with the attainment of womanhood by the daughters of their chief,
the whole tribe being invited to attend these festivals. A num-
ber of men and women were engaged to dance and sing what was
prescribed by ceremonial usage, being well compensated in kind
for their services. (Sproat, 1890, p. 94.)

The "Haietlik" or Lightning snake was a mythical creature
constantly associated with the Thunderbird, which according to
tradition, habitually used it as his chosen instrument when
setting out to satisfy his hunger. He is supposed either to
have tied it round his waist or carried it under his wing, from
whence he launched it as a harpoon to kill his chosen food,
the whale.

Illustrations vary in their representation of this crea-
ture, but usually these show it as snake-like in general form,
with a head "as sharp as a knife," a large mouth, red tongue
"which makes fire" and formidable teeth. (Figure 5, a, b, c,
and d) It is also represented in Northwest Coast tribal sym—
bols by an ear, more difficult to identify than the better
known dorsal fin of the Killer Whale or incisor teeth and
scaly tail of the beaver. The possession of the smallest
fragment of the body of a Lightning snake brought good fortune
to the owner, ensuring success when he was engaged in the most
dangerous of all pursuits, that of hunting whales. In con-
sequence its carved representation in ivory was often inserted
as a "charm" between the sharp mussel-shells which formed the
points of the harpoon employed, in order to increase the ef-
ficiency of the weapon.

The peculiarly shaped hats as shown in Figure 6 were in
general use by all the Coast tribes; they served the dual pur-
pose of protection from fierce sun or drenching rain. Decora-
tive designs were painted on a large number of the finely woven
hats, the one tribal exception being that of the Nootka. With
them but one design was allowed for this purpose, that of a whale
hunt, which was woven not painted on their headgear in commemora-
tion of the fact that this tribe alone successfully attempted
the dangerous feat of hunting these huge sea mammals.

Elaborate and prolonged ceremonies were associated with
whale hunting which, in addition to preceding weeks of bathing,
fasting, purging, prayer and other rites of purification, in-
cluded the use of charms (Figure 5, b and c), and appeals for
assistance to protective ancestral spirits. Only hereditary
chiefs might launch the first harpoon. The harpoon with its
details was carried in a special bag of cedar matting. The
paddle used by the harpooner was also Specially shaped with a
long, tapering point. Even his wife was required to follow

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