THE INDIANS OF CAPE FLATTERY. 73 



seeming to try to make as much noise as possible. A large box, suspended by a rope 

 from the roof, served as a bass drum, and other drums were improvised from the 

 brass and sheet-iron kettles and tin pans belonging to the domestic furniture of the 

 house, while those who had no kettles, pans, or boxes, banged with their clubs on the 

 roof and sides of the house till the noise was almost deafening. In this uproar 

 there was a pause, then the din commenced anew. This time the dancers brought 

 out blankets, and with them beat the feathers on the floor till the whole air was 

 filled with down, like flakes of snow during a heavy winter s storm. Another lull 

 succeeded, then another dance, and another shaking up of feathers, till I was half 

 choked with dust and down. Next the presents were distributed, consisting of 

 blankets, guns, shirts, beads., and a variety of trinkets, and the whole affair wound 

 up with a feast. 



This was the Dukwally or &quot; black tamanawas&quot; ceremony. It is exhibited every 

 winter, sometimes at only one village and sometimes at all. 



The other performance is termed Tsiahk, and is a medicine performance, quite 

 as interesting, but not as savage in its detail. It is only occasionally performed, 

 when some person, either a chief or a member of his family, is sick. The Makahs 

 believe in the existence of a supernatural being, who is represented to be an Indian 

 of a dwarfish size, with long hair of a yellowish color flowing down his back and 

 covering his shoulders. From his head grow four perpendicular horns, two at the 

 temple and two back of the cars. When people are sick of any chronic complaint 

 and much debilitated, they imagine they see this being in the night, who promises 

 relief if the ceremonies he prescribes, are well performed. The principal performer 

 is a doctor, whose duties are to manipulate the patient, who is first initiated by 

 secret rites into the mysteries of the ceremony. What these secret rites consist of 

 I have not ascertained, but there is a continual singing and drumming during the 

 day and evening for three days before spectators are admitted. From the haggard 

 and feeble appearance of some patients I have seen, I judge the ordeal must have- 

 been severe. The peculiarity of this ceremony consists in the dress worn alike by 

 patients, novitiates, and performers. Both men and women assist, but the propor 

 tion of females is greater than of males. Fig. 42 shows a back view of a female 

 performer in full dress ; on her head is worn a sort of coronet made of bark, 

 surmounted by four upright bunches or little pillars, made of bark wound round 

 with the same material, and, sometimes threads from red blankets to give a variety 

 of color. From the top of each of the four pillars, which represent the horns of 

 the tsiahk, are bunches of eagles quills, which have been notched, and one side of 

 the feather edge stripped off. In front is a band, which is variously decorated, ac 

 cording to the taste of the wearer, with beads, brass buttons, or any trinkets they 

 may have. From each side of this band project bunches of quills similar to those 

 on the top of the head. The long hair of the Tsiahk is represented by a heavy and 

 thick fringe of bark, which covers the back and shoulders to the elbow. Neck 

 laces composed of a great many strings of beads of all sizes and colors, and strung 

 in various forms, are also worn, and serve to add to the effect of the costume. The 

 paint for the face is red for the forehead and for the lower part, from the root of 

 the nose to the cars ; the portion between the forehead and the lower part is black 



10 Oc ober, 1889. 



