THE KWAKIUTL INDIANS. 



433 



between tlie door and the fire. Then he dances toward the right, leav- 

 ing the fire at his left. In the rear of the fire he turns again to the 

 left, and after liaviug made a complete turn continues his course. 

 Every time he reaches the front or the rear of the fire, he makes a turn 

 and then continues his way in tlie same direction. Each dance con- 

 sists of four circuits around the fire. The motions of the feet follow 

 the rhythm of the beating, not of the song. 



When a mistake is made in these songs or dances which are intended 



Fig. 47. 



BATO.V REPRESENTING A SEA LION. 



Side view and view from below. 



IV A, No. 194T, Royal Ethnngraiihiral Museum, Kfrlin. Collected by A. Jacohsen'. 



to pacify the novice, the effect is not only a renewed ecstasy of the 

 novice, but it also excites all the older members of the various societies 

 and thus produces a general ecstasy. 



Errors in rhythm, turning the wrong way in a dance, smiling, and 

 chewing gum are counted as mistakes. The error must be atoned for by 

 an initiation of the person who made the mistake. When the members 

 of the seal society observe a mistake, they jump from their seats and bite 

 and scratch the person who made the mistake. He drops down at once 



Tig. 48. 



BATON REPRESENTING A SEA LION. 



Side view, end view, and view from below. 



IV A, N... IWS, Royal Ethno;n-.a).hi.:il Museum, Berlin, folleele.l l.y A. .lai-obsen. 



and pretends to faint, and while the excited dancers surround him he 

 disappears. This means that a spirit has taken him away in order to 

 initiate him. The members of the seal society sit on the platform of 

 the house or stand during the dances, that they may be certain to dis 

 cover mistakes. The seal society attack and maltreat throughout the 

 ceremonial the que'qutsa. At the close of the winter ceremonial they 

 must pay an indemnity for all the damage that they may have done. 

 No greater misfortune, however, can happen than for one of the 

 NAT MU.s 95 28 



