xts'olEm (the one of whom all 

 are ashamed). Now I am going to lay it down before you, Kwakiutl. 

 Do not let me carry it myself, La'bid ! Take it to the chiefs." 



'F. Boas, " Indianische Sagen von der Nord-Pacifischen Kiiste Amerikas," Berlin, 

 1895, page 208, 



