ABORIGINAL AMP^RICAN BASKETRY. 327 



collect(^cl l)y N. J. Purcell, and in order to complete its history it is 

 necessiirv to know what the Ynkis ))elieve to be the oi'igin of the 

 workl. " In the ])co-inning there was no land; all was water. Dark- 

 ness prevailed everywhere. Over this chaos of dark waters hovered 

 'On-coye-to,' who appeared in the form of a beautiful white feather, 

 hence the love of the Yukis for f (Withers. In time the spirit became 

 weary of his incessant tlight thi-oui^h the murky space and lighted 

 down upon tiie face of the watei". Where he came in contact with the 

 water there w;is a whirlpool that spun his body round and round. 80 

 rapid became the motion that a heavy foam gathered al)out him. This 

 became more dense and expanded in width and length. It gathered 

 up the passing bubbles until it was a huge Hoating island. On the 

 bosom of this rested the snowy form of ()n-coy(^-t(). As he lay upon 

 this island after an almost endless flight through the dark space, the 

 idea of a permanent resting place came into his mind. 80 ho made 

 the land and divided it from tlie water. From the form of a feather 

 he assumes that of a luan and rested upon the land. Still there was 

 no light, and the spirit was troubled. On-coye-to saw far off in the 

 firmament a star, po-ko-lil-ey, and resolved to visit it and learn how it 

 emitted its sparkling light. After a long journey he arrived and 

 found a large and Ix^autifully lighted world, inhal)ited ])y a numerous, 

 hospitalde people. Still, he saw not whence came the light. He was 

 allowed free access to all the habitations save one, ' the sweat house.' 

 This was guarded night and day, and was accessible only to sick per- 

 sons. Finally a great hunt was planned, and as the time drew near all 

 was prepared for the occasion. But On-coye-to feigned sickness, that 

 he might investigate the sweat house. When the morning arrived for 

 the hunt he was too ill to accompany the hunters, A council was held 

 to determine whether this stranger should be admitted to the sweat 

 house, Avhich is even now a sacred place with the Yuki tribe, and it 

 was decided to give him the benetit of this house of medicine, religion, 

 gambling, and man}^ othei- practices. A few old men were left to 

 administer to his wants and to see that all went well. As he entered 

 the sweat house he was almost blinded by the light that Hashed upon 

 him. As he became accustomed to it he looked around him and dis- 

 covered its origin. Hanging high over his head in several baskets 

 were as many beautiful suns. Having found the fountain of light he 

 waited patiently until the old men were all asleep, then climbed cau- 

 tiously to what seemed the brightest of the suns, took down the basket 

 which held it, slipped from the sweat house and made his way rapidly 

 back toward his own world. He was hotly pursued by the indignant 

 warriors, l)ut he arrived safely after many adventures. He hung the 

 sun in its basket far in the east, then surveyed it. It did not light up 

 to suit him and he moved it a little higher. Still it did not suit him, 

 so he continued to move it on and on, and is moving it to the present 



