488 REi'OKT— 1900. 



Of these they had two called k-t'k-qua and tcqui'la. The former was a 

 kind of lacrosse, and the ball was caught and thrown with an instrument 

 similar to the lacrosse stick. The other was a kind of football. They 

 played also a game called tckivle. Tliis was a kind of shuttlecock and 

 Dattledore, and a favourite pastime of the girls. Tliey were acquainted 

 also with ' qamoi'lts,' or the ' cat's-cradle ' game. But dancing and 

 dramatic impersonations of animals were their favourite pastimes, and 

 these played an important part in the tribal festivities in earlier days. 



IJanccs. 



The SkqO'mlc had three kinds of dances, called respectively mP'tla, 

 koiiohs, and skaip. The hrst was the common dance, which any one 

 could perform ; the second was characterised by spasmodic shakings of 

 the head on the part of the dancer ; the third had for its distinguishing 

 feature a shaking or violent trembling of the hand, which was held aloft 

 in the air during the dance. In this dance the dancer spits much biood, 

 or something which has the appeai'ance of blood. I have not myself 

 seen a dance of this kind, so cannot say whether it is really blood or not. 

 As they appear to be none the worse after the dancing is over they pro- 

 bably do not spit blood. "NVhen dancing they invarial>]y sing. These 

 dance-songs are private property. No one can use another person's song 

 unless permission has been given, or unless it belongs jointly to more 

 than one person. These dance-songs are acquired by inheritance or they 

 are learnt in dreams. Dreams or visions are the original source of all 

 their dances. A person dreams of a certain dance, and on the next 

 occasion introduces it. Not every one is a dancer ; only those who are 

 by mental temperament fitted for the part ever become noted dancers. 

 The reason of this is simple. A dancer during the performance of his 

 dance is not in a normal condition of mind. He or she is practically in a 

 hypnotic trance state. On the occasion of a dance the dancers come 

 forward as they are moved or promj^ted by self-suggestion or the mental 

 suggestion of the waiting audience. They sit passive Avaiting for the 

 'psychological moment,' just precisely as do the sitters in a ' mediumistic 

 circle.' The monotonous beating of cedar boards oil all sides, which is 

 their dance music, has the effect of sending some of them into hypnotic 

 trances. First one and then another heaves a deep sigh, or utters sounds 

 indicative of mental disorder ; some swoon outright, and have to ha 

 brought to a dancing condition by the dashing of cold water over them ; 

 and some start off in a kind of frenzy, and dance from tire to fire all 

 round the building till they fall exhausted from their exertions. 



Dancers had to undergo a certain training. When young men or women 

 desired to become dancers they had first to subject themselves to a four 

 days' fast. In this condition it was easy for tJieni to pass into the 

 hypnotic state. In the case of the girls in particular they would in- 

 variably swoon away on the fourth night, v/hen the dance would be held, 

 and the s<j07n'tj^n and the s'Jd woidd work upon them to restore them to 

 consciousness. Presently a girl would come out of her swoon with a 

 deep sigh and begin singing, and then start off dancing for half an hour. 

 This dance she is supposed to have learnt in her trance. When she has 

 finished her ^performance she is driven out into the forest among the 

 trees. The purpose of this is that she may learn a new dance from the 

 bushes and trees, which they think are able to hold communication with 

 the neophyte in hen present state and impart to her some of their know- 



