[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.
Hu hu hu hu hu, there was a great noise of guns. When they got near,
the sound of the war songs came rolling along. In Waters’s canoe the
highest war song was sung. [1063] When they landed they brought in many
slaves. Among them was the great chief, Ya′koeʟas.
At that time they went up into the inlet. They spent many days in it.
And when they smelt smoke some went out to scout. They then saw the
house, and before daybreak they set out for the house in a line.
When they got near a white man’s dog barked at them. At that time
A′nkustᴀ [1064] performed as shaman. He then made a threatening motion
toward the dog. It stopped barking. And it came among them and licked
them.
When they got near they shot at them. Hu hu hu hu hu, they finished
shooting and ran in. Some went through the doorway and some went in
through the sides of the house. They dropped in quickly in any way.
They seized at once upon those inside.
By and by one of them seized Ya′koeʟas. He threw him from him, and he
almost fell on his hands near by. But he did not loosen his hands.
Those in the house did not know, on account of the confusion, what they
were doing. One lay upon some one and called for his family. Others
pulled away his arms. [1065]
They now got all into their hands. At that time they lay upon some
slaves owned by Ya′koeʟas who had married each other. The woman then
said to her husband: “Cut him up among them.” And her husband said to
her: “Any place where water is drunk is all right.” Their minds were
not disturbed, because they were slaves already.
Then the chief, Ya′koeʟas, refused to leave the place. The Kloo people
then seized him, and he threw them off with a jerk. He then moved
himself little by little in the place where he had lain. He moved
toward an ax that was there.
After they had struggled with him for a while one of them found a big
coil of rope near the door. They tied him then. And they carried him to
the canoe. At that time he was put into Waters’s canoe. The canoe then
moved as if some one shook it. It shook because he was afraid, and they
were afraid of him.
The one who had escaped from among the Kloo people first captured by
the Bellabella then threw a spear at him out of another canoe, and he
raised his palm toward it, so that the spear ran into his palm. On that
account he also struck Ya′koeʟas in the face with a paddle. He
[Ya′koeʟas] did not turn away. He held up his head as before.
After he had been shaking [with fear] for a while Waters put on him a
cedar-bark ring that they had taken. Then, knowing that the cedar-bark
ring protected him from insult, he found that his life was safe.
When it was broad daylight the Bellabella said that some people lived
below on the inlet. Two canoes of Those-born-at-Qꜝā′dᴀsg̣o [1066]
started off. These were not anxious for their lives, because they had
taken nothing.
And after they had gone in that direction for a while they saw smoke.
Then Tcîsgoa′n led, and two others went with him. A child was playing
at the time at the side of the house farthest from that to which he
came. He then ran toward him. And he chased him to the house. Unable to
catch him, he chased him into the house. When he took hold of his
mother he took him and his mother both. Those in the house were
frightened. He-who-was-going-to-be-Gia′gudjañ came in after him.
One person went behind the house. Five persons went out, and he seized
one. He was an old man. And, when he laid hold of the other four, a
terrible fellow (a Bellabella) got hold of him. That (i.e., the Haida)
was Gilᴀsta′gu. He let these four go. Then the Bellabella began to stab
him. After he had struck him four times his younger brother came to
him. And he also turned quickly upon him. And another one who came up
with a pistol he slapped on his nose. He knocked him down. Then he (the
Haida) shot him. He shot true, but he did not feel it. He then struck
him with his own knife. After he had done this several times he fell,
and he cut off his head. They say that the trunk afterward got up.
They then went to look for those who had gone into the woods. They
shouted out near by: “Ho ho ho′ho ho′, I am Łtᴀ′nqawōns.” There they
got six persons. They also killed one.
When they went away and passed out of the inlet they saw a canoe in the
distance. They then remained behind a point. They talked jealously as
to which canoe should take it. There were four. Three were women. They
then began to shoot at them.
Then they upset it, and Gi′tgoa swam over to one whom they had wounded.
The man ran then into the woods, and they pursued him and struck him in
the back of the head with a stone. And they also broke his legs. They
cut off his head. But they took the women. Making an end of this, they
went away. Afterward they went home.
After they came to Kloo all the chiefs talked over where they would
have their fort. They discussed the merits of a certain island. By and
by they all thought Town-fort [1067] was a good one, because it was
within easy reach of Tꜝā′łdī, [1068] whither they went after salmon.
The men then went to it. After they had been putting up house frames
for a while, they also brought cedar planks there. Then they put them
up. Afterward they also brought the women there. They worked upon the
houses. After they had worked upon them for a while they were done.
After they had lived there for a while an old Bellabella man whom they
had taken died. They then dragged his body to a steep place. Just
before they threw it over they cut off the head. Then they threw him
down. And his little grandchild almost pushed one of the Kloo men over.
He grasped something at the edge of the cliff.
After they had lived there for a while they went to Skedans to get a
wife for the chief’s child, and they stayed there all night. On the
next day they came away. And, when they came in sight of the fort, they
(the fort people) saw Kūdjū′ł (the woman they had come for) sitting in
the canoe. Their minds feeling good, they sang a paddling song. When
evening came her father-in-law called the people to give them Indian
tobacco. When they had the tobacco in their mouths some said one to
another: “To-night we will fool them.” And they went home.
After we had lain in bed for a while all at once the fort moved. There
was a great catching up of weapons. Two Kloo people were shouting
behind thin rocks which stood near the fort. They heard at the fort the
echo of their voices resounding from the shore. They said that it was
the Bellabella.
They then tied up the slaves. And an old man living down toward the
shore added lies to it. He said that canoes had come below and gone
away from him. By and by a shaman who was there performed. He had a
knife in his hand. They sang a song for him there. Some spirits
straightway went out of him. He said he could not find anything
terrible by striking with his knife.
A brave chief of the Town-of-Djī′gua people had his house at a distance
from them. They shouted to encourage him as he came from it. They made
a sound [like a snare drum] in front of the houses: “A-a-a-a-a-a
wa-a-a-a-a-a.” He came down with a knife to meet anyone [who might be
there]. He passed down the trail that leads from the upper inlet and
came quickly out upon the trail on the side toward the sea.
At that time some went away from the fort. They carried the news to
Skedans. They came quickly the next day to help them. And they landed
there. There they gave them a great deal to eat.
When fall came they were at Tꜝā′łdī. In the summer after the following
winter a slave that they had, whom young men used to watch, began to
defecate in bed so that they were afraid of him. He did this because he
had planned to get away. By and by he escaped with four women. And they
launched canoes and looked for him. They could not find him anywhere.
He went off with a gun, a cartridge box, and a blanket.
And some Masset chiefs were also there. They had expected to trade [the
runaways] for some Kloo people that they had taken. Those also went
away. They then took two slaves from Qōgī′s. [1069] There they also
took up weapons against each other.
Afterward, when the planting was over and the salmon berries were ripe,
they started southward. They again fished for halibut. Not the smallest
human being remained behind. And, after they had gone along for a
while, they landed at the place where they were always accustomed to
fish. They fished there. After the fishing had gone on for a while they
stopped and went away. They then landed at a certain long sandy beach.
And Gîtku′n sent some young men after something that they had forgotten
at the place where they had fished. A part of them also went after
salmon berries, and some hunted. And, while they (the young men) were
on the way one discovered mats belonging to the Bellabella spread out
to dry at the foot of the trees standing back of the shore. And the two
who were sent in search reached the place where those were sleeping
from whom they had parted and escaped. They came to know about the
enemy.
He (the head man) went at once toward the place where they had landed.
And he discovered enemies about that place. The Town-of-Djī′gua people
immediately went thither in two big canoes. And Those-born-at-Qꜝā′dᴀsg̣o
followed. And, when those who had gone, came into the inlet they saw
the enemy unobserved by the latter. They then got off their canoes for
them. And before they got opposite some one shot at them. They then
began shooting into them.
Then they pursued [the Bellabella] who led them along to where there
were eight more canoes in the woods. And the Town-of-Djī′gua people
began to watch in front of the canoes. At evening
Those-born-at-Qꜝā′dᴀsg̣o also came there. After they had been there for
a while, Lda′ogwañ [1070] called out from among the Bellabella:
“Father, are you in one of those canoes? I am Lda′ogwañ.” Then Waters
asked: “Why is there such a crowd of people?” “Some want peace; part
want war.” And he said to his daughter: “People always use feathers in
making peace. They are inviolable.”
After she had talked [to the Bellabella] they heard the sound of a
canoe in the darkness. Then two persons put feathers on the chiefs. And
one of them asked for Gîtku′n, but they pointed out to him a different
one. [1071] He then put feathers on him first. But afterward he put
feathers on the chiefs.
Then Lda′ogwañ said: “Do not let Skîtg̣adē′s talk, father. The
Bellabella are afraid only of his voice.” A while after this Skîtg̣adē′s
stood up. “Wawayiê′la, Wawayiê′la are you sure of peace, sure of peace?
then let me hear the sound of some peace drum.” Some one at once beat
on the thwart of his canoe. “Alas! that is a poor peace drum.” [1072]
After the night had worn on for a while day dawned, and the Bellabella
took to their canoes. After they had begun to launch their canoes and
had begun to get into them, those who had come to fight went away. The
Bellabella also went after them. The Bellabella man who had escaped
from Sea-grass town was with them.
After they had paddled almost past them they shot to one side of the
Bellabella. They again put in their cartridges and again they shot.
They then sang a chasing song. And they left the Bellabella behind.
Not long before daybreak those who had gone to fight came around the
point. They said they had come near enemies. While they were still
telling the news the warriors (that is, the Bellabella) also came. They
gathered at an island that lay seaward from them. The land is called
Stiū′djîn. [1073]
At that time Wawayiê′la asked Lda′ogwañ: “Do people always carry out
what Gîtku′n bids?” And she said: “Yes, one of his uncles always speaks
good words for him. He (the uncle) will come.”
By and by Lā′ma went out with three men. He had a great feather bag
that Gîtku′n owned under his arm. He stood up in front of the place
where they were. At that time the slave who escaped from Kloo had a
yellow cedar-bark blanket over his head in the stern of Wawayiê′la’s
canoe. He tried to hide himself. They then left a broad space open for
Lā′ma between the ten canoes which were there, but he went in at
another place between the large canoes. Lā′ma recognized the one who
had escaped, jumped toward him, and seized him by the hair. “Are you
Gia′oîstîs?” he said to him. and he pulled his hair up and down. The
Bellabella looked at him.
By and by he put feathers on them. He put feathers on Wawayiê′la. He
also put feathers on Gūnana′otx̣a. After he had put feathers on all of
the chiefs he went in.
After they had looked on a while two Bellabella came in the canoe. All
then went down to the beach. One Bellabella jumped ashore, but they
picked up the other, taking hold of him by the nose. They made fun of
him. But Lā′ma and another remained with the Bellabella. They took one
into Gîtku′n’s house; one they took into the house of Waters. [1074]
By and by the Bellabella started toward the place where the camp was.
Presently they came in. Then all were afraid. By and by they got in
front of them. After they had been there a while, Ya′koeʟas went and
stood outside. What he said when he talked in the foreign tongue was:
“Bellabella; why, Bellabella, do you let yourselves be killed on my
account? Come in nearer.” When he ceased talking all picked up their
anchors and placed themselves farther in.
After some time had passed, a [secret-society] eagle made a noise
behind the town. Those in the canoes became ashamed. [1075] After they
had held their heads down for a while Gūnana′otx̣a stood up in one
canoe. After he had sung a song by himself they began to sing for him.
At that time he jumped up and down as he danced.
Wa⁺ u⁺ ho ya ē waho yo ya ha⁺ wa yä yī wa wo häyä′ ī ha wä
Lasaxā′nokwa ʟa sūwa ō hī ōx̣iä wa hā′ ya ē, etc. [1076]
At that time they took Ya′koeʟas out. They brought Lda′ogwañ ashore at
once. Afterward all came ashore. Then the women carried their things
up. The things (guns) might go off against each other [therefore the
men held themselves ready]. The Bellabella also held their guns. They
took up their things into the houses into which they had invited them.
They carried off their mats into the woods. [1077]
The Bellabella were hungry. “Come and eat halibut after having had a
long fast.” And that day they went off. After the others had left the
uncle of a child that [the Haida] had captured gave them a Skidegate
man and much property for it. They now became good friends forever.
They ceased to fight with the Bellabella people. And the following day
they returned.
Here is the whole story about this.