Tsimshian Texts 2_ Story of GunaxnêsEmga'd
Author: Unknown
Date: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Tsimshian Texts: 2. Story of GunaxnęsEmg*a’d.

Sacred Texts Native American Northwest Index Previous Next p. 147

2. Story of GunaxnęsEmg*a’d.

There was a certain river named KsE-da’ul. There lived the G*idzExlâ‘0l. Every summer they dried salmon and all kinds of berries, and really all kinds of food, getting ready to finish them for winter food.

And one day ten young women arose to pick salmonberries, and among them was one noble woman. They went on the trail, and the noble woman stepped on the dung of a bear with her foot. Then she was very angry, and said, “Ugh! I stepped on the dung of a great bear, slave!” She was very proud, therefore she said so.

They went along and picked berries. When they had filled their boxes, they returned (going) down. They came to the trail. They carried their boxes around their necks. They had tied too-ether their boxes. Ropes were on them, by means of which they carried them. Therefore they carried them easily while they were returning,

While they were going down, the strap of the box of the noble woman broke who had said “Ugh!” (when she stepped on) the dung of the bear. Then the salmonberries fell to the ground. They were scattered about. Her companions gathered them again. They filled her box again.

Then they went on again. After they had been going down for some time, the strap of the box broke again.

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[paragraph continues] Then they dropped to the ground. They fell suddenly and were scattered about, and the berries were mixed with dirt. Then three of her companions left her, and six waited. They helped her gather the berries. They put them again into the box. After they had finished, they had put them all into it. Then they also fastened the strap of the box.

They were going down again for some time when the strap of the box broke again.

Her berries fell down again. Then two of her companions left her again, continuing to go down. Four staid behind. Those who staid with her helped her.

Then they went again. After they had been going for some time, the strap of the box broke again. Then two more left her, continuing to go down, and two waited, and those also staid with her.

Then they went on again, and after some time, the strap of the box broke again.

The (berries) fell down to the ground. Then one more left her, continuing to go down. There was only one who waited for her; she did not leave her, but watched her. Then the princess finished gathering her berries.

Then they again went down; and after they had been going for some time, the strap of the box broke again. Then they were near the town. Then the princess said to her companion, “Go and leave me.” Then the one who had watched her left.

She went down very quickly, because it was about to be night.

Now, the princess gathered the berries which she had picked. She finished putting them into her box. Then two young men came in front of her, meeting her.

They said to her, “We will carry down your box.” Then the p. 151
young woman was glad. She gave them her box, and they went along and along. Then they went out of the woods (and arrived in) a town.

Then the young woman knew that this was not her father’s town, (but) the two young men forced her to accompany them to the place where they entered their house. Then the woman [suddenly] stood outside.

Then the father asked the young men, “Did you not get what you went for, my dear ones?” Then one of them said, “We succeeded. She is standing outside.” Then the chief sent out two young women. “Accompany her into the house, so that my son and she may be married.”

Then the two young women who were to take her in went out. Then the young woman just sat down on one side of the house. Then an old woman went to her. She asked the young woman, “Don’t you know who did this to you?” Then the young woman said, “No.”—“It is the black bear who took you,—the one about whose dung you said, ‘Ugh!’ For that reason he did this to you.” That old woman was Mouse-Woman.

As soon as the princess sat down, she caused her to take off her ear-ornaments, and she made her burn them. Then the woman did as Mouse-Woman said.

Mountain-goat wool and abalone shell were on her ear-ornaments. Therefore Mouse-Woman begged for them, for that was used with ear-ornaments.

The fore-arms of the woman were also covered with copper bracelets. Then Mouse-Woman gave her advice: “Every time when you go out, dig in the ground.

Then defecate in there. When you go, cover it over, then take your bracelets and put them down on top of it.”

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[paragraph continues] Then the princess did as Mouse-Woman said. Then she put a bracelet on the ground.

Two young women always went with her. When the woman left her excrements, suddenly the two young women ran towards the place. Then they found the copper bracelets on the ground. They took a stick and pushed it through the copper bracelets. Then they took them in and showed them to the people. Then the old people said, “Oh, maybe this is why our dear one said, ‘Ugh!’ to our excrements.”

The eldest child of the Grizzly-Bear 1 had married the young woman. Early every morning the Grizzly-Bear men went out to get salmon. After the men had gone out to get salmon, their wives arose to get wood for their fire, to have it when their husbands returned after having caught salmon. They took the wood ashore from out of the water.

Then those who had gone fishing returned, and their wives made a large fire for the fishermen to dry their blankets. When they returned, their furs were full of water. Then they entered and stood around the fireplace. Then they suddenly shook their furs over the great fires, but the great fires were not extinguished.

When the young woman saw what the Grizzly-Bear women were doing ever), day, then she thought she would also carry (fire-wood). One day she arose and went into the woods. Her two young sisters-in-law accompanied her. Then she carried dry fire-wood. Now, the fishermen entered again, and the woman put on the fire-wood.

Then the fire blazed up. The Grizzly-Bears stood about the p. 155
fire and shook their blankets over the fire. Then the fire that the young woman had made was suddenly extinguished. Then she was much ashamed because the fire that she had made was extinguished.

Then Mouse-Woman came again. She said, “Take ashore from out of the water the fire-wood that you get.” (Therefore the people know to-day that such wood burns like coals.) Then the woman obeyed what her friend had said.

On, e day she went again, and she took fire-wood from out of the water. Then she made her fire burn before her husband returned. Then the fishermen entered again and stood around the fire. They shook their blankets over the fire, and it was not extinguished. Then her husband was glad when he saw it.

It was midsummer when the Black Bear had taken the woman, and now it was autumn.

One day she was sad on account of her parents. She was very homesick. She cried every time she remembered those whom she had left behind when she married.

Then Mouse-Woman came again. She asked her why she was sad. Then the princess told her that she was homesick for her parents. Mouse-Woman said to her, “Escape, go on! The camp of your parents is not far from here. It is really not far from here. Therefore when you escape, go to your parents. ‘rake the trail that leads back behind the house. There is only one. It leads across the top of the mountain and runs down the river on the other side of the mountain. That is the mouth of KsE-da’ul where it runs into the Skeena River. When you come out of the woods on the other side, you will see a canoe floating on the water, and in it is a man. He is looking down into the water, about to harpoon p. 157
seals. Call him ashore. Call his name. His name is Floating-Across. Ask him to take you aboard with him in his canoe. Promise him the wealth of your father, all your father’s property, or that he may marry you.”

Then the words of Mouse-Woman to her were ended. The princess arose with the two young women who accompanied her again and again. Then they came into the woods.

Then she tied the two young women to stumps. She told them that she would go farther for a little while to carry (fuel). Then she went really slowly; but when she reached the trail, she ran up the mountain. She came to the top of the mountain, and then she ran down the other side. Then she heard the Grizzly-Bears howling behind, pursuing her.

Then the princess cried while she was running, being afraid. Then she ran out of the woods where the trail ran along the ground. Then she looked towards the water. Behold! a canoe was drifting out on the water. Then the woman was very tired, and she really cried and said, “Take me aboard, my dear!” but the man paid no heed to what the woman said who asked to be taken aboard. Then she said again, “Will you if my father’s property is your property; if my father’s elks are your elks; if my father’s canoes are your canoes; if my father’s slaves are your slaves; if my father’s coppers are your coppers; if I become your wife?”

As soon as she said, “If I become your wife,” Floating-Across hit his canoe with his club and spoke to his canoe. It is not known what words he spoke when the Bears were running out of the woods. Then the copper canoe p. 159
floated close to the place where the woman was standing near the water. Then the woman jumped aboard the canoe, and he struck the canoe again. Then it drifted out again where it had been floating on the water before.

Then the great Grizzly-Bears shouted towards the water, “Give me my wife whom you got! Why did you run away with my wife? Give her to me, else I may go to you and I’ll bite your canoe to pieces!”

Then the Grizzly-Bears stood together, intending to take back the young woman.

The man who staid in his canoe did not mind what the great Grizzly-Bears said to him. Instead he always looked down into the water, looking for seals. The princess followed the advice of Mouse-Woman when she asked to be taken aboard by Floating-Across.

Then all the Grizzly-Bears swam away from shore to break the canoe to pieces.

When all the Grizzly-Bears reached near the copper canoe, (the man) suddenly arose. He struck, the edge of his canoe. “Raise your ears, Gugwala [?]” Then his canoe became alive. it was very strong. Its name was Was 2-on-Each-Side, for it had mouths at each end. Then it turned round and bit through the necks of the Grizzly-Bears.

(This canoe was like the mouth of a crocodile. This animal existed at the time of the former people, but not now.)

When the canoe had vanquished the Grizzly-Bears, the dead bodies of the Grizzly-Bears drifted on the water. (The man) was very glad because he had won over those who had bothered him. This one was the owner [person in] of the lake, and lived at the bottom of the lake.

Then he went along inside of the canoe towards the p. 161
woman whom he had taken aboard. He embraced the woman, and he put his head in the lap of the woman. Then Floating-Across said to the woman, “Seek for lice on my head.” Then the young woman searched his head. She found a louse. She was much frightened when she saw that it was a frog. Then he said, “Bite it.” The woman only made a noise biting her nail. When she made a noise biting her nail, she said, “I am biting your louse.” Then the love of the man increased very much when she had bitten his louse.

Then he and his new wife went ashore to the place where he staid. He had caught many seals to give them to his old wife. Then his old wife went down to the beach, and she saw the new wife whom he had married.

When they had finished taking the seals out of the canoe, the great woman put some of the seals aside. She said, “These shall be the seals of my sister.” Then the man lay near his new wife in the night. Wolverene-Woman was his old wife.

Then the man loved his new wife more because she was still young.

Then the man arose first in the morning. He said to his new wife, “If you hear a noise in our house, do not look up. That one might kill you.”

Then, while it was still morning, the man went out to harpoon seals. When the man had gone out, his old wife also arose and sat down to eat the seals which he had obtained the day before. Then the young woman heard the noise of biting on the other side of the house. It sounded as though a dog were eating. Then she heard the noise becoming louder. Suddenly she looked up. Behold! it was Wolverene-Woman, who bolted down a whole (seal, beginning at) one end [eating the seal].

As soon as the young woman looked up, Wolverene-Woman p. 163
began to choke. She almost died. When she recovered her breath, she went to the place where the young woman was lying, and she bit through her neck. Then the woman was dead.

The man felt that his new wife was dead. He quickly returned ashore. As soon as he reached the shore, he asked Wolverene-Woman, “What has happened to the one near you?” Then Wolverene-Woman said, “My sister has been asleep all day long.”

Then the man said, “If you have done any wrong to her, I shall kill you.”

Then he went to the place where his new wife lay. Behold! she had been dead for a long time. Therefore he became very angry with Wolverene-Woman. He killed her.

He was almost unable to kill her, because as soon as he cut her head off, it went back of itself. He did so many times. Finally he cut her flesh to pieces and sprinkled hellebore (?) on it. Then Wolverene-Woman was really dead.

Then the man took out the heart of his old wife and swung it over the dead body of his new wife. Then his new wife came to life. He cut to pieces the flesh of Wolverene-Woman and buried it in the house; it was the end of the fire where he buried her. Then his love for his new wife increased.

One day [again] his nine brothers-in-law came out of the woods to visit their sister who had been dead for some time. His brothers-in-law asked him where their sister was. Then the man said, “She went one day to visit you.” Then they told him that they had not seen her and had not met her.

Each carried along meat, which they were going to give to their sister. It was dried meat of the mountain-goat

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which their sister was to eat. Then the man said secretly to his young wife, “Get ready to go. Go down to the beach and sit down in my canoe.”

Then the youngest brother smelled about. He ran about in the house, smelling.

Soon he found the place where his sister who had been killed lay. Then he cried, while he was digging with his claws where she was buried. Before he had dug out the body of his sister, the man escaped to the shore. He went quickly aboard his canoe. Then he struck it, and the canoe went way out from the shore with his new wife.

He loved his young wife very much. After some time the woman was with child; and when the time was completed, she gave birth to a boy. Then the man was very glad when he saw the boy. After the child was born, the young woman longed for her parents.

She cried, therefore her husband asked her why she was crying. She told him that she was homesick for her parents. Then the man said to her, “You shall go there.”

One day the woman arose, and the man gave her his copper canoe and his club for the boy. Then he said to his wife, “When the child is grown up, give him devil’s-club every day until he is really grown up.”

Then he gave her a bow and arrows and the otter club. “You shall call him GunaxnęsEmg*a’d.” Then the woman started with her child. Then she came to her father’s village. She took the otter club and the bow and the arrows and put them into the copper canoe.

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Then she hid it right behind the town. Then she went down to the beach and went to her father’s house; but her father and her mother had been dead a long time.

Both had died because they were heavy at heart when their only daughter had been lost; but her four uncles remained alive.

First she entered the house of the eldest one, but the eldest one would not let her in [refused her out]. Then she went to the next eldest uncle, but he also spoke and refused her (admittance). Then she went to the house of the middle one, and he also would not let her in [refused her out]. Then she entered the house of her youngest uncle. Her uncle was very sad, and he allowed her to stay in his house.

She staid in the corner. That is where the poor people used to stay, for the child always had diarrha [the insides of the child always ran through] because his mother always gave him devil’s-club. The reason she did so was that he should have good luck in all that he desired. Therefore his mother gave him devil’s-club to eat. Therefore she always washed him.

He had four young men for his friends. He grew up well. When the time was completed, they died of starvation again. It was winter, and many people died in every country. It was so because they were starving.

Then the young man called his friends. He said, “If we stay here the whole winter, we shall also die of hunger. Come on! Let us travel about by canoe!”

Then his friends arose. Then he told his mother about it, and his mother allowed him (to go). Then his mother went to the place where the copper canoe was hidden. She just took out the otter club and the bow and the p. 169
arrows, and she gave them to her son. Then he started secretly early one morning with his four friends, and he wont about in the neighborhood of Metlakahtla. He went towards the south. That is where he went first.

Then he saw that the rocks were full of seals. The prince dipped his otter club into the water. The otter dived, going to the place where the seals lay sleeping. Then the otter verily destroyed all the seals on the rocks. Then he also shot them with his arrows. The number of the seals (he killed) was ten score. He filled his canoe with the seals he had killed, for seals were our principal food in winter.

When the day went down, the great canoe arrived and went into (the bay of) Metlakahtla. The seal-flippers showed over the gunwale of the canoe, and there were five men in it. Then the people did not know where he came from. All the people were puzzled. Then his mother went out. She said, “I think that is my child whom you see, whom his father called GunaxnęsEmg*a’d.”

Then the three brothers of his mother laughed at her. Then they said to his mother, “That is your dear Diarrha-Child, the one whom you see.” When they were saying this, the canoe quickly came ashore below the house where the mother lived. Then he gave little seals to those who had paddled for him, and he gave ten to each of the uncles of his mother, but he gave twenty seals to the youngest one. Then they carried them up. Then they all were happy.

Then the prince was a good hunter. He knew how to use the bow. That young man was an expert hunter of water-animals,—sea-lions, sea-otters, and seals,—and of all kinds of animals. All kinds of animals were killed by him.

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Then his mother sold bear-meat and all kinds of land-animals to those who were starving. Not long (after this) she made a great potlatch, and then she named the name which his father had given to him, GunaxnęsEmg*a’d, and his wealth increased among the people.

Then he wished to marry the daughter of his uncle, but the father of the woman did not agree. Therefore the princess escaped with the young man, for the princess desired him very much. Then the young man married his cousin.

He took down his copper canoe. This was the most valuable property of our grandfathers. Then he made copper-plates. (Only chiefs had copper-plates. They would make copper-plates. A single copper-plate was very hard to buy, and a great amount of property—a large number of slaves, canoes, and all kinds of property—would equal it in value.) He made ten copper-plates out of the canoe that his father had given to him when he was small. Three copper-plates he gave as a marriage gift to his father-in-law, and three he gave to the uncles of his wife, and several to his uncles. Thus he distributed them.

Not very long after he was married, the hunters were excited pursuing a white sea-otter which was going along the channel below the old town of Metlakahtla.

Then the mother-in-law of GunaxnęsEmg*a’d heard that the white sea-otter was going along the channel. She said to her son-in-law, “I wish you to shoot the white sea-otter. I will use it to make a blanket. Do not make a spot of blood on its fur.”

Then the young man and his four friends arose. They went aboard the canoe.

Behold! a large white sea-otter was swimming along the channel on the water.

Many canoes were pursuing it. Then the young man hit the p. 173
great white sea-otter. He took it aboard his canoe. Then he gave the sea-otter to his mother-in-law. Then she took off the skin of the sea-otter. Suddenly a drop of blood fell from the place where the arrow had hit it; therefore the chieftainess said to the young woman, “My dear, wash the skin in the water below the house.”

Then the young woman took the skin. She went down to the beach and washed it in the water. She spread it on the water and washed off the blood. Then she kicked it in the water and rinsed it out. Then she threw it flat on the water. Suddenly it drifted out seaward. She followed it seaward. Still it was going out while she was following it.

It quickly went far out to where it was deep, and she followed it to where it was deep. Then suddenly two killer-whales came up, and came out of the water.

One of the killer-whales put the wife of GunaxnęsEmg*a’d on (his back) at the base of his dorsal fin. Then they went out with her seaward, and the woman was all the time sitting on his back. Every time the killer-whale came up, she shouted, asking GunaxnęsEmg*a’d to come.

Then his four friends called him. He took down the canoe and a rope, hellebore, and a chamber-vessel. Then he took his bow and his arrows. Then they went down to pursue the killer-whales which had run away with his wife. Then they paddled with all their strength. The killer-whales were going northward. When the two killer-whales came to the foot of the great mountain Kwę0xt, they suddenly went down head-first to the bottom of the water. They went down head-first with the woman.

When the canoe came to the place where the killer-whales had gone down head-first, (GunaxnęsEmg*a’d) took the rope and he put a stone at its end. Then he threw

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it down (into the water). After he had finished one, he tied another one to its end, and he finished when they touched below (the bottom).

Then GunaxnęsEmg*a’d said to those who were with him, “When I touch (the bottom), I shall swing the rope. When you feel it swinging, you will know that I touched (the bottom). Then just float about until I return. Then I shall again swing the rope when I return, and then you shall pull it up.”

Then he went down the rope hand over hand. When he reached down below the bottom of the water, he shook the rope, and those with him knew that he had touched dry ground at the bottom of the water.

Then he went along (a trail). Then he came where geese were digging roots.

GunaxnęsEmg*a’d took his knife, and cut across the eyes of the geese. The geese had been blind. Then all the geese [together] were very glad when they saw the light. Then they sang because they were happy,—

“Open are my eyes, gw’ala,

Open are my eyes, gw’ala,

Open are my eyes, gw’ala,”

Then they all sang together,

“That happened to me too,

That happened to me too,

That happened to me too.”

“The one who took your wife went past near you. just go along! We shall help you.”

Then GunaxnęsEmg*a’d went past the place where they were. After some time he came to a place where a Beaver was, who was working on the water. Then GunaxnęsEmg*a’d assisted him and cut down trees. Then p. 177
the Beaver was very happy. He told him, “The one who did that to your wife went by near you.” Then the Beaver also said, “I shall help you. I shall make lakes here. just go along!” Then he went along, following the killer-whales.

He was near the town of the Killer-Whales, and then he came to the end of the town. Then he saw a small house standing there. He entered. Then the great old Crane saw him, who was warming his back by the fire. As soon as GunaxnęsEmg*a’d entered, Crane-Woman at once shouted to warn the people of the town. It was she who really watched the camp.

Then GunaxnęsEmg*a’d quickly held out to her tobacco, when the great Crane opened her mouth, and he held out to her something to make a harpoon-point. Then he gave it to her to make a harpoon-point, to eat flounders, and to use it at the end of her nose.

Then Crane-Woman was suddenly quiet. She took GunaxnęsEmg*a’d and pushed him under her wings among her feathers. Then the Killer-Whales who lived in the town rushed into her house.—Then they asked her why she had spoken. Then Crane-Woman told them that she had fallen into the fire while warming her back, and that the feathers of her back were burned. Therefore she had spoken.

Then the Killer-Whales turned over [among] her feathers, searching. They did not find anything. Then the people went out again, and went to where they had come from.

Then GunaxnęsEmg*a’d came out of the place where he had hidden. Then Crane-Woman asked him, “Don’t you hear the noise in the woods? That is where they cut wood to make a fin for your wife. Therefore they cut wood. That is what you hear. Go to where the man is who is splitting wood. I shall help you right along.”

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[paragraph continues] Then GunaxnęsEmg*a’d went up to where he was splitting wood. He hid from the man who was splitting wood, and who put his wedge against it. He was using large copper wedges. He put it right against the great log.

GunaxnęsEmg*a’d quickly crawled into the log that the man was going to split.

Then the man took one of his copper wedges and put it endwise against the great log. Then he struck it with his great hammer. When he had struck it once, (the wedge) stood right in the mouth of GunaxnęsEmg*a’d because he had o-one inside of the log. Then he bit across (the point of the) copper wedge, and it was broken in the log.

Then (the slave) took another copper wedge and put it on again, and he struck it. It happened as it had been before. His wedge was broken again in (the log).

Then the great man stood there. He did not say anything. He cried; and while he was crying, he talked to himself, saying, “The chief will scold me on account of what happened to his copper wedge, I broke it,” and he was crying, “Yî, yî, yî!”

He was crying aloud.

Suddenly GunaxnęsEmg*a’d stood near the great man. “Why are you crying?” he said. “Why are you talking while you are crying?” Then the great slave suddenly opened his eyes, and he saw him who was standing near him. “My dear, I am crying on account of what has happened to my master’s copper wedges. I am afraid he will kill me. Therefore I am crying.”, And again he cried, “Hî, hî, hî!

GEmEs-n!ę‘0xl will scold on account of what happened to his copper wedges.”

Then GunaxnęsEmg*a’d said, “Give them to me. Let me see them.” Then the great slave showed him the copper wedges. Then GunaxnęsEmg*a’d took the two p. 181
copper wedges and put them into his mouth, and they were the same as they had been before. Then the great man was happy because his copper wedges were whole again.

GunaxnęsEmg*a’d also gave him something. He gave him also tobacco.

G*îlks-ats!â‘0ntk was the name of the slave. Then he reported to GunaxnęsEmg*a’d, and told him, “This is to be the wood to make a dorsal fin for your wife. Therefore this wood is being cut. You better hide when my two wives are coming. They might discover you.”

It was not long after GunaxnęsEmg*a’d had hidden when the wives of G*îlks-ats!â‘0ntk suddenly arrived to carry (the wood). They put their noses about, sniffing. “I smell the smell of GunaxnęsEmg*a’d, maybe. Hm, hm!” Then their great husband took a stick and drove them away, saying “Where should he come from of whom you speak, eh? Go along! Carry (the wood)! Get away! Go along!” These were the wives of this man. Otter-Woman was one, and Mink-Woman was the other. Therefore they scented the man.

Then they carried (the wood). They went down, and GunaxnęsEmg*a’d went up to G*îlks-ats!â‘0ntk again. He said to GunaxnęsEmg*a’d, “I shall carry rotten wood tied in a bundle. I wish you to creep into it. I shall place it on one side of the door of the house. Then my master will send me to get water. I shall dip it up in a large basket. When I enter, I shall fall with it from the top of the ladder. Then I shall throw my bucket of water on the fireplace. Then the inside of the house will be full of steam. Then come out on the rotten wood. Your wife is sitting in the rear of the house. Take her and run out with her. I shall swell up in the doorway. Then I shall close the doorway, and nobody will get over me.

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[paragraph continues] Then my wives will come and will peck my belly, and it will go down, and the people will pursue you.” Then he finished speaking this.

Then he carried the bundle of rotten wood in which GunaxnęsEmg*a’d was. He carried it into the house and placed it by the side of the door. As soon as the man had put it down, he saw his wife sitting by herself in front of the fire.

The fire in front of her was made to be very large. When the stones were red-hot, the chief sent G*îlks-ats!â‘0ntk to get water. Then he took a great basket and went to get water. When he returned, he entered, and suddenly fell.

Then he pushed the bucket on the fireplace. Then the inside of the house was full of smoke. Then the man ran out from where he was standing in the rotten wood. He went to where his wife was sitting, and ran out with her. Then the great belly of G*îlks-ats!â‘0ntk swelled up in the doorway, and nobody could get out. Then his wives came and pecked his belly.

GunaxnęsEmg*a’d, however, ran quickly, carrying his wife, and ran with her. When he came to the end of the town where his friend Crane was, Great-Crane stretched out her neck to harpoon GunaxnęsEmg*a’d with her great nose. Then she missed him when she was striking at him. Crane said to him, “Go along! I shall not destroy you.”

When he got past where Great-Crane was, he heard excitement behind, for the Killer-Whales were pursuing him. G*îlks-ats!â‘0ntk was ahead of all the Killer-Whales.

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He said, “Let us see! I shall be the first to overtake him, the slave about whom you are talking.”

Then he was the first again. When he was near behind GunaxnęsEmg*a’d, he said, “Go along, my dear! I shall help you.” Then the man who was carrying his wife took out part of his tobacco and threw it back at G*îlks-ats!â‘0ntk. Then he suddenly fell down again on the trail, and he swelled up on the trail.

GunaxnęsEmg*a’d recovered his breath. Then the wives of G*îlks-ats!â‘0ntk came again and pecked his belly, and his belly went down again, and all the Killer-Whales ran again, pursuing him.

Then GunaxnęsEmg*a’d came to where the Beaver was. As soon as he had come to the beaver-dams, the Beaver pointed out to him where a good trail lay, and helped him. Then he went along, and he left the place where (the Beaver) was. The all the Killer-Whales also arrived near where the Beaver was. Then the Killer-Whales fell down on the dams (?) of the Beaver. Then the man had recovered his breath.

For a little while the Killer-Whales stopped, but after a little while the Killer-Whales got past the dams of the Beaver, and they pursued him again.

Then G*îlks-ats!â‘0ntk overtook them again, and (GunaxnęsEmg*a’d) threw back some tobacco. Then said the one who was pursuing him, “Go along, my dear! Don’t worry! I shall help you.” When he came to a narrow place in the trail, the big one behind him fell down again, and his great bell), swelled up again and closed the trail, and the Killer-Whales could not get over him. Then his two wives came again and pecked his belly, and the trail was open again, and the Killer-Whales pursued him again.

187

After some time he arrived at the place where the Geese were. They were gathering roots. Then the Geese spoke, all at the same time. “Go along! We are here.” Then he went past where they were; but the Killer-Whales also arrived there. Then the Geese scattered their down, which went down [in] the throats of the Killer-Whales. They could not run. Their eyes were full of goose-down. The man recovered his breath. The Killer-Whales remained some time among the down.

But then he arrived at the place where the rope hung down, and he shook it. His companions in the canoe felt it, and they pulled up the rope. Then the man came up with his wife. He got into his canoe, and they paddled.

Then the Killer-Whales pursued him. When the Killer-Whales were quite near the stern of the canoe, the canoe began to rock (?). Then he poured out the hellebore and all the bad water, and the Killer-Whales were dead. They paddled on. After paddling for a long time, all the Killer-Whales were destroyed. Their dead bodies drifted about on the water. They became stone.

Only G*îlks-ats!â‘0ntk still followed the boat. He had told GunaxnęsEmg*a’d what to do when they were talking while he was getting wood. “[When] you (will) see (a Killer-Whale with) three fins, while all the other Killer-Whales have only one fin.” When he saw them, (and) the one Killer-Whale that had three fins, that was near the canoe, he gave it tobacco and fat and good things. He did not pour out hellebore.

After they had paddled along, the canoe arrived at Metlakahtla. Then the Killer-Whale who had followed them turned back. Then they landed where they had left. He had won over those who had bothered him.

180

He always continued to hunt, and killed all kinds of animals. He became a great chief among all the Tsimshian chiefs, on account of his experience in giving potlatches. He was a very rich chief. He knew how to kill all kinds of animals in the woods and on the waters. The man lived there for a long time. The Tsimshian were not starving in winter, because he killed all kinds of animals of the water and of the woods.

Then the people moved. They left Metlakahtla to go to Nass River to get olachen.

They do this now. Then GunaxnęsEmg*a’d also moved. He had four large canoes full of slaves. They moved first of all, and first camped at the end of Little-Crabapple-Tree above Place-of-Scalps. He made a large house and a large totem-pole of stone. Then he called together all the people to put up his stone totem-pole, and he called together all the supernatural beings of the mountain (those were the ones prayed to by our grandfathers and worshipped by them) and all the water animals that live under the ground.

He made a large house. Then all the people went in first, and all the animals, and all the supernatural beings of the mountain. In the evening they were all in the large house of GunaxnęsEmg*a’d. He divided the people and the animals and the supernatural beings who live in the mountain.

When all the animals and the supernatural animals of the sea entered, the water swelled and foam came in. Then the great house was full of foam. Then the water went down, and the foam melted away. Behold! when the water went down, all the crests that they used as their own crests were on their heads. That was the p. 191
greatest potlatch among all the potlatches of all times.

Then he called his name, so that all the supernatural beings might know it.

Y!aga-k!unę‘0sk was his name.

He finished the great potlatch, and then he told his guests to put up the great stone totem-pole. Then all his guests tried, and they almost raised it; but suddenly morning came, and all his guests were gone. Then the great stone leaned against the foot of the cliff at the edge of Little-Crabapple-Tree. But that was Y!aga-k!unę‘0sk’s last potlatch. He returned, and went to his father in the lake. He did not return among the people. He left them for good and his name staid among his relatives. That is a story of the Raven Clan.

Footnotes

153:1 Mr. Tate sometimes uses the word “Black Bear,” sometimes “Grizzly-Bear,”

for the beings who took away the woman.

159:2 The Was is a monster.

Next: 3. Gauô’