574 REPORT—1890. 
Twins, immediately after birth, possess supernatural powers. They 
are at once taken to the woods and washed in a pond in order to become 
ordinary men. Ifthe twins are girls, it is an indication that a plentiful 
supply of fish will come. Ifthey are boys, they will be good warriors. 
It seems that the women are held responsible for the behaviour of 
their children, for if a child cries the husband may beat his wife. 
While children, and when reaching maturity, they must go frequently 
into the woods and bathe and clean themselves, in order to become strong 
and healthy. Girls, even before reaching maturity, must not eat parts of _ 
fish near the head, but only tails and adjoining parts, inorder to secure _ 
good luck in their married life. On reaching maturity they have to ob- 
serve numerous regulations. They must eat only dried fish; they may 
eat fresh clams. Gooseberries and crab-apples are forbidden, as it is 
believed that they would injure their teeth. When a girl has ieft the 
house she must return in such a direction that the sun is at her back 
when she starts to return, and then walk in the direction the sun is 
moving. At Victoria the girl, when reaching the age of puberty, must 
take some salmon to a number of large stones not far from the Finlayson 
Point Battery (see p. 578). This is supposed to make her liberal. She 
will also visit the hill Putlé’wan, not very far from Cloverdale, on the 
summit of which is a small pond. She will dip her hand into the water 
and slowly raise the hollow hand. If she finds some grass, &c., in it she 
will expect to become rich and a chief’s wife, else she will become a poor 
man’s wife. (The name Petlé’wan refers to this custom, being derived 
from tld'pxt, to feel around.) Young men and women must not live luxu- 
riously ; then they will become rich in later life. They must not eat 
while the sun is low, as they believe it to be detrimental to health. Old 
people may eat at any time. 
Menstruating women must not come near sick persons, as they would 
make them weak (?’k'él). 
The lobes of the ear and the helix are perforated while the child is 
young. After the operation they have to abstain from fresh fish. Arms 
Fig. 11.—Tattooing. 
tnd) 
Pee sel 
and chins of women are tattooed when they reach maturity. I have seen 
three diverging lines running from the lip downward on the chins of a 
few old women. Fig. 11 shows designs on the arms and hands of two 
i 
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