[Told by Richard of the Middle-Gîtî′ns]
The Tlingit destroyed Those-born-at-Stasaos [159] in Skidegate channel.
For that reason ten canoes went to war from Gū′dᴀl, [160] and three
canoes of us came apart from the rest [when we were] among the Tlingit.
Then they (the others) plundered. They destroyed a fort. On that
account they had many slaves.
Then we landed on a fine beach, not knowing where the Tlingit lived,
and we started a fire. We acted as if we were visitors. And after we
had had a big fire there for some time seven Tlingit came to us in a
canoe. They asked us: “What warriors are these?” Then Skᴀ′ngwai’s
father said: “We are not warriors. We come to buy food of you.” And
they said: “No; you are warriors.” Then we denied it. We told them to
come near shore, and they entered the mouth of the inlet.
And after he (one of them) had talked for a while, he said: “Get [into]
the canoe. I do not understand their pronunciation.” [161] As soon as
they got [into] the canoe they went off in fright. Then we pursued.
[The other canoes] shot at them, one from each side, and we were
behind. And after we had shot for a while we upset them near an island.
One whom we had shot lay there, having fallen out into the water. Then
Xᴀ′ñxogutg̣as [162] and his brothers started to get out to fight, and I
stopped them.
After that we went away and started across [to the Queen Charlotte
islands]. The wind blew strong from the north. In the middle of the
night a great wind arose. The canoe was split. I nailed the parts
together with some staples I had. We also tied ropes round the canoe.
Some of us cried from fright. We thought the other canoes had capsized.
This was the first time I experienced a strong wind since I was grown.
At daybreak we were in front of Paint mountain. [163] And after we had
sailed from there for a while I shouted: “He he he he he; chiefs’
nephews whom I have for sons-in-law, do not let your minds be downcast.
We go out to have a warm time. Make your minds strong.” Then they
stopped weeping.
Some time after that our canoe came to Gwi′gwᴀñ-bay, [164] and there
was one canoe there. There we spent the night. When we left next day
another sail came in sight from Skidegate. Then we saw each other. And
we were glad to see each other. And when we came to Gū′dᴀl the [other]
warriors had taken thirty-eight slaves. We were ashamed. Then it was
reported that a woman said of us: “What open place do they keep going
out for, I wonder?” [165] We immediately prepared for war.
The people went then to the camps from Gū′dᴀl. And after they had
fished for some time the fish were dried. Then we went to war in four
canoes. We started across from North island. [166] We went against the
Klawak [167] people.
We pulled up our canoes at the mouth of the inlet. The next day we
again went up the inlet. We went, went, went for a while and landed
where there was a strong tidal current. In one [stream] there were
plenty of dog salmon. After we had been there a while [we saw] some
broad sails coming from above. And it (the canoe) landed below the
place where we had pulled up our canoes.
He (the owner) had his wife and two slaves. Then he got off and put on
his cartridge box. And he passed up near the place where we were
watching. After he had gone a slave killed dog salmon in the creek with
stones. During all that time they talked Tlingit to one another. And
they started a fire at the foot of a tree which stood near them.
By and by, when evening came, he came down. From afar he spoke Tlingit
to them. Three persons presently came along behind him. When two
reports were heard the people ran down. The slaves already had their
hands in it (the canoe). The gun box was untouched. There were five
[guns] in it. Since he had come there he had lain down on his back and
spoken in the Tlingit language. The roasted salmon was still stuck in
the ground. [168]
Then they shot him from in front. And then he exclaimed: “What people
have done this to me? Save me.” [169] Then he (the assailant) shot him
again with a pistol. A male slave, however, escaped into the woods. And
when they ran down to his canoe there were cuts of whale in it. By that
time they were speaking Kaigani [170] together. I then said to them:
“Why did you, who are Haida, talk Tlingit? We would not have touched
you.” Then she (his wife) said: “We did not think anything like this
would happen.”
And when they got ready to start she said: “Those who came with us have
a fire on the other side. They are Klawak people.” In the night we went
over to them. And we landed near. We ran toward them. The fire there
was large. And after we had gone toward it for a while we peeped over a
log. They lay asleep around the fire.
Just before daybreak we ran upon them. Then we seized a man to enslave
him. He resisted more fiercely than was expected. Then I shot him. He
fell. Afterward he rose. When he ran they shot him again. After that he
ran into the woods. We took all the property of the men. We took six
slaves. Many, too, we killed.
Then we got into our canoes. We prepared to go. And we arrived over
against Gᴀsqo. [171] In the night a south wind came suddenly upon us,
accompanied by rain. And after we had thrown over some of the property
we went back. [By and by] we sailed over [to Gᴀsqo]. There was no place
to land. But after we had gone on for a while we found a landing place.
Much rain fell.
After we had been there for a while a slave stood up in the canoe. He
called for his uncle’s supernatural helper. He did so because the rain
chilled him. By and by the rain stopped and a north wind set in.
At once we started across [Dixon entrance]. We reached the islands the
same day. The day after we sang war songs there. After we had remained
there for a while we came to Tcꜝā′ał. [172]
Here is the end of this.