544 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1895. 



Then the ts'et'saeqa beat time again. Again the dancer caught his 

 supernatural power, went four times forward and backward, turned 

 around, and threw it against the dogs. Then they sat down, still laugh- 

 ing, and began to scratch their heads. Again they barked. The 

 ts'e'tsaeqa beat time for a third time, and the dancer caught the super- 

 natural power again. She went forward and backward with ({uick steps, 

 turned around, and threw it again. Then the dogs rushed into the 

 water, scratching and rubbing their bodies, which means that they are 

 removing the ba'xus from their bodies. They barked and came out 

 again. 



Now the que'qutsa of tlie other tribes assembled in a group by them- 

 selves and sent four men to the dogs, apparently to send some message, 

 but actually in order to carry to them some red cedar bark. After they 

 had returned, the dogs in their turn sent four of their number to fetch 

 some more cedar bark. This is repeated four times, and is called 

 ts'a'ts'exsila — that is, pretending to carry messages. 



Now the chief of the que'qutsa spoke to his people : " Take care ; don't 

 give in, and remain what you are." All his people arose. Then the 

 que'qutsa beat time again, and the dancer continued her dance. Sud- 

 denly she was seen to hold red cedar bark in her hands. Four times 

 she went backward and forward holding the cedar bark and moving her 

 hands up and down. She turned four times, and every time stretched 

 her hands out as though she was going to throw the cedar bark against 

 the "dogs." The fourth time she really threw it. Then all the people 

 stooped, and when they arose again they had cedar bark rings on their 

 heads. 



Then the hamats'a, nfi'LmaL, na'ne, and the other me'emqoat of the 

 Gue'tEla began to get excited. The chief pushed his son toward them. 

 They surrounded him and dragged him around until all of a sudden he 

 disappeared. Then it was said that the supernatural power had taken 

 him away from the hfi'mats'a. This novice was now kue'xalak". The 

 chief next invited all the "dogs" and the ts'e'tsaeqa into his house and 

 annou iced that after four days he was going to try to bring the novice 

 back. This is called wa'sdana qap'^'k", or short assembly, and takes 

 the place of the ([ap'e'k" ceremony described above. The kue'xalak" 

 then continues as described before. 



X. The Winter Ceremonial at Fort Rupert, 1895-96. 



Ill the preceding chapter I have given a general description of the 

 ceremonial of the initiation of a single novice. When the ceremony is 

 actually in i)rogress, there are several novices to be initiated, feasts are 

 being held, and numerous incidental ceremonies are performed which 

 depend upon circumstances, such as atonement for mistakes, rivalry 

 between chiefs, and so forth. In order to make clear the character of 

 the ceremonial, I will describe in the present chapter the ceremonial as 

 it actually took place and So far as I witnessed it in the winter of 



