War between the people of Kloo and the Gîtî′sda
[Told by Abraham, of Those-born-at-Qꜝā′dᴀsg̣o]
After they had spent some time in preparation they started off—Those-born-at-Skedans,[1] the Town-of-Djī′gua people,[2] and Those-born-at-Qꜝā′dᴀsg̣o.[3] They spent the night on the open sea. When they approached Gîtgia′gᴀs[4] 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.[5]
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.[6] And they stayed there over night. During the night plenty of salmon[7] 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.[8] They had three shamans. After they had drunk sea water for a while G̣ᴀ′ndox’s-father[9] performed. He said then: “War people, which will be good? Here is Town-singers; here is Days.”[10]
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[11] 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 [[445]]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[12] 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,”[13] 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 [[446]]along at the same time.[14] 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.[15] 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[16] 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 [[447]]enslaved all who were sitting in the houses. They took all sorts of things.
Presently some one shouted: “Î′ldjiwas’s father[17] 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 [18]
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.[19] One began to load their guns. Presently they started toward it. Sky[20] 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[21] 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.[22] At that time Gîtku′n said to the Sqoā′ładas[23] man who had the severed head: “Say, brother-in-law,[24] 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”[25] 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.
[1] See [notes] to “[Story of Those-born-at-Skedans].” [↑]
[2] See [notes] to the story of [Cloud-watcher]. [↑]
[3] See “[Story of Those-born-at-Skedans],” note [19]. [↑]
[4] Perhaps Aristazable island. [↑]
[5] The Tsimshian word for Eagle, Laxskī′yek, is here employed. [↑]
[6] This was a striking violation of the war taboos. [↑]
[7] This sentence is a little obscure. [↑]
[8] See “[A raid on the Tlingit],” note [8]. [↑]
[9] The one whose deeds are narrated in a previous story. [↑]
[10] The people did not know what he meant by this. [↑]
[11] See “[The story of him through whom Łᴀ′gua spoke].” [↑]
[12] The woman who also appears in the previous story. [↑]
[13] See “[A raid on the Tlingit],” note [11]. [↑]
[14] This appears to mean that the other attacking party joined that to which my informant belonged. [↑]
[15] She being acquainted with their language. [↑]
[16] See the [preceding story]. [↑]
[17] Perhaps the father of the Skidegate chief of this name. [↑]
[18] The descent was so arduous. [↑]
[19] The Kloo chief’s canoe. [↑]
[20] The one who related to me “Story of Those-born-at-Skedans” and the six great Skedans stories from “[Raven traveling]” to He-who-was-born-from-his-mother’s-side inclusive. Owing to his conduct at this time he claimed to be numbered among the “brave men.” I esteem it fortunate that this old man’s life was preserved. [↑]
[22] See the story of “[Canoe people who wear headdresses],” [notes]. [↑]
[23] See “[Fights between the Tsimshian and Haida and among the northern Haida],” note [25]. [↑]
[24] The word sta is used, he being of the opposite clan. [↑]
[25] Said by a man of one clan to a man of another and equivalent to “Let me have a part of it.” [↑]