366 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth.ann.31 



had ten boxes full of daggers. They took out ten from the last box 

 they had opened, and placed them in front of Haimas. The chief took 

 one of them by the handle and threw it at his brother-in-law, who was 

 sitting in front of the large fire. He threw them one by one, and 

 the dagger-points entered the edge of the board on which his brother- 

 in-law was sitting. The great chief said, "Bring me six more dag- 

 gers!" They did so; and he took one and threw it at the first man, 

 and hit the board close to his toes. Then he did the same to the 

 other men. After this they served the food. Thus he showed his 

 brother-in-law how many daggers he had, and how many bundles of 

 spears, which stood in the corners of his large square house. On 

 the other side of his house were piles of boxes of arrows and spears, 

 and many boxes of war-clubs, stone and bone clubs, and some boxes 

 of stone tomahawks, and boxes with sling-stones, and all kinds of 

 armor and helmets. After he had shown these to his brother-in-law, 

 he sent him away. 



On the following day they told him that his uncle, Nes-y!aga-ne't, 

 was camped above his village, with all his people. The great chief 

 Haimas said, "Bring them down here, for I long to see him." So 

 the Wuts !En-a'luk took a large canoe, and a number of young men went 

 up to bring down the old chief, Nes-y!aga-ne't, and all his property, 

 and his people, to Haimas's village. After this the Wuts ten-a'luk 

 built a house for Nes-y!aga-ne't; and Haimas invited him to come 

 to his house, together with some of .his warriors. When they came, 

 Haimas danced the welcome dance for his uncle, who was his father- 

 in-law. They served food for the guests. 



While they were eating, Haimas asked his uncle to tell him what 

 all the Tsimshian had been doing during his long absence. He asked, 

 "Has there been any chief among the G'i-spa-x-la°ts since I killed 

 their chief years ago?" His uncle replied, "Ha, ha! what kind of a 

 question is that ? You should see the new chiefs of the G'i-spa-x-la'°ts. 

 They are as numerous as gambling-sticks. Those whom you slew 

 years ago are not as good as the new chiefs." 



Then Haimas hung his head; and after a while he inquired, "Who 

 is the chief who is first called in the feasts?" His uncle replied, 

 "They honor me." — "And do any of the chiefs remember me?" — 

 "Noj nobody remembers you at all." — "And how about Chief 

 Dzeba'sa, does he remember me when he gives feasts?" — "No," 

 replied his uncle. "What song does he sing?" — "His song is, 'I will 

 make thee the highest one,' " replied his uncle. "Oh!" said Chief 

 Haimas, "that means that I am your slave." — "No," said Nes- 

 y!aga-ne't, "he says, 'I make thee the highest one' " Then Haimas 

 asked, "And what is his next song?" — "His next song is, 'Ah, great 

 Firewood!' " 



