234 THE AMERICAN MUSEUM JOURNAL 
have put on their ceremonial dress, the face has been painted and the hair 
dressed with red ocher and birds’ down. With drum, rattle and dance 
staff they take their places in the sterns of the canoes which now follow each 
other in column until near the village of their host when they form in line 
abreast and holding gunwale to gunwale stand in slowly to the shore, the 
occupants singing and dancing to the accompaniment of the drum. When 
nearing the beach those paddling hold water, the bow and stern men get out 
the poles and the line of boats is kept in position, while speeches are ex- 
changed through several hours. With the signal to land the canoes are 
backed around stern first and beached, the villagers rush into the water to 
greet their friends and carry the party’s belongings to the house which has 
been prepared for reception and all is confusion and bustle. 
In early days the Tlingits had many slaves who paddled the war canoes 
besides performing all work for their masters. They were not permitted 
to take part in the ceremonies and were often sacrificed upon the occasion 
of the potlatch. The group which Mr. Neandross is so skillfully executing 
represents a Chilcat chief and his followers in ceremonial dress in the war 
‘anoe just before landing to attend a potlatch. The dress and materials 
represented on the figures are all from the North Pacific Coast and in the 
possession of the American Museum. 

SUCH IS THE COUNTRY OF THE TLINGIT INDIANS 
