THE KWAKIUTL INDIANS. 641 



enemies or to repel any attack upon thomselves. Their gnna having in the mean- 

 while been loaded, another volley was fired, and the whole assembly uttered a shont 

 to signify ai^proval. The performances during the daytime consisted of repre- 

 sentations on the beach of various kinds. There was one representing a whaling 

 scene. An Indian on all fours, covered with a bearskin, imitated the motion of a 

 whale while blowing. He Avas followed by a party of eight men armed with liar- 

 poous and lances, and carrying all the implements of whaling. Two boys, naked, 

 with bodies rubbed over with Hour, and white cloths around their heads, rejiresented 

 cold weather; others represented cranes moving slowly at the water's edge and 

 occasionally dipping their heads down as if seizing a fish. They wore masks resem- 

 bling a bird's beak, and bunches of eagles' feathers stuck in their hair. During all of 

 these scenes the spectators kept up a continual singing and drumming. Every day 

 during these performances feasts were given at different lodges to those Indians who 

 had come from the other villages, at which great quantities of food were eaten and 

 many cords of wood burned, the giver of the feast being very prodigal of his winter's 

 supply of food and fuel. The latter, however, is procured quite easily from the for- 

 est, and only causes a little extra labor'to obtain a sufficiency. 



The final exhibition of the ceremonies was the T'hlukloots representation, after 

 which the presents were distributed. From daylight in the morning till about 11 

 o'clock in the forenoon was occupied by indoor performances, consisting of singing 

 and drumming, and occasional speeches. When these were over, some twenty per- 

 formers, dressed up in masks and feathers, some with naked bodies, others covered 

 with bearskins, and accompanied by the Avhole assembly, Avent down on the beach 

 and danced and howled in the most frightful manner. After making as much uproar 

 as they could, they returned to the lodge, and shortly after every one mounted on 

 the roofs of the houses to see the performance of the T'hlukloots. First, a young 

 girl came out upon the roof of a lodge, wearing a mask representing the head of the 

 thunderbird, which was surmounted by a topknot of cedar bark dyed red and stuck 

 full of Avhite feathers from eagles' tails. Over her shoulders she wore a red blanket 

 covered with a profusion of w'hite buttons, brass thimbles, and blue beads; her hair 

 hung doAvn her back, coA^ered Avith white down. The upper half of her face was 

 painted black, and the loAver red. Another girl, Avith a similar headdress, Avas naked 

 except a skirt al)Out her hips. Her arms and legs had rings of blue beads, and she 

 wore bracelets of brass Avire around lier Avrists ; her face being painted like the 

 other. A smaller girl had a black mask to resemble the ha-he'k-to-ak. The masks did 

 not cover the face, luit were on the forehead, from Avhich tliey projected like horns. 

 The last girl's face Avas also painted black and red. From her ears hung large orna- 

 ments made of the haikwa or deutalium, and blue and red beads, and around her neck 

 was an immense necklace of blue beads. Her skirt was also coA^ered Avith strings of 

 beads, giving her quite a picturesque appearance. A little boy, Avith a black mask 

 and headband of red bark, the ends of which hung down OA^er his shoulders, and 

 eagles' feathers in a topknot, Avas the remaining performer. They moved around in 

 a slow and stately nulnner, occasionally spreading out their arms to represent flying, 

 and uttering a sound to imitate thunder, but which reseml)led the noiae made by 

 the uighthaA\-k w'hen swooping for its prey, the spectators meauAvhile beating drums, 

 pounding the roofs with sticks, and rattling Avith shells. This show lasted half an 

 hour, Avhen all again Avent into the lodge to Avitness the distribution of i»resents and 

 the grand finale. The company all being arranged, the performers at one end of the 

 lodge and the A^•omen, children, and spectators at the other, they commenced by 

 putting out the fires and remoAdng the brands and cinders. A quantity of feathers 

 Avere streAved OA^er the ground floor of the lodge, and a dance and song commenced, 

 eA'ery one joining in the latter, each seeming to try to make as much noise as possible. 

 A large box, suspended by a rope from the roof, serA^ed as a bass drum, and other 

 drums were improA ised from the brass and sheet-iron kettles and tin pans belonging 

 to tlie domestic furniture of the house, Avhile tliose who had no kettles, pans, or 

 boxes banged Avith their clubs on the roof and sides of the house till the noise Avas 

 NAT MUS 95 41 



