564 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 



are tied to this stick. The piece of corpse is placed at the bottom of 

 the box, and part of the clothing or hair of the person whom the witch 

 desires to bewitch is tied to these strings. If it is in immediate 

 contact with the body, the person will die soon; if it is hung a little 

 higher, he will be sick for a long time. If hair is put into the box 

 he will die of headache; if part of a moccasin, his foot will rot; i f 

 saliva is used, he will die of consumption. If the person is to die at 

 once, the halda'wit cuts the string from which the object is sus- 

 pended, so that it drops right on the corpse. This box has a cover, 

 and is kept closely tied up. It is kept buried under the house cr in 

 the woods. After the witch has killed his enemy, he must go around 

 the house in which the dead one is lying, following the course of the 

 sun. After his enemy has been buried, he must lie down on the 

 grave and crawl around it, again following the course of the sun, 

 and attired in the skin of some animal. If he does not do this, he 

 must die.' Therefore the people watch if they see any one performing 

 this ceremony. Then they know that he is a witch, and he is killed. 

 He is not tied and exposed on the beach at the time of low water, as 

 is done by the Tlingit. When a corpse is burnt, the witch tries to 

 secure some of the charred remains, and uses them for painting his 

 face. This is supposed to secure good luck. The witches sometimes 

 assemble in the woods, particularly when dividing a body. Then 

 they cover their faces with masks, so that a person who should 

 happen to come near may not know them. If any one should happen 

 to see them, they try to catch' him and make him a halda'wit also. 

 If he refuses to join them, he is killed. Once a man by the name of 

 Q'am-wa'sk - e was caught in this manner. He pretended to accept, 

 and was given a mask. They made a song and sang while he danced — 



Yagaho'de ba'lEqe, 

 Wii-wula'ns Q'am-wa'sk'e; 



that is, "The ghosts run to the beach on account of the winds of 

 Q'am-wa'sk'e." He emitted wind while he was dancing. He 

 danced, hidden behind the trees. Then he turned his mask round 

 so that it was on his occiput, and made good his escape. He reached 

 his house, told what he had seen, and the witches were killed. 



The similarity between this method of witchcraft and the e'qa of 

 the Kwakiutl ' is striking. 



As in olden times cremation was prevalent, the witches tried to 

 secure bodies of persons who had died by accident before they were 

 found by the friends of the deceased. They sold them among the 

 other witches. 



l Boas 1, 1890, p. 612. 



