58 REPORT—1820.

privileges, particularly the dances, of the bride’s father. The gentes are
not exogamous, but marriages between cousins are forbidden.

CUSTOMS REFERRING TO BirtH, MarriaGe, AND DzarH.

The customs referring to birth, marriage, and death were described
in the Fifth Report of the Committee. I have, however, to correct, to a
certain extent, the statements referring to the dowry. Before and after
marriage the woman begins to collect small copper plates (éld'tlaqszm),
four of which are tied together and to the point of a short stick, and
the gyi/segstdl, each of which is valued at about one blanket. The
gyi seqstal (=sea-otter teeth) or kok etaya'né (=lid of box) is a heavy
board of cedar-wood about 24 feet long by 145 foot wide, resembling in
shape somewhat the lids of Indian boxes, but being far heavier. Its
front is painted and set with sea-otter teeth. All these boards are
very old. When the woman has collected a sufficient quantity of these
boards—sometimes as many as 200—she gives a feast. The gyi'seqstdal
are placed in a long row on the beach, so that their fronts form one line.
The men-sit down on them, and beat time on the boards and sing. On
this occasion the woman presents the boards and the coppers to her
husband. I inquired once more as to the meaning of this pecuhar
institution. It would seem that it originally meant that the woman
owned many boxes, each board representing one lid. But besides this
the sea-otter teeth were considered a valuable possession, and it may
be that this accounts for the fact that they are said to represent the
woman’s teeth. When a woman has not given gyi'segstdél to her
husband it will be said to her: lopHépitd, 7.e., you carry no teeth in your
head, or wi'pzt ha'mas lag tld’k'oa k’’ exit, your teeth are not good to bite
copper.

The Héiltsuk: prepare corpses before burial by taking out the entrails
and drying the body. A widow, in addition to the regulations recorded
in my last report, must wear for four days after the death of her husband
his clothing. From the fifth to the sixteenth day after the death she may
lie down at night-time, but must sit up again before the crows cry in the
morning. She must not comb her hair or cut it.

Parents of twins must for sixteen days after the children are born
live in a corner of the house, paint their faces red, and strew their hair
with eagle down every fourth day.

RELIGION.

The Kwakiutl worship the sun, whom they call ta and gyi/k'amaé
(chief). It seems that his third name, k-ants o’ump (our father), was
not used before the advent of the whites, but this is not quite certain.
He is also called ‘ our elder brother,’ ‘the one we pray to,’ ‘the praised
one. They pray to him. I recorded two formulas: In bad weather the
steersman of the canoe will pray: dd/koatla gyda'genuq ! gyvk'amaé! t.e.,
take care of us, chief! A frequent prayer is: di gyik'amdé ! wa'watlé
gya'genug! z.e., O chief, take pity upon us:

Besides the sun a host of spirits are worshipped, particularly those
of the winter dances, as set forth in my last report (p. 54).

The soul is seated in the head, and may leave the body in sickness.
It may be restored by the shaman. Two days before death the soul