554 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ANN. 31 



The ceremonies ending the performances of this society are similar 

 to those of the Cannibals. After four days the novice invites his 

 society; and after the food has been served, they sing their songs, 

 beat the drum and the boards. After four final raps, the novice 

 comes out with the other head men of his society. They walk down 

 to the beach slowly, and sit there facing the village. In the evening 

 he goes back to his house and retires behind his screen. On the fol- 

 lowing morning some man goes out and calls the common people who 

 live in the house to come back. During the time following, the peo- 

 ple must not make any noise while the novice lives in his separate 

 room. If there should be a noise of splitting wood, the supernatural 

 power would become excited, and the novice would break something 

 with his club. Then the members of his society would gather around 

 him, sing a song, and lead him back to his room. Gradually he takes 

 up his normal position, as described before when speaking of the 

 Cannibal. 



At another place Mr. Tate describes the initiation by Txa-g-a'xsEm 

 lax-ha' in some detail. On p. 514 the general conditions of the pot- 

 latch in which supernatural powers were thrown into novices has been 

 described. This initiation was said to take place at the same time. 



"The people shout, 'Txa-ga'xsEm lax-ha', put your supernatural 

 power into this uninitiated child!' Then the chief dances, shakes 

 his rattle, and the drummer beats the drum rapidly. At the end of 

 this solo a man says, 'Now Chief LEge'°x's son has been lost.' 

 Then the searcher goes around among the people, but they do not 

 find him. Therefore they take a large wooden ladle, fill it with 

 oil, which they pour into the fire, and they also put red ocher and 

 eagle down into the fire as an offering. The one who performs this 

 act shouts, looking upward to the smoke hole, saying, 'Now, great 

 supernatural one, Txa-ga'xsEm lax-ha', come, and turn your face this 

 way!' He shouts this four times, and the whistle of Txa-g-a'xsEm 

 lax-ha' is heard by the people outside the house. Then one of 

 LEge'°x's relatives says to the people, 'Now, my clear people, let us 

 sing!' As soon as they begin to sing, the whistle of Txa-ga'xsEm 

 lax-ha' is heard approaching the door, until one of the chief's people 

 says, 'I wall go out to look.' Soon he comes back and says, 'Yes, 

 it is he who is singing there.' Then the song-leader tells the singers, 

 men and women, to keep on singing, and they sing as loud as they 

 can. Then the great supernatural power Txa-ga'xsEm lax-ha' ap- 

 pears in the door and enters. His body is small, his face larger than 

 the body. He wears long gray hair, and his face is wrinkled. The 

 singers continue to sing, clapping then- hands, and the beating of the 

 drum continues. The supernatural power goes around the fire as 

 the sun moves. After he has passed aroimd the fire four times, he 

 goes to the chief who is to be the successor of his (the chief's) uncle. 



