TARROW. | BURIAL DANCES—YO- KAI-A. 193 
considerable expense. I was prevented by other engagements from being present, 
and shall be obliged to depend on the description of an eye-witness, Mr. John Tenney, 
whose account is here given with a few changes: 
There are four officials connected with the building, who are probably chosen to 
preserve order and to allow no intruders. They are the assistants of the chief. The 
invitation to attend was from one of them, and admission was given by the same. 
These four wore biack vests trimmed with red flannel and shell ornaments. The chief 
made no special display on the occasion. In addition to these four, who were officers 
of the assembly-chamber, there were an old man and a young woman, who seemed to 
be priest and priestess. The young woman was dressed differently from any other, 
the rest dressing in plain calico dresses. Her dress was white covered with spots of 
red flannel, cut in neat figures, ornamented with shells. It looked gorgeous and de- 
noted some office, the name of which I could not ascertain. Before the visitors were 
ready to enter, the older men of the tribe were reclining around the fire smoking and 
chatting. As the ceremonies were about to commence, the old man and young woman 
were summoned, and, standing at the end opposite the entrance, they inangurated 
the exercises by a brief service, which seemed to be a dedication of the house to the 
exercises about to commence. Each of them spoke a few words, joined ina brief 
chant, and the house was thrown open for their visitors. They staid at their post 
until the visitors entered and were seated on one side of the room. After the visitors 
then others were seated, making about 200 in all, though there was plenty of room in 
the center for the dancing. 
Before the dance commenced the chief of the visiting tribe made a brief speech, 
in which he no doubt referred to the death of the chief of the Yo-kai-a, and offered 
the sympathy of his tribe in this loss. As he spoke, some of the women scarcely re- 
frained from crying out, and with difficulty they suppressed their sobs. I presume 
that he proposed a few moments of mourning, for when he stopped the whole assem- 
blage burst forth into a bitter wailing, some screaming as if in agony. The whole 
thing created such a din that I was compelled tostop my ears. The air was rent and 
pierced with their cries. This wailing and shedding of tears lasted about three or five 
minutes, though it seemed to last ahalf hour. At a given signal they ceased, wiped 
their eyes, and quieted down. 
Then preparations were made for the dance. One end of the room was set aside for 
the dressing-room. The chief actors were five men, who were muscular and agile. 
They were profusely decorated with paint and feathers, while white and dark stripes 
covered their bodies. They were girt about the middle with cloth of bright colors, 
sometimes with variegated shawls. A feather mantle hung from the shoulder, reach- 
ing below the knee ; strings of shells ornamented the neck, while their heads were coy- 
ered with a crown of eagle feathers. They had whistles in their mouths as they danced, 
swaying their heads, bending and whirling their bodies; every muscle seemed to be 
exercised, and the feather ornaments quivered with light. They were agile and 
graceful as they bounded about in the sinuous course of the dance. 
The five men were assisted by a semicircle of twenty women, who only marked 
time by stepping up and down with short step. They always took their places first 
and disappeared first, the men making their exit gracefully one by one. The dresses 
of the women were suitable for the occasion. They were white dresses, trimmed 
heavily with black velvet. The stripes were about three inches wide, some plain and 
others edged like saw teeth. This was an indication of their mourning for the dead 
chief, in whose honor they had prepared that style of dancing. Strings of haliotis 
and pachydesma shell beads encircled their necks, and around their waists were belts 
heavily loaded with the same material. Their head-dresses were more showy than 
those of the men. The head was encircled with a bandeau of otters’ or beavers’ fur, 
to which were attached short wires standing out in all directions, with glass or shell 
beads strung on them, and at the tips little feather flags and quail plumes. Surmount- 
ing all was a pyramidal plume of feathers, black, gray, and scarlet, the top generally 
I3 AE 
