72 THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



ege in certain definite lines of descent and was formerly jealously 

 guarded; in other words, it forms what the Nootka Indians call a topati. 

 The "torches" should be distributed in order, according to the rank 

 of the persons receiving them. Among the Nootka Indians of Alberni 

 it is customary for the holder of a "torch" topati to return the value 

 of the gift with 100 per cent, interest to the donor at a second and more 

 elaborate potlatch given by the latter foi- the girl some time after the 

 puberty ceremony. This is in accord with the general practice of the 

 West Coast Indians to i-eturn potlatch gifts, generally with 100 per cent, 

 interest, at some future time. It is anomalous, however, insofar as 

 it nullifies, from a purely economic point of view, the value of the 

 inhei'ited privilege or topFdi. There are several other such ceremonial 

 privileges among these Indians that bring with them not emolument, 

 but net loss. However, the Indians say that they are proud in this 

 way to make public their claim on the topati and that they count the 

 trifling loss of no moment in comparison with the upholding in this 

 way of their prestige. The paying back of gifts obtained by virtue 

 of one's right to a topati is quite likely, however, to turn out to be a 

 comparatively recent development among the Nootka of Alberni, for 

 other Nootka tribes, such as the Ucluelet of Barkley Sound, do not 

 practice the custom. These last, as I was informed, laugh at the 

 Alberni Indians on this account; they do not see the use of having a 

 privilege that nets one a loss. 



When the "torches" had been distributed, the girl's uncle and 

 others of the family got together in a small group near the door of the 

 house, ready to arrange a performance that was intended to be a feature 

 of the puberty potlatch. Among them was the young chief Louis 

 of the Ho-ai'atK tribe of Numakamis Bay, who was related to the 

 family of the girl and who had recently come up to Alberni on a 

 visit; he placed himself on a low improvised platform on the left side 

 of the house above the rest of the group and, like the others, stood 

 facing the guests in the rear of the house. Mrs. Frank and another 

 woman, who formed part of the group, each sang a tslîqa song, thus 

 giving all to understand that a topati performance of the hosts was to 

 take place immediately. Then the girl's uncle started a song without 

 drum accompaniment, which was very soon taken up by the others in 

 the group, one of them now beating an accompaniment on the hand 

 drum. This song was the property of the girl's father's family and none 

 outside of the small group joined in the singing. Often a family song 

 of this type, sung at a girl's puberty ceremony, was composed for that 

 special p urpose and kept secret until it was spmng as a surprise on the 

 guests at the ceremony itself. A few women danced to the song; they 

 held one arm under their shawls, while the other was bent outward 



