Raid by the Ninstints Haida on those of the West Coast
[Told by Richard of the Middle-gîtî′ns.]
The Pebble-town people warred with the people of Ninstints. The East Coast people[1] were also at war with them. They were all at G̣ētgā′ñ.[2]
From that place the father of Qꜝaolga′s went to hunt. Then they saw a war canoe pass a place named Gia′g̣ēs lying toward the south. It came along close to the shore and passed behind an islet. And they did not know those who were in it.
And when it was far off he started straight out to sea. And, when the rocky shore had nearly passed out of sight, he turned about. At evening they heard the sound of his guns at G̣ētgā′ñ. He had seen the enemy. Then they went for two shamans who were there. And they whipped the souls of the enemy. At that time they said that a white raven flew into the inlet. After they had drunk salt water for two nights all the warriors went out to meet the enemy.
After they had crept along close to the shore for a while they feared to round ʟuqā′łgᴀłdᴀs.[3] So they stopped there. Some of them said that Kaisun could be seen from there. By and by, however, they went thither. They then saw some persons walking on the beach at Kaisun.
After some time had passed the canoe came in front of them (those at Kaisun). They got into it and went seaward. In the middle was a shaman whipping the souls of his enemies. Then one [Ninstints man] in it saw a strange sight. “Look at the cormorant flying about. It has no head.” And, when they looked at it, its head was lacking. Kꜝadja′-i alone[4] did not see this.
After they had gone on for a while a shot was fired at them. At once [the guns shooting] downward resounded everywhere. It (the canoe) turned bottom up. And as they came alongside they shot at them. And after they had destroyed them and had turned the canoe over one person was in it. He alone they saved. When the first gun sounded, the war chief said: “Sqas, take the gun away. It is not time for that.”
They then went away. Now they sang war songs. And the next day they went to get the heads. They then cut them off and dried them in the sunshine. The shaman who had whipped the souls of his enemies had his hair bunched together.[5] He had told them to go back. On the way they (the Ninstints people) saw portents. They heard the [[374]]sound of drying frames dropping from above. And Tia[6] also called near them. He called, and blood spurted out of his neck.
This encounter was referred to by others. See Memoirs of the American Museum of Natural History, volume V, part 1, page 31. [[375]]
[1] The usual word applied to the east coast of the Queen Charlotte islands means “The coast where canoes can land easily.” [↑]
[2] A camping place about 1½ miles from Tcꜝā′ał. [↑]
[3] Probably means “Canoe-going-about.” [↑]
[4] The one who was saved. [↑]
[5] A shaman might not touch his hair with his fingers, and in consequence it became long and matted. [↑]
[6] The supernatural power that presided over slaughter and made his presence known at a time when it was about to take place. See Memoirs of the American Museum of Natural History, v, pt. 1, p. 31. [↑]