Note 82 — MYTHS RECORDED IN ENGLISH AT WRANGELL (continued 2)

“So nowadays a man that has invited people previously is paid first, receiving more than he had given. If he thinks that he has received more than he ought he gives another feast. When we now look back at this it looks as though these people were fighting to see which family was highest.

“When a man has invited people and they are coming in toward the town he himself remains in the house. Then some of his relations come and pound on the door and say to him, ‘Why are you staying in the house? You are acting like a coward. Your enemies are coming.’ So the host comes out with his bow and arrows, or nowadays his gun, and says, ‘Where are those enemies you were telling me about?’ ‘There they are out there in that canoe.’ ‘Those are not my enemies. That is a crowd of women in that canoe. Years ago my relations invited them.’ He calls them women when his people had invited them twice without a return invitation. The people that are going to give the feast study what they are to say before they have it, and they never let outsiders know what it is. As the visitors’ canoe approached shore they might say, ‘What is that I see out there?’ Then one would look and reply, ‘That is a G̣onaqᴀdēˊt.’ They call it a G̣onaqᴀdēˊt because they know that that party will give a feast and invite them in return.⁠[83] They also have songs ready to sing at the very beginning of the feast, and, when such a song is started it shows that the feast will be a big one.” (From the writer’s informant.)