434 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. axv :n 



troubled by a very successful shaman, they till assemble in council 

 and determine to kill him. It would seem that in these last cases 

 councils of the whole tribe are referred to (325). 



Messengers 1 and Attendants. — Attendants are sent to act as mes- 

 sengers (163), to watch a grave (215), to put fuel on the fire and to 

 spread mats for visitors (296), to call visitors to come down to the 

 fire in the middle of the house (286) , to give fat food to guests (98) , 

 to prepare a meal for guests who are expected (179), and to feed the 

 guests (ll(')- At a feast they are sent by the chief to see what kind 

 of food his wife's relatives have sent him (184). The chief's "men" 

 bring down his property from the sides to the middle of the house 

 (233). 



The chief's messengers have to perform many duties. As just 

 stated, his own relatives, his attendants, or slaves (see p. 430) may 

 act as messengers. 



Young men and women are sent in two canoes to take the chief's 

 wife to her father and to act at the same time as messengers (181V 

 Messengers are sent out in four canoes to look for a deserted boy 

 (N 160, also 230, N 180). A shaman is called by three messengers 

 (335). Messengers are sent to invite, people (132, 275), to call the 

 people to the chief's house (321), to ask for help in taking revenge 

 (135), to request a girl in marriage for a chief (179, 298). 



Slaves. — The miserable condition of slaves is referred to (59). 

 They live in the corner of the house (229). A slave-girl who enters, 

 a house sits down at the end of the fire (N 189). Wealthy people 

 have many slaves (161) ; and the son-in-law of a chief is not allowed 

 to work, because the chief has many slaves (209). They carry food 

 (59), take animals up from the beach to the house (227, 302, N 172), 

 they are sent to get firebrands for starting a fire (1.197), they start the 

 fire in the house (209), and attend to the cooking (59, 85). They 

 take care of children (216), give them to eat (59), carry crying chil- 

 dren about in the house (61). They are sent out to pick crabapples 

 for the chieftainess (240), or the chieftainess goes out with her slaves 

 or maids to pick berries (317). 



When the people go out olachen fishing, a slave-woman sits in the 

 stern, while the other slaves manage the bag nets (229). Children 

 who go out traveling are accompanied by six slaves (268). In war 

 they are sent out as scouts (196). 



A chief sends out his slave as messenger to see what causes a noise 

 outside of the house (286). At other times the slaves are sent to 

 call the people to the chief's house (193, 321). They go as messengers 

 to investigate the fate of a deserted boy (N 180). A slave traveling 

 with his chief goes ahead of him and announces his arrival (72). He 



