Their warfare was carried on with revolting cruelty, and in taking captives they enslaved the women, and children, and beheaded the men. As they did not take scalps, the heads of their victims served as their trophies of war, which-after the manner of our own highly civilized ancestors in the last century-were borne home on the points of their spears; to afterward dangle from their girdles during their hideous devil dances.

Despite their atrocious barbarity, these people showed evidence of superior intellectual capacity. Their language, abounding in metaphors, is copious and expressive, and with few exceptions the sounds. are soft, sweet, and flowing.

In front of every hut was erected a totem-pole, elaborately carved with the figures of birds, or animals, or other objects designating the crest of the clan to which the occupant belonged. Sometimes the entire front of the hut was carved and stained to represent the head and face of an animal or bird, the mouth or beak of which served as a door-way. Every article, whether canoe, fish-spear, war-club, or spoon, served as examples of their skill in carving.

Among their various occupations; they wrought and exquisitely engraved bracelets and other ornaments of gold, silver, and copper; and made baskets and pouches, of a peculiar grass so closely woven as to hold water, all embellished with unique heraldic designs.

A stranger on visiting a village, could always claim, and was always certain, to receive entertainment at the hands of those of his own clan.

Before white men's customs were adopted they produced fire by friction, by twirling rapidly between their hands a pointed stick resting on the edge of a split, against which was heaped a pinch of tinder-bark teased into a fibre. They also boiled water and cooked their food in wooden bowls by placing into them super-heated stones.

The sea, rivers, and forest supplied them with food and raiment. Elk, deer, bear, mountain goat, salmon, herring spawn, oolachan, clams, and clakkass, a ribbon-like seaweed similar to dulse pressed into cakes, and berries; were their principal food. The oolachan, or candle-fish, is rich in a butter-like fat much prized and very nutritious; this fish is so inflammable when dried that when touched with a flame it burns, and is used as a torch.

The coast is as rugged and fierce as the natives who inhabit it. Battling the elements in their struggle for life the savages actually seem to partake of the character of their surroundings. A warm current from Japan setting in against their coast moderates the temperature for a few leagues inland -the season however is too short to ripen cereals.

The Tsimsheans' beliefs and superstitions, are mainly based upon their rich fund of legendary lore. They have a version of the creation, and of the flood; they believe in a good and evil genius,

and in special deities who control the sea, the storms, etc. They believe that the world was once wrapped in utter darkness and inhabited only by frogs. The frogs refusing to supply the devil with oolachan, to be avenged he sneaked into heaven and stole daylight, which was kept there in the form of a ball, and broke it over their heads, and, thus gave light to the world. The devil's chief traits were lying and stealing. The world was at one time very close to heaven, so very close, that, the people in heaven, could hear the voices of those on the earth, and, the people on earth, could hear the voices of those in heaven;-the children of the earth made such a clamour, that they disturbed the great Shimanyet Lakkah, and he shoved the earth a long way off. In the next world the good will have the best quality of fish and game, while the wicked will receive only that caught out of season and of poorest quality.

The medicine-man, claiming direct intercourse with the spirit-world, held great influence over the people. He arranged himself, in the skin of a bear or wolf, the head and muzzle of which formed a helmet, the tushes falling about his temples; and a hideously carved mask covered his face, armlets and anklets of repulsive design encircled his shrivelled limbs. To add to the ferocity of his appearance, the exposed parts of his body were daubed with red and black paint, and he was covered with pending charms, such as dried skunk-skins, distended fish-bladders,

tails of animals, feathers, rare shells, highly polished little horns, eagles' claws, engraved bones and teeth, which dangled about him as he advanced into the room with a series of postures and jerks. Armed with a mystic wand and a huge wooden rattle, fashioned in the form of an eagle, with a demon carved on its back pulling out a man's tongue with its teeth, he proceeds aggressively, to overpower and frighten away the evil spirit by giving vent to a series of unearthly wailing and guttural sounds, vehemently brandishing and marking time with the rattle. However, if not successful in frightening away the evil one by these noises, he begins to hack the ailing part and suck or burn it out. The Shaman received a liberal retainer, in view of securing his cleverest arts, in exorcising the invading demon. This evil spirit was supposed to be sent by some designing enemy; who if discovered was killed by relatives of the afflicted. If the patient recovered the Shaman received an additional fee, but, if he died the fees must be forthwith returned, and sometimes, he also suffered death as a penalty for his "bad medicine!"

One of the most marked characteristics of these people is their inordinate personal pride and vanity-in fact, this is true of all the North Pacific tribes. Because of a slight taunt or insult a man will sometimes kill a slave or destroy all his property, believing thereby he wipes out the disgrace. Some years ago an officer in charge of a division of