THE KWAKIUTL INDIANS. 



509 



to^etlier so that the cedar bark makes a full turn, i><) round tlie fire to 

 the right, aud turn again in the rear of the fiie. Thus they go around 

 the fire four times. They stop in the right-hand front eorner of the house. 

 The master of ceremonies now proceeds to prepare the floor of the 

 house for the ceremonies, or "to put the naualak into the floor.'' lie 

 gives slow jerks downward with his round rattle, say- 

 ing with each movement, "op," and stooping down to 

 the floor. This is the song of Hai'alik-auar', the first 

 shaman. Thus he goes around the fire once, and then 

 he sings his secret song:' 



1. My mind is not strong enough (to lift it). 



2. My mind is ufraid of it.- 



3. I liave seen tlie winter ceremonial. 



After he has finished his song, aSTa/wulqalag'ilis 

 stretches his hand backward, and somebody i)uts, 

 unnoticed, a knife into it. This he gives to the 

 master of ceremonies, who steps up to the four 

 men who hold the cedar bark. Three times he pre- 

 tends to cut it, and after each cut makes one turn to 

 the left. The fourth time he really cuts through it, 

 and at the same time the sound of whistles is heard 



proceeding from the ce- 

 dar bark. After it is cut, 

 the master of ceremo- 

 nies distributes it, giv- 

 ing the ha'mats'as first 

 their part, then to the other members of the 

 seal society, and finally to the que'qutsa. 

 lie then calls to the men who brought tlie 

 members of the seal society, " Bring us our 

 down, friends."'' They then bring the 

 dishes, each man carrying one dish. Then 

 he sends them in the same way to bring 

 the tallow. After he has received all the 

 dishes, he calls up the four men again and 

 sends them to all the people who are as- 

 sembled in the house, in order to ask if there is anyone who desires to 

 join in the celebration of the winter dance — that is to say, if there is 

 another man ready to act as ye'wix-ila during the same ceremonial. 

 He asks, "Who is the one to whom the seal society will go?"^ 

 The notice in the beginning of the festival is given in order to enable 



rio isb 



FIGURE, WITH MOVABLE 

 ARMS ANT) A BIRD SIT- 

 TING ON ITS HEAD, REP- 

 RESENTING THE NO'N- 

 LEMG-ILA. 



From .1 skctcll liiailu at the 

 World's Columbian Exposi- 



Fig. 159. 



BIRD OF NO'NLEMG-ILA. 



Length, 13i inches. 



IV A, No. 1129', Royal Ethnographical M 

 Berlin. Collected by A. Jacobsen. 



'Appendix, page 723. 



"Meaning the cedar hark ornaments, in which the power of the winter ceremonial 

 is vested. 



^G-il'xlaxius qa'mxnaLaEns nenEmo'k". 

 ■•A'aguela a'ita lawultsanEmLa'sa Ic lacncnok". 



