THE KWAKIUTL INDIANS. 613 



among- the others. The qiie'<iutsa. blacken their faces. The ha/mats'a 

 begins to get excited and bites the people. He innst bite a certain 

 man tirst, whose dnty it is to offer himself to the ha'mats'a Avheu he 

 gets excited for the first time. This oflice or duty is hereditary. The 

 ha'raats'a carries a stick and drives the people around tlie fire. During 

 the ensuing excitement another novice disappears, leaving his blood- 

 covered blanket behind. It is found, and under great excitement 

 inquiries are made as to who is missing, until finally the father exclaims 

 that his child has disappeared. Then the ha'mshamtsEs dances. 



Sometimes the disappearance of the novice takes place in a different 

 way. Four men go on the roof of the house during the night and, 

 running about, cry " hm hm hm." This noise is taken by the people to 

 signify the approach of Wiua'lagMlis. On the following morning it is 

 found that one of the young men has disappeared, leaving his blanket 

 behind, which is covered with blood. 



Still another way of beginning the Le'xalak" is the following: The 

 ma/maq'a dances in his house, and suddenly throws his magic stick, 

 which is believed to fly through the walls of the house and to hit the 

 person who is to l)e initiated and who lives in another house. The 

 youth falls down, and then the parents call the shaman to cure him. 

 The ceremony continues as described above. 



To return to the festival. After the ha'mshamtsEs has finished his 

 dance and has bitten a i^erson, the people begin eating. They do not 

 feed the ha/mats'a firvSt, as is done by the Kwakiutl. Then they sing 

 four times the song of the Naa'nqaenox ;' three times they sing the 

 burdeu only, the fourth time they sing the words: 



])o not cry, you will come back safely. 



This is the end of the ceremonies of the first night. On the second 

 and third night the same songs are repeated. Every night the shaman 

 visits the novice, who is hidden behind the curtain. He reports that 

 he is feeling better, and the third night he says that he is shaking 

 violently. 



The fourth night the same songs are repeated. The shaman visits 

 the novice again, and when he returns, he says, ^'Listen: he is singing 

 his secret song," Now nobody is allowed to speak or to cough. Then 

 they hear, as though from a great distance, the sound of a new song, 

 which is growing louder and louder. The secret song is sung four 

 times. The singing master must listen attentively, because after the 

 fourth time he must repeat it. Two new songs are heard that night. 

 On the following night the same ceremony is repeated, and two more 

 songs are learned by the people. Twelve (lue'qutsa women dance this 

 night. Tlieir faces are blackened and they wear red cedar bark. 

 Their dance is accompanied by the beating of batons. One man and 

 one woman are stationed at the entrance to the secret room in which 

 the novice is lying, in order to watch it. Their offices are hereditary. 



' See page (>12. 



