150 PROCERDIXGS OF THE CANADIAN INSTITUTE. 



(for whicli service he receives immediately a whole skin) which is 

 taken up by the entii'e assembly except the latter's i-elatives who 

 commence at once a strain of deafening lamentations. The new 

 dignitary being now fairly laden with multiple mantles, they are then 

 taken from his shoulders. This is the signal for the cessation of the 

 singing. After this, all the dutiful tears are dried up as if by 

 enchantment, whereupon the master of ceremonies blows swan's down 

 on his head by means of repeated insufflations, thereby producing 

 white undulating clouds significative of his new dignity ; then he 

 helps the notaVjle to tear and distribute the whole pile of smoke 

 dressed skins, not forgetting to set aside double sized strips for any 

 absent notables. Henceforth, he is a real and accepted toeneza ; but 

 to enjoy all the prerogatives of his rank, he will have to make three 

 more distributions. 



4. NatUiadita (" he sits down"). This is equivalent to the notable's 

 enthroning. It is a distribution of clothes or skins, intended as a 

 fee for the privilege of sitting at the traditional place of his pre- 

 decessor, and is made on the occasion of his assistance at the next 

 banquet given by a notable of a different clan. When entering the 

 festival lodge the new Toeneza is followed by his wife packing the 

 skins he is about to distribute. These are extended in a line by young 

 men so that they may be duly counted by the crowd. " These he 

 will give away on the occasion of his Enthronisation," will shout one 

 of them, to which the crowd will answer in loud acclamations : 

 Scemotget ! Sreniotget ! words of ancient origin indicative of admir- 

 ation and used only in this connection. After the distribution, the 

 notable sits on his appointed seat of honor. 



5. Now, should it become known that the ibllowing summer 

 would witness the giving of the last of the series of banquets com- 

 memoi-ative of his predecessor's death, on a certain arranged winter 

 evening, while the new notable is sitting together with a band of 

 young men in his house with closed doors, all his fellow notables and 

 villagers congregate outside, and, at a given signal, the whole crowd 

 breaks into vociferous applause upon which a song is struck up within 

 (accompanied by a tambourine) by the aforesaid band of young men 

 as singers. Then a tceneza wearing the insignia of his rank, the wig 

 and ceremonial apron, will dance while keeping profoundly bowing 



