ON THE NOKTH-WESTEHX THllJES OF CANADA. 4G3 



On the upper reaches of Fraser River the custom of cutting off the heads 

 of the slain did not prevail, but the victor took the head ornament of 

 his killed enemy. The mode of warfare was the same as everywhere on 

 the coast : unexpected attacks on the villages of the enemies just before 

 the dawn of the day. 



Among other mythical personages I mention Qjils, the great trans- 

 former, who is often described as the principal deity. I have treated this 

 subject in another place.' The country of the sockeye-salmon is in the 

 sunset. Their chief is a powerful being, and takes care that the rules 

 referring to the treatment of salmon are observed. The souls of the 

 killed salmon return to him and are revived. 



The East "Wind, Ca'tEts, lives in the sunrise ; his brother, the "West 

 Wind, in the sunset. The east wind and the west wind are their shadows 

 (or souls ?). When the east wind is blowing a long time, the Indians try 

 to appease it. Early in the niorning they take sockeye fat and throw 

 it into the fire. Two pairs of heads of sockeye-salmon are painted red : 

 one pair is thrown into the fire, the other into the water. 



TEluwa'mEt, the Milky Way, is the place where the two parts of the 

 sky meet. It is the road of the dead. Most of the constellations were 

 made by Qals, who transformed men and transferred them to the sky. 

 The Pleiades, for instance, were children whom Qiils met when they were 

 crying for their absent parents. 



I heard only a few remarks referring to the dances of these ti'ibes, 

 which appear to have been similar to those of the Lku'iigEn. The dancing 

 season was called by the Kwakiutl word Me'itla. It is a very curious 

 fact that the raven was believed to give the dancers or the members 

 of the secret societies their songs, as the raven, who jjlays an important 

 part in the mythologies of the northern tribes, does not seem to be con- 

 sidered a powerful being by the tribes of Fraser River, excepting in 

 this one connection. One group used to tear dogs. Another one 

 called the Sk'e'yip inflicted wounds upon themselves, drank the blood 

 streaming from these wounds, and after a short time reappeared sound 

 and well. When they were frightened by other dancers they vomited 

 blood. Another group was called the TEmEqil'n. Evidently these 

 dances were quite analogous to the festivals of the secret societies of this 

 region. 



I add a few current beliefs : The grass over which a widow or a 

 widower steps fades and withers. Before marrying again, the widow or 

 widower must undergo a ceremonial cleansing, as else the second husband 

 or wife would be subject to attacks of the ghost of the deceased. 



If one takes a particle of decayed tissue from a corpse and puts it 

 into the mouth of a sleeping person, the latter will ' dry up and die.' 



Chiefs' children were carefully brought up. They were instructed in 

 all arts. They were enjoined not to steal, and always to speak the truth. 

 They were not allowed to eat until late in the evening, in order to make 

 them industrious. Young men who returned from a successful hunting 

 expedition were required to distribute their game among the whole tribe. 

 Poor people did not train their children as carefully as chiefs and rich 

 people. 



' See the sixth report of the Committee ; also Verh. dcr Ges. fiir Antliropolcjic 

 zu Berlin, 1891, p. 550. 



