66 as REPORT—-1890.

Lé'lénog (ghost) occurs, the Lola tlalatl being his opponent. As soon as
the ha’mats’a gets excited the néi/{lmatl will close the door and prevent
the escape of those present. Then the ha/mats’a rushes around and bites
the people. At the same time, when the na’ tlmatl rises, the kyi!mk’ alatla
must rixe and attend his master, the ha'mats’a following all his move-
ments. If the latter is unable to get hold of anyone eise he bites the
kyi'mk’alatla. When the ha'mats’a returns from the woods a post
called ha’mspiq (—=eat-post) is erected in the dancing-house, and remains
there for four days. It is a high pole, with a short cross-piece on top. It is
wound with red cedar-bark, which spreads toward the cross-piece in the
shape of a fish-tail. After the fourth night the pole and the cedar-bark
are burnt. During the Ts’étsa/ek'a season the ha/mats’a must speak in
whispers only. When he has eaten a corpse he has to observe certain very
strict regulations for four months after the end of the dancing season
before he is allowed to have unobstructed intercourse with the rest of the
tribe. He is not allowed to go out at the door, but a separate opening is:
cut for his use. When he rises he must turn round four times, turning
to the left. Then he must put forward his foot four times before actually
making a step. In the same way he has to make four steps before gcing
out of the door. When he re-enters the house he has to go through the
same ceremonies before passing the door, and must turn rouud four
times before sitting down. He must use a kettle, dish, spoon, and cup
of his own, which are thrown away at the end of the fourmonths. Before
taking water out of the bucket or river he must dip his cup four
times into the water before actually taking any. He must not take more
than four mouthfuls at one time. When he eats boiled salmon he must
not blow on it in order to cool it. During this period he must carry a
wing-bone of an eagle, and drink through it, as his lips must pot touch
the brim of hiscup. He also wears a copper nail to scratch his head with,
as his nails must not touch his skin, else, it is believed, they would
come off. At the end of the Ts’éisa/eh-a many people surround the
ha'mats’a and lead him into every house of the village and then hack to
the dancing-house. This is called wii! lék'a. When the dancing season 1s
over, the ha’ mats’a feigns to have forgotten all the ordinary ways of men
and has to learn everything anew. He acts as though he were very
hungry. The bones of the corpse he has eaten are kept for four months.
They are kept alternately four days in his bedroom and four days under
rocks in the sea. Final'y they are thrown into the sea. After the
Ts’ atsa! cha is over he has to pay everyone whom he has bitten. It is said
that the Kwakiutl obtained the ha’mats’a ceremonies from the Awi‘ky’énoq,
Tsa/watbénog, and Heiltsuk:.

29. The No/ntsistati is also initiated by Baqbakualanusi’uaé. He is
painted black, covered with ashes, and carries firebrands, which he bran-
dishes in dancing. He has two whistles, is allowed to bite people, and
eats out of one dish with the ha’mats’a.

3 Koé'k-oastatl (from k’0ék-oasa, to beg), the beggar dancer, carries
two whistles. He is so called because anything he asks for must be
given him.

4. Na‘tlmatl (=the fool dance). The Niutlmatl carries a lanes, sticks,
or stones. When he is excited by the k-uélk-ntsé he knocks to pieces
what he can lay his hands upon, and strikes the people. In order to excite
him they sing a song taken from a legend referring to the mink and the
wolves. Mink, Tlé’selagyilak‘ (= made the sun), had killed two sons of