THE KWAKIUTL INDIANS. 429 



stop speaking. He continued: '^Therefore I called you to make war 

 upon the Bi'lxula. My tribe, the Kwakiutl, have eight canoes; the 

 Q'o'moyue have four canoes; the \Yillas Kwakiutl have two canoes; 

 the Q'o'mk'fitis two canoes. We have sixteen canoes. Nobody whom 

 we meet hereafter shall live. That is all." Then Ma'Xua, chief of the 

 Ma'maleleqala arose and spoke: "You are good, you are great, Kwa- 

 kiutl. What is it you are saying? Do you say we intend to go to 

 war?" NEqu'p'Enk'Em replied: "Yes; we will go to war." Then 

 Ma'Xua said: "Thank you, friend. Thank you, Kwakiutl. Look at 

 the tears on my face which I wept for the Qoe'xsot'enox, for our lost 

 names. Xow take care, warriors of the Ma/maleleqala, and you Nim- 

 kish, Lau'itsis, Maa'mtag-ila, and Ts'a'watEenox, else we shall not get 

 any heads. Let us start early in the morning. And I will be your 

 guide, for my ancestor was the killer whale. Therefore I am not afraid 

 of anything, neither of war nor of distributing property." Then they 

 left the house. 



Early the following morning they started. W^hen all the tribes had 

 come to the island opposite Gua'ts'e, NEqa'p'Enk-Em and Ye'qaLala- 

 same arose and the former spoke, "Friends, now our season will change 

 from ba'xus to ts'c'ts'aeqa as soou as we cut oft" the head of a man. 

 Then our ha'mats'a, bears and nuLmaL, the liawi'nalaL, and all the 

 other winter dancers, will become excited. Now let spies go ahead in 

 four canoes. ISTow we are no longer men, we are killer whales. When 

 you see a canoe, fire a gun that we may know it. Then take hold 

 of the canoe, but do not hurt them until we come." NEqil/p'Euk-Em 

 finished speaking and sat down. Then one canoe of the Kwakiutl, one 

 of the Ma'maleleqala, one of the Mmkish, and one of the Lau'itsis went 

 ahead. They steered to G-i'lsg-iltEm. When they had passed the 

 island, the other war canoes followed. At night they stopped at 

 Nux'saqolL. Early the next morning YeqaLalasame sneezed. Then 

 he awakened all the men and said, " Slaves! I sneezed with my right 

 nostril. To-day we shall stain our hands in blood." Then the four 

 spies started again. They did not see canoe nor smoke and all the 

 warriors became sorry. Now they arrived at the mouth of Eivers Ldet. 

 Then MaXua, chief of the Ma'maleleqala spoke, " Listen to me, friends. 

 My heart feels badly, because we have not yet seen anyone whom we 

 might slay. Let us play with the Awl'k-'enox, the tribe of this place, 

 to gladden my heart." The warriors did not want to do it, and while 

 they were still talking the report of two guns was heard. "Now, 

 slaves, paddle. Those w^ere our spies." Then all the men paddled on. 

 The Kwakiutl came to a place where six canoes of Hc'iltsuq were lying 

 and the four canoes of their spies. The Nimkish were the next to 

 arrive. Then came the Lau'itsis, and far behind the others the Ma'ma- 

 irdeqala. The TlG'iltsuq were telling about their voyage and also that 

 the Bi'lxula had barricaded their houses. Then Y'r-'qaLalasamr' said, 

 " Friends, ask the He'iltsuq who is their chief." Then Kalam asked 



