Part 11

Some time after that our canoe came to Gwi′gwᴀñ-bay, [164] and there was one canoe there. There we spent the night. When we left next day another sail came in sight from Skidegate. Then we saw each other. And we were glad to see each other. And when we came to Gū′dᴀl the [other] warriors had taken thirty-eight slaves. We were ashamed. Then it was reported that a woman said of us: “What open place do they keep going out for, I wonder?” [165] We immediately prepared for war.

The people went then to the camps from Gū′dᴀl. And after they had fished for some time the fish were dried. Then we went to war in four canoes. We started across from North island. [166] We went against the Klawak [167] people.

We pulled up our canoes at the mouth of the inlet. The next day we again went up the inlet. We went, went, went for a while and landed where there was a strong tidal current. In one [stream] there were plenty of dog salmon. After we had been there a while [we saw] some broad sails coming from above. And it (the canoe) landed below the place where we had pulled up our canoes.

He (the owner) had his wife and two slaves. Then he got off and put on his cartridge box. And he passed up near the place where we were watching. After he had gone a slave killed dog salmon in the creek with stones. During all that time they talked Tlingit to one another. And they started a fire at the foot of a tree which stood near them.

By and by, when evening came, he came down. From afar he spoke Tlingit to them. Three persons presently came along behind him. When two reports were heard the people ran down. The slaves already had their hands in it (the canoe). The gun box was untouched. There were five [guns] in it. Since he had come there he had lain down on his back and spoken in the Tlingit language. The roasted salmon was still stuck in the ground. [168]

Then they shot him from in front. And then he exclaimed: “What people have done this to me? Save me.” [169] Then he (the assailant) shot him again with a pistol. A male slave, however, escaped into the woods. And when they ran down to his canoe there were cuts of whale in it. By that time they were speaking Kaigani [170] together. I then said to them: “Why did you, who are Haida, talk Tlingit? We would not have touched you.” Then she (his wife) said: “We did not think anything like this would happen.”

And when they got ready to start she said: “Those who came with us have a fire on the other side. They are Klawak people.” In the night we went over to them. And we landed near. We ran toward them. The fire there was large. And after we had gone toward it for a while we peeped over a log. They lay asleep around the fire.

Just before daybreak we ran upon them. Then we seized a man to enslave him. He resisted more fiercely than was expected. Then I shot him. He fell. Afterward he rose. When he ran they shot him again. After that he ran into the woods. We took all the property of the men. We took six slaves. Many, too, we killed.

Then we got into our canoes. We prepared to go. And we arrived over against Gᴀsqo. [171] In the night a south wind came suddenly upon us, accompanied by rain. And after we had thrown over some of the property we went back. [By and by] we sailed over [to Gᴀsqo]. There was no place to land. But after we had gone on for a while we found a landing place. Much rain fell.

After we had been there for a while a slave stood up in the canoe. He called for his uncle’s supernatural helper. He did so because the rain chilled him. By and by the rain stopped and a north wind set in.

At once we started across [Dixon entrance]. We reached the islands the same day. The day after we sang war songs there. After we had remained there for a while we came to Tcꜝā′ał. [172]

Here is the end of this.

WAR BETWEEN THE WEST COAST HAIDA AND THE TLINGIT

Sta′saos qē′g̣awa-i hao Łî′nagîts kꜝē′djîs g̣a ha-ilū′dasg̣aiyagᴀn. Ga-i tꜝa′guhao Gudᴀ′l stᴀ ʟū g̣aʟa′ał gu ʟꜝ qa′-idaogᴀn. Giê′nhao Łî′nagîts sū′g̣a ʟꜝᴀ′stᴀ iʟꜝ g̣ałg̣u′nuł g̣atxadī′djîñ. Giê′nhao ga-i taskidā′ñagᴀni. Tꜝa′odjî hao ʟꜝ qꜝai′yuwaidaiyagᴀn. Wa′athao tā′gidjîgida-i qoa′ngᴀni.

Giên ga tā′djia lā gu Łî′nagîts gᴀm ʟgu naxᴀña′-i g̣ᴀn iʟꜝ u′nsᴀtg̣ᴀñgᴀn giên tꜝalᴀ′ñ tcꜝā′nug̣adagᴀn. Agᴀ′ñ tꜝalᴀ′ñ qaʟū′­īdjiña′g̣eiłdigᴀn. Giê′nhao gu gîndja′oga-i î′sdi qa′odihao ʟꜝa g̣ᴀ′nstᴀ ga Łî′nagîda tcꜝadjī′guag̣aga g̣a ʟuqā′ʟꜝxagᴀn. Giê′nhao hᴀn iʟꜝ at kiänᴀ′ñgᴀn: “Gī′ʟ̣g̣ᴀn qa-idawa′-i hao ē′djîn.” Giê′nhao Skᴀ′ngwai g̣ō′ñg̣a hᴀn sū′gᴀñ: “Gᴀm tꜝalᴀ′ñ qa′idaog̣ᴀñgᴀn. Gatā′hao dalᴀ′ñ gi tꜝalᴀ′ñ dā′xo-î′ngᴀn.” Giên hᴀn sū′gᴀni “Ga′oano dalᴀ′ñ qa-idā′­wagᴀn.” Giê′nhao gī ʟꜝ qā′dagᴀne. Giên dia′nᴀñ ʟꜝ gā′yiñxᴀlgᴀni giên g̣ag̣aga′-i g̣ei qā′x̣iatcꜝigᴀni.

Giên g̣a lᴀ kîłgu′ldi qa′odi hᴀn l’ sū′gᴀn: “ʟua′-i łᴀ da′og̣o. Kî′łgulia-i ł kî′lsgudaiyagᴀni.” Gañā′xᴀnhao ʟua′-i ʟꜝ da′oga-i ʟ̣ū ga′-itg̣oqa-idᴀni. Giê′nhao g̣ō′ʟ̣ag̣a ʟꜝ djîskī′dᴀni. Dagwu′lgî ga g̣astî′ñ xā′dasi ā′xᴀn tcꜝînłg̣oa′ñgᴀni. Giên tꜝalᴀ′ñ î′sîñ g̣ō′tgi g̣atꜝē′djᴀni. Giê′nhao ʟꜝ tcꜝî′nłg̣oañgîn qa′odi nᴀñ gwai′ya gu ʟꜝ tcꜝîtgutꜝᴀ′łdagîlgᴀn. Gū′g̣a nᴀñ ʟꜝ tcꜝigā′gᴀni ʟua′-i gug̣e′istᴀ g̣ā′yuwa-i g̣ei ʟ̣x̣ia′ñgāgîñgᴀn. Giê′nhao Xᴀ′ñxogutg̣as-gā′ña l’ da′otꜝᴀłx̣idigᴀn giên g̣a ł qꜝa-igidᴀ′lgᴀn.

Giê′nhao wᴀ stᴀ îsdax̣ī′dᴀni gañā′xᴀn ʟuda′ogᴀni. Qꜝa′ʼgustᴀ tā′dju yuᴀ′ngᴀn. G̣āl ya′ku ʟꜝᴀ gi tadja′o g̣ā′tg̣oyuᴀ′ngᴀn. ʟua′-i g̣a ʟgū′sʟgᴀni. Dī ga kꜝᴀtłg̣askiä′lu ī′djîn at łᴀ qā′tgogᴀni. Îsîñ ʟuᴀ′-i ʟꜝ łg̣adjigū′sʟgᴀni. ʟꜝ īłī′ łg̣osg̣ā′-igagᴀñgîn. Djigî′n xā′txatgwañ tꜝalᴀ′ñ gudᴀ′ñgᴀni. A′hao ʟnōt dī inā′sʟ g̣ᴀ′nstᴀ tadja′o ʟā′djîga ł g̣ā′ndᴀñgᴀn.

G̣a-iʟ̣ū′hao sîñgaʟ̣ana′-i gu Mas-ʟdag̣a′os xē′tgu lᴀ gi sîñgaʟ̣a′nga. Giê′nhao wᴀ stᴀ x̣uqa′-îłgîñ qa′odi qagᴀ′ndjūñ ła g̣atgadā′gᴀni: “He he he he he ē′ʟꜝxagît nā′tg̣alᴀñ ł qō′nᴀldᴀgᴀn gᴀm xē′da gudᴀñā′ñ g̣eidᴀg̣ᴀ′ñg̣o. Gī′hao tꜝalᴀ′ñ îsx̣iā′gᴀni a′hao ga kꜝī′na tꜝalᴀ′ñ g̣ā′ndᴀñgîñga. Gudᴀñā′ña ʟā′djîgadᴀg̣o.” Ḷū′hao sg̣a′-iłia-i ʟan g̣î′lgᴀni.

Giên ga′istᴀ qā qa′odi Gwī′gwᴀñ-sʟꜝîñ gu ē′ʟꜝg̣a qaʟꜝxagî′lgᴀni giên ʟua′-i ga sg̣oa′na ê′sîñ wᴀ gu īdjā′gᴀni. Gu ʟꜝ g̣ā′ldagᴀne. Dag̣ala′-ig̣a stᴀ ʟꜝ qasā′g̣aga-i ʟ̣ū ga g̣asg̣oa′na î′sîñ Łg̣agî′lda stᴀ gīx̣iawa′-i gī′sdagani. Giên gu ʟꜝ qî′ñgᴀn. Giên guta′t agᴀ′ñ ʟꜝ xᴀña′lgᴀn. Giên Gudᴀ′l gu ʟꜝ î′sʟꜝxaga-i ʟ̣ū ʟꜝ qa′ido-î′ndjawagᴀn xᴀ′ldañ ʟa′ala-i łg̣u′nuł wᴀ gi stā′nsᴀñxa ʟꜝ î′sdagialagᴀn. Iʟꜝ g̣e′ida­xagᴀn. Ḷū′hao nᴀñ djā′da hᴀn iʟꜝ sudā′ñ ʟꜝ sū′gᴀñ: “Gī′ʟg̣ᴀn gadjā′wasi gī′hao lᴀ ga′-itax̣uñgwa′-ani.” Ḷū′hao g̣eidā′ñ xᴀn tꜝalᴀ′ñ qa′idox̣idigᴀn.

Giê′nhao Gudᴀ′l stᴀ ʟgᴀnła′ñ g̣ei ʟꜝ qasā′gīgᴀn. Ga′-iʟ̣u ʟꜝ xao qa′odi qꜝā′g̣asʟgᴀni. Giên ʟū g̣astᴀ′nsîñ gu ʟꜝ qa′-idogᴀn. Giê′nhao Qꜝā-its-gwai′ya-i stᴀ tꜝalᴀ′ñ ʟuda′⁺ogᴀn. Łᴀwa′k xā′-idag̣a-i hao tꜝalᴀ′ñ tā′ng̣agᴀn.

Ga′iʟ̣uhao g̣a′oga-i qꜝe-ū′g̣a ʟua′-i ʟꜝ ʟꜝstagî′lgᴀni. Dag̣ala′-ig̣a î′sîñ ʟꜝ ʟu-î′sdax̣îtłgᴀn. Isdā′lgᴀni. Qa′odi nᴀñ djī′wa-i djē′gᴀs gu ʟuwa′-i ʟꜝ ʟstagî′lgᴀni, nᴀñ g̣a sqā′gî qoa′na gu ᴀ. ʟ̣! g̣ētg̣ᴀ′ndi qa′⁺odi sa′stᴀ ga gīx̣ia′wa-i gaostᴀtꜝᴀ′lgᴀn. Giê′nhao ga′gu ʟua′-i ʟꜝ ʟstagilā′digᴀni gu ʟꜝ xē′tgu lᴀ g̣askī′dᴀn. L’ djā′g̣a îsî′s giên xᴀ′ldᴀña-i î′sîñ lā′g̣a stî′ñgᴀni. L’ qatꜝᴀ′lgᴀn giên g̣eiga′ñ g̣ᴀlqa′-i­giga-i lᴀ daqa′-iłgᴀni. Giê′nhao ʟꜝ g̣ētg̣ᴀ′ndies ʟꜝa gut lᴀ qā′łgᴀn. Giê′nhao nᴀñ xᴀ′ldᴀñas l’ sila′-ig̣a sqā′gi gī g̣ᴀ′nʟa-i g̣ei lᴀ qꜝadjū′gᴀni. Kꜝiä′łhao Łî′nagît kî′łg̣agî gutg̣ā′ lᴀ kîłgulg̣ō′gᴀn. Giên ʟꜝ qꜝō′łg̣a qa-it giagᴀ′ñgᴀn qꜝo′lgî lᴀ tcꜝā′nog̣adag̣ogᴀn.

Qa′odi sîñx̣aiya′-i ʟ̣ū la qaʟꜝxā′sgag̣ᴀni. Wā′djx̣ui xᴀn g̣a lᴀ djîłgita′ogadalgᴀni. Qa′odihao l’ dī′tg̣a ga łg̣u′nuł gᴀndax̣ī′dᴀn. Djigwa′-i sqꜝastî′ñ wᴀ gu qꜝadō′gaga′-i ʟ̣ū g̣a ʟꜝ x̣a′ostagᴀni. Tagī′­djigida-i ʟgī′xᴀn wa g̣ei ʟꜝ qᴀngixā′ñgᴀni. Djī′gu g̣oda′-i wa g̣a gᴀm gīdjigî′łdag̣agᴀn. Sqꜝaʟe′ił wa g̣a īdjā′gᴀni. L’ qā′ʟꜝxas gu lᴀ ta-ig̣ā′gîtwas gu Łî′nagît kî′łg̣agî lᴀ kiłgulai′agᴀn. Ha′oxᴀn wa′g̣alᴀña-i kîtsgîlagā′gᴀni.

Ḷū′hao l’ qᴀn g̣ei lᴀ ʟꜝ tcꜝigā′gᴀn. Ḷū⁺ ʟꜝa hᴀn l’ sā′wagᴀn: “Giʟg̣ᴀ′n xa-idᴀg̣a′-i hao dī î′sdañ. Dī łᴀ qagᴀ′ndᴀ-kuxa′ogu.” Giê′nhao djī′gu kꜝudja′o at î′sîñ lᴀ la tcꜝigā′gᴀn. Nᴀñ xᴀ′ldᴀña īłinagā′gᴀn ʟꜝa agᴀ′ñ tꜝaqagᴀ′ngîlgᴀn. Giên ʟua′-i lā′g̣a ʟꜝ da′ox̣ît­sg̣agᴀna-i kun lᴀ qꜝeidā′gᴀn lā′g̣a gā′yiñgîñgᴀn. ʟʟ̣a la ê′sîñ gu′tg̣a Qꜝeits xā′-idᴀg̣a-i kî′łg̣agî gu′tg̣a lᴀ kîłgu′lg̣ogᴀn. Ḷū′hao hᴀn lᴀ ł sudag̣ō′gᴀn: “Gasî′nʟao dalᴀ′ñ Xā′-idᴀg̣as skꜝiä′xᴀn gu′tg̣a Łî′nagît kî′łg̣agî dalᴀ′ñ kîłgulā′-udjañ. Gᴀm dalᴀ′ñ g̣a tꜝalᴀ′ñ ʟā′gaskig̣ā′ñaxᴀñga.” Ḷū′hao hᴀn l’ sūgᴀn “Hᴀ′nʟgua gī′na g̣ā′-itgasañ tꜝalᴀ′ñ gudᴀñō′-udjî.”

Ḷū′hao ʟꜝ dag̣a-ilansʟia′-i ʟ̣ū hᴀn l’ sū′gᴀn: “Inax̣ua′hao iʟꜝ ta′ogᴀn ga ē′djîn tcꜝā′nudig̣a. Łᴀwa′k xa-idᴀg̣a′-i hao ī′djî.” Giê′nhao g̣ā′lx̣ua tꜝalᴀ′ñ tā′ng̣ax̣îttꜝē′djîni. Giê′nhao qꜝō′łg̣a tꜝalᴀ′ñ g̣agadā′ñgᴀnî. Giên tꜝalᴀ′ñ da′ox̣idᴀnî. Tcꜝā′nuwa-i wᴀ gu yug̣odī′­gᴀnî. Giên g̣a agᴀ′ñ łkꜝî′nxet tꜝalᴀ′ñ gᴀndā′ldi qā′odi qꜝā′xo łgī′­g̣odia tꜝᴀ′lgî gi tꜝalᴀ′ñ gwasqā′ñgᴀnî. Tcꜝā′nuwa-i djî′nxa qꜝaxasʟg̣a­wā′gᴀnî.

Giê′nhao sîñg̣aʟ̣andala′-i ʟ̣ū tꜝalᴀ′ñ daoʟꜝxa′gᴀni. Ḷū′hao nᴀñ ī′łiña ʟꜝ xᴀldā′ñg̣atda′gᴀnî. ʟꜝᴀ lᴀ qꜝaixagū′łdagᴀn. Giê′nhao lᴀ ł tcꜝī′gᴀn. L’ g̣atʟ̣skī′dᴀn. Ga′-istᴀ lᴀ gia′xaʟꜝxagᴀnî. L’ g̣adaga′-i ʟ̣ū î′sîñ lᴀ ʟꜝ tcꜝī′gᴀn. Ga′-istᴀ l’ g̣atgî′lgᴀn. Iłî′ndjîda-i gī′nag̣a waʟ̣uxᴀ′nhao tꜝalᴀ′ñ gī′⁺gᴀn. Ga ʟg̣u′nuł hao tꜝalᴀ′ñ tagī′djîgîda′dᴀgᴀn. Qoan ê′sîñ ʟꜝ ʟꜝ′dagᴀnî.

Giê′nhao ʟꜝ qa′-idawa-qaʟ̣′gᴀn. Giê′nhao stᴀ ʟꜝ ʟu-îsdax̣ī′dᴀnî. Giên Gᴀsqo ʟā′stᴀxᴀn ʟꜝʟuda′ogᴀni. Ga-i g̣ala′-i g̣a īʟꜝ gi xe-u′ dala′ñ dᴀ′ñat sqꜝag̣e′idᴀnî. Giên ʟꜝ tadā′ñgî qa′odi ʟꜝ stī′łsg̣agᴀn. Ga′-iʟ̣u ʟꜝ x̣ūtî′sʟꜝxagîlgᴀn. Gᴀm ʟgu g̣a ʟꜝ gig̣a′ogial-łiña′-i ga′og̣ᴀñgᴀn. Giê′nhao ʟꜝ ʟu-îsdā′l qa′odihao gia′gu ī′sʟîña ʟꜝ qē′xagᴀn. Dala′-i gug̣oyū′ᴀngᴀn.

Giên gut ʟꜝ î′sdi qa′odi ʟūgoag̣a nᴀñ xᴀ′ldᴀña gā′yiñgîñgᴀn. Qāñ sg̣ā′nag̣wa-i gī lᴀ kiägā′ñgᴀn. Dala′-i l’ gîñx̣uaiga′-i hao l’ gîñsū′gᴀn. Qa′odi l’ x̣îlgā′g̣ada-i gañā′xᴀn qꜝa′gustᴀ kwē′ʼg̣ax̣idigᴀn.

Gañā′xᴀnhao ʟꜝ ʟuda′ogᴀn. G̣ē′gixᴀn ʟꜝ ʟuda′oʟꜝxagîlgᴀn. Dag̣ala′-ig̣a gᴀ stᴀ ʟꜝ ī′djîñ gu ʟꜝ qa-idjū′ʟꜝxagᴀn. Ga′-igu ʟꜝ naxā′ñ qa′odi Tcꜝā′ał g̣a ʟꜝ ī′djîn.

A′hao ʟan ā′sga-i g̣e′ida.

ENGLISH TRANSLATIONS

RAVEN TRAVELING

[Told by John Sky of Those-born-at-Skedans] [173]

Over this island [174] salt water extended, they say. Raven flew about. He looked for a place upon which to sit. After a while he flew away to sit upon a flat rock which lay toward the south end of the island. All the supernatural creatures lay on it like Genō′, [175] with their necks laid across one another. The feebler supernatural beings were stretched out from it in this, that, and every direction, asleep. It was light then, and yet dark, they say.

[Told by Job Moody of the Witch People [176]]

The Loon’s place [177] was in the house of Nᴀñkî′lsʟas. One day he went out and called. Then he came running in and sat down in the place he always occupied. And an old man was lying down there, but never looking toward him. By and by he went out a second time, cried, came in, and sat down. He continued to act in this manner.

One day the person whose back was turned to the fire asked: “Why do you call so often?” “Ah, chief, I am not calling on my own account. The supernatural ones tell me that they have no place in which to settle. That is why I am calling.” And he said: “I will attend to it (literally, ‘make’).”

[Continued by John Sky]

After having flown about for a while Raven was attracted by the neighboring clear sky. Then he flew up thither. And running his beak into it from beneath he drew himself up. A five-row town lay there, and in the front row the chief’s daughter had just given birth to a child. In the evening they all slept. He then skinned the child from the foot and entered [the skin]. He lay down in its place.

On the morrow its grandfather asked for it, and it was given to him. He washed it, and he put his feet against the baby’s feet and pulled up. He then put it back. On the next day he did the same thing and handed it back to its mother. He was now hungry. They had not begun to chew up food to put into his mouth.

One evening, after they had all gone to bed and were asleep, Raven raised his head and looked about upon everything inside the house. All slept in the same position. Then by wriggling continually he loosened himself from the cradle in which he was fastened and went out. In the corner of the house lived a Half-rock being, [178] who watched him. After she had watched for a while he came in, holding something under his blanket, and, pushing aside the fire which was always kept burning before his mother, he dug a hole in the cleared place and emptied what he held into it. As soon as he had kneaded it with the ashes he ate it. It gave forth a popping sound. He laughed while he ate. She saw all that from the corner.

Again, when it was evening and they were asleep, he went out. After he had been gone for a while he again brought in something under his blanket, put it into the ashes and stirred it up with them. He poked it out and laughed as he ate it. From the corner of the house the Half-rock one looked on. He got through, went back, and lay down in the cradle. On the next morning all the five villages talked about it. He heard them.

The inhabitants of four of the five towns had each lost one eye. Then the old woman reported what she had seen. “Behold what that chief’s daughter’s child does. Watch him. As soon as they sleep he stands up out of himself.” His grandfather then gave him a marten-skin blanket, and they put him into the cradle. At his grandfather’s word some one went out. “Come to sing a song for the chief’s daughter’s baby outsi-i-ide, outsi-i-ide.” As they sang for him one in the line, which extended along the entire village front, held him. By and by he let him fall, and they watched him as he went. Turning around to the right as he went, he struck the water.

And as he drifted about he cried without ceasing. By and by, wearied out with crying, he fell asleep. After he had slept a while something said: “Your mighty grandfather says he wants you to come into his house.” He turned around quickly and looked out from under his blanket, but saw nothing. Again, as he floated about, something repeated the same words. He looked quickly around toward it. He saw nothing. The next time he looked through the eyehole in his marten-skin. A pied-billed grebe came out from under the water, saying “Your mighty grandfather invites you in,” and dived immediately.

He then got up. He was floating against a kelp with two heads. He stepped upon it. Lo! he stepped upon a house pole of rock having two heads. He climbed down it. The sea was just as good as the world above. [179]

He then stood in front of a house. And some one called him in: “Enter, my son. Word has arrived that you come to borrow something from me.” He then went in. An old man, white as a sea gull, sat in the rear part of the house. He sent him for a box that hung in the corner, and, as soon as he had handed it to him, he successively pulled out five boxes. And out of the innermost box he handed him two cylindrical objects, one covered with shining spots, the other black, saying “I am you. That [also] is you.” He referred to something blue and slim that was walking around on the screens whose ends point toward each other in the rear of the house. And he said to him: “Lay this round [speckled] thing in the water, and after you have laid this black one in the water, bite off a part of each and spit it upon the rest.”

But when he took them out he placed the black one in the water first and, biting off part of the speckled stone, spit it upon the rest, whereupon it bounded off. Because he did differently from the way he was told it came off. He now went back to the black one, bit a part of it off and spit it upon the rest, where it stuck. Then he bit off a part of the pebble with shiny points and spit it upon the rest. It stuck to it. These were to be trees, they say. [180]

When he put the second one into the water it stretched itself out. And the supernatural beings at once swam over to it from their places on the sea. In the same way Mainland [181] was finished and lay quite round on the water.

He floated first in front of this island (i.e., the Queen Charlotte islands), they say. And he shouted landward: “Gū′sga wag̣elai′dx̣ᴀn hā-ō-ō” (Tsimshian words meaning “Come along quickly”) [but he saw nothing]. Then [he shouted]: “Ha′lᴀ gudᴀñā′ñ łg̣ā′gîñ gwā′-ā-ā” (Haida equivalent of the preceding). Some one came toward the water. Then he went toward Mainland. He called to them to hurry, [saying] “Hurry up in your minds,” but he saw nothing. He spoke in the Tsimshian tongue. Then one with an old-fashioned cape and a paddle over his shoulder came seaward. This is how he started it that the Mainland people would be industrious.

Pushing off again toward this country, he disembarked near the south end of the island. On a ledge a certain person was walking. Toward the woods, too, among fallen trees, walked another. Then he knocked him who was walking along the shore into the water. Yet he floated, face up. When he again knocked him in the same thing was repeated. He was unable to drown him. This was because the Ninstints people were going to practise witchcraft. And he who was walking among the trees had his face cut by the limbs. He did not wipe it. This was Greatest-crazy-one (Qōnā′ñ-sg̣ā′na), they say.

He then turned seaward and started for the Heiltsuk coast (ʟdjîñ). [182] As he walked along he came to a spring salmon that was jumping about and said to it: “Spring-salmon, strike me over the heart.” Then it turned toward him. It struck him. Just as he recovered from his insensibility it went into the sea. Then he built a stone wall close to the sea and behind it made another. When he told it to do the same thing again the spring salmon hit him, and, while he was on the ground, after jumping along for a while, it knocked over the nearer wall. But while it was yet moving along inside the farther wall he got up, hit it with a club, killed it, and took it up. [183]

He then called in the crows to help him eat it. They made a fire and roasted it [on hot stones]. He afterward lay down with his back to the fire. He told them to wake him when it was cooked. He then overslept. And they took everything off from the fire and ate. They ate everything. They then poked some of the salmon between his teeth. And he awoke after he had slept a while and told them to take the covering off the roast. And they said to him: “You ate it. After that you went to sleep.” “No, indeed, you have not taken the coverings off yet.” “Well, poke a stick between your teeth.” He then poked a stick between his teeth. He poked out some from his teeth. He thereupon spit into the crows’ faces and said: “Future people shall not see you flying about looking as you do now.” They were white, they say, but since that time they have been black.

And walking away from that place he sat down near the end of a trail. After he had wept there for a while some people with feathers on their heads and gambling-stick bags on their backs came to him and asked him what the matter was. “Oh, my mother and my father are dead. Because they told me I was born [in the same place] as you I wander about seeking you.” They then started home with him. Lo, they came to a house. Then they made him sit down. One of the men went around behind the screens by the wall passage. After staying away for a while [he came in and] his legs were wet. He brought a salmon with its back just broken. They rubbed white stones against each other to make a fire. Near it they cut the salmon open. They put stones into the fire, roasted the salmon, and, when it was cooked, made him sit down in the middle. There they ate it. These were the Beavers, they say. They were going out to gamble, but turned back on account of him.

One of them again went behind the screens. He brought out a dish of cranberries, and that, too, they finished. Again he went in. He brought out the inside parts of a mountain goat, and they divided them into three portions, and made Raven’s portion big. Then they said to him: “You had better not go away. Live with us always.” They then put their gambling-stick bags upon their backs and started off.

When it was near evening they came home. He was sitting in the place [where they had left him]. Again one went in. He again brought out a salmon. They steamed it. And they also brought out cranberries. They also brought out the inside parts of a mountain goat. After they had eaten they went to bed. On the next day, early in the morning, after they had eaten three sorts of food, they put the gambling-stick bags upon their backs and started off again.

He then went behind the screen. Lo, a lake lay there. From it a creek flowed away in which was a fish trap. The fish trap was so full that it looked as if some one were shaking it. There were plenty of salmon in it, and in the lake very many small canoes were passing one another. Several points were red with cranberries. Lēn [184] and women’s songs [185] resounded.

Then he pulled out the fish trap, folded it together, and laid it down at the edge of the lake. He rolled it up with the lake and house, put them under his arm, and pulled himself up into a tree that stood close by. They were not heavy for his arm.

He then came down and straightened them out. And he lighted a fire, ran back quickly, brought out a salmon, and cooked it hurriedly. He ate it quickly and put the fire out again. Then, sitting beside it, he cried.

As he sat there, without having wiped away his tears, they came in. “Well, why are you crying?” “I am crying because the fire went out some time ago.” They then talked to each other, and one of them said to him: “That is always the way with it.”

They then lighted the fire. One of them brought out a salmon from behind [the screens] and they cut it across, steamed, and ate it. After they had finished eating cranberries and the inside parts of a mountain goat they went to bed. The next morning, very early, after they had again eaten the three kinds of food, they took their gambling-stick bags upon their backs and went off.

He at once ran inside. He brought out a salmon, cooked it, and ate it with cranberries and the inside parts of a mountain goat. He then went in and pulled up the fish trap. He flattened it together with the house.

After he had laid them down he rolled the lake up with them and put all into his armpit. He pulled himself up into a tree standing beside the lake. Halfway up he sat down.

And after he had sat there for a while some one came. His house and lake were gone from their accustomed place. After he had looked about the place for some time he glanced up. Lo, he (Raven) sat there with their property. Then he went back, and both came toward him. They went quickly to the tree. They began working upon it with their teeth. When it began to fall, he (Raven) went to another one. When that, too, began to fall he sat down with his [burden] on one that stood near it. After he had gone ahead of them upon many trees in the same way they gave it up. They then traveled about for a long time, they say. After having had no place for a long time they found a lake and settled down in it.

Then, after he (Raven) had traveled around inland for a while, he came to a large open place. He unrolled the lake there. There it lay. He did not let the fish trap or the house go. He kept them to teach the Seaward (Mainland) people and the Shoreward (Queen Charlotte islands) people, they say.

While he was walking along near the edge of the water [he saw] a part of some creature looking like a woman sticking out of the water at the mouth of Lalgī′mi. [186] He was fascinated by her, made a canoe, and went to her. When he got near she went under the water in front of him. After he had made a canoe of something different he went to her again. When he got near to her she sank into the water. He made one of something still different. Again she sank into the water before him.