THE KWAKIUTL INDIANS. 555 



exhausted, in one of the small bedrooms. During the dance he had 

 apparently become quieter and quieter as time went on. Then Ta'qois's 

 father arose and distributed a few blankets which had been fetched 

 during the dance of the ha'mats'a. They were given as an earnest of 

 the blankets with which he promised to jiay for the ecstasy of his son. 



Now at last the Koskimo began to prepare the feast. While they 

 were engaged in this work, one of them shouted, all of a sudden: 

 '^Listen! What is going on outside?" Everyone was quiet, and sud- 

 denly the roof of the house shook violently. At the same time a boy 

 was seen in the entrance of the house being wafted up and down. He 

 hung perfectly limp while he was flying to and fro. Then the people 

 pressed up to him and placed themselves so that the boy was in the 

 dark. Suddenly he had disappeared. After a short time his bloody 

 clothing and his head ring of red cedar bark fell down through the 

 roof, and a short time after the bloody clothing of a girl also fell down. 

 Then the speaker of the Koskimo said: "Three of our youths have 

 been taken away by the spirits. Now our winter ceremonial shall be- 

 gin." Great excitement prevailed, as this was quite unexpected to the 

 other tribes. Then food was distributed, during which time speeches 

 of welcome and of thanks were made. This was the end of the festival. 



November 21. — Early in the morning the old hfi'mats'a of the Kos- 

 kimo, with three attendants, was seen on the beach pursuing a number 

 of women. It appears that they had taken some of the food that was 

 intended for him, which had excited his wrath. He ran after them, 

 trying to bite them, and they escaped into the water, which the 

 ha/mats'a is supposed to dread. There he kept them for a long time; 

 whenever they made an attempt to escape, he tried to bite them and 

 drove them back. 



In tiie evening the father of Ya'qois gave the promised feast, in 

 which he was going to pay for the ecstasy of his son. The blankets 

 which he was about to distribute actually belonged to his mother- * 

 When the people were assembled in the dancing house of the Kwakiutl, 

 she came in first, crying "hu, htl, hu," which indicates the weight of 

 the blankets which she was going to distribute. She was followed by 

 the father of Ya'qois, who entered singing his secret song.' He was 

 followed by his son Ta'qois, the ha'mats'a, and by his sister La'stosalas, 

 who is the k-i'nqalaLala of the former. Then the members of his clan 

 followed, carrying the blankets which he was going to distribute. 



The speaker of the clan Si'sinLae asose and said: "Look at me, 

 friends, look at me well. This is my way of acting for my children." 

 Then he turned to the Kwakiutl and said: *' Yes, my friends, here I am 

 again. I can not let you rest, for we must try to pacify our great 

 friend.^ Now arise ! and take the handles of your batons," and turning 

 to the Na'q'oaqtoq and Koskimo, he asked them to help pacify the 



'He'lig'a ye'laqula. 



'Meaning the ha'mats'a Ya'qols, who became excited tLe preceding day. 



