THE KWAKIUTL INDIANS. 533 



qa'nenox. Every time these meu go aroiiud the fire the t'a'mtseuox 

 must beat the boards. 



Then the qa'iienox takes the mat and spreads it on the floor at the 

 left-hand side of the door, and lays the cedar bark on it. lie begins to 

 rub the bark and to cut it. When cutting, he draws his knife three 

 times, pretending to cut, and every time he does so he turns to the 

 left. The fourth time he really begins to cut the bark. One of the 

 pieces which he cuts is about G feet, and two other pieces about 2 feet 

 long each. A knot is tied in the middle of the long piece, which is then 

 tied in shape of a ring, the ends crossing each other and leaving about 

 1 foot free. The two shorter j)ieces arc tied near the middle of the long 

 piece, so that the whole forms a ring with two ends on one side and two 

 ends near the middle. The ring represents the body, the knot the head, 

 the upper ends the arms, and the lower ends the feet of a person. 



Now he rises and gives a signal to the t'a'mtsenox to beat time. He 

 goes around the fire once and stops near the tongs which the ts'e'si- 

 laenox made. Then he puts the ring down. Now the ts'e'silaenox 

 rises. He spreads the tongs with a small stick. Three times he pre- 

 tends to take them up, turning each time. The fourth time he really 

 takes them and goes toward the ring of white cedar bark, the qa'na'yu. 

 At this time the t'a'mtsenox begins to beat time again. The ts'c'sila- 

 enox goes around the fire with the tongs in his hands and keeps his 

 eye on the qa'na'yu all the time. When he comes to the mat on which 

 it is lying, he ])retends to take it ui) with the tongs, but he does not 

 touch it. Then he turns around to the left and extends his arms 

 toward the place of the rising sun. Every time he does so the t'a'm- 

 tsenox gives a hard rap on the board, and the people cry " wa ! " This is 

 repeated three times; the fourth time he takes the qa'ua'yu, and goes 

 around the fire four times until he arrives at the east side of the house. 



Then he pushes up the tongs three times. The fourth time he turns 

 them around and places the handle under the roof of the east side of the 

 house. He goes around the fire four times. Then he pretends to take 

 up four stones with his tongs. He does not really take them until the 

 fourth time. During this time the t'a'mtsenox beats again. Then the 

 kucts'enox asks for a new dish, which is put on the floor. He asks for 

 water, which is brought to him in a bucket. When he takes the latter, 

 he gives a signal to the t'a'mtsenox to beat. He walks around the 

 fire with the water, while all the people say " wa wa wa.'' Every 

 time he comes to the point where he started, either opposite the door 

 or in the rear of the house, he turns and lifts his bucket toward the sun. 

 Every time he does so the t'a'mtsenox stops with a loud rap. After 

 he has done so four times, he goes to the dish, which is standing at the 

 left-hand side from the door. Three times he pretends to pour out 

 water, and the fourth time he empties it into the dish. After this has 

 been done, the new ha'mats'a is called to come out from the ma'wiL. 

 He and the k-i'nqalaLala come out entirely naked. A new mat is i)ut 



