Chapter XX: Part 20

He then got into Sg̣agᴀ′ño’s canoe. They felt too glad to know that they had taken him. Their minds were very good on account of him. After they had gone along with him for a while they encamped at a long sandy beach which is called G̣ᴀ′nʟ̣ī. [904] They there set him ashore. They sat around him on the beach. They had heard that he was brave, so they wanted to see him.

And, after they had looked at him for a while, they wanted to see how well he could shoot. They then stood up a stick on the beach, and Sg̣agᴀ′ño had something white hung upon it. They then gave him a bow and arrows. He did not like the arrows. They handed him then one with an iron point. And, when he had set the arrow on the bow, he turned around quickly to where Sg̣agᴀ′ño’s nephew sat behind him and shot him. He fell backward from the box on which he was sitting.

They bound him then and brought wood. And they built a large fire upon the beach for him. They then laid him down with his back to the fire. And, while the skin of his back was blistering from the heat of the fire, they picked up live coals and rubbed them upon his back. They asked him: “Always-ready, does it hurt you?” And he answered: “Ha-i, no. The one whom I killed just now hurts you. He went up before me. I shall go up after him.” [905]

He was then burned to death, and they looked at his entrails. One lobe of his liver (?) was short. That was why he was brave. They laid him then just back of the place where they were, at the edge of the grass. [906]

He was gone from among the families. The trouble then stopped. And they also put the chief’s son into a box and started sorrowfully away.

When he (Sg̣agᴀ′ño) ran into the woods at Songs-of-victory town, and after he reached Tcꜝā′ał, a woman of the family composed a crying song for him:

“Grandfather (i.e., Raven) shook the supernatural beings when he moved grandly.” [907]

The first of these families was the noted Raven family that owned Tcꜝā′ał, on the west coast of Moresby island; the latter, one of the most noted Raven families among the people in the Ninstints territory.

WAR BETWEEN THE PEOPLE OF KLOO AND THE PEOPLE OF NINSTINTS

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

When they (the Kloo people) lived at People’s-fort [908] South-east [909] had two wives. One was a woman of the Sand-town people, [910] and one was a woman of the Pebble-town people. [911] He loved the Ninstints woman, because she was pretty. For that reason the Pebble-town woman wanted her to do something wrong.

Then she began helping her to do it and told her husband that she was receiving a man of the Town-of-Djī′gua people. [912] He then took her outside naked and whipped her. The-elder-Sqaa′n [913] loved her. And she said of the Pebble-town woman, too: “I know also about her lover.” Then South-east heard it, and he began whipping her also.

The next day both had disappeared. They did not know then whither the two women had gone. The news reached Tcꜝā′ał. [914] News also reached the other mother in the Ninstints country. One morning both mothers appeared together in front of People’s-fort. Both sang crying songs for their daughters. The Pebble-town woman and the Sand-town woman both sang one [as follows]:

“On account of this my child moved about. On account of this, when my child moved about, they ought to have heard the thunder, when my child moved about on the way home.” [915]

He then let them come into the fort, and he gave them blood compensation. He gave a slave to each of them, and he also gave a great deal of property to each of them. Then the canoes parted. The women went away satisfied.

When it was near summer he went to ask in marriage the younger sister of the Sand-town woman whom he had married. And he came to Many-chiefs at Sqā′djigît·awa′-i. And, after he had stayed a while with his brother-in-law, he went away.

Before he had gone far the mother of Many-chiefs said to him: “Many-chiefs, are you a man?” [916] He then became angry and took his gun and his paddle. Then they pursued South-east. And while they pursued him Many-chiefs was left behind. He did not have enough canoe men.

Then South-east got off. As he fled into the woods he stepped under a fallen tree, a small limb scratched his forehead, and a small stream of blood flowed out down over his cheeks. Then the Ninstints people all came to him. They encircled him. They waited for Many-chiefs.

One who was out of his senses said: “Why do you let him sit there? Even for the blood that is running down his face you will be in a predicament.” [917] He then shot him. The name of him who shot him was Skᴀ′ndal. And they did not kill those who were with him. Those they let go.

Half of the Town-of-Djī′gua people were at Łtā′na. The news had not yet reached them. And there there lived a man of Those-born-in-the-Ninstints-country [918] who was unmarried. He had just won in gambling three sea-otter skins owned by a man of the Town-of-Djī′gua people. His (the latter’s) name was Alder.

Then he (Alder) went out on Sg̣aalū′tꜝx̣ᴀs and ate medicine. There he spent the night with the medicine on his stomach. He came home the next day, and the day after that he began eating and drinking. His sister, West-coast-clouds, gave him birds’ eggs to eat.

He had just picked up one and was shelling it when some one came crying from a point at the end of the town. He then laid the egg down directly and stopped all of them, for they had started the cry.

Then Alder, with his younger brother, went out to a ship [to which the Ninstints man had gone]. [919] And he said to his younger brother: “I will kill him even if he has gone up on deck.” He was still on the water below, and he held his canoe against it on the starboard side.

They then went thither. They looked at him (Alder) while he was still far away, and they asked them: “Why are they weeping on shore?” Then he replied: “I do not know. After we got away from land, they wailed behind us. They mentioned something about a child falling into the water.” He deceived him in that way. And the Ninstints man was yet below them on the water, and he put the canoe alongside of his. His sea otters lay behind where he was sitting.

After he had remained beside him for a while he stabbed him. And he said: “The chief has been killed. They are bringing home his body.” He then took back his four sea-otter skins.

And, as soon as he had killed the Ninstints man, he went at once to Strait-where-no-waves-come-ashore. [920] He went for gunpowder and bullets which South-east had stored behind it. He also brought the news to Strait-where-no-waves-come-ashore.

Then Ginᴀ′skilas [921] set a Sand-town woman outside to kill her. And Alder stopped him. “Do not do that, chief, my nephew. You are of the same skin dirt.” [922] And he let her in.

He then went over to the storehouse, crossing to it on a trail. When he came out there Ninstints people were going away. And, when he came down on the shore and stood opposite them, they said to him: “Alder, do you not see that your leg has been cut off? [923] I wonder what you are going to use as weapons.” And he replied: “Yes, you have cut off my leg. I shall not have a single thing as a weapon. Yet two nights from now I shall have procured weapons by selling you as slaves.”

He then went away by canoe. He started at once with his younger brothers toward the south. And they concealed their canoe some distance down the inlet from the fort. They then went up into the woods. After they had gone along for a while Alder led them across a point covered with trees.

After he had gone inland he came to a storehouse. And, having thrown aside some skins and hides [924] stored there, [he came to] a box of sea-otter tails that was among them. They afterward went away.

They started to watch by the fresh water opposite the fort. When the tide rose high some people came singing from the fort. There were three young women and a man of goodly size.

They then began to shoot at them. They killed the man and one woman and enslaved the two others, and they went off in their canoe.

From the fort they heard his gun go off. They were in canoes in lines, awaiting him. He then went into the midst [of them]. And, when he came near, they moved apart for him. He passed through. He sang a fleeing song: [925] “Wahō-ō-ō hē-ōōō wahō-ō-ō hē-ō-ō-ō⁺.”

And after he had fled for a time one of the Ninstints men held his hand toward him with fingers outspread. [926] And he said: “I wonder to what place of safety Alder is paddling.” Then he answered: “Slave, Hemlock-bark-scraping-knife, chase me as fast as you can. Kill me as soon as you can.”

And, when they came up to the place where they had killed the chief, they talked one to another. They became frightened. “He is leading us to enemies near by; he is leading us to enemies.” They then went back away from him. And he easily escaped them.

He reached home and set ashore the two slaves for Ginᴀ′skilas. They took the two slaves to Skedans [927] to sell them, and traded them for guns and ammunition only. They gathered ammunition for war as one collects food.

Now for a long time the war went along slowly. By and by the war expedition started. After they had paddled along for a while they came near the fort in the night. There was no noise of talking at the fort, and they felt strange about it. And they let morning dawn upon them opposite the fort. And when it dawned they saw that the fort was empty, and they went to it. Nearly all of the property lay in the houses. They then burned down the fort. They burned the houses. They had no idea why the people had gone.

And, after they had started out of the inlet, they stopped at a large bed of kelp. All made themselves fast to the kelp with their paddles. Then Qꜝā′siêk [928] began to perform in a canoe as a shaman does. After he had performed for a while he began to whip the souls of the enemy. And when he pulled toward himself something he had seized in the air all the kelp broke.

Then all went on. After they had gone along for a while they saw smoke. And Alder landed in front of Songs-of-victory town. He went quickly then to the other side. When he had come to the other side he came out behind a man who was carrying along driftwood at the end of the trail. He shot him from behind.

The Ninstints people discovered their enemies at once. Many-chiefs held a new gun. Those left to care for the canoes then came round the point. After they had anchored their canoes one came running out from them (the Ninstints people). He had no gun. He held a spear. “The Town-of-Djī′gua people are always like that (i.e., cowards). Shall I stop before I get there?”

They at once ran together, shooting. The Ninstints people were driven back. The first time he fired the flintlock on Many-chiefs’ gun broke in two. Nothing could help him. When they went back Many-chiefs was wounded. He escaped with them into the woods. Very many Ninstints people were killed then. Not one was killed on the other side.

After they had gone into the woods after them for a while they came back. Then Ginᴀ′skilas stood in the place where they had encamped near a whale. If one had two slaves, he gave him one. If one had three, he gave him two. If one had one, he did not give it to him. At that time he became still more of a chief. In exchange for those slaves he had a house built. [929]

And, after the Ninstints people had gone along for a while in the woods, they lived in the mountains. Their kettles and all of their property had been captured. They steamed whale in things that they hollowed out.

While they lived there, before Many-chiefs’ wound was healed, he practiced how he was going to fight. He opened again his unhealed wound. He died there. They then started away and came out opposite Red-cod island. [930]

And those who had gone to fight went out again the next year to fight on account of South-east. At that time they did not know where they (the Ninstints people) lived. After they had gone along for a while they came to a reef lying out from the mouth of a strait.

There Smoke got off. When he looked seaward he dropped to the ground. He did so, because he saw fishing canoes.

On that day they had given to Kiä′nskina-i [931] the white part of a halibut. That was why he was out fishing. They at once went out from Kꜝîl [932] toward them, and they destroyed the people. Among others they killed the chief. They then seized Hemlock-bark-scraping-knife on the water. “Hemlock-bark-scraping-knife, when the chief was chased, did you not stop them?” “No,” he said. And they struck him on the lips with the short sinker strings that they held. They killed him with them.

They then skinned Kiä′nskina-i’s head, and were happy to have it, [933] and they returned home with it. They ceased to think about Southeast. They stopped warring.

A FIGHT BETWEEN THE XĀ′GI-TOWN PEOPLE AND SAND-TOWN PEOPLE

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

At the town of Xā′gi [934] a woman of the Slaves [935] went outside before she went to bed. She did not return. But instead of saying anything they kept the matter in their minds. They did not know from what town people had come to get her.

Some time afterward they discovered that she had been taken by a man from the town of G̣a′-idi [936] who had been in love with her. It was a man of the Sand-town people. They went then in a large canoe to demand the property which was given when a woman deserted her husband. And they came there at low water.

When the tide was well up he (the seducer) went out and played with his wife between the houses. He who had formerly had her as his wife was the bow man. And, when he paddled shoreward, he said: “Shoreward! Future people shall always remember me.” He then took a bow and two arrows and jumped off with them. And he ran up and shot his wife. Afterward he shot the man. At that time he escaped into the canoe. They went away and landed. The man’s mind was happy.

And Wada′ [937] thought his town was too great to have a woman taken out of it. Then she (his wife) said to her husband: “Make it all right with property.” He would not agree. He said they thought his town was common. By and by she told her husband to go ahead: “Make a stir about it. My children are clear of it.”

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]

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.