boas] DESCRIPTION OF THE TSIMSHIAN 431 



and after he had died his tribe mourned over him for two days and 

 two nights (295). At another place it is told that a dying chief gave 

 his place to his niece's eldest son (258). 



The people take an intimate interest in the chief's family affairs. 

 When a chief dies, the people travel about to investigate who has 

 caused his death (313). When his child dies, they go to his house to 

 console him (58), or they invite him in order to comfort him (342). 

 When he wishes to marry, he submits the proposal to his tribe (179), 

 who try to find a wife for him (1 79) . When a princess disappears (340) 

 or is lost out of a canoe (273), the whole tribe is stricken with sorrow, 

 and the people search for the lost princess in all the villages (163). 



In one case we hear of a chief who has paid out all his property to 

 his tribe to repay the losses that they have sustained in war. Because 

 he is poor, the people desert him (119). There are, however, other 

 cases where the old ckief who has lost his eyesight is still respected 

 by the tribe (258). When the village belonging to a clan is con- 

 quered by enemies, the chief flees with his niece to his own clan on 

 NassKiver (253). 



If the chief is desirous of accomplishing a certain end, he announces 

 that he will give his daughter in marriage to the person who achieves 

 the task that he sets him (N 141) . It seems rather curious that such 

 an incident should happen among the Tsimshian, since this would 

 exclude from the contest all the members of the chief's own clan. 

 . When any event of importance happens in the village, the people 

 assemble in the chief's house (N 138). 



Nose and ear ornaments were used by chief's children (178). The 

 labret, which was used by females only, four holes in each ear for 

 ear-ornaments, and the perforation of the septum, were all indications 

 of high rank (303) - 1 



The chief's children dress in beautiful valuable garments. A 

 prince who goes out fishing wears a valuable cormorant hat (260), 

 and. princes dress in marten garments (193). 



The intimate relation between a chief and his children is indicated 

 by the fact that a princess who is in danger offers all her father's 

 wealth to a shaman in order to be rescued (341). At another place 

 she says to a person whose help she asks, "My father's property shall 

 be your property, my father's canoes shall be your canoes, ray 

 father's slaves shall be your slaves, my father's coppers shall be your 

 coppers" (1.157). 



I have discussed on p. 425 the relation of the father to his children : 

 and we have seen that in cases where the prince acts in a way unbe- 



i When the daughter of a person of rank was able to walk, her parents made a small hole in her lip. All 

 the men and women of the girl's clan were invited, and the child's mother would give all her property 

 to her husband's sisters. When the child was grown up, the lip-Hole was enlarged. The highest chief- 

 taincss had the largest lip-hole and largest labret as a sign of her high rank. Girls who had no labret 

 svere called slaves (299). 



