Part 42
And, after they had been there for a while, Djē′basa [987] came with many canoes. They stopped in front of the fort and bought them (the slaves) for grease, hides, and slaves. And, after he had bought all and had started off, a woman whose lip around her labret was broken through, the only one left, came out and stood there, and said: “Djē′basa, chief Djē′basa, are you going to let your property rot at such-and-such a place where it is stowed? [988] Are you going to let it rot at such-and-such another place where it is stowed?”[988]
Then the canoe was backed toward her, and he gathered the boxes of grease which were in the canoe together and landed them in exchange for her. Then she also got in, and they went away.
When they first arrived there Djē′basa ate dry fish and grease in the canoe. They saw that his mind was good. And South-east began to speak of building a house with what he had obtained in exchange for the slaves. And they were glad, and the Town-of-Djī′gua people sang a song outside.
Wai⁺ aiyā′⁺ aiyā′⁺ aiyā′⁺aiyā′ uyâ⁺ uyâ⁺ ayā⁺ ayā⁺ wâ ai′ya⁺ aiyā′ha⁺ aiyā′ha aiyā′ha haiyā′haho haiyā′hahē, etc.
At the time they sang they made a forward motion, and when they moved much the platform fell. No one was injured. Then one of them asked his child: “Hî′ndju, is your brother there?” They then sang another song: “Hî′ndju, is your brother there?”
They removed then from the fort to Chicken-hawk town. [989] But there they built houses. After this a long time elapsed before there was another fight. South-east was dead, and Ginᴀ′skilas [990] was also dead, and Qā′-idjît [991] succeeded to his place. Then they cleared the town of Sea-grass. [992] He built Cave-house [993] there.
And while Qā′-idjît was sitting idle in front of his house with a Pebble-town woman, [994] whom he had married, Those-born-at-Skedans [995] came from Skedans [996] to fight with him. They shot at him, and his wife fell dead without uttering a word. But he got in safe. Then he kept sending food through the fire to his wife. [997] That made him soon forget about his wife.
And when summer came he married a woman of Those-born-at-Qꜝā′dᴀsg̣o. [998] The brother of the one that was killed also stayed there. His name was Lū′g̣ot. [999]
One day Qā′-idjît painted himself and tied weasel skins in his hair, in order to set out to eat berries. He started off. Lū′g̣ot had made a canoe and was smoothing it there. When his brother-in-law was on the point of starting off he ran down toward his brother-in-law. And he threw sand into Qā′-idjît’s face. [1000]
And he asked for two guns which were in the bow. They were afraid to hand them to him then. By and by they handed him one, and he shot his brother-in-law. He shot true and killed him.
Those-born-at-Qꜝā′dᴀsg̣o bestirred themselves at once and fired at him. They shot him in the elbow. Then he lay there. That day three were killed. Qā′-idjît was made to sit on the sand. But still Qā′-idjît escaped into the house. And he lay in the back part of Cave-house. He had two large blankets over him. Over these he also had a cotton canoe sail.
Now those who had done that to him went to a lonely camping place. And afterward they were afraid he was alive. They came to kill him. It was moonlight. A boy who was sleeping with him woke him. He then pulled himself out from under the blankets. And, while he moved back from the fire, one was moving a pistol [1001] about in the smoke hole. He tried to shoot him. Twice his pistol failed to go off. Then two guns were pointed through the smoke hole. When they went off there were large holes in the blankets.
One day, some time afterward, he went out in front of the house and sat idle. After he had sat there for a while they stepped toward him. He heard the sound of running feet. And, after he had aimed his gun in that direction for some time, Naskiä′ł [1002] stuck out his head, and he shot at his face. He fell there on his face.
Of those who came to attack him from the camp Naskiä′ł was killed. And the one who was with him went away. And another family looked after the body. Afterward Qā′-idjît went to Gᴀ′nx̣oat, who was living in Big-house. [1003] There he died. And his grandfather put him into a big box.
Then the people who had shot him and were holding a fort in Lake inlet [1004] brought over a peace offering. [1005] They brought over one slave. And the next year they also held a fort up the inlet from Sea-grass town. Thither Two-in-one came from Daog̣ā′iłgᴀłgîñ, which lies seaward from Skedans, and got him. They came and got Naskiä′ł [1006] to go to war with the Gîtā′mat. [1007] He went at once.
They then set out. There, at Gîtā′mat, they took many slaves for him. Two-in-one, [1008] however, had three. And, when they returned, they built two large houses at Atā′na. [1009] Presently they came to him to ask for blood money. They gave then five slaves. And Those-born-at-Skedans named their island “Sunny-fort.” [1010] By selling the slaves that remained Naskiä′ł built a house. There they say he began to potlatch. Now they went from Sea-grass town to get his house timbers. And they built his house at Sea-grass town. This is how they got back to Sea-grass town.
After that time they procured more expensive seats [at the feasts and potlatches]. [1011] They now ceased to have trouble at Sea-grass town.
Here this ends.
Kitkatla was an important town and tribe belonging to the Tsimshian stock. The town was on Dolphin island.
WAR BETWEEN THE PEOPLE OF KLOO AND THE TSIMSHIAN
[Told by Abraham of Those-born-at-Qꜝā′dᴀsg̣o]
The people at Chicken-hawk [1012] town were at Wā′nats [1013] prepared for war and had done raising their canoes. They were going to Kitamat. [1014] And because the tides began to run too high for them to make the start from Chicken-hawk town, they prepared at ʟłasū′g̣a-i. When the tide was high they started off.
Then some Skedans [1015] people met them. And they gave them the following news. Bufflehead had thrown a dry halibut at Î′ngîlîn, [1016] on account of which there was a fight. [1017] They heard that a woman of the Town-of-Djī′gua people [1018] had been killed. Then, instead [of keeping on], they went toward the Tsimshian. [1019]
They went on and took all the dry salmon a slave was getting in Skidegate creek [1020] away from him. They took a large number of bundles of salmon out of the canoe of one who was coming back from war. After they had left that place they took away all the property of some people who were living at Da′x̣ua. [1021]
They then went seaward and came to the mouth of the Skeena. And they went toward Metlakahtla [1022] and pulled their canoe up into the woods. Close behind them were very many people in a temporary camp. After some time had elapsed they began to make a noise. They then went to fight.
When they came out of the woods a Tsimshian shot a Haida. “A,” he was glad to have shot him. Then some Tsimshian got into a medium-sized canoe and paddled off in fright. And the Kloo people also got into one. The Tsimshian had one paddle, and the fighters also had one.
And after they had chased them for a while, they chased them ashore and seized them at the edge of the water. Only one escaped to the woods. When they seized his wife she cried out, and he turned around quickly with a knife. Then Djix̣ia′al ran toward him. When he got near he shouted at him. He (the Tsimshian) shook, and he seized him.
They then got into the two canoes and went over to the place where they had come out. They went over to the war canoes that were there. On an island on which stood one tree, near the place where they came out, sat Nî′swas. [1023] And the people of his town also sat there. The Kloo people were unaware of it.
And, when they started off, one [Tsimshian] who was a good hunter started after something [from the camp of Nî′swas]. He shot at them. Then they started back.
They came across then, and the warriors came to Raven-creek. [1024] Two canoes landed at a house that stood on the farther side of High-point. [1025] After they had remained for a while in that house a Skidegate man who used to be on good terms with a Kloo man ran in through the doorway. Instead of sitting idle, Qena′-i’s father [1026] picked up his weapons. One of them held ready before the door an ax which he had in his hands. He brought news over in advance that people were coming over from High-point town[1025] to fight them.
Then they (the assailants) went back. And they also went away. When the sun had passed behind the hills, they arrived at Chicken-hawk town. At that time they sang a high song. They had brought in ten slaves.
Then one whose canoe was empty went into Kitamat for a short raid. After he had been gone for a while they heard the sound of his guns. While they were living at Kloo he brought in two slaves. They took them for Kog̣ogwa′ñ. By trading these he built a house. It was named “Î′ngîlîn-house.” [1027]
Some time after this they went to war on the Tsimshian in two canoes. Gîtku′n [1028] and Gitagᴀ′ñgiasʟas went. After they got into the Tsimshian country they landed their canoes near Metlakahtla. After they had sat there for a while five persons came in a canoe after devilfish. There were three women and two men, and the warriors ran toward them in the woods.
The chief did not get off. But the others walked about on shore. They took then the wife of Nîsʟā′ganūs, and they also took the wife of his nephew. And they seized the other woman in the woods. She was very pretty, and they lay with her there and let her go.
They pushed them along then to the place where the canoes were. And, when they started off, Nîsʟā′ganūs’s nephew walked about on the opposite shore. He shot at them many times, but the gunpowder only flashed. By and by they pulled out of range. And they went seaward to Sqä′g̣ał. And, when they started across, they sang a high song at Kloo. [1029] And they owned her (the chief’s wife) there. The winter was not long for him (Gîtku′n). [1030]
The Tsimshian then came to fight for her in a crowd. And, when they camped at Qal, [1031] Häl [1032] sent a canoe to talk with them. He had them tell the people that he was going to come for her. When harvest time [1033] came, after he had said he would come back in many canoes, a great many Kîtkatla people came by canoe to Skedans. It was a veritable crowd.
They stayed at the town of Skedans. The Kloo people also crossed thither. The great Häl got Kꜝuia′ns’s [1034] sister and another woman who had been taken south to the Bellabella. [1035] He brought both over.
On the night when the Kloo people came he began to dance. After he had done this for a while he sent the two Ninstints people [to the Kloo people] by striking them on the back. They struck Gîtku′n with a slave, [1036] and Gidᴀ′ñgiasʟas also went away with one. The chiefs were in Mother-house. [1037]
After he had ceased dancing, Gîtku′n also started to dance. After he had done so for a while, and had stopped, they had the wife of Nîsʟā′ganūs stand up, and the other with her. And, when they struck her on the back to send her to the other side, she almost touched the ground with her lips. They did the same thing to the other one. In this way they exchanged.
After they got back to Kloo Kꜝuia′ns and Kꜝadja′-i paid for their sisters. Kꜝuia′ns paid two slaves for his sister, along with sea otters. Kꜝadja′-i also paid a slave for his sister, besides much property and many guns.
After this winter came. When spring came Gîtku′n joined the secret society. At the end of two days he disappeared into the woods. On the next day all the Kloo people went to Skedans. When they set out they launched his canoe, which was called “Reef-canoe.” [1038]
After they had loaded for a while, some came down in a crowd out of Cave-house with a sail pulled tightly around them. Inside of it many horns sounded. They got into the canoe and started across. It went along in the midst of the other canoes, and something whistled inside of the sail. All thought that Gîtku′n was in it.
When they got near Skedans Reef-canoe changed still more. They let the one who had fallen [that is, joined the secret society] at Kloo be inspired at Skedans. When they stood in front of Skedans, he (the spirit) suddenly made a noise behind Skedans, and Skedans was in commotion. Hu hu, hu hu hu, Wā′nᴀg̣ᴀn [1039] also acted ū′lala in a different place. At this time they were so much taken up with it that they did not know what they did. When they got Wā′nᴀg̣ᴀn into Mother-house, the companions also attended to Gîtku′n. They got him into Rotten-house. [1040] They then came ashore.
The day after this, about noon, Wā′nᴀg̣ᴀn went out and bit the arms of the sons of Skedans chiefs belonging to good families. [1041] After a time he bit the arm of Gā-iñᴀ′ldᴀña-i-yū′ᴀns, when he too joined the secret society. He was inspired. On the day after that Gā-iñᴀ′ldᴀña-i-yū′ᴀns went out and [feigned to] eat a Bellabella woman that his mother owned. [1042] As he sat and moved around her she pushed him from her and made a sound as if she feared him. By and by he seized her and began to eat her. When he began to bite her neck she died. The companions took care of him. He ate to the middle of her.
One day, when the secret society was at its height, it was foggy. At that time the two brothers of Nîsʟā′gañūs’ wife came to fight. They were Nīstadâ′ and Nîsūłna′tc.
During three days and nights it was foggy at sea. After that, when they made land very early in the morning, they saw it (land) all at once. They then pulled up their canoe on Gwa′-idjats. [1043]
Just at daybreak the sound of the bad secret society came to their ears. When day broke they discovered that they were coming out to them in a canoe. In the bow of the canoe persons were acting under the influence of the spirits of the bad [1044] secret society. They made noises, and they said to each other that they smelt them. They fled then. They forgot the board which holds the foot of the mast. Then some who had gone after sea eggs shouted as they came back [at seeing] their white sail pass out to sea from Skedans. Then they split in two some boxes of grease that they had and made a hole in the bottom with an adze. Then one of them, lying on his back, held it there with his feet. When they were some distance away they passed round in a crooked course. Then they made a board to hold the foot of the mast at Skidegate creek. After this time the people of the two islands had the board to hold the foot of the mast nailed down inside the bow.
The next fine day after this they went home. They found their minds were different, and they found their own country.
And, when the secret society was all over, they (the people) returned to Kloo. When the middle of the following summer arrived they came to get something for having had their sister enslaved. They were allowed to land without disturbance. Before any food was given to them they started to dance. [1045]
“Hō⁺ hō⁺ hī hō⁺ hī⁺ hō⁺ hī⁺ hō⁺ hī⁺ hō⁺ hī hō⁺ hōga haaa hoga hog̣a ha ha gudixē′” [they sang].
They put a dance hat on Nīstᴀdâ′. They also struck Nîsūłna′tc with a copper plate (that is, they gave it to him). And he danced, holding it by means of his neck [and chin]. Hu hu hu hu, it was a great dance. The town people also struck him with some property.
This is the end. They had peace with each other.
WAR BETWEEN THE PEOPLE OF KLOO AND THE BELLABELLA
[Told by Abraham of Those-born-at-Qꜝā′dᴀsg̣o]
One time, when they were ready to go fishing toward the south, Waters was dead at Sea-grass town. [1046] A Tsimshian named Wās was a close friend of his and came to send food through the fire to him. He had four canoes loaded with boxes of grease. From him they learned the news. The Tsimshian told them that the Bellabella [1047] of the whole inlet had their canoes all ready to make war on the Eagle people. [1048] They did not believe the news.
After they had bought their grease they went away. Then the Kloo people also went southward, and after they had gone on for a while they landed at a long sandy beach, and a shaman named Dī′g̣a-koya′ku [1049] performed there. His supernatural powers saw that the Bellabella were coming that day. He said that his powers had looked at something out at sea.
A Ninstints man who had been taken before acted as pilot for the Bellabella. His name was Youngest-chief’s-son. And toward evening the Bellabella saw the fires. They asked Youngest-chief’s-son: “Which have the bigger fire?” And he said: “The Ninstints people’s fire is the larger. The fire of Gîtku′n’s [1050] people is the smaller.” The Bellabella then turned toward that.
The canoes then gathered near the camping place. After they were assembled [on shore] they ran out quickly. One then seized a woman who was behind the house, and she knocked the Bellabella down. The Bellabella still clung to her. The woman then seized a short stick and struck him on the head with it. She then ran away from the Bellabella.
And afterward the Bellabella canoes came along. Two also walked along on shore. There they enslaved a Kloo man and his wife. And they enslaved seven Kloo people at Qꜝo′na. [1051]
And after he (a certain one) had tried to shoot [some one] near Gī′tgua fort he came to one who was hammering silver. And, when he got near him, he pulled the trigger of his gun without taking aim. It went off, and he ran quickly to him and tried to cut off his head. But, since he was looking to see if any were coming after him, he cut on the chest. The Bellabella took in the body and went to G̣adō′. And they breakfasted there and slept in their canoes on the farther side of G̣ᴀ′nʟ̣gîn. [1052]
And, while it was yet daylight, the singing of a child came to their ears from the other side of Xēna. [1053] Winōʟalū′sila, who had taken no one, went to the place where the child was singing. They were encamped behind the trees, and had a mat hung up on account of the mosquitoes. He softly pulled it down. He saw those lying behind it. At that time some one said to him “Nda′, nda′.” He thought it was a dog. And, after he had also looked on the other side, he went again to the place where they were camping.
He then told them how many there were, and he said that he alone would have them. And he went thither. As he went toward the place his gun went off. And those who were behind ran up. When they got near he had come out near them on shore. He had cut off a head. His skin was covered with blood. Holding the head hanging from his mouth, he crept down with two knives in his hands. There they enslaved five.
They told them there that many people were encamped at Xēna-point. The Kloo people told that to the Bellabella. They then went to Xēna-point. And they arrived there, and, after they had gathered together, they lay in lines along the edges of the grass. Presently they went to get them. After they had gone in a line toward them for a while, they said “Hūk” [1054] and threw themselves upon them. And there, too, they enslaved many Kloo people. Some, however, escaped into the woods.
After they had got them into the canoe a north wind was blowing. They then put up their sails. Many dead bodies were left behind them. And, when they got far out to sea, they pulled off the head of a man of the Cumshewa-town people [1055] named Sʟins who sat in the canoe, and threw his body overboard while it was still alive.
Then those who had escaped into the woods met at Skwa′-ikun island. And they went toward the mainland on rafts. They then made a big smoke toward Ninstints. And they came after them at once and took them over to Ninstints. Afterward, when evening came, they took them over to where they (their own people) were fishing. It was a great piece of bad news. There was no peace for a single family.
They stopped fishing then and went to Sea-grass town. After they had gone along for a while they came to the body of the man whose head they had taken off, floating near the shore. They put it into the fire there. [1056] And they took along his bones. They reached Sea-grass town. Hu hu hu hu hu, there was great wailing. They now prepared for war. After they had prepared slowly for a while they went off.
At that time they were not acquainted with the mouth of Bellabella strait. Then, without knowing [where they were], they pulled up their canoes into the woods early in the morning. And, when day dawned, they saw Wawayiê′la’s fort. The fort was named Lai′ʟaikꜝia-i.
And, when evening came, they wanted to see which side was the best one on which to get off. And they went around it while the Bellabella slept. Many log houses were on the lower part of the point of the island. They saw it, and they went away. They then talked it over, hu hu hu hu hu. [1057] On the day after the next they went toward it just before daylight.
And, after they had gone along for a while, when the bows were coming in in front of the log houses the bundles of masts in the bows pushed back the canoes.
The fort people had sung all night for Wawayiê′la, who was acting in the secret society, and slept for weariness from using their voices. When they were asleep they (the Haida) came in front of them.
After some of them had got near some one came out to urinate and discovered them. The Bellabella then began to shoot at them. And when daylight came the Town-of-Djī′gua people [1058] went ashore by a reef lying off the point of the island. They then shot on their side. Hu hu hu hu hu, there was a great noise of guns.
By and by they mentioned to Gūnana′otx̣a [1059] that they might make peace, but, when the Kloo people came out on the reef, they began to shoot at them again. At that time they killed a chief of the Town-of-Djī′gua people. They tried then to get his body, which was high up on a rock, from behind. And some one thought of a hook he had in one of his boxes. They then fastened this to the end of a pole, pulled it through the skin, and by pulling a little at a time they got it in.
They shot at each other all day. By and by they got into their canoes and started away. They shot at them from the fort. They also shot into some who were ashore. When all got away they pursued them from the fort. They were so strong that they escaped at that time by canoe.
They came back then empty-handed. And they (the people at home) felt good, because while the warriors were gone a man and his wife had escaped and had returned. But, when they brought back the dead body, they felt still more sorrowful than before. They could do nothing.
That winter news came to the Bellabella through a canoe from the Kitkatla people that when summer came Gîtku′n was going to sweep out the inlet from its head like a contagion. Then the Bellabella people said: “When Gîldā′-ił [1060] can never be entered how are you going to sweep it out from the head?” When that news came through Kitkatla, [1061] the Town-of-Djī′gua people said they would destroy everything before them as when one spits out something.
At that time Ya′koeʟas was showing how he would act when they got hold of him. Ten Bellabella young men seized him, and he threw them about. He said that he would do that to the Kloo people. And in the very middle of summer they went southward fishing. They fished there for a long time. They observed the war taboos there for a long time. They drank medicine. And, when they had more than enough dried halibut, they went away.
When they found a good sandy beach they landed. Thence they started off to war. Hu hu hu hu hu, the great crowd of them! After they had prepared for a while they went off. While they were away the women observed the rules in two smokehouses. After ten nights had passed, and the bows [of the warriors’] canoes were turned about, and they had started home, they turned around their sleeping places. [1062] One night after that they came home. The noise of guns was heard.