Part 41

And the people of Chief-discovered’s town [938] said the same things to him that Wada’s wife had said. They could not stop him. He also thought that his town was too great. By and by they announced a fight. They cleaned their spears. They agreed upon a day on which to fight.

When the day at last arrived they came around Sqas point. [939] One in the town shouted: “It is becoming dry [with the number of canoes].” They landed at once at the end of the town. Then they went to the town of Xā′gi. The people of Wada’s town stood in lines on the beach awaiting them.

When they came together all the women went into the woods. After the lines had approached each other for a while they got within a spear cast, and one from Wada’s side shouted: “Bring on the spear-whetstones.” [940] One on the other side from among Chief-discovered’s people also said: “Ho, ho, you are not the only ones to have them.” They thought that they had called spears spear-whetstones when they answered. What they really intended was to call out ten persons who were reckless and brave.

As soon as they came down they began to spear the people of Chief-discovered’s town. At the very beginning Chief-discovered fell. Wada′, however, escaped.

The people of Common-town [941] came in front and looked on from their canoes. Only five canoes [of the Sand-town people] escaped. He destroyed the people of Chief-discovered’s town. After they had pulled the spears out of the slain they (the people of Common-town) brought their canoes in front of the people of Chief-discovered’s town and carried in the dead bodies. They did not wish to fight.

And the women came back. Wada’s wife, with her children, did not come back. Although they hunted for her body they could not find it. And the others carried up their dead. They did not, however, take up the body of Chief-discovered. The canoe was rolled about by the waves with his body in it. He floated about in the bilge-water. They treated his body in that way because they had lost so many friends through him.

These were both Ninstints families of the Raven clan. The former was named from an islet in Skincuttle inlet, which is said to have been the first land to appear above the waters of the flood raised by Raven’s uncle; see the story of “Raven traveling.” From this they claimed to be the oldest Haida family. The Sand-town people have been referred to in “Story of the Food-giving-town people,” note 4.

WARS BETWEEN THE PEOPLE OF NINSTINTS AND THE PEOPLE OF SKIDEGATE

[Told by Abraham of Those-born-at-Qꜝā′dᴀsgo.]

In the times before they had muskets the Skidegate people went toward the south end of the island to fight. The entire town, including both clans, went along and presently saw a fort on the landward side of Kî′ntcꜝuwit. It was named Standing-fort.

After they had been fishing from the fort for a while something talked with a woman who was cutting a fish. “Come, cut a little piece of fish [942] for me, younger sister.” They did not know what it was that spoke. This portent happened because the fort was going to be destroyed.

There was no way to climb up to the fort. They then laid a long pole up the side of it. They used that to climb up on. Presently the Skidegate people came in a crowd to the bottom of it. When they were ready to go up some one shouted down from it: “Do not kill me. I belong to the Cumshewa-town people. [943] I am here with them only for a short time.” They called to him then to come down. But he did not believe them and did not go down.

By and by they started up the ladder. When they got halfway up the ladder they poured whale grease down upon the ladder. They got up over it with difficulty. They killed all the men and cut off their heads. The rest [of their bodies] they threw down from the fort. The space around it was filled up. After they had destroyed them they enslaved the women and children.

And, when the war canoes started off, some young women and some young men who had gone after spruce bark came out on the shore at the time of their departure. They wished to go. They would not take them. And they went to the fort after they (the warriors) had gone away. And, while they were still some way off from the fort they heard a great sound of voices. And, when they arrived there, the air and blood rushing out of the mouths of the severed heads made a great noise. At that time the Ninstints people were destroyed.

Gᴀ′nx̣oat [944] and the people of his village went to war later. And after they had gone along for a while they landed. At that time the Ninstints people were at Djig̣u′n. [945] And a man of the Sand-town people [946] who had gone out from the town after something saw unobserved that enemies were in a certain place. And, after he had watched them for a while, he shot one. No one was about.

He then cut off his head. With that he brought the news to the fort. His name was Great-drum. Then the Ninstints people launched a large canoe. They did not know that the Skidegate people were lying in wait for them on the shore near the fort. After they had gone along for a while they shot at them. They upset the canoe.

Then Tasgie′n and Gā′da-kuła′ns got ashore with ammunition. Both belonged to the Sand-town people. They shot at the Skidegate people from behind rocks which leaned toward the sea along the edges of the water. As soon as it was seen from the fort that they had been upset they went to help them. Those were the Ninstints-gîtî′ns and the Sa′ki-qe′ig̣awa-i. [947]

Then they landed. And they came behind the Skidegate people. At that time Yū′wa-i came to Gᴀ′nx̣oat, who was taking a bath in the woods. He feared then to shoot him, he was such a great chief. Then he finished “night-picks-up-the-village” (his daily fast). [948]

Laginᴀ′ñdigūdañ also tried to help his sons by shooting. Then Yū′wa-i came behind the Skidegate people and shot one. He (the man shot) was all alone. He then cut off his head and put a string on it, and he came out with it at the end of the lines of Skidegate people. “Ho ho ho, ho ho ho, ho ho ho, Skidegate people, I am Yū′wa-i. I am eating you up from behind.” And, when the Skidegate people saw the head that he had on his back, even their sinews gave out [they were so discouraged]. [949]

The Sand-town people lost an advantage by their foolishness. Their new muskets and ammunition were sunk. Not long before a trading vessel had come there.

And before this, after things had been going on quietly at the [Ninstints] fort, Blown-away went out from the fort to fish. When he came back from fishing his gambling sticks were gone from the house. He then went to where they were gambling. He came to where his nephew was using the gambling sticks.

Then he scolded his nephew on account of them. And he (his nephew) threw the gambling sticks over a cliff. He then pulled his nephew down on one side and stabbed him repeatedly. And he ran toward the house. Then his (the murdered man’s) younger brother ran after him. When he had almost got in his younger brother also stabbed him twice in the abdomen. He, too, soon after was lying on the ground. A woman was also killed the same day.

Here is the end of the story about this.

WARS BETWEEN THE PEOPLES OF SKIDEGATE AND KLOO

[Told by Abraham of Those-born-at-Qꜝā′dᴀsgo]

In the days when they used arrows the Skidegate people went to Kloo to war. There they kept watch. Near by were some women alone, digging roots. Near where the women dug they had a large fire. They already had stones heated. Then they steamed their nettle roots. The warriors were peering at them from behind. And the nettle roots were cooked, and were cooked well. As they slipped the skins off they kept saying “Wᴀha-iwa′n.” [950]

And, when they had finished this, they came out to them. They enslaved the women. And, after they had brought them to Skidegate, they also owned the made-up word there that they had obtained on the expedition. They said “Ha-iwa′n” when they did anything. The Kloo people then learned that they had captured the made-up word. And four canoe loads of people went from Kloo to Skidegate to make war.

They then pulled up their canoes on the inner side of Gū′łga and concealed themselves there. After they had remained in hiding for a while three persons went by below them in a canoe. The one in the middle was light-looking and stout. His hair hung down loose.

They then passed behind a point. Then they launched one good-sized canoe and pursued them. And they saw that they were near. One of those in the bow then caught up a bow and shot an arrow over them. When it fell near the bow all three at once looked around. And they said to each other that it was Owner. [951] They came then alongside of his canoe and killed them all.

They took the head of Owner, and they did the same to those who were with him. Then they had their three heads stuck up on poles at Kloo. The Town-of-Djī′gua people made immediately another new word, “without-even-looking-back.” [952] And when the news of that reached Skidegate they, in turn, were ashamed.

After some time had elapsed the Kloo and Skidegate people began again to visit back and forth. Then the Skidegate people came to Blood-fort. And, having determined to kill them, Koagia′ns counted the people. They then destroyed them. Not even the skin was scratched on their own side.

And, after they had killed all, a youth was missing from among them. They then launched a canoe and hunted for him. He had jumped into the water. He sat close to the edge of the sea on the point on which the fort stood. They then found him. The Skidegate man begged for mercy. On account of that they called the place “Begging-for-mercy-cove.” And they killed him, too. Then a great quantity of blood ran in the fort. So they called it “Blood-fort.”

Some time afterward a woman of the Common-food-steamers [953] who was married among the Ninstints people brought over food to her friends in Kloo. They found Kloo empty. They were afraid because they had destroyed the Skidegate people at Blood-fort. They were all at Tꜝā′łdi. [954] It was then that she arrived.

They slept then in the woods near the town of Kloo. One of the two slaves who were with her told them to camp there [instead of on the beach]. And he also heard the sound of paddling. He said then to his mistress: “I say, let us go in over there. Some people passed here in the night in canoes.” But his mistress did not believe what he said, and they passed in on the south side of the island.

When they were going across the inlet they plainly saw some people launching their canoes at a good sand beach. And they (the strangers) chased them back. They then drove them ashore in terror. Her companions escaped to the woods, and she remained behind alone. She did not let them pull her in, but laid her head on the edge of the canoe.

And she said: “Hurry, cut off my head. I do not want to be a slave. I do not want to run away frightened either. Cut off my head quickly. Just here, my brother used to say, yours were easily cut off.” [955] She made a mark around her neck, and she kept talking. They then cut off her head. And all that were with her escaped into the woods.

They got the news at Tꜝā′łdi, where all were living. They were shut up there for a while as if they had been surrounded in one house. By and by the Skidegate people again came to war. Opposite to the place where they had drawn up their canoes some one was chopping down a cedar for a canoe. He felled it and went away.

Then they (the Skidegate people) asked the oldest of the warriors: “When you used to chop down a cedar how did you think about it during the night?” “I thought all night what one does when the woman he is in love with accepts him. He will come to it again very early.”

They then took three men over to it during the night. When he came there early in the morning, they killed him. Then they went over and got them. [956]

They then fell unexpectedly upon some who came out of Tꜝā′łdi by canoe. One drew himself up into a tree which bent over the water. He alone escaped. They killed the rest.

During all that autumn, until the very beginning of winter, there were enemies around them. They were never free from them.

Then the man whose sister had been killed up the inlet from Kloo could not get a canoe. By and by Ginᴀ′skilas [957] lent him a 5-fathom canoe without thwarts fastened in it. And he and his younger brother finished it. After they had finished it he (Ginᴀ′skilas) changed his mind [about lending it]. And Alder called out to his younger brother: “Kꜝwi′dᴀña-i, [958] cut off the cedar limbs from the canoe at once. If he says a word against it I will kill him.” He then cut them off. They took no notice of it. And he could not get a canoe.

All winter no one took a step anywhere. By and by one of them went out to sea for something, yet came back safely. They saw that spring was already beginning to come on. Then Alder and Grandson went to Skidegate to war together.

Those who remained behind felt that the earth was different. The ground shook, and the thunder rolled directly over them, and there were landslides. A woman of Those-born-at-Qꜝā′dᴀsg̣o, Woman-too-dirty-to-be-touched, [959] owned four large clam shells, duck feathers, and duck grease. She laid them (the clam shells) down and put the duck grease into them. She put duck feathers along the edges. She sat talking to them: “Be careful, your duck grease might spill.” And it stopped. She believed it was stopped by her actions. [960]

The warriors arrived at Skidegate. Then they all (those left behind) got ready to move at the same time. They had their canoes loaded and anchored at the mouth of the creek. By and by, all started off together. That day they encamped at Xō′tdjix̣oa′s. [961] That night they remained awake. Amasa′n and his family acted as sentinels.

The day after that they went off again. And, after they had moved on for a while, they camped at Sqē′ługîts. The two who had gone to fight were also away. And, after having escaped from confinement, they ate anything, having mussels and things in the woods for provisions.

Ginᴀ′skilas then went out to examine a peninsula opposite the camping place. And a woman of Those-born-at-Qꜝā′dᴀsg̣o, West-coast-clouds, and a slave also went out. And, as they went along, they met the [two returning] warriors. Two scalps hung out of the stern of the canoe. And they told her how they killed them.

“We found Skidegate empty. But still we did not go into the houses.” Then they came back [to the canoes]. They concealed their canoes at the seaward end of Skidegate. Afterward they went to look at Skidegate. They found there sixty boxes of grease, stowed away. They then broke them open with an ax. And the one whose sister’s head had been cut off, while she was still alive, in the same way cut off the heads of four youths who came after devilfishes.

And she went along before the fighters shouting. From the place where Ginᴀ′skilas had gone to make an examination some came along. And she shouted: “Ix̣iâ′⁺! Alder and Grandson found the town of Skidegate empty. Their canoes are full.” She went toward a large canoe coming toward her, telling the news. When she came near she recognized Gᴀ′nx̣oat’s [962] canoe, named Sea-gull canoe. [963] She at once paddled the canoe around, and they escaped to land. Alder and Grandson also landed there.

And Grandson’s canoe was carried away by the wind. But before the Skidegate people arrived Kī′dja-i [964] swam over to the canoe which was drifting away. And he did not care for the canoe, but he took the two scalps and swam ashore with them. He moved backward, sitting down with the two scalps in his mouth. “Now, Gîtî′ns, [965] I am glad to meet you.”

And the Skidegate people got off to fight there. The Kloo people also came near from Sqē′ługîts. They came together at once among the woods. Hu hu hu hu, there was a great sound of guns there. A man of the Skidegate-town people [966] and one of Those-born-at-Qꜝā′dᴀsg̣o [967] used to be good friends, and the Skidegate-town man shouted to him: “Property-always-running-about, are you among them?” “Yes.” “Go home. When the Gîtî′ns become angry not even the grizzly bear can stand against them.” “Indeed, I will go home. I was born a grizzly bear from my parents, who are grizzly bears. They had me at the front [in war].”

After they had fought there for a while Amasa′n and a Skidegate man shot at each other over a thin rock at the edge of the woods, and they kept it up. Behind Amasa′n were two persons, one of whom held a spear. He asked for it. They refused to give it to him. He said that he would run over to the Skidegate man soon after he had shot him. [968] They did not give him the war spear.

Then they fought there. After they had fought there for a while, and evening was coming on, Tā′-iłgwai fell. He was wounded. On the other side Gidagā′ñgu also fell. They then called out to each side to stop. [969] They then ceased shooting at each other, and the Skidegate people got into their canoes. And the Town-of-Djī′gua people also got into their canoes when it was very dark.

When they (the women) escaped to land in fright Flood-tide-woman went up among the mountains. When it became dark she went down cautiously toward the place where they had camped. She was within a month of giving birth to a child.

When she came near she heard some people laughing. And she (a woman among them) recognized the voice of Gwai′îs. “Uncle Gwai′îs” [she said]. And he answered: “Ā′waiya, [I thought] they had taken you.” She (Flood-tide-woman) had come to the one with whom he had been in love. [970]

And after they had camped there for a while one day, when the sea was smooth, they went away. They looked at an island which lay seaward from them. Half of them refused to use it. The rest wished to use it. The place was good for houses, but there was no water. They remained there all the day.

And they went away from it to Qꜝo′nakoa fort [971] and landed there. All said it was good. It was a good place to keep canoes. Then they built little houses at the fort. When they were finished they began living in them.

Before the stockade and houses were completed one of the Peninsula people [972] who had married a woman of the Common-food-steamers brought over news to his brother-in-law. He brought the news that Î′ldjiwas [973] had his canoe dug out in the rough. He had done that in order to go to war.

Before he brought the news three persons in a canoe were fishing with floats. It was raining in the inlet where they were. And, while they had the canoe turned bottom up over them, the Skidegate people quickly turned over the canoe and killed them.

He (the Peninsula man) stayed all night at Qꜝo′nakoa fort and went off the next day. When evening came his smoke [was seen] rising from an island lying seaward. [974] Then the strongest men went out from the fort to see him. Where he was floating, at Land-point, a big whale was drifting. He raised a smoke for his brothers-in-law on account of that.

The people of the fort then all went out for whale. And they encamped at G̣ᴀ′ldjida for the whale. There they cut it up.

Î′ldjiwas then had his canoe in the woods at Chicken-hawk town. [975] They observed the Town-of-Djī′gua people cut up the whale. By and by Two-voices went to Chicken-hawk town to cut łg̣ēt [976] with two young men. After they had gone there they heard the sound of guns. They shot Two-voices only. His companions they spared.

Shortly after the guns sounded he (Î′ldjiwas) sailed by in front of the camping place. He went too fast for them to even think of going out to him.

And after they had waited a while for a good day they loaded the whale and went off with it. And, although they wanted to go to Qꜝo′nakoa fort, the canoes were so heavy that they went ashore at Dog-fish fort. [977] This fort was the best of all. And they cleared away the bushes and started to live there. Ginᴀ′skilas owned blankets ornamented with duck bills (lit., “duck teeth”). He hung them all around upon the stockade on account of a canoe that had come [with visitors]. And, when these were not quite enough, he bought ten with a slave that a woman owned. They used to get twenty slaves for a sea otter.

In the following year all who were in Dog-fish fort went to Skidegate to war. And, after they had pulled up their canoes into the woods in the inlet above Skidegate, they were discovered. All of the Skidegate people followed them at once. They shot at them. They shot one then in the canoes of the Kloo people. They got off on the inner side of Ku′nga-i. [978]

At that time the Town-of-Djī′gua people took to the woods. When they fled the one who had been wounded sat in the canoe. Just before Tā′-iłgwai got off he called to him: “Skî′lg̣atgwᴀns,” he said to him, “try to get off. Sit at the foot of a tree in the woods. When I get to Cumshewa [979] I will borrow a canoe and get you as soon as I can.” Then he consented. He said: “All right.”

The Skidegate people then pulled off their canoes. Not long after that the one they had wounded made a fire for his head. They then went over from Skidegate and cut off his head.

And the Town-of-Djī′gua people went around by the point, camping here and there. They had nothing to eat. And when they camped they were cold. By and by they found a sea otter floated ashore. They made a fire for it and steamed it in the ground. When it was cooked they set some in front of Ginᴀ′skilas. But he said: “You put this in front of me to eat, but I will not eat it. The gravel might see me.” [980]

They then started off and came to Cumshewa. And they attacked Tā′-iłgwai, because he did not do as he had promised [to the wounded man]. They then borrowed a canoe at Cumshewa and went to Skedans. [981] They (the Skedans people) took them over to the fort.

And, after they had remained there for a while and it was again fall, they again went to Tꜝā′łdi. And, after they were through with gathering food, they again settled at Dog-fish fort.

And the summer after the succeeding winter some posts fell out of the stockade. Later more fell. Then Gwi′sukūnas called his nephew and said to him: “Chief’s son, the women can now go anywhere they want to. Fighting lies on its back. War is over.” From that time it was ended.

At this time chief Ginᴀ′skilas died. When Qā′-idjît became chief in his place they had a town at Sea-grass. [982]

Here is the end of this story.

WARS BETWEEN THE TOWNS OF KLOO AND KITKATLA AND BETWEEN THE KLOO FAMILIES

[Told by Abraham of Those-born-at-Qꜝā′dᴀsg̣o]

Once South-east [983] and the people of his town went trading. He came to I′nūł. [984] And, after they had given them food for a while, berries were dropped upon the face of South-east, and Alder [985] did not like it. Then they began to fight at the fort. And they destroyed the men and enslaved the women.

They then discovered Axłua′ls swimming from the fort. Some youths pursued him. And, when they got near him, one held a spear over his shoulder ready for him. He said to him: “Spare me brother-in-law,” but still he speared him. He broke his back.

They towed the body of Axłua′ls ashore. Those taken as slaves then sang the same song for his body that had been sung for him when he acted in the secret societies and got power from the sea otter and when he performed sleight-of-hand feats.

Lawē′⁺ huwā′⁺hō⁺ hō⁺ lawē′⁺ī iä′⁺ la⁺wē′⁺ huyä′ u ō⁺ lawē′⁺ hu wä⁺ ō⁺ lawē′⁺ hē⁺ iyä′⁺ ō⁺ ōō⁺ lawē′⁺ī⁺ iyä′⁺ō⁺ ō⁺ lawē′⁺ yē⁺ huwä′⁺ ō⁺ hō⁺ lawē′ēē⁺ hēhē⁺ iyä′⁺ ō⁺ ō⁺ lawē′⁺ hē hē iyä′wâ wâ⁺.

At that time they took forty slaves for South-east. All together, they took seventy at that time. When they came home they started to fortify themselves at Thin-fort. [986]