BOAS] TSIMSHIAN SOCIETY 533 



the uncle of the young man called together all his relatives and gave 

 a present from them to the relatives or uncles of the young woman; 

 and the father of the young man took a present to the father of the 

 woman and gave him valuable presents — a large canoe, slaves, costly 

 coppers, also boxes of crabapples mixed with grease, boxes of cran- 

 berries, and boxes of dried berries mixed with grease, and all kinds 

 of food. Then the marriage was celebrated. The relatives of the 

 young man assembled and took a large elk skin by its four corners. 

 They went to the house of the father of the girl, spread the elk skin, 

 and the young woman sat down on it. Then the four strong young 

 men lifted it up and carried her to the house of the young man's 

 father, where the young man was seated in the rear of the house. 

 They set her down on his left side. This was the first time that they 

 saw each other. 



"The young woman put on her head a band of soft white raccoon 

 skin. She wore large abalone shells in her ears and in her nose. 

 She wore garments of marten skin, and had her hat pulled right down 

 over her eyes and over her cheeks to keep herself from looking around, 

 lest she laugh during the wedding. The young man also put on his 

 helmet set with abalone shells, and pulled it right down over his eyes 

 to keep himself from looking around until the end of the marriage 

 ceremony. The father of the young man invited the relatives of 

 his son. lie told them how many elk skins, how many boxes of grease r 

 crabapples, cranberries, and bundles of dried berries, he needed. Then 

 all the relatives of the young man agreed to have a great wedding 

 celebration to bo given to the people of the village. On the following 

 day they made a great feast. The bridal couple remained seated in 

 front of the large fire and kept their eyes on the fire. They did not 

 speak a single word as long as the guests were in the house. The 

 guests looked at the bridal couple while the festival was going on. 

 As soon as the meal was ended, the chief said, 'Now, my people, I 

 wish all of you to have a good time and to enjoy yourselves. Try 

 to make the bridal couple laugh. You may try them for three days.' 



"Then all the guests came forth with their wooden dishes filled with 

 three kinds of food, which they carried to their own houses. Then 

 they came back to the bridegroom's house and did all they could 

 trying to make the couple laugh, but they kept their eyes on the fire. 

 This has been the marriage custom through all generations. If the 

 bride or bridegroom move their eyes from the fire or smile when 

 they see the young people dancing or when they hear them 

 laugh and shout for joy, somebody beats the drum; and every one 

 would laugh if a woman or man should move the eyes or smile. Many 

 old people kept watch of the faces of the couple to see if then - eyes 

 moved or if thev smiled. 



