War between the people of Kloo and the Bellabella
[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.[1] 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[2] of the whole inlet had their canoes all ready to make war on the Eagle people.[3] 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[4] 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[5] 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.[6]
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.[7]
And, while it was yet daylight, the singing of a child came to their ears from the other side of Xēna.[8] Winōʟalū′sila, who had taken no [[435]]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”[9] 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[10] 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.[11] 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. [[436]]
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.[12] 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[13] 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[14] 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[15] can never be entered how are you going to sweep it out from the head?” When that news came through Kitkatla,[16] 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 [[437]]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.[17] 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.[18] 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[19] 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.[20]
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. [[438]]
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[21] 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 [[439]]have their fort. They discussed the merits of a certain island. By and by they all thought Town-fort[22] was a good one, because it was within easy reach of Tꜝā′łdī,[23] 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, [[440]]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.[24] 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[25] 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.[26] He then put feathers on him first. But afterward he put feathers on the chiefs. [[441]]
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.”[27]
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.[28]
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.[29]
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 [[442]]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.[30] 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.[31]
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.[32]
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. [[444]]
[2] Used in its general sense, this word answers most nearly to the Haida ʟdjîñ xā′idᴀg̣a-i, although the latter is even more comprehensive. [↑]
[3] The word for Eagle people used here is the usual Tsimshian word for the Eagle clan and is given by them to the Haida of Kloo, who are for the most part Eagles. [↑]
[4] Probably a Tlingit word. [↑]
[9] See “[A Raid on the Tlingit],” note [11]. [↑]
[10] See “[Wars between the people of Ninstints and the people of Skidegate],” note [2]. [↑]
[11] I was told that this was done to enable the soul to go to Tāxet’s house; see [story of the Food-giving-town people], note [25]. [↑]
[12] Meaning that there was a great palaver. [↑]
[13] See the story of [Cloud-watcher], [notes]. [↑]
[14] One of the leading Bellabella chiefs. [↑]
[15] Said to be the native name for the inlet on which these Bellabella lived. [↑]
[16] A Tsimshian town, also the Tsimshian part of the population of Porcher and the neighboring islands. They lived always on terms of friendship with the Raven people of Skedans. [↑]
[17] While the men were at war their wives observed certain regulations of a symbolic nature, supposed to assist the warriors. Many slept in one house, with their [[443]]heads lying in the direction that the warriors had taken, and, when the war party was supposed to have started back, they all slept with their heads turned in the opposite direction. [↑]
[18] Referred to in the [preceding story], note [18]. [↑]
[19] See the story of [Cloud-watcher]. [↑]
[20] After the contest was over the various families struggled to see who should carry away the most slaves. [↑]
[21] See “[Story of Those-born-at-Skedans],” note [19]. [↑]
[22] On an islet off the north shore of Tan-oo island. This was the second time it was occupied. The first time was when South-east was chief. On this occasion it was renamed Laiʟaikꜝia′-i, after the Bellabella fort. [↑]
[23] See “[Wars between the peoples of Skidegate and Kloo],” note [5]. [↑]
[24] Name of a chief of the Point-town people. The escape of these slaves prevented the Kloo people from recovering some of their own friends who had been taken to Masset, whereupon they became angry and took away two slaves from this chief. [↑]
[25] Daughter of one of the Kloo chiefs, captured in the previous Bellabella raid. [↑]
[26] Probably fearing treachery. [↑]
[27] The words imply that it was such as a man of low family might use, and was consequently of little value. [↑]
[28] Stiū means “sea eggs.” [↑]
[30] Because they were not provided with anything that could match the eagle. [↑]
[31] I have recorded these words as well as I could, thinking that they might be identified at some future time. [↑]
[32] Stealing the mats of the visitors. When visitors arrived the townspeople often had sport with their property in taking it up, breaking open the bundles, and playing pranks with it generally. [↑]