these men doctors would get together about the last of July or the first of August and have a talk and settle the question and give out the announcement that they were going to have the Deer-skin Dance (Oh-pure-ah-wah). The word would be sent out to all the Indians up and down the river, to the Hoopa and Smith river Indians and down the coast as far as Trinidad, and any and all of them of the other tribes could come and see the dance and none of them would ever be molested. Now they would begin to settle all of their quarrels among themselves by paying, this was done by arbitration in most of the cases, as they would select the ones that were friends to both sides of the ones in dispute. They would argue the case and bring them to a settlement if possible, and if they could not make a settlement they could not come to see the dance. This way things would move along and all kinds of sayings would be learned and disputed as those that had no authority would be guessing and often times give out something as coming from some of the head men. All would believe it to be true until it got far enough when the head ones would pronounce it as not authoritative and the false sayings would stop. Another false story would take its place and this would go on until about the middle of August when the Talth would get together and set the time for the dance to start. They always put in the fish dam first, it being a part of this great festival. The one that handles the putting in of the fish dam is known as Lock, and the fish dam is called La-og-gen. Lock selects one other of the high priests and one girl of equal high birth and the three go to a secluded place out on a high mountain from which place they can have a good view of the surrounding country and there the girl makes a small fire and is given instructions of how and what to do. The other man is also directed what to do. Lock unrolls his emblems, which is a closely woven scroll that is absolutely water proof and takes from it the roots that he burns slowly over the fire that the maiden keeps burning. These roots are burned as an incense and have a sweet odor as they burn, and while they are burning Lock prays and sings to God to give him health and power to carry through all the hardships of putting in the dam. They remain here for two days and nights, then go back down the river to where the fish dam is to be placed. There they land with their boat and stop at a very large rock which is close up to the water’s edge, and a large creek of clear pure water which enters into the river just at and a little below this large rock. In the middle of the night the maiden gets wood and starts a small fire and fixes things for Lock and his helper. This girl is a virgin of purity. She goes across the river and bathes herself and dresses her hair, using her Indian knife like a comb, which she carries fastened to her wrist, until her hair is dry and glossy, then she lets it hang loose, wearing a band around