ON THE NORTH-WESTERN TRIBES OF CANADA. 423 



They resolved to make an attempt to burn it and to break open the door. 

 On the following day they came up to the village, but the guard on the 

 towers used their guns to such good effect that the enemy had to retreat 

 with severe losses. They made still another attempt, but with no better 

 success. They had lost many men, while only two old men of the Talio'mH, 

 TumHa'akyas and A'lk-ius by name, and one woman had been hurt. The 

 latter had been killed. When the Kwakiutl turned back a messenger 

 was at once sent up to the lake to call the young men, who then went to 

 Nuqa'lkH to ask for help. The Kwakiutl passed close to Nusk'Elu'sta's 

 father's canoe, but they were so terrified by the losses they had sustained 

 that they passed by without so much as noticing it. Two of their number 

 were so ashamed of their defeat that they would rather remain in the 

 enemy's country than return with their friends, and they stayed ashore. 

 Meanwhile the Talio'mH and the Bilqnla were pursuing the fugitives. 

 They had reached the outlet of Bentinck Arm without overtaking them. 

 Then their chiefs resolved to return, as they believed that their enemies 

 bad a long start upon them. Later on they learnt that the Kwakiutl 

 were at that moment only a few miles from them, about to continue their 

 homeward journey, after having encamped at the outlet of the channel. 

 Afterwards the Talio'mH found the two men who had remained ashore. 

 They called them and promised to send them back to their friends, saying 

 that the war had ended, and that they had no grudge against them. The 

 men were, however, too much afraid, and finally starved to death. 



Later on the Talio'mH and Bilqula organised an expedition against the 

 Kwakiutl to take revenge for the unprovoked attack. A chief named 

 Koani'la, whose father was a Talio'mH, while his mother was a Kwakiutl, 

 was their leader. They intended to attack the Le'kwiltok" and the 

 Kwe'k'sot'enoq. When they approached the village of the latter they 

 sent a canoe ahead to search for the village, and to report the number of 

 houses. For two days they were unable to find the village, which lies in 

 a labyrinth of islands ; but finally they found it, and saw that it consisted of 

 sixteen houses. On the next morning they attacked it. Tlie tribe was 

 wholly taken by surprise and almost all of them were killed. Koani'la's 

 mother lived at this place, and when she heard the Bilqula coming she 

 asked at once for her son, and was taken care of by him. Only five men 

 and four women escaped. The Bilqula allowed these to run away, as 

 they had killed as many as they desired. Anukni'tsem, a chief of the 

 SEnqtlE'mh, was the only man of the Bilqula who was wounded. He 

 died on the way home. They returned, but in the country of the 

 Na'koartok" they were overtaken by four Kwakiutl canoes which pursued 

 them. The Bilqula were victorious, but Koani'la induced them to desist. 

 During the fight two of the women, whom they had taken as slaves, and 

 one boy jumped overboard, and were rescued by the Kwakiutl. 



Medicine. 



Boils are treated by cauterisation with dry bark or with gunpowder. 

 Sometimes a series of parallel cuts is made over swellings or boils. 

 Fractured bones are set, and fastened between splints of cedar-bark. 



Enemata of shark oil or olachen oil are given by means of a kelp tube, 

 with a mouthpiece made of the wing-bone of an eagle. Snake poison is 

 collected and used as a poison. Women wear tight anklets ' to prevent 



