SWANTON] HAIDA TEXTS AND MYTHS 373 



Raid by the Ninstints Haida on those of the West Coast 



[Told by Richard fif the Middle-giti'ns.] 



The Pebble-town people warred with the people of Ninstints. The 

 East Coast people^ were also at war with them. They were all at 

 G.eto-a'n.- 



From that place the father of QIaolga's went to hunt. Then they 

 saw a war canoe pass a place named Gia'g.es lying' toward the south. 

 It came along- close to the shore and passed* behind an islet. And 

 they did not know those who were in it. 



And when it was far off he started straight out to sea. And, when 

 the rocky shore had nearly- passed out of sight, he turned about. At 

 evening- they heard the sound of his guns at (x.etga'n. He had seen 

 the enemy. Then they went for two shamans who were there. And 

 they whipped the souls of the enemy. At that time they said that a 

 wiiite raven flew into the inlet. After they had drunk salt water for 

 two nights all the warriors went out to meet the enemy. 



After they had crept along close to the shore for a wdiile they 

 feared to round Luqfi'JgAMAs.^ So they stopped there. Some of them 

 said that Kaisun could be seen from there. By and by, however, they 

 went thither. They then saw some persons walking on the beach at 

 Kaisun. 



After some time had passed the canoe came in front of them (those 

 at Kaisun). The}' got into it and went seawai'd. In the middle was 

 a shaman wdiipping the souls of his enemies. Then one [Ninstints 

 man] in it saw a strange sight. "Look at the cormorant flying about. 

 It has no head."" And, when the>' looked at it, its head was lacking. 

 Kladja'-i alone* did not see this. 



After thev had gone on for a while a shot was iired at them. At 

 once [the guns shooting] downward resounded everywhere. It (the 

 canoe) turned bottom up. And as they came alongside they shot at 

 them. And after they had destroyed them and had turned the canoe 

 over one person was in it. He alone they saved. AVhen the tirst gun 

 sounded, the war chief said: "Sqas, take the gun away. It is not 

 time for that." 



They then went awa}'. Now they sang war songs. And the next 

 day they went to get the heads. They then cut them off' and dried 

 them in the sunshine. The shaman who bad whipped the souls of his 

 enemies had his hair bunched together.'' He had told them to go back. 

 (3n the way they (the Ninstints people) saw portents. They heard the 



