ON THE NORTH-WESTERN TRIBES OF CANADA. 73

eu is
SB Vee o |-ovaien | eae
tislelale
a | er ere

One man dances in the centre of the square. Meanwhile the wife of
the yé'winila invites the women and the old men to a feast which is
celebrated in the house. All the men are painted black, the women red.
They wear headrings of red cedar-bark, and their hair is strewn with
eagle down. The men who are in the forest wear headrings and necklets
of hemlock branches. While they are singing and dancing the novice
appears. He looks pale and haggard from continued fasting; his hair
jalls out readily. His attendants surround him at once, and he is taken
back to the village, where he performs his dances and ceremonies. !

In the winter of 1886-87 I collected a number of 1's’ étsa'ék'a songs in
Newette Nahwitti without being able to obtain a translation. In the
summer of 1889 I read my notes to a number of natives of Alert Bay,
and obtained the translation and explanations. All the songs consist of
four part:, but I have not obtained the complete songs in all instances.
I give a series of these songs here :—

TI. Ha'mats’a.

1. Haok‘haok'q6/laé sta’mkuti iwésta’kqtis na'la.

Haok'haok’’s voice ws all arvund the world.
Hoqonia’kolastlas ts’é/tséqkengélis 1o’wa !
Assemble at your all the lower the

places. dances around world

the edge of

9. K-uik‘uago'laé stamkuti tiwésta’kqtis na’la.

The raven’s voice is all around the world.
Kyimk-ona/kolastlas bébeku/ngélis 10’ wa !
Assemble at your places all the men around the edge of the world /

3. Hamats’alaqo/laé stamkuti iwésta‘kqtis na’la.
Hamats'a’s voice ts all around the world!

Kyimk‘ona’kolastlas bébéku’ngélis 1o’wa !
Assemble at your places all the men around the edge of the world!

Il. Ha'mats’a.

1. Léistaisnlagyiliskya’so !
He goes around the
world, truly !
2, Hamasaia/lagyiliskya’so !
For food he looks around
the world, truly !
Laq wa/qsEnqélis kya’tsis lo’wa.
Something on both sides of world, of heaven.

i This description supersedes the description formerly given in Journ. Amer,
Folk-Lore, i. p. 58, ff.