sw ANTON] HAIDA TEXTS AND MYTHS 415 



Wars between the peoplk of Ninstints and the people of 



SkIDE(}ATE 



[Told !)>• Abraham of Tliose-born-at-Cilil'ilAsfjo.] 



In the times before thev litul nmskets the Skidegate people went 

 toward the south end of the island to fioht. The entire town, includ- 

 ino;- both clans, went along- and i)re.sently saw a fort on the landward 

 side of Ki'ntcluwit. It was named Standing-fort. 



After thev had been fishing from the fort for a while something 

 talked with a woman who was cutting a tish. "Come, cut a little 

 piece of tish^ for me. younger sister." They did not know what it 

 was that spoke. This portent happened because the fort was going 

 to be destroyed. 



There was no way to climb up to the fort. They then laid a long 

 pole up the side of it. They used that to climb up on. Presently 

 the Skidegate people came in a crowd to the bottom of it. When 

 the}' were ready to go up some one shouted down from it: ''Do not 

 kill me. 1 ])elong to the Cumshewa-town people.'^ I am here with 

 them onl}' for a short time.'" They called to him then to come down. 

 But he did not believe them and did not go down. 



By and by they started up the ladder. When they got halfway 

 up the ladder the}' poured whale grease down upon the ladder. They 

 got up over it with dirticult3^ The}' killed all the men and cut off 

 their heads. The rest [of their bodies] they threw down from the 

 fort. The space around it was tilled up. After they had destroyed 

 them they enslaved the women and children. 



And, when the war canoes started otl', some young women and some 

 young men who had gone aft9r spruce bark came out on the shore at 

 the time of their departure. They wished to go. They would not 

 take them. And they went to the fort after they (the warriors) had 

 gone away. And, while they were still some way oti' from the fort 

 they ht-ard a great sound of voices. And, when they arrived there, 

 the air and blood rushing out of the mouths of the severed heads 

 made a great noise. At that time the Xinstints people were destroyed. 



CxA'nx.oat'' and the people of his village went to war later. And 

 after they had gone along for a while they landed. At that time the 

 Ninstints people were at Djig.u'n.' And a man of the 8and-town 



