The women wore a front apron called Sahng; and on dress occasions an ornamented cloak-like skirt (Chah) that extended all the way around and lapped over in front. They also wore basket hats, called Ki´-e-traht´ and necklaces, the general term for which is Ni-ta-kle-ah. On occasions they wore ear pendants, Bus-shra-mes-lah, of elk or deer bone. Nose bones or shells, Mish-mes-lah, were sometimes worn; those of rich persons consisted of one of the long Dentalium shells. The chin is tattooed with three narrow vertical lines called Tah-ah ruthl-tes.
Houses.—The houses (Munt) were square and were built of planks or slabs hewn from redwood trees and stood up vertically, as in the case of those of the Klamath River Indians. The ceremonial houses are called Nā´-stahs-mā´-ne. They are square and have a ridge roof. During important dances the front side is removed. The sweat house is called Shes´-klĕ and is large enough to hold twenty people. It is square or rectangular, and the ground floor is excavated to a depth of about four feet. The roof is of hewn planks covered with earth.
Money.—The ordinary medium of exchange or "money" (Trut) consisted of shells of Dentalium, of which the valuable long ones are called Tā´-tos, the commoner short ones Kle´-ah. Clam shell disks or buttons are called Nah´-set.
Treatment of dead.—The dead are buried in a grave (Chĕ´-slo). The people assert that they never burned their dead. They say that a spirit or ghost, called Nah-who´-tlan, goes out of the body after death and becomes a ghost.
Ceremonial dances.—Dances are called Nā´-stahs or Nesh-stahsh. A puberty dance, Chahs´-stah wā´-nish tahs, was held for the girls. Other important dances are held. Some last 5 days; others last 10 days.
The ceremonial drums Hah´-et-sah differ radically from those of any other California Indians known to me. They are large cooking baskets about two feet in diameter. Only new baskets are used in order that they may stand the drumming.
Rattles called Chah-pāt´-chah are made of the small hoofs of deer. Cocoon rattles were not used.
Whistles, called Tut´-tle-nik are made of large quill feathers of birds, not of bone.
The stick game.—The stick game is a feature of the people, as in most California tribes. It consists of a number of slender sticks called Not-trā´-le, of which one, called Chah-when´, is marked. The counters are called Chun´; the man who keeps count, Chun-ting. A dressed buckskin is stretched tightly on the ground between the players, and when the game is called, the sticks are thrown down upon it.
Baskets.—The basketry is of twined weave called Chet-too. The big storehouse baskets, called Hawsh-tan, are closely woven and have a shallow saucer-shape lid. The large open work burden basket is called Tus, the large cooking basket, Met-too´-silch, the small mush bowl Hah´-tsah, the large shallow meal tray Mes-chet´-te-gah´, the large open work shallow bowl Tre-kwahs´-tuk, the small open work plate or platter Kah´-se, the subglobular choke-mouth trinket basket Net´-tah, the milling basket Ki´-e-sut, the baby basket Kah´-yu, its shade Ne´-whats-tah, the women's basket hat Ki´-e-traht´. There is also a subglobular openwork basket called I´-ă-loo´ with an arched handle for carrying on the arm.