576 REPOET OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1895. 



side. I am glad that we have someone who cau catch our souls when 

 they fly away from us. Now I will pay you, Kwakiutl. Thus I speak 

 for Lfi'qolag'ilis. Here are blankets for you, Gue'tEla. Here are blan- 

 kets for you, Q'o'moyue ; blankets for you, Walas Kwakiutl ; blankets 

 for you, Q'o'mk-utis. This is a canoe worth 100 blankets, given by 

 Q'e'q'anqoala, the sou of La'qolag-ilis. 



To this La'mg-ala, a Walas Kwakiutl, replied: "Thank you for your 

 good words, A'Labala. Did you say that you have someone who under- 

 stands to catch the souls of men?" "Yes," shouted many of the 

 Koskimo. He continued: "Thank you. We might need your help." 

 Then, turning to the Kwakmtl: " Friends, I ask you to keep yourselves 

 in readiness, for the Koskimo are like to a vast mountain of wealth, from 

 which rocks are rolling down all the time. If we do not defend our- 

 selves, we shall be buried by their property. Behold, friends ! They 

 are dancing and making merry day after day. But we are not doing 

 so. Eemember, this is our village and our battlefield. If we do not 

 open our eyes and awake, we shall lose our high rank. Eemember, 

 Kwakiutl, we have never been vanquished by another tribe. That is 

 all." 



Now a loud clapping was heard outside the house. The walls were 

 beaten with sticks, and Ma'a gave a signal to the singers to beat the 

 boards. The door opened and a man entered, the chief gue'so, fol- 

 lowed by four other members of the group.^ They hopped into the 

 house holding their feet close together. When they had reached 

 the rear of the house, Ma'a, who was holding a gun in place of a 

 speaker's staff, spoke: "Friends, why should you not come to join our 

 dance f" and, turning to the Kwakiutl, he continued: "Friends on the 

 other side, these are our friends the ' Pigs ! ' Formerly they were 

 'Sea Lions.' This is to inform you." Next, LoXoaxstaak" said to the 

 chief singer, Qoa'qoaxst'ala: "Look out! our friends are very merry 

 and they wish to dance." The maa'myaenox^ commenced a soug, which 

 was taken up by the singers : 



1. What is on the enemy's blanket! Wiee. 



2. War is on the enemy's blanket. Wiee. 



The women arose and danced, raising their forearms and holding up 

 their first fingers. This song and dance were repeated four times. At 

 the end of the song the singers beat time very rapidly and then the 

 ha'mats'a's cry "hap" was heard in the secret room. 



This song and dance were given by the wolves to Ya'xstaL, and are 

 used by his descendants to excite the ha'mats'a and warriors who go 

 out to battle. 



When the singers commenced the soug for the third time, G-a'loiL, who 



'This is one of the que'qutsa groups of the Koskimo. Their present name is 

 gue'guso (pigs) while formerly they were called L'e'LexEn (sea lions). 



2 Another of the que'qutsa societies of the Koskimo, embracing the daughters of 

 the chiefs — those who must not be maltreated. 



