380 THE BELLA COOLA INDIANS he is wrong, he pays them. It is said that in former times each stick used to be painted with a special device, and that each had its own name; even now they are beautifully made and highly polished by much passing from hand to hand. The Carriers play the same game but use beaver teeth instead of sticks. Formerly it was not uncommon for a man to bet his goods, his wives and children, and even himself at this game. If he lost, the persons so wagered became slaves of the victor unless redeemed by their friends. Women, too, gambled freely; in fact, neophytes recently admitted into the Ausiut society were the only ones to whom this pastime was forbidden. Of actual games, the one most commonly played is skésa. As many as eight or ten contestants can take part, each pro- viding himself with one, two, or three stones,} pecked down to the proper shape. Each is about six inches in length, three inches wide, flat on one side, and oval on the other, well rounded at either end. Before the coming of the white man, when the Bella Coola habitually used stone, it is said that one of these could be made in a few minutes. A mark is set up, and the first player throws his missile in the air, endeavouring to make it come to rest as close as possible to the target. The game is usually played on an open space near the village, but even On comparatively smooth ground there is great chance of bouncing and the thrower must gauge this possibility as well as have correct direction and distance. The second player like- wise throws his stone, trying to land it nearer the target, or to knock away his rival’s. In so doing, the latter, lying on the ground, is often broken, which puts its owner out of the game for the time being. When all have thrown, the one who has come nearest the mark is the winner. Sometimes each con- testant throws two or more stones, and sometimes sides are chosen. Large numbers of broken gaming stones can be found near every old village site, confirming the statements of the older men and women concerning the universality of the sport a ee ‘Likewise called skésa,a name said either to be derived from that of a fungus, or that the latter is derived from it.