WINTER CEREMONIAL DANCES 237

Whirlwind usually remains in the land above but sometimes
visits this earth. He is patron for a kusiut who displays a
mask representing him in characteristic form, the design of
which is said never to vary.

THE DANCE OF THE EARTHQUAKE

The Bella Coola believe that an earthquake is caused by
the earth slipping very slightly from the grasp of Snxinia. This
being is patron for certain kukusiut and whenever a tremor
occurs, his protégés call their associates and a dance is held.
This may, of course, be at any season, and the ritual during
spring or summer is identical with that described for dancers
whose patrons are Thunder, the Sun, or the Moon. The theme
of the song is of the manner in which Suinia performs his func-
tion of holding the world. A call from Sninia may also come
in the normal manner to one of his protégés during the cere-
monial season, but the ritual is of the usual type and merits
no special description. In Kimsquit, Sinia is patron to a
kusiut named Atlibalaxlaix.

THE DANCE OF TIDE-MEASURER

The height to which the tides shall rise is decided by a male
supernatural being, Minttato-snum, ‘“‘Tide-Measurer.”? He is
patron of a kusiut named Ts4?, whose repository is near Séftia.
One of Ts4?’s ancestors brought the rite with him from above
in the beginning of time. The songs used at the dance describe
how Tide-Measurer uses a stick in deciding how far the waters
shall rise. During the day of zebusam the uninitiated are told
to go to their houses but, by peering round the corners and
through chinks, as they always do, they are able to see a
masked figure walk into the ocean, and thrust down to the
bottom a stick which he carries. This is repeated four times
during the day.

THE DANCE OF THE SUPERNATURAL BULL-HEAD

Since any supernatural being can act as patron to kusiut
dancers, and since all mammals and birds are, in a sense, super-