ON THE NORTH-WESTERN TRIBES OF CANADA. 67

the chief of the Atla/lénoq (= wolves), who were preparing themselves
-in the woods for the 's’étsa/ék'a. The Atla/lénoq learnt that he had
committed the murder, and invited him to a feast, during which they
intended to kill him. He came and sang: Kap’amd'lug Kuéu aqé
nek amé'eags Atlé'lénog, 2.e., KuHéH (=mink), took the middle of face
(= nose) of Atla/lenoq for his cap. This song is used ‘to make the
Nitlmatl wild.’ If anyone makes a mistake in dancing he is killed by
the Niutlmatl, who is assisted by Na/né, the grizzly bear. (See also
| No. 14.)
5. Na’né, the grizzly bear, also knocks down people when heis excited.
_ He hates the red colour. (See also Nos. 4 and 14.)
6. Tod’q’uit is danced by women, the arms of the dancer being raised

high upward, the palms of her hands being turned forward. The upper
part of the dancer’s body is naked; hemlock branches are tied around her
waist. She has four attendants, who always surround her. The dance is
said to have been originally a war-dance. The warriors, before going on an
expedition, went into the woods in order to meet the double-headed snake,
the Si'siutl, which gives them great strength and power. After return-
ing from the woods they engage a woman to dance the To’q’uit. Very
elaborate arrangements are made for this dance. A double-headed snake,
about 20 feet long, made of wood, blankets, and skins, is hidden in a long
ditch , which is partly covered with boards. Strings are attached to it,
which pass over the beams of the house, and are worked by men who
hide in the bedrooms. As soon as the dancer appears, the people begin
to sing and to beat time. In dancing the woman acts as though she were
trying to catch something, and when she is supposed to have got it she
throws back her hands and the Si’siutl rises from out of the ground, moving
its heads. If it does not move properly the Ha’mats’a, No/ntsistatl,
Nua’tlmatl, and the bear jump up and bite and strike the people, driving
them out of the house. Finally the snake disappears in the ditch. A mes-
-senger next calls upon one of the attendants to kill the dancer. Appa-
rently a wedge is driven through her head. It consists of two parts, each
being fastened to one side. She continues to dance, the wedge sticking
out of both temples, and blood flowing down freely. Then her head is
‘struck with a paddle, which is cut out so as to fit in the head, and she
continues to dance, her head being apparently split by the paddle. Some-
times she is burnt. For this purpose a box having a double bottom
is prepared. She lies down, and the box is turned over so that her body
may be conveniently pushed into it. At the place where she lies down
a pit is dug, in which she hides. The box is turned up again, closed,
and thrown into the fire. Before the beginning of the ceremony a corpse
has been put into the lower part of the box. From the pit in which
the dancer hides, a tube of kelp has been laid underground, leading
to the centre of the fire. It acts asa speaking tube. The woman sings
through it, and her voice apparently comes out of the fire. Afterwards
the bones are found in the fire. They are collected, laid on a new mat,
and for four days the people sing over the bones, while the woman
remains hidden in a bedroom. At last the bones are heard to sing
(which is done by placing the mat over the mouth of the speaking tube),
and the next morning the woman is seen to beonce morealive. After the
woman has been apparently killed the d’z’ntsik: is seen behind the spec-
tators. It consists of a series of flat carved boards, which are connected
on their narrow sides by plugs, which are passed through rings of cedar
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