THE INDIANS OF CAPE FLATTERY. 75 



retire to the lodge, where dancing and singing are kept up for several days. Finally, 

 presents are distributed, a feast is held, and the friends retire. The patient and 

 novitiates are obliged to wear their dress for one month. It consists of the bark 

 headdress, having, instead of feathers, two thin strips of wood, feather-shaped, 

 but differently painted. Those of the patient are red at each end and white in the 

 centre, with narrow transverse bars of blue. Those of the novitiate have blue ends 

 and the centre unpainted. The patient s face is painted red, with perpendicular 

 marks of blue on the forehead and the lower part of the face.. The noviciate s 

 forehead and lower portion of face is painted with alternate stripes of red and blue, 

 the remainder of the face blue ; the head band is also wound with blue yarn and 

 yellow bark. The head-band of the patient is wound with red. The tails of bark 

 of both headdresses are dyed red. The patient carries in his hand a staff which 

 can be used as a support while walking ; this has red bark tied at each end and 

 around the middle. 



The Dukwally and Tsiahk are the performances more frequently exhibited among 

 the Makahs than any others, although they have several different ones. The 

 ancient tamanawas is termed Do-t hlub or Do-t hlum, and was formerly the favorite 

 one. But after they had learned the T hulkloots or Thunder Bird, they laid 

 aside the Do-t hlub, as its performance, from the great mimber of ceremonies, was 

 attended with too much trouble and expense. The origin of the Do-t hlub was, as 

 stated to me by the Indians, in this manner : many years ago, an Indian while fish 

 ing in deep water for codfish, hauled up on his hook an immense haliotis shell. 

 He had scarcely got it into his canoe when he fell into a trance which lasted a few 

 minutes, and on his recovery he commenced paddling home, but before reaching 

 land he had several of these trances, and on reaching the shore his friends took him 

 up for dead, and carried him into his house, where he presently recovered, and 

 stated, that while in the state of stupor he had a vision of Do-t hlub, one of their 

 mythological beings, and that he must be dressed as Do-t hlub was and then he 

 would have revelations. He described the appearance, as he saw it in his vision, 

 in which Do-t hlub presented himself with hands like deer s feet. He was naked 

 to his hips, around which was a petticoat of cedar bark dyed red, which reached to 

 his knees. His body and arms were red ; his face painted red and black ; his hair 

 tied up in bunches with cedar twigs, and cedar twigs reaching down his back. 

 When his friends had dressed him according to his direction, he fell into another 

 trance, in which he saw the dances which were to be performed, heard the songs 

 which were to be sung, and learned all the secret ceremonies to be observed. It 

 was also revealed that each performer must have a piece of the haliotis shell in his 

 nose, and pieces in his ears. He taught the rites to certain of his friends, and then 

 performed before the tribe, who were so well pleased that they adopted the cere 

 mony as their tamanawas, and retained its observance for many years, till it was 

 superseded by the Dukwally. The haliotis shell worn by the Makahs in their 

 noses is a custom originating from the Do-t hlub. Other ceremonies are occasion 

 ally gone through with, but the description above given will serve to illustrate all 

 those observed by the Makahs. Different tribes have some peculiar to themselves, 

 the general character of which is, however, the same. It will be seen that the 



