172 MORTUARY CUSTOMS OF NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS. 
tend the funeral. She had then been placed in a Hudson’s Bay Company’s box for a 
coffin, which was about 34 feet long, 1$ wide, and 14 high. She was very poor when 
she died, owing to her disease, or she could not have been put in this box. A fire was 
burning near by, where a large number of her things had been consumed, and the 
rest were in three boxes near the coffin. Her mother sang the mourning song, some- 
times with others, and often saying: ‘‘ My daughter, my daughter, why did you die?” 
and similar words. The burial did not take place until the next day, and I was in- 
vited to go. It was an aerial burial, in a canoe. The canoe was about 25 feet long 
The posts, of old Indian hewed boards, were about a foot wide. Holes were cut in 
these, in which boards were placed, on which the canoe rested. One thing I noticed 
while this was done which was new to me, but the significance of which I did not 
posts, green leaves were gathered and placed 
over the holes until the posts were put in the 
ground. The coffin-box and the three others 
containing her things were placed in the canoe 
and a roof of boards made over the central 
part, which was entirely covered with white 
cloth. The head part and the foot part of 
her bedstead were then nailed on to the posts, 
which front the water, and a dress nailed on 
each of these. After pronouncing the bene- 
diction, all left the hill and went to the beach 
except her father, mother, and brother, who remained ten or fifteen minutes, pound- 
ing on the canoe and mourning. They, then came down and made a present to those 
persons who were there—a gun to one, a blanket to each of two or three others, and 
a dollar and a half to each of the rest, including myself, there being about fifteen 
persons present. Three or four of them then made short speeches, and we came home. 
The reason why she was buried thus is said to be because she is a prominent woman 
in the tribe. In about nine months it is expected that there will be a ‘‘pot-latch” or 
distribution of money near this place, and as each tribe shall come they will send a 
