ON THE NORTH-WESTERN TRIBES OF CANADA. 585 
in rank being given first. The whole tribe possesses its territory in 
common. There seem to be no subdivisions of territory belonging to 
the various septs. In some instances the tribal boundaries are marked 
_on the coast by some rock of singular shape. Thus a large rock resting 
on two boulders at Vob Point, Barclay 
Sound, marks a tribal boundary. It does 
not seem that artificial monuments were 
_ made for this purpose. Hach sept has a 
chief whose authority is restricted to his 
_ sept. Only the chief of the sept that is 
highest in rank exercises some limited 
_ authority over the whole tribe. What- 
ever is found adrift on the sea, as canoes, 
paddles, &c., in his territory must be de- 
livered to him, and he has to give a pre- 
sent for the same to the finder. Animals 
found adrift are excluded from this rule. 
_ When a sept goes on a hunting expedition 
the chief, if he has not a sufficient number 
of canoes, rents them from other septs 
and pays the crews. The affairs of the 
tribe are discussed and decided in a coun- 
cil, in which only the chiefs of the septs 
take part. It is called ici’mitl. They de- 
cide all important affairs of the tribe, peace 
and war, marriages of chiefs’ daughters 
and sons, &c. The council also appoint 
the herald or orator of the tribe (tsi k'sak'tl), 
whose services are required in all festivals 
given by the tribal chief and in negotia- 
tions with other tribes. The decisions of 
the council are kept secret. Chiefs alone 
are allowed to hunt whales and to act as 
harpooners. This accounts for the obser- 
vation of Sproat that the right of whaling 
and the office of harpooner are hereditary 
(p. 116). Chiefs alone are allowed to give 
*potlatches.’ Hach sept has names that 
belong exclusively to its members. The 
chief and the chief’s wife of each sept 
have always a certain name. I give here the chief’s names of the 
8 éci/ath tribe :— 
Fic. 12.—Upright in house of the 
Ts’éca’ath gens. 
Sept Chief Chief’s Wife 
* DiTs’éca/ath . Wihsuse/nEp : . Ts’écia/aks. 
2. Nu'c’asath . . Nez’c’asath . : . Nec’a’saksup. 
3. Nutcimiasath . Hitatlu’ksois : . Ho6’pkustaak's. 
4. Waninka/th . . Haihaiyu’p . : . Hai’nak-autl. 
eee (8. Ma’ktl’aiath . . Haa’yuih . : . Hayi’poutl. 
6, Tla’/suntiesath . T’a’psit : : . Te’éitle/mek-. 
7. Ha’méyisath . . TWéeatsdis . } . Hai/kwis. 
8. Ku'tssemhaath . Ma/mak‘ha’nek . . Haia’ntl. 
9. Kuai’ath : . Kuai/ath . : - Kuai‘aksup. 
1890. QQ 
