610 REPORT—1890. 
privileges, particularly the dances, of the bride’s father. The gentes are 
not exogamous, but marriages between cousins are forbidden. 
CusTOMS REFERRING TO BrerH, MarriaGE, AND Dears. 
The customs referring to birth, marriage, and death were described 
in the Fifth Report of the Committee. I have, however, to correct, to a 
certain extent, the statements referring to the dowry. Before and after 
marriage the woman begins to collect small copper plates (éla'tlagszm), 
four of which are tied together and to the point of a short stick, and 
the gyi'segstdl, each of which is valued at about one blanket. The 
gy? seqstal (=sea-otter teeth) or kok-etaya'nd (=lid of box) is a heavy 
board of cedar-wood about 23 feet long by 145 foot wide, resembling in 
shape somewhat the lids of Indian boxes, but being far heavier. Its 
front is painted and set with sea-otter teeth. All these boards are 
very old. When the woman has collected a sufficient quantity of these 
boards—sometimes as many as 200—she gives a feast. The gyi'seqstdl 
are placed in a long row on the beach, so that their fronts form one line. 
The men sit down on them, and beat time on the boards and sing. On 
this occasion the woman presents the boards and the coppers to her 
husband. I inquired once more as to the meaning of this peculiar 
institution. It would seem that it originally meant that the woman 
owned many boxes, each board representing one lid. But besides this 
the sea-otter teeth were considered a valuable possession, and it may 
be that this accounts for the fact that they are said to represent the 
woman’s teeth. When a woman has not given gyi'seqstdl to her 
husband it will be said to her: lopuépité, t.e., you carry no teeth in your 
head, or wi'pet ha'mas lag tla/k'oa k env't, your teeth are not good to bite 
copper. 
The Héiltsuk: prepare corpses before burial by taking out the entrails 
and drying the body. A widow, in addition to the regulations recorded 
in my last report, must wear for four days after the death of her husband 
his clothing. From the fifth to the sixteenth day after the death she may 
lie down at night-time, but must sit up again before the crows cry in the 
morning. She must not comb her hair or cut it. 
Parents of twins must for sixteen days after the children are born 
live in a corner of the house, paint their faces red, and strew their hair 
with eagle-down every fourth day. 
RELIGION. 
The Kwakiutl worship the sun, whom they call d/ta and gyi’ k'amaé 
(chief). It seems that his third name, k-ants 6’wmp (our father), was 
not used before the advent of the whites, but this is not quite certain. 
He is also called ‘ our elder brother,’ ‘the one we pray to,’ ‘the praised 
one.” They pray to him. I recorded two formulas: In bad weather the 
steersman of the canoe will pray: dd’koatla gya'genugq! gyi/k'amdé! i.e.,° 
take care of us, chief! A frequent prayer is: di gyi/k-amaé! wa'watle 
gya'genug! i.e., O chief, take pity upon us! 
Besides the sun a host of spirits are worshipped, particularly those 
of the winter dances, as set forth in my last report (p. 850). 
The soul is seated in the head, and may leave the body in sickness. 
It may be restored by the shaman. Two days before death the soul 
