376 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1888. 



Gultus dances. — This is a term usually applied to dauces carried on 

 without any appareut motive other than amusement in imitation of the 

 actions during the greater festivities, possibly, however, as much for 

 practice as anything else. 



Theatricals. — Portlock*(1787) gives an interesting account of the cere- 

 monies of the Tlingit with whom he traded. After an elaborate enter- 

 tainment of welcome by singing and dancing in the canoes alongside 

 the Indians adjourned ashore, and returning again began their song. 



This time, by way of varying our amusemeat, the chief appeared iu different 

 characters during the time his people were singing, and always changed his dress 

 when he varied his character, iu doing of which some of his companions held up a 

 a large mat, hy way of a screen, to prevent us from seeing what was going on behind 

 the curtain. At one time he appeared in the character of a warrior, and seemed to 

 have all the savage ferocity of the Indian conqueror about him. He showed us the 

 manner in which they attacked their enemies, their method of fighting, and their be- 

 haviour to the vanquished enemy. He next assumed the character of a woman, and 

 to make his imitation more complete he wore a mask, which represented a woman's 

 face with their usual ornaments ; and indeed it so exactly resembled a woman's face 

 that I am pretty certain it was beyond the reach of Indian art, and must certainly 

 have been left by the Spaniards iu their last visit to this part of the coast.* 



The type of mask referred to is shown in Fig. 56, Plate xvi, and in 

 spite of Portlock's doubts is a veritable product of Indian art. 

 Dunn says of the Kwakiutl : 



In the winter months these, as well as the neighbouring tribes, assemble in great 

 numbers in the chief's house for the purpose of witnessing the chief imitate different 

 spirits, whom they are supposed to worship. He puts on at intervals different 

 dresses and large masks of different kinds, entirely covering his head and neck. 

 The masks are made to open at the mouth and eyes by means of secret springs, invisi- 

 ble to the spectators and different noises are sent forth. He dresses for each char- 

 acter behind a large curtain, drawn quite across the room, like the drop curtain in a 

 theatre, and then comes forth and stands on a sort of stage iu front of it, while the 

 spectators are ranged on benches placed along the side walls. In one of the charac- 

 ters he imitates the rising sun, which they believe to be a shining man, wearing a 

 radiated crown, and continually walking round the earth, which is stationary. He 

 wears on this occasion a most splendid dress of ermine and other valuable furs, and 

 a curiously constructed mask, set round with seals' whiskers, and feathers which 

 gradually expand like a fan, and from the top of the mask swan-down is shaken out 

 in great quantities, accordiug as he moves his head. The expanding seals' bristles 

 and feathers represent the sun's rays, and the showers of down, rain and snow; the 

 Indians chanting at the same time in regular order and in a low key showing rev- 

 erence, devotion, and awe. » * * Sometimes the various divine personages are 

 represented by one man ; sometimes there are two or three personators on the stage 

 all at once, representing different divinities.! 



In Plate lxvii are shown some of the masks belonging as personal 

 properties to the late Kaigani chief Skowl. In the boxes are the cere- 

 monial vestments worn on occasions. In Plate lxviii are two views of 

 the paraphernalia belonging to Chief Shakes of Fort Wrangell (Tlingit), 

 the upper one, Fig. 353, representing the body of the late chief lying- 

 in state, and the lower, Fig. 354, a theatrical group representing a legend 



* Portlock, Voyage, p. 283. 



t Dunn, Oregon (1842), pp. 253, 254. 



