ON THE ETHNOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA. 365 



beaver. Human effigies roughly carved in wood were also sometimes 

 placed near by, similar to those found among the N'tlaka'pamuQ. These 

 family sepulchi'es differed somewhat in shape according to the social 

 position of their owners. Those of persons of rank and wealth were 

 contained in a boat- like receptacle, the box being placed in the centre. 

 Those which accommodated the remains of the meaner folk were usually 

 rough rectangular boxes. Four days after the disposal of the corpse all 

 who had taken part in the ceremony bathed themselves and cut their 

 hair. They did not cut the hair equally all round their heads. On each 

 side of the head it was cut as far back as, and on a level with, the ears ; 

 beyond this only the tips were cut. The surviving husband or wife never 

 cut his or her hair. Among the Tcil'Qe'uk the severed hair was never 

 burnt, as among the neighbouring Pila'tlq. To do this, they believed, 

 would cause the death of those whose hair was thus destroyed. It seems 

 that they held that things destroyed by fire lost the essence of their 

 being, their ' spirit ' forms. With them the hair was always carefully 

 buried in some spot where Nature was full of life. This would make the 

 owners of the severed hair safe. All those who took part in the mortuary 

 ceremonies were given ' medicine ' by the o'lla to protect them from the 

 evil influence of the corpse. All but the relatives of the deceased were 

 paid for their attendance and service by blankets. If the immediate 

 relatives of the deceased were persons of wealth, a feast would be held on 

 the return of the party from the burial-grounds. If they were poor, this 

 would be held at a later date. It was customary among the Tcil'Qe'uk 

 for friends of the mourning family to bring blankets and lay them on the 

 dead body. When the mortuary feast was given, all those who had thus 

 made presents were paid double of what they had given. The Tcil'Qe'uk 

 had a peculiar custom of tearing ofT the edges or selvage of the mats and 

 blankets used by the deceased person. This was done to ensure the 

 safety of the surviving relatives and break the power or influence of the 

 pdlakae'tsa. After the death of a wife the husband must wash his whole 

 body. If this were not done his next wife would shortly die. In per- 

 forming his ceremonial ablutions he must be careful not to wash in a 

 stream frequented by salmon, or they would shun the stream ever after. 

 He must also abstain from all food for at least a day, and eat sparingly, 

 with his face turned away from everyone else, for a further period of ten 

 or twelve days. His food for the first four days was mainly ' medicine 

 made from herbs, &c. Much the same rule applied to a surviving wife. 

 She must also bind her wrists and ankles with bands of wool. It was 

 also believed by the Tcil'Qe'uk that if the surviving husband or wife bit 

 oS pieces of fish and, while chewing it, uttered the name of the deceased, 

 he or she would shortly die. After the body of the dead person had been 

 taken from the house, the o'lia would take quantities of the down of bul- 

 rushes and spread it all over the bed on which the deceased had lain. 

 He would then set fire to it, and beat the bed and walls and surviving 

 relatives with sqol'p (spruce branches) to drive away the sickness and 

 ghost of the dead. At certain times the sQEla'm would call for mortuary 

 sacrifices. These were always conducted at sunrise. Everyone who had 

 buried a relative or friend would assemble at the place appointed, and 

 bring with them a quantity of choice food and other gifts. These were 

 all given to the SQEla'm, who placed them on a circular table or platform 

 erected for the purpose. In the centre of the circle a large fire was built ; 

 between the tire and the enclosing table was an intervening space. This 



