[Told by Abraham, of Those-born-at-Qꜝā′dᴀsg̣o]
After they had spent some time in preparation they started
off—Those-born-at-Skedans, [1078] the Town-of-Djī′gua people, [1079]
and Those-born-at-Qꜝā′dᴀsg̣o. [1080] They spent the night on the open
sea. When they approached Gîtgia′gᴀs [1081] day dawned for them. They
were in eight canoes.
Then four went sailing southward of them along in front. And then they
passed in at Gîtgia′gᴀs island, which stretched out before them. After
a little while the noise of guns arose there. Afterward three persons
came along in a canoe, the one in the middle standing up. He was a
Kitkatla man, who also called himself an Eagle. [1082]
He asked them then: “What war is this? What war is this? I am Lawā′y.”
He then invited us. He invited the chief, Gîtku′n, and all. These
people were going to hunt sea otter. He gave them a great deal of food.
[1083] And they stayed there over night. During the night plenty of
salmon [1084] came in. The next day they went away.
They kept then out at sea. They landed at Point Qᴀ′lg̣a-i. They now
began to keep the war rules there. The next morning they began to drink
sea water. [1085] They had three shamans. After they had drunk sea
water for a while G̣ᴀ′ndox’s-father [1086] performed. He said then: “War
people, which will be good? Here is Town-singers; here is Days.” [1087]
By and by he told the war people to get their paddles in a hurry. And
they got their paddles. And they carried him away on their paddles from
where he sat on the sand. He then looked at them. After some [other
power] had gone out of him Łᴀ′gua [1088] went in. He told them to put
their hands upon his hair. All did so at once. His hair was long. Very
many warriors pulled his hair. When they let go he had few hairs left.
Afterward another performed. After they had sung for him a while he
rolled over and over in front of the eight fires which stood in a line.
When he came to the last one, he said “wa” in pain, because they were
going to leave one dead.
On the next day they went away. And they stayed at Diâ′g̣ᴀl all night.
On the day after that they reached the mouth of the inlet. They hunted
now for a suitable place to land canoes, because they were cold at
night. Then they landed the canoes. At daybreak they brought up two
buckets of sea water, a small bucket and a large bucket. And, while
they drank, Gᴀ′ndox’s-father performed. He again asked the war people:
“Which will be good? Here is Town-singers. Here is Days.” And, without
thinking, they chose Days.
After they had sat there for a while Gᴀ′ndox’s-father said: “To the
woods, to the woods. I feel strange because my eye twitches.” And after
they had gone into the woods a canoe came along. After it, another;
after it, another. Lo! seven canoes passed in front of them. Those were
the Gîtî′sda people. They could not do anything. They were waiting for
the day that the shaman had appointed. Although the [Haida] canoes
stuck out [of the woods] they did not see them.
During a previous war expedition a man whose wife was steering for him
passed in front of the place where they had landed. And the woman came
toward them. After she had come along for a while, picking berries, she
discovered the war canoes. She turned about at once and ran away. Her
husband in the canoe held a gun. At that time six of them chased her.
He-who-was-going-to-be-Gia′gudjañ ran in after the woman. By and by he
shot [the man]. He floated still upon the water. They pulled him in.
Then, however, they shot into him and killed him.
On this night they camped at the same place where the person had been
shot. When day broke, a white canoe sail passed up in the middle of the
inlet. On that night they landed farther up. Lda′ogwañ [1089] acted as
pilot. They were near the place to which they were bound.
They went along that night and stole up on the side opposite the fort
of those that they were going against. And those who went in advance
jumped off under a cliff. They got off where two canoes were anchored.
They pulled the canoes off. The fort people were gathering
salal-berries. And they smashed the canoes. On the shore near them a
slight crackling noise was heard.
Day began to dawn. Then they landed a little way off from this, near
the place whither they were bound. And two were sent to reconnoiter.
They came back at once on the run. They said that there were very many
salmon hooks stuck into the ground at the edge of the water.
They now got off the canoes. I also got off with them. They crossed a
salmon creek in a crowd. Those who were friends kept together. Two
persons acted as leaders. These gave commands. They told them to sit
down. They sat down at once. By and by one of those who had gone
scouting came to them. He searched in his box, and they thought he was
looking for a weapon. Presently a crackling arose in the woods, and
they lay on the ground.
By and by, when they said “hūk,” [1090] they ran into the house. I went
in with them. Wa wa wa wa, they tried to take each other for slaves.
Presently all got out. They discovered it [their mistake]. They then
went out at once. And Gia′gudjañ’s companions came along at the same
time. [1091] Then [one canoe] had gone after some who went to pick
berries, and all went after it.
They followed them then for a while. They went to the place where the
canoe was to get the mats that were there. And they jumped off and vied
one with another in getting the mats. A certain one got off last. While
they were standing about in the place where the mats had lain [he saw]
a new mat, and he was glad to have discovered it and went thither.
There two women were lying. He then seized them. He raised his voice
and called his name. When they came there and reached the two women
they were sound asleep on the top of the rock where they were sitting.
When they took them into the canoes one of them talked with Lda′ogwañ.
[1092] She afterward said to the warriors that they might take the
fort. “There are no guns there,” she said. They then placed themselves
behind a long, narrow point on the inlet above the fort. From there
they looked at the fort.
After they had been there some time Skîtg̣adē′s [1093] stood up and said
that he would go there. He summoned the brave men out of all the canoes
to go with him. They went then with him, the brave ones. And they gave
out the following plan: “We are going toward the place where they
always steam hemlock bark.” And they told the rest to follow them.
Coming along as if they were visitors, they moved their paddles slowly.
The people of the fort gambled in lines without paying any attention to
them. When they came near land the remainder also came on. But they
still did not concern themselves about them.
When they got near those who were in advance discharged their guns. And
the remainder also landed there. Hu hu hu hu, they shot into them. Some
had fled from the fort. They all landed in fright on the shore opposite
the back of the fort.
A man of the Gîtî′sda people then did the fighting. He ran about on the
top of the fort. Presently he shot a Kloo man dead. And, as he ran
about on the tops of the houses, they shot him, so that he fell down
between them. Two boys were with him. They went back a short distance
from the fort and began to shoot down upon them (the Haida) from above.
Now they (the Kloo people) fled. Seven canoes went out to sea at once.
We placed ourselves in hiding close by. By and by some one shouted from
out at sea: “They are running down to the fort.” These were three Kloo
men who had hidden themselves there. At that time they enslaved two
children.
We went thither. Those that were out at sea also came in. They started
at once to seize the fort. Hu hu hu hu hu, they went into the houses in
a crowd. At that time I went for tobacco only. They enslaved all who
were sitting in the houses. They took all sorts of things.
Presently some one shouted: “Î′ldjiwas’s father [1094] fell.” They
immediately went to the canoes. When I passed between the houses I came
upon a dead body lying there. And one who came after me cut off the
head. I then moved down the face of a steep place toward the sea in a
sitting posture. A part of the people were off on the water in their
canoes. I was glad when I got into [a canoe]. [1095]
Gia′gudjañ captured a box. After he brought it out and while he was
sitting near it he was shot. He was wounded. They got him in. Half of
them they could not get away from the fort. By and by three stood in
Reef-canoe. [1096] One began to load their guns. Presently they started
toward it. Sky [1097] steered for them. As they went [toward the fort]
he shot toward the place from which they had been firing.
By and by they reached the fort. After they had gone up into it they
started back. At once they shot at them from the place out of which
they had shot before. After a while they got out safely. When they got
away the [Gîtî′sda] people came out to the fort. They (the Haida) took
away a small part of the property. The body of the Kloo man was left
there.
Now they started away. The two canoes of Gîtku′n [1098] and his sons
went empty. The other people sang songs of victory. Then a mat sail
came along toward them. And one was in the canoe. Gîtku′n enslaved him.
This person said that some people lived farther down on the inlet. He
(Gîtku′n) could not persuade them to go after them.
They got ashore then and sent tobacco to the Kloo man through the fire.
[1099] At that time Gîtku′n said to the Sqoā′ładas [1100] man who had
the severed head: “Say, brother-in-law, [1101] let me have his head
instead of you.” He threw it over to him at once. This is how the
saying “Somebody’s head cut off” [1102] started.
When they afterward came out into open water they came out directly
opposite a big canoe that was going along the open coast. They then
pursued it, and it distanced the Kloo people. Afterward they came to
Kloo.
The Gîtî′sda, or Kittizoo, constituted the southernmost division of the
Tsimshian, being situated on Seaforth channel, an extension of Milbank
sound. Unlike most war stories, this does not begin by describing some
previous injury inflicted by the people attacked. The breakdown of old
customs was evidently beginning at this time, and it is said that no
expeditions of importance have occurred since this one. As is seen, my
informant accompanied the expedition.