THE KWAKIUTL INDIANS. 



439 



swinging rattles, tiie sound of whicli is supposed to pacify tlie na'mats'a. 

 This ofitice is hereditary in the male line, and either four or six of them 

 must accompany the ha'mats'a whenever he is in an ecstasy. They sur- 

 round him in a close circle in order to prevent him from attacking the 

 l)eoj)le and utter the pacifying cries "hoi'p, hoi'p." The rattles of the 

 hr'lig-a are always carved witli a design which originally represented a 

 skull. Figures 51 and 52 show this design clearly, but it often degen- 

 erates into the representation of a conventional face, and in some cases 

 it has simply a rounded shape, and an animal is carved on its face. 

 (Figs. 53-59.) I do not know if the beautiful rattles which are used by 

 the he'lig'a of the Kwakiutl, but which were made by the lle/iltsuci and 

 represent the thunder bird on a round rattle (fig. 60), had originally a 

 diHerent meaning. In olden times, when the ha'mats'a was in a state of 

 ecstasy, slaves were killed for him, whom he devoured. The following 

 facts were observed by 

 Mr. Hunt and Mr. Moffat 

 in the early days of 

 Fort Eupert: When a 

 hil'mats'a had returned 

 from the woods, a slave, 

 a man of the Nanaimo 

 tribe, named Xu'ntEm, 

 was shot. They saw 

 him running down to 

 the beach, where he 

 dropi^ed. Then all the 

 ufi'LmaL of the Kue/xa 

 tribe went down to the 

 beach carrying knives 

 and lances. The bear 

 dancers and the ha'- 

 mats'as followed them. 

 The nfi'LuuiL cut the 

 body with their knives and lances and the ha'mats'as squatted down 

 dancing and crying "hap, haj)." Then the bear dancers took up the 

 flesh and, holding it like bears and growling at the same time, they 

 gave it to the highest ha'mats'a first and then to the others.' In mem- 

 ory of this event a face representing BaxbakualannXsT'wae was carved 

 in the rock on the beach at the place where the slave had been eaten. 

 The carving is done in sandstone, which was battered down with stone 



Fiy. 58. 



RATTLE OK HE'LIG'A. 



Representation of a being with a human luad, hands, and feet, 

 and a dorsal fln. The feet form the handle of the rattle, ^\■hic]l 

 is set with cedar bark. Length, ] 1 inches ; black and blue. 



IV A, Xu. 1.S91I, Roy.ll Ethnngraj.hical Museum, Berlin, t'nllfctf.l by A. .I.-uubseu. 



' Mr. George Hunt, who told me this story as reported to him by hia father, who had 

 been au eyewitness, added the following remark.s, which are of interest as elucidat- 

 ing some of the views of these tribes. The slave's wife was at that time in the fort. 

 She went ont on the gallery and called out to the hfi'mats'a: "I will give you five 

 years to live. The spirit of yonr winter dance ceremonial is strong, but mine is 

 stronger. You killed my husband with gun and bullet, and now I will kill you with 

 the point of my tongue."' After five years all those who had taken part in the nnirder 

 were dead. 



