Douglas Island news., 1901-02-20

eral evenings. They had me costumes and the movements of some of them were quite graceful. It would take we'll in any of the eastern cities for few nights. There were great many feathers in their head gear-many only stuck through their hair. They use the fine feathers or down of ducks and geese, and, of course, when they dance and go through their many gyrations, the feathers fly through the house, and I looked as though had just come out of feather bed. It was no easy mat ter to get them off your clothes, either
 January 11th, about two hours after dark, we heard ringing of bells, beating of drums, and great shouting and cheering in the Indian language, and from dozen or more flag poles rapidly the American flag was run up, and lantern also, so it could be seen from the water by the Hoonahs as they came round the point about half mile away. The Hoonahs sent a small canoe ahead to announce the coming of the long-expected Hoonahs. It was very dark aud low tide, so none of the large canoes or schooners came farther than the point, where they camped that night.
 One of the large new houses built this last fall, and the place where the Hoonahs made their headquarters, had candles lighted-six in each of the four windows. It reminded one of the pa rades East, where the houses are bril- liantly illuminated along the streets where the parade passes, especially the club houses.
 The next morning early we were awakened by the firing of cannon and shooting of guns, and great cheering again. About 10 o'clock our Indians put their large canoes into the water, and men, women and children, all dressed in their best clothes, piled into the canoes-all the way from thirty to sixty in each-and with flags floating, the different tribes represented by tbeir totem poles, beating of drums, and the women singing their happiest songs, they rowed around to the point where the Hoonahs were waiting for them. They led the way, and the Hoonahs fol- lowed in fine style They had three large schooners with cabins, and seven large canoes that would hold as many people as the schooners. They had flags and totems, too. It was a pretty sight as they came around the bend in perfect order. The Hoonahs halted out in the bay until our Indians came ashore, and about three hundred of them formed in circle and about fifty were dressed in costumes representing their different tribes, and had bells, bones and swords carved like totems; others, staffs hung with many colored ribbons. They were the dancers. They began their dance on the beach, and Q blinding snow storm had set in about an hour before they set out. You would not know by their singing and noise but they were dancing on platform, in pleasant grove, on the 4th of July, instead of on stony beach with clam shells in abundance and snow three or four inches deep. For half hour or more they kept this up, and then fired three shots as a signal for the Hoonahs to land. There was great speech mak- ing on each side and they inallly land ed and marched up to their headquar- ters. Then there was great time pre- pairing feast, or suppose, their breakfast.
 There were about two hundred Hoo- nahs, which added to the number al- ready here, made about five hundred present. Of course they could not all get in one house at time. But the chiefs of each tribe, the dancers, and the honored visitors from other towns went into the house prepared for them. Others went to some of the other large houses, and all were served at last.
 Now, it may be interesting to some of the readers to know some of the dishes used at the great feasts. saw them preparing one of the dishes, which was the first course. They eat only one thing at time. All have large bowls-wash bowls. These are filled with whatever they have to eat. Then as many as can dip into bowl and eat from it. The dish I saw them