380 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 



(Iii those days they used fat and tallow a great deal. It was boiled, 

 and the scum was taken off the melted tallow. Then cold water was 

 put into a wooden vessel, and the melted fat was poured into the 

 water. Then the cold water would draw all impurities down, and the 

 pure fat would harden on top. This was used for anointing the faces 

 of girls and young men.) 



This the young women of the Tsimshian held in their left hands; 

 and after the last song of the dance, the young women came forward 

 and scattered the down over the heads of the Tlingit. The princess 

 who had given to eat to Nass Gowagani went to the great chief 

 Gadunaha' and rubbed fat over his face and put red ocher on it. All 

 the young women rubbed the faces of the Tlingit -with fat and red 

 ocher. 



Soon after the dance the great chief LEg - e'°x called, "Nass Gowa- 

 gani, come forward!" and he came, carrying two coppers on his back 

 and a cane in each hand, with representations of two canoes on the 

 cane. There were ten people in each canoe. That meant ten slaves 

 in each canoe; and Nass Gowagani spoke the Tsimshian language. 

 He went toward his uncle, Gadunaha' , and put the coppers before 

 him, and also the two canoes with twenty slaves in them, and many 

 valuable things besides. The two companions who had followed him 

 in the beginning called also each one man with a cane and a canoe, 

 and they put them down before the chief. 



(The meaning of Nass Gowagani is that when the people from all 

 the places are hungry — men, birds, water animals — all come up to 

 Nass River, because plenty of food is there in the springtime, which 

 makes people happy, so that no one remembers the hardships of 

 winter, and they all enjoy taking the olachen which arrives, and 

 all are satisfied. Therefore the great prince of the Tlingit wanted 

 this to be his name.) 



This is the end of the Tlingit and Tsimshian wars, which lasted for 

 many years. Since that time they have never been at war again, 

 until now they are very friendly and brothers in Christ. 



(3) WAR BETWEEN THE HAIDA AND THE G - I-SPA-X-LA'°TS 



In former times there were many wars. After a great war between 

 the Tsimshian and the Tlingit, when the Tsimshian moved down from 

 Nass River, the G"i-spa-x-la°ts were the last tribe to move from Nass 

 River; and when they had reached a place called Lax-a'us (Sandy 

 Shore), they camped there. This is between Rose Point and 

 Metlakahtla. Early on the following morning, when the tide was very 

 low, a voice was heard from below, warning the sleepers that their 

 enemies were coming: therefore all the chief's warriors awoke from 

 their sleep and were ready. Then a crowd of war-canoes arrived in 



