ON THE NORTH-WESTERN TRIBES OF CANADA. 589 
— == = —— 
<< 0" os - Se Pee ee Same 
na - na - teikte wii-p’a -  tcitl hautl k-é - wi - na 
<= a === f= == ee ast 
0 ES 
p’a - teékte wii p’a - teekte wii hé ho 
Te., Ha! Boats are coming. He will give again blankets to the chiefs among the 
coming boats. He will give blankets. 
After the death of a chief this song is sung; but after that the people 
__ are forbidden to use it for one year, when the potlatch is given in which 
_ the succeeding chief assumes his dignity. Among the gifts bestowed at 
a potlatch is the right to perform certain non-religious dances that are 
only danced at such feasts. In such cases the original owner retains the 
right to the dance, although he has given the same right toafriend. In 
this respect the customs of the Nootka differ from those of the Kwakiutl, 
among whom a man who gives away the right to perform a dance loses 
the right to perform the same. I will give an instance showing the way 
in which a certain dance may be passed from tribe to tribe. The 
Kayo‘kath have a tradition that at one time their chief when hunting met 
a man who had descended from heaven beside a small lake on one of the 
islands near Kayo/kath. The man had ten mouths, each of different shape, 
which he showed in succession. He asked the chief whether he desired 
to have always a plentiful supply of salmon. The latter replied that he 
did not need any salmon, as his people used to gather an abundant supply 
of mussels, which had red flesh as well as the salmon, and that conse- 
quently he had no use for the latter. Then the stranger made the pond 
dry up, and ever since that time there have been no salmon at Kay0o’/kath. 
The chief, in memory of this encounter, danced in potlatches with the 
mask representing the many-mouthed being. He dances behind a cur- 
tain, only the upper part of his body being visible; now and then he will 
stoop down, so as to become quite invisible, and then reappear with 
another mouth. Here is his song :—! 
eae a 
Wa-a ha - ye-é€ hé - yé a@ - m&a-ye - ya 
SaaS a = ae — SSapewaes =F} 
= wecbe el ee = 
— - hé he ya @ a na wai héi 
re te a 8 ae 
== [== ———_ eg ae 
SSS SSeS SSeS: 
wai te’e tei - mi-si - ma t’ce tcl-mi-si - ma a- 
wai a@ - a-ta-ho - ie fee way ta bo "-" 16 hé 
1} IT heard the song sung by a very poor singer. The rhythms are probably correct, 
the intervals very doubtful. 
