ON THE N0RTH-T7ESTKIJN TRIBES OF CANADA. 851 



feast is almost at an end, a terrible noise is heard on the roof of the 

 house, where the new Ha'mats'a is dancing and whistling. Sometimes 

 he throws the hoards forming the roof aside and thrusts his arms into 

 the house. Then he disappears again, and his \vhi.stles are heard in the 

 woods. 



His father requests the men to assemble early in the morning, and 

 they set out to meet the young Ha'mats'a in the woods. They take a 

 long rope made of cedar bark, and, having arrived at an open place in the 

 forest, lay it on the ground in form of a square. They then sit down 

 inside the square, all along the rope, which represents the platform of 

 the house, and sing four new songs composed for the purpose. The two 

 first ones are in a quick binary measure, the third is in a five-part 

 measure, and the last has a slow movement. One man dances in the 

 centre of the square. Meanwhile tlie motlier of the new Ha'mats'a invites 

 the women and the old men to a feast, which is celebrated in the house. 

 All the men are painted black ; the women red. The latter wear button- 

 blankets, head-rings of cedar bark dyed red, and their hair is strewn with 

 eagle-down. The men who are in the forest wear head-rings and necklets 

 of hemlock branches. While they are singing and dancing the new 

 Ha'mats'a makes his appearance. He looks pale and haggard, and his 

 hair falls out readily. He wears three neck-rings, a head-ring, and 

 arm-rings made of hemlock branches, but no shirt and no blanket. He 

 is immediately suri-ounded by his companions, and tiie men return to the 

 village singing the new songs. When the women hear them approaching 

 they come out of the house and expect them on the street, dancing. 

 They wish to .please the new Ha'mats'a, for whosoever excites his anger 

 is at once attacked by him. He seizes his arm and bites a small piece of 

 flesh out of it. It is said that in fact this is done with a shari), bent 

 knife, but I doubt whether this is true. At the end of the Tsa'ek-a season 

 the Ha'mats'a must compensate every single person whom he has bitten 

 with a blanket or two. In the evening the people assemble in the house 

 of the Ha'mats'a's father for singing and dancing. If anything should 

 displease the Ha'mats'a, he rushes out of the house and soon returns 

 carrying a corpse. His companions continue to surround him in all his 

 movements. He enters the house and, turning to the right, goes around 

 the fire until he arrives in the rear of the house. As soon as the old 

 Ha'mats'a .«ee the corpse they make a rush at it, and fight with each 

 other for the flesh. They break the skull and devour the brains, and 

 smash the bones to get at the marrow. The companions cut large slices 

 from the body, and put them into the mouth of the young Ha'mats'a, 

 who bolts them. At the end of this ceremony the father of the young 

 Ha'mats'a presents everyone with bracelets of copper. 



The new Ha'mats'a dances four nights — twice with rings of hemlock 

 branches, twice with rings of dyed cedar bark. Strips of cedar bark are 

 tied into the hair, which is covered with eagle-down. His face is painted 

 black ; he wears three neck-rings of cedar bark, arranged in a peculiar 

 way, and each of a separate design. Strips of cedar bark are tied around 

 his wrists and ankles. He dances in a squatting position, his arms 

 extended to one side, as though he were carrying a corpse. His hands are 

 trembling continually. First he extends his arms to the left; then he 

 jumps to the right, at the same time moving his arms to the right. His 

 eyes are staring, his lips protruding voluptuously. 



The Indians are said to prepare the corpses by laying them into the 



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