538 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 



Also (pp. 284-285): 



Sometimes slaves have to be sacrificed to satiate the vanity of their owners, or take 

 away reproach. Only the other day we were called upon to witness a terrible Bcene of 

 this kind. An old chief, in cool blood, ordered a slave to be dragged to the beach, 

 murdered, and thrown into the water. His orders were quickly obeyed. The victim 

 was a poor woman. Two or three reasons arc assigned for this foul act: one is. that it 

 is to take away the disgrace attached to his daughter, who has been suffering some 

 time from a ball wound in the arm. Another report is, that he does not expect his 

 daughter to recover, so he has killed his slave in order that she may prepare for the 

 coming of his daughter into the unseen world. I think the former reason is the most 

 probable. 



These great potlatches required much preparation, since they 

 occupied much time, and the host had to collect vast quantities of 

 food and much property. In this he was assisted by his whole tribe, 

 who went hunting and fishing for him, and who gave to the chief and 

 to his wife property that they either owed him or which he repaid to 

 them later on. All such advances were repaid with high interest . 



It seems that a great potlatch was announced three years in ad- 

 vance, and that messengers were sent each year to extend invitations 

 and to announce the time when the guests were expected. The 

 messengers who carried the invitations seem to have been sent out 

 after a smaller feast and potlatch given by the chief. Mr. Tate says : 



"When the chief's counselors agreed that a great potlatch should 

 be given, the young attendants invited the chief's tribe to a feast, in 

 the course of which he announced his intention. The tribe gave 

 their consent. Then the chief counselor, and after him the other 

 counselors, promised the chief to assist him. During the first year 

 they provided him with the means to give feasts. During the second 

 year they contributed food for feasts of still greater importance. In 

 the third year the guests invited from foreign tribes arrived. The 

 chief counted his property, —hundreds of elk skins, coppers, slaves, 

 and canoes. His messengers and attendants stood on the property, 

 which was piled up in the house. Then the chief called his first 

 attendant by name. He came in with his whole family, — maternal 

 uncles, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters. 1 They carried in 

 all kinds of property. The attendant himself would stand at the 

 door, wearing his most important crest. Then he counted his prop- 

 erty, and gave one-half of it to the chief, while he kept the rest to be 

 distributed. Then the next attendant was called in the same way, 

 and the same procedure was repeated. At this time the attendants 

 might also bring in their own children and use the opportunity to 

 give them higher names. After all the chief 's attendants had brought 

 in their property, they distributed the one-half that they retained 

 among the attendants of the visiting chiefs. 



; and nieces." because it i.^ slated afterward that sons and 



