INDIANS OF WASHINGTON TERRITORY. 679 



no one in the house save an old man, Avho told them that the child was 

 farther on. They proceeded until they came to a prairie where was 

 excellent grass and some sheep, which were very lean and did not eat. 

 Next they came to a barren land where were some fat sheep, and again 

 to a good grass country with lean sheep. After a time they reached a 

 hill where were some children and j)ersons singing, and his leader told 

 him that his child was among them, but that he mvist not go over the 

 hill and see the child. The spirit then gave the dreamer some maple 

 leaves and huckleberry leaves, telLug him that the maj)le leaves would 

 be a girl and the others a boy, as children for him. He was also told 

 that he must not cry for his child as he now knew that it was safe, and 

 that he must not cry for other friends, as his wife or mother, if they 

 should die ; but if he felt very sad he might cry for three days. 



The man says that since that time, when a friend of his has died, he 

 only mourns for three days. His leader also told him that this world 

 would come to an end in three years. 



Snakes. — There is a tradition among the Twanas that a long time ago 

 they were not afraid of snakes, but that one man killed several, and at 

 last killed the king of snakes. Then all the small snakes gathered to- 

 gether and attacked the man, fastening themselves to his mouth, eyes, 

 ears, nose, ftice, and in many other places, and bit him, and killed him, 

 and now they are afraid to kill or even approach a snake. 



Future existence. — Their belief was that the next world was neither 

 above or below, but somewhere within the earth. There was only one 

 place for all, both good and bad. 



Incarnation. — The tribes under consideration, as well as the others in 

 this region, have a tradition that a great being called the changer went 

 all through this region and did many wonderful things. Whether this 

 be a dim tradition of the incarnation of Christ, or not, I can not de- 

 termine; but 1 have thought it might be. When the Indians first 

 heard of Christ they associated him at once with the changer, whom 

 they said they believed to be the great Creator. When I have been 

 teaching them about the coming of the Savior they have said they al- 

 ways knew of tliis, and have repeated some of their legends about the 

 changer, our God and this mythical being having the same name in 

 the Chinook jargon, Saghalie Tyee, but in the native language they 

 have diflierent names. 



God is called, in Twana, Wis s6-wul-us; in Nisqually, Shuk-si-ab ; 

 and in Klallam, Tsilt si— all of which, as well as the Chinook, Saghalie 

 Tyee, means the above chief, while the changer is called by the Twanas 

 and Nisquallies Do-ki-batt, and by the Klallams Nu-ki-matt. 



The following are the traditions concerning him : 



Klallam traditions express some uncertainty as to who this being 

 was, but they usually consider that it was a woman who came from the 

 south and changed human beings into lower animals and inanimate 

 objects. Protection Island, at the mouth of Port Discovery Bay, was 



