swANTON] HAIDA TEXTS AND MYTHS 307 



the property received from the relativi's of tlie slaves he hail Hherated, he became a 

 great chief. 



' It belonged to the Sa''ki qe''g.awa-i, the greatest Eagle family at Ninstints and 

 that of chief Ninstints himself. 



'^ My informant addeil that ail of the people drank sea vkater witli him for ten days 

 and repeated everything that he said. Every time he spoke he began with the word 

 Ha'gugwak. lie said to them: "Shall I get this?" pulling at something meantime 

 with his teeth and hands. At the end of ten days he got it and told the singers that 

 he had pulled it ashore with his teeth, some of which were broken by the strain. It 

 was his su{>ernatural helper. 



■'The shaman treats this iron just as he would a whale. Compare Memoirs Jesup 

 North Pacific Expedition, volume V, part 1, page 139. It is said to have been part 

 of .«ome vessel. 



* Mas.*et inlet was called simply the Inlet as being preeminent and the people there 

 were called Inlet people. At the same time this latter expression was so extended 

 a.s to cover all the Haiila of the northern coast of Ciraham island; all of those in short 

 who are now known as Masset people. 



^ liaida, X.vlda^ng.ats, one of the leading Raven families of Ninstints. 



