THE INDIANS OF THE NORTHWEST COAST. 373 



the brother or other relative to whom the estate of the deceased has 

 come down to erect a carved mortuary column in front of his house, 

 and give a grand feast and pojiiatch to glorify the dead. This is by far 

 the most elaborate and important ceremonial of these Indians. The 

 carved columns are shown in Plate lxix, and in Figs. 1, 179, 294, 344, 

 and 345, as well as in Plates i and ii in the general views of Kasa-an 

 village. These are carved usually by one of the experts of the village, 

 and, although less costly than the large cohimns, are quite expensive. 

 The time being set for the ceremony, guests are invited from far and 

 near and entertained by the host and his relatives. The monumental 

 column is erected, and at the feast which follows speeches are made 

 extolling the virtues of the departed, but dwelling particularly upon 

 those of the giver of the feast. Although the latter practically squan- 

 ders his substance in thus entertaining his visitors, he feels well repaid 

 in receiving their expressions of approval and high esteem. Gambling, 

 feasting, and dancing occupy, as in all such gatherings, the leisure 

 time not devoted to the work or entertainment in hand. 



Summary. — In these initiatory or commemorative ceremonies we see 

 the gradual identification of the individual with his totem and the cele- 

 bration of the different steps in the progress of the child from birth to 

 womanhood and manhood and in commemoration after death. The 

 initiatory ceremonies of medicine men and of the four religious orders of 

 the Tsimshian are reserved for a special chapter, which will not appear 

 with this paper, being withheld, with several others, on account of the 

 incompleteness of the data, and the hope on the part of the writer that 

 the task will be undertaken by some organized department of the Gov- 

 ernment. (See Synopsis of Contents.) 



II. — Festive ceremonies. 



In the exchange of social amenities and in the round of ceremonial 

 gatherings which take place as just described there are many forms of 

 etiquette to be observed. In one sense these are not rigid, but are, 

 however, sufficiently uniform in their character to admit of classifica- 

 tion and description. 



Welcome. — These Indians welcomed the arrival of the early European 

 navigators and traders by paddling their canoes several times around 

 the ship, making long speeches, scattering bird's down and singing. 

 The significance of bird's down has been alluded to as an emblem of 

 friendship and peace in Chapter ix. Two parties of Indians meeting 

 in canoes exchange civilities very impassively by talking or shouting- 

 out. Poole (1867) describes the meeting of two friendly canoe parties 

 which had been separated by stress of weather and each believed the 

 others to have been lost. They danced in a circle together, the two 

 chiefs capering about madly while the air rang with shouts.* The cere- 



* Poole, Qiieeu Charlotte Islands, p. 279. 



