366 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1895. 



When all the guests liave assembled, tbe father-in law of the youug man 

 enters, accompanied by his clan. Four of them are carrying the mast 

 of a canoe, one holding it at the top, another one at the butt, and two 

 at intermediate x)oints. They walk to the right and stand on the right- 

 hand side of the door on the front side of the house, facing the middle.' 

 Then the wife's father calls his son-in law, who steps forward and stands 

 in the right-hand rear corner of the house. The other speaker tells 

 him that the mast represents lids of boxes (g-i'sExstala, see p. 421) tied 

 together (LEuk"), and that they contain everything that he owes his 

 son-in law. The latter replies, asking if the coppers, house, its posts, 

 and his father-in-law's names are in it also. Even if the old man should 

 not have intended to give all of this, he must comply with this demand 

 and promise to give it all to his soniu-law. ISText, the young man's wife 

 is sent by her father to fetch the copper. She returns, carrying it on 

 her back, and the young men of her clan bring in blankets, AH of this 

 is given to the young man, who proceeds at once to sell the copper oft- 

 hand. This is called "holding the copper at its forehead" (da/g-iue). 

 In such a case less than one-half of the actual ])rice is i)aid for the 

 copper. If it is worth 0,000 blankets, it will bring only 2,500 blankets. 

 The buyer must pay the price on the spot, and the blankets which the 

 young man obtains in this manner are distributed by him right away. 

 By this distribution he obtains the right to live in the house which his 

 father-in-law has given to him. 



Although in most marriages the house and name of the bride's father 

 are promised to be transferred to the young man, this is not necessarily 

 the case. The dower agreed upon may consist only of coppers, canoes, 

 blankets, and the like. 



I learned about a curious instance how a man punished his father-in- 

 law who had long delayed the return of the purchase-money and was 

 evidently evading the duty of giving up his name and home to his son- 

 in-law. The latter carved an image representing his wife and invited 

 all the people to a feast. Then he put a stone around the neck of the 

 image and threw it into the sea. Thus he had destroyed the high rank 

 of his wife and indirectly tliat of his father-in-law. 



V. The Clan LectEnds. 



It appears from what has been said before that, in order to fully 

 understand the various ceremonies, it is necessary to be familiar with 

 the clan legends. Tn the following chapter I will give a selection of 

 legends which will make clear their counection with the carvings used 

 by each clan and the ceremonials performed on various occasions. 



It seems desirable to introduce at this place a fuller description of 



'The positions in the liouse are always given according to the Indian method: 

 The lire is tlie outer side (Lil'sak), the walls the back side (a'La). Thus right and left 

 are always to be considered the corresponding sides of a person who is looking toward 

 the fire from the front or rear of the house. 



