836 EEPORT — 1889. 



Meanwhile those assembled on Co witchin River had sent word to the tribes 

 of Fraser River and summoned them to come to the island. They told them 

 to pass through Cowitchin Gap and to look on the shallow beach on the 

 north side of that channel for a signal. They obeyed. Meanwhile all the 

 tribes on the island had assembled and determined to await the return of 

 the Le'kwiltok' in Maple Bay. To indicate this they erected a pole, 

 sprinkled with the blood of a blue jay, at the beach in Cowitchin Gap, and 

 made it point towards Maple Bay. Thus they all assembled. Early one 

 morning they heard the Le'kwiltok' coming. They sang songs of victory. 

 Unexpectedly they were attacked. Almost all of them were slaughtered, 

 their canoes sunk, and women and children enslaved. A few reached the 

 shore, but were starved near Comox. This was the last great battle of the 

 war. The narrator's father made peace with the northern tribes. He 

 was the first to settle again on Gabriola Island. He emancipated his 

 slaves. "When peace was made the chiefs made their peoples inter- 

 marry. 



I have no observations to offer on the government or laws of the 

 Kutona'qa, except that usually the chief is succeeded by his son. If the 

 latter is not considered worthy the new chief is elected from among his 

 family. 



Customs regarding Birth, Marriage, and Death. 



Kratise gives the following reports of the customs of the Tlingit observed 

 at the birth of a child. He says that, according to Kemiaminow, the women 

 are assisted by midwives. After the child is born the young mother has 

 to remain for ten days in a small hut, which is erected for this purpose, 

 and in which the child was born. The new-born infant is washed with 

 cold fresh water and kept in a cradle filled with moss. It is not given 

 the breast until all the contents of its stomach (which are considered 

 the cause of disease) are removed by vomiting, which is promoted by 

 pressing the stomach. A month after birth the mother is said to leave 

 her hut for the first time ; then she washes her child and puts on new 

 clothing. For five days after birth the mother does not partake of any 

 food, but drinks a little lukewarm water. 



Among the Tsimshian I observed the following customs : A woman 

 who is with child is not allowed to eat tails of salmon, as else the confine- 

 ment would be hard. She must rise early in the morning and leave the 

 house before any of the other inhabitants leave it. Before the child is 

 born the father must stay outside his house, and must wear ragged cloth- 

 ing. After the child is born he must abstain from eating any fat food, 

 particularly porcupine, seal, and whale. The mother is confined in a 

 small house or in a separate room. 



Numerous ceremonies must be observed when girls reach maturity. 

 "When about thirteen or fourteen years old they begin to practise fasting, 

 eating in the afternoon only, as a very severe fasting is prescribed at the 

 time when they reach maturity. It is believed that if they had any food 

 in their stomachs at this time they would have bad luck in all future. 

 They must remain alone and unseen in their room or in a porch for ten 

 days, and abstain from food and drink. For four days they are not even 

 allowed a drop of water. For a fortnight the girl is not permitted to chew 

 her own food. If she desires to have two or three boys when married, 

 two or three men chew her food for her ; in the other case, two or three 



