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.