THE KWAKIUTL INDIANS. 459 



The mention of the north refers to the fact that the composer is a 

 descendant of the Tongass by his mother's side. He claims to have 

 obtained his ha'mats'a from her tribe. 



ha'mats'a song composed about fifty years ago.' 



1. Food ■will be given to me, food will be given to me, because I obtained this magic 



treasure. 



2. I am swallowing food alive; I eat living men. 



3. I swallow wealth; I swallow the wealth that my father is giving away. 



The presents given away at the time of the initiation of the ha'mats'a 

 and at his later dances are said to be swallowed by him. The song 

 means, therefore, that through his ecstasy his Mher was compelled to 

 give away much wealth. 



ha'mats'a song of THK LAU'lTSiS.' 



1. I went all around the world to find food. 



2. I went all around the world to find human flesh. 



3. I went all around the world to find human heads. 



4. I went all around the world to find corpses. 



ha'mats'a song of the koskimo.' 



1. You will be known all over the world; you will be known all over the world, 



as far as the edge of the world, you great one Avho safely returned from the 

 8j)irits. 



2. You will be known all over the world; yon will be known all over the world, 



as far as the edge of the world. You went to BasbakualanuXsi'wae, and there 

 you ate first dried human flesh. 



3. You were led to his cannibal pole in the place of honor of his house, and his house 



is our world. 



4. You were led to his cannibal pole, which is the milky way of our world. 



5. You were led to his cannibal pole at the right-hand side of our world. 



This song was sung for a youth who had taken the place of another 

 one who had died. Therefore the song says that he safely returned 

 from the spirits. The text says : " You returned from la'lag-ilis," which 

 is another name for the spirit of the winter dance. The milky way is 

 the cannibal pole of BaxbakualanuXsI'wae; in other cases (see p. 405) 

 it is the rainbow. 



secret song of the ha'mats'a who carries a corpse. — a.wi'k-'en6x.- 



Now I am going to eat. 

 My face is ghastly pale. 

 I shall eat what is given to me by BaxbakualanuXsi'wae. 



ha'mats'a song op wa'nuk composed about eighty years ago.' 



That is the way of the real BaxbakualanuXsi'wae. 

 Are you the real BaxbakualanuXsi'wae f 



This refers to Wa'nuk's war expedition. He had cut off the head of 

 his enemy, and, holding it with his teeth, he said : That is the way 



' Appendix, page 690. ' Appendix, page 692. 



^Appendix, page 691. 



