482 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1895. 



SONG OF THE lA'K'iM. 



1. The great la'k-tm will rise from below. 



2. He makes the sea boil, tbe fjreat la'knni. We are afraid. 



3. He will upheave the seas, the great la'k-im. We shall he afraid. 



4. He will throw blankets from out of the sea, the great la'k-im. 



5. He will distribute blankets among all tribes, the great la'k-im. 



6. We fear him, the great la'k-im. 



SONG- OF THE Sl'SIUL DANCE, LA'LASIQOALA.' 



1. Great is the sl'siuL dauce of our chief. 



2. They say by his dance he will cut in two a whole tribe. '^ 



AO'MALAL, OR GHIEFTAINESS DANCE. 



I did not see the dance and do not know any details as i^egards initi- 

 ation, etc. I received the following description : The Ao'nialaL is said 

 to sit on a stage in front of the ma/wiL. She has the chieftainess's 

 ornaments of abalone shells in her ears and attached to her nose. She 

 does not move, but is merely shown behind the curtain while the people 

 sing her song.' It is probable that this dance is a recent introduction 

 from the north. In the winter ceremonial of the Tsimsshiaii the dancer 

 appears in the manner here described on a stage, and after the song 

 the stage is hidden again behind a curtain. 



SONG OF AO'MALAL, 



1. We are told that our great chief lets his daughter dance as chieftainess. 



2. Great is the song of the chieftainess, great is the ha'mats'a song of the super- 



natural chieftainess. 



3. At the place of the great suiiernatural chieftainess is heard the sound of cojiper, 



the ringing of copper. 



GHOST DANCE. 



I stated in Chapter YP how the ghost dauce of the L'a/sq'enox 

 originated. There are a number of traditions of similar character ex- 

 plaining the origin of the ceremony among various tribes. All these 

 traditions contain descriptions of a visit to the world of the ghosts, 

 which is believed to be located under our world. Then the visitor was 

 given the secrets of the ghost dance and other magical gifts. This 

 dance is a mimical representation of a visit to the lower Avorld. 

 The dancer wears the head ring and neck ring, figs. 146, 147* which 

 are set with skulls, indicating that the ghosts have initiated him. 

 Elaborate preparations are made for this dance. During the days pre- 

 ceding it the members of the seal society hold close watch that nobody 

 enters the dancing house in which they remain assembled. Then a 

 ditch is dug behind the fire, and speaking tubes made of kelp are laid 

 under the lloor of the house so as to terminate in the fire. The ghost 

 dancer appears, led by a rope by one attendant. He goes around the 

 fire four times, summoning the ghosts. After he has made the fourth 



1 Appendix, page 713. ^ jje will destroy them. ^Page 408. ^Page 497. 



