366 THE BELLA COOLA INDIANS

of Kwatna, a woman called down to them from the upper slopes of the
mountains on the south-east. She was one of a party of Kwatna people
who were picking berries; their canoes were lying in a bay beneath, where
the youths of the party were resting and sleeping, ready to climb up and
carry down the boxes of berries as the women filled them. Biu/xwalaks,
the woman who had called out, had done so under the impression that
those passing were Bella Coola, and though one of her companions recog-
nized her error and bade her be silent, the intimation had been given. The
raiders would have passed in mid-channel unaware that anyone was in
the vicinity, but now they quickly entered the bay and slew the few lads
who were withthe canoes. Next they endeavoured to capture the women
and started climbing up for the purpose, but as soon as they entered the
woods, they lost sight of the fugitives who were on the open slopes above.
One of the canoes was paddled back to mid-channel, whence there was a
clear view so that the crew could call out and direct their comrades’ pur-
suit. Two of the women had started climbing as soon as they saw the
warriors turn inwards; they escaped over the mountains and reached
Kwatna with word of the affray. With one exception, the others kept
together and sought refuge in a narrow cave, the entrance of which they
were able to defend; the attackers did not dare linger for a siege, so they
too escaped. But Buxwalaks, the cause of the whole disaster, was cut
off from her companions and harried from place to place as she strove
frantically to get away. When finally brought to bay, she struggled
furiously and refused to be taken alive, so her throat was cut and the
body decapitated. She was a member of a chief’s family, a woman who
had been confirmed on a good seat, so the murder was entirely contrary
to all coastal customs. If she had been taken prisoner, she would have
been ransomed and the matter would have ended, but her death demanded
revenge.

When the two women who had fled overland reached Kwatna, a party
of warriors set out immediately, but could do no more than bring back
the women who had hidden in the cave. Meanwhile the Kwakiutl con-
tinued their voyage and encamped at Jacobson’s Bay where they watched
a Bella Bella canoe pass up the channel towards Bella Coola. They
concluded that the Kimsquit people, whose canoes they had destroyed,
would hail this passing craft and thus reach Bella Coola with news of
raiders in the vicinity. So it transpired, while almost simultaneously
came news from Kwatna of the woman’s murder, but by this time the
Kwakiutl had reached home waters.

Buxwalaks’s parents had been Kwatna people, her husband was 4
Bella Bella, and she had Bella Coola ancestry as well, so the members
of these three tribes were all affronted by this killing of a chief. At Bella