SWiXTIlX] 



GAMES 443 



their hosts, and they danced for many days. 'SVhvn thoy started for 

 Sitka their canoes were overloaded. 



At the last dance the people contended to see who knew the (greatest 

 number of soni>s and which side could last the longer. If one song 

 leader broke down In a song or left some part out it counted against 

 his side. Several boxes of crackers and several trays of grease were 

 also given out for the guests' lunch on their way home. 



Sometimes, instead of inviting people to his own town for a feast, a 

 man took food to the town of those he desired to honor. It was called 

 Taking - food - to - another - town - to - give-a - f east-in-memory-of-one's- 

 mother (DuLa' naoqle'di dji'udixa). 



A grave post and house were not necessarily put up at the same 

 time. A man might put up the former tirst and then accnnuilate more 

 property until he had suthcient for the house. Nor was it necessary 

 that he should put up a house at all. 



(tAMES 



The stick game (cTs) was similar to that played l)y the Haida and 

 Tsimshian. The numbei- of sticks varied consideral)ly, because many 

 were held in reserve, so that the player could change his luck liy 

 changing the sticks. Often a player had certain favorites with which 

 he thought he was always lucky. There are said to have been some- 

 times as many as 180. The sticks themselves were divided into sets 

 by various markings and the trump stick, called naii (devilfish), was 

 carefully distinguished from all others. Only one of these was neces- 

 sary, but usually a set had several, so that a man might change if 

 luck ran against him. 



As among the southern coast tribes, two players sat opposite each 

 other and handled the sticks alternately. One player selected three 

 ordinary sticks (cTct) along with the naq. shuffled them up in shredded 

 cedar l>ark, and made two parcels, one of which he laid down on each 

 side. The opponent cliose one of these and if the naq happened to 

 be in that pile it was ids turn to shuffle. If he missed, the opponent 

 tried again, and, hick serving him. kept on until the tenth or eight- 

 eenth tim(>. At this count the shuffler had to make three piles, of 

 which his opponent was at liberty to select two, and oidy lost in case 

 he then missed the nfui. The game in which the critical count was IS 

 was called DAxklu'ts; the other Kune'. The Tlingit probably counted 

 like the Haida. i. e., each successful guess counted 1, and the opponent 

 had to score it oil l)y a corresponding successful guess and then count 

 10 or 18 wins more. 



All of the gaming sti<'ks received names, which are said to have 

 been much the same all along the coast. At any rate djil, by which 

 name the na(| is kncuvu among the Haida. evidently means '" bait," 

 and devilfish formed the principal bait for halibut. 



