WINTER CEREMONIAL DANCES 219

ever since. Pity for strangers is not a strong Bella Coola
sentiment and the audience laughs heartily at the spectacle

of the doddering old man in vain pursuit of a heartless woman’

who is forever young. A considerable number of Aukusiut
always accompany the procession, pushing their way out with
Anolikwotsaix and Sinuptcus. Several of them carry whistles
concealed beneath their arm-pits and the noise of these serves
to maintain the dignity of the occasion.

So many masked figures are used that all cannot accompany
Sximsximut into each house. Those unable to do so remain on
the sidewalk outside, holding one of her lovers, a live male
mountain goat. At the next house another group of the
charmer’s victims enters and the ceremonial just described is
repeated. The same is carried out at every dwelling in the
village. Sximsximdt and her followers stop a few minutes in
X’s house before starting out on a second round, in which the
same ritual is carried out. This is done twice more, so that
each house is visited four times.

By this time dusk has fallen and all the ukusiut except
those acting as escort to X have gathered in his house. Pre-
sently the uninitiated are called in. Sximsximidt is standing
on a low box behind the fire, encouraging her masked lovers
to come to her, and bestowing her affections indiscriminately
in a heartless manner. The rivals shove each other to and fro
realistically and though blows are not actually exchanged,
great care must be taken to prevent masks from falling in the
mock encounter. The efforts of the unfortunate Sinuptcus to
reach his desire are always a source of merriment. 4n0°/ik-
wotsaix as usual explains the significance of it all. Sometimes
a cradle is brought in, over which Sximsximut croons while a
song is sung, describing her as the mother of many creatures
of whom the fathers are animals. It is uncertain whether this
part of the ceremony takes place before or after the sham fight
or, indeed, whether it is not another type of zebusam which X
can use at will. The ritual concludes in the normal way with
the expulsion of the uninitiated, the dancing of Ano°ikwotsaix,