52 THE INDIANS OP CAPE FLATTERY. 



slaves of the women and children; but very few if any slaves have been gained by 

 the Makahs in this manner for several years past; all they have acquired being by 

 purchase. They never bury their enemies slain in battle, as they have a supersti- 

 tion that the bodies would come to life again, and attack them; so they leave' 

 them exposed to the wolves ; but the heads are stuck on poles, in order to be readily 

 seen at aU times. Thus, if the enemy should recover the bodies of his slain, and 

 bury them, it would not matter so long as the heads were drying in the air. The 

 two heads of the Elwhas that I have mentioned had remained on poles for several 

 months, when the relatives requested permission to purchase them of the old chief 

 who had them in charge, and oifered ten blankets apiece ; but the old savage 

 refused the offer with the greatest disgust, and being fearful that I might possibly 

 get hold of them for specimens, he hid them away in the woods, and I saw them no 

 more. This chief, whose name was Kobetsi, or Kabatsat, was a powerful man, 

 possessed of great strength and personal bravery. He was celebrated for his 

 prowess in kUling whales, and that, together with his being an hereditary chief, 

 had given him the pre-eminence on all war parties. The other chief who headed 

 the expedition was also a celebrated whale-killer named Haahtse, or Sowsom. 



Government. — Formerly the tribe had chiefs and head men whose word was law. 

 The strongest man, who had the most friends or relatives, was the head chief, but 

 of late years there has been no head. In every village there are several who claim 

 a descent from chiefs of note, and call themselves chiefs and owners of the land, but 

 their claims are seldom recognized, excepting that they are considered as belonging 

 to the aristocracy, and are superior to the mis-che-mas or common people, or the 

 kot-hlo or slaves. They are listened to in counsel, and always invited to feasts; are 

 sure of a share of all presents, and of their proportion of any whales that are 

 killed ; but no one takes precedence of the rest, although many, if not aU, would 

 be very glad to be considered as the head chief provided the rest would consent. 

 The eldest son of a chief succeeds to the title and property of the father, and in 

 case of several children, of whom only one is a boy, he takes the property whether 

 he is the eldest or youngest child. In case of a chief who died leaving one child, 

 a son, the widow took for a second husband the brother of the one who died. By 

 the last one she had a girl, and the father told me that his property too would 

 descend to his brother's son, and not to the girl who was his own and only 

 child. In the event of his having a son, the bulk of the property would stiU go to 

 the nephew, whom he considered as his eldest son. The dignity of chief or head 

 man can be attained by any one who possesses personal prowess, and who may be 

 fortunate enough to accumulate property. An instance of this kind is in the case 

 of Sekowt'hl, the head chief of the tribe, who was appointed such by Governor^ 

 Stevens at the time of making the treaty. Sekowt'hl's mother was a slave, and his 

 father a common person, but he was very brave and very successful in killing 

 whales, and having accumulated much wealth in blankets, canoes, and slaves, was 

 enabled to marry the daughter of a chief, by whom he had a son, who is also cele- 

 brated for his strength and bravery, and his success in the whale fishery, and is 

 now considered as one of the principal chiefs of the village at Flattery Rocks, where 

 both father and son reside. 



