Received letter of March 15 and 26, including book on fishes. Cannot work right now, as recently received a subpoena to appear in Vancouver court on May 1 as witness. Sending info about p!asElał house "when it was full of people in 1870." Only one man living there now. Gives additional details on his wives.
Received letter of June 15. Is satisfied with answers about payment. Went to Dzawadi, Dzawada̱ʼenuxw , and 'Nak'waxda'xw , but all the people were away. Found some old people at Nahwitti and made a small collection. Then went to Rivers Inlet and found many different tribes working in the canneries. Bought old stones at head of Inlet. Sending specimen list. Did not buy masks as they were all new and made with blue paint. Describes details of winter dance seen while there. Could not obtain those 22 masks, as law is that they be burned after being shown four times. Asks if Boas would like someone to make a new set of those 22 masks. Sending "true story of nEnwakawe" which was told in the winter dance an old Wuikinuxv person. Sending two love songs. Gives brief detail on murder case for which son was called as witness.
Received letter of November 5. Letters have been slow to arrive as they have gone up to Prince Rupert first.Sending answers on kinds of marriages that are forbidden (4 pages) and about the preparation of hemlock tree sap for eating (17 pages) and feasting song of YaxLEn (1 p.) Had to delay trip to Cape Mudge. Will try to send photographs soon. Just finishing up two months of work for a prospector.
Received letter of January 13. Sending information about the house of YaxLEn of the Loxsa nEmemot of the Kwexa tribe. Gives additional details on history of YaxLEn.
Received letter of December 13 and January 3. Will read the new book and check for any mistakes. Sending 53 pages and the names of different kinds of food. Will be glad answer any questions sent and consult with friends to assist.
Received letter of June 8 and $250. Will set out for Dzawada̱ʼenuxw village. People may be away at Rivers Inlet cannery. If so, will go to Gwaʼsa̱la village, as they have not collected anything from there yet. Will proceed with work in manner requested.
Received letter of February 28 and March 6. Sending more info on YaxLEns house. Recently sent BaxwEs names, winter dance names, and other names. Has not seen "praying house" at Nootka, but has heard there is food hanging up and many "images," though the Indians there did not want to disclose how many there are. "But the owner said he would not sell it for less than four hundred dollars." There are 90 human skulls in it, a washing place for whalers. There is another shrine for sea otter hunters. Owner wants $300 for the skulls, and $100 for the sea otter hunters shrine. Hunt has been told that it is the only one of its kind. October is the best time to get it as people are back from fur seal hunting in the Bering Sea then.
Received check. Sending 51 pages about food preparation. Asks if the pay for this kind of information will be different. Writing about this is more difficult than writing stories as it requires asking the old people question and they need to be paid in turn. Mailing of recent pages delayed by steamer at Port Hardy running off schedule.
Received letter of April 13. Does not have specimens, but if money is sent, can get specimens. Mentions Dzawada̱ʼenuxw having "lots of good old masks and stories belong[ing] to them." If money can be sent for obtaining specimens, will not work at Rivers Inlet this summer. Will go to Alert Bay to take requested photographs. Asks again about additional money for writing about cooking. Lists other things not yet paid for.
Sending waxwElawe and wExELElayaogwa leaves and seeds. The first is "opening medicine" of the Kwaguʼł tribes. Describes how it is used as medicine. If the second plant it mistaken for it, results can be fatal. Describe how the seed must be sown for it to sprout. Still waiting for $250, needed in order to make return trip to Dzawada̱ʼenuxw and Da̱ʼnaxdaʼxw villages. Describe items obtained, including stone charcoal poker used in making canoes, and porpoise bone spears, all obtained at HegEms.
Received letter of September 1. Went to the Gwawaʼenuxw village of HegEms. Bought old bone spears that were dug up, two hunting bows, and some stones. Will take another trip to Dzawadi, Dzawada̱ʼenuxw village, and Cape Mudge. Sending 3 pages on "Northwest wind caller" and waxwElawe plant.
Received letter of March 22. Sending 47 pages on cooking. Received check for 200 dollars. Will now got to Gwadzi to get Hemsp!ek pole. Asks for tally of how many pages he has sent so far to make sure he has information correct.
