Identifier: annualreportofbo1888smiths (find matches)
Title: Annual report of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution
Year: 1846 (1840s)
Authors: Smithsonian Institution. Board of Regents United States National Museum. Report of the U.S. National Museum Smithsonian Institution. Report of the Secretary
Subjects: Smithsonian Institution Smithsonian Institution. Archives Discoveries in science
Publisher: Washington : Smithsonian Institution
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Smithsonian Libraries

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beams and planksused necessitates the co-operation of many individuals, and the occa-sion of their gathering from other villages is made as enjoyable as pos-sible. The great labor and expense involved requires the whole proc-ess to extend over a period of several years. The cutting and rough-ing out of the timbers in the forest, the launching of these and towingto the village, the carving of the totemic column and supports for the EXPLANATION OF PLATE LXX. A Band of Haida erecting a House at the Tsimshian Village of Port Simpson,British Columbia, in October, 1866. From a sketch by Mr. Henry W. Elliott. The scene is that of the co-operative building of a house, a band of hovvUng, yell-ing, half-naked Haida being engaged in hauling up a huge rafter on skids by meansof ropes of spruce-root or twisted cedar-bark. The canoes on the beach, and thevillage in the distance, lend to it the characteristic features of a view in this region. Report of National Museum, 1 888.—NiblacU, Plate LXX.
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THE INDIANS OF THE NORTHWEST COAST. 375 huge beams or rafters^ and their final erection into the frame work of aliouse, all require not only the expenditure of much time and labor, buta very extensive outlay of wealth. The gathering is an occasion ofmuch ceremony, but the work in hand, conducted always with dire con-fusion, shouting, and yelling, occupies but a small portion of the time,the remainder being filled in with gambling, feasting, dancing, speech-making, and dissipations of various kinds. Formerly the custom ob-tained of killing several slaves when a person of consequence built ahouse, the victims being selected sometime before the ceremony. Thebodies of those slain were accorded the right of burial, and in this muchwere deemed very fortunate. Petroflf says: If an iuteuded victim inauaged to escape or to conceal himself he was allowed tolive, aiid might return after the conclusion of the festivities at the house of his masterwithout incurring punishment. It frequently occurr

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