410 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1805. 



The origin of the sumise dauce is given as follows : 

 Knf'xala'lag'ilis and his tribe, the first of the G-o'p'euox, were living 

 at G-e'damis. At that time it was always dark and it never grew day- 

 light. The first G-O'p'euox were sad. Then Nag-eisilakua invited his 

 tribe. As soon as they had all assembled in the chief's house he spoke: 

 "G'o'p'enox! I did not invite yon to eat. I will talk about our world. 

 It is not good that it never gets daylight. ^o^\ deliberate, councilors 

 of the G-o'p'enox, how we can obtain the daylight for our world. That 

 is what I wanted to say." He stopped speaking and an old man named 

 Yaqautayig-ilak", the father of Kuexala'lag-ilis, said: " Ya, G-o'p'enox, 

 let us try to find where Nenalaats'eqa is living and let us go to her. 

 Then another old man said : " My tribe, she is living at Xua/tis; and it 

 is said that she keei^s the sun in her box. Let us go and make war 

 upon the Koskimo, for Nenalaats'eqa is of their tribe. Let us take 

 away the daylight that she is keeping in her box." With this the old 

 man stopped speaking. ThenKuexala'lag-ilis, who had magical powers, 

 said: "My tribe, you all know I am Knexala'lag'ilis; 1 have magical 

 powers. Do not make war upon the Koskimo, for I will go to Nena- 

 laats'eqa with my friend Ts'eqaxsdo'kuilak". Now, make yourself 

 ready, my friend ! Let us go to Xua'tis. But you, my tribe, take care 

 lest misfortune should befall me." Then all the people said: "We 

 are gladdened after having been downcast, because you have magical 

 powers and therefore you always succeed in your undertakings." ^ow 

 Kuexala'lag'ilis and Ts'eqaxsdo'kuilak" started. The former said to 

 his friend : '' We will not go right to Xua/tis. I will go to the woods and 

 try to find a really supernatural power. Do not get out of patience 

 if you have to wait for me for a long time, else we shall not con- 

 quer Nenalaats'eqa. Hide here and do not let anyone see you." Then 

 he left the canoe and went into the woods at night. After a short time 

 he discovered the squirrel. Kuexala'lag-ilis. spoke to him and asked: 

 "What are you doing here, friend?" The squirrel replied: "I am i)ick- 

 ing crab apples." He asked in his turn: "What are you doing here?'' 

 Kuexala'lag'ilis replied : "I am trying to bathe in that lake, that I may 

 obtain possession of the box in which is our sun, and which Nr-na- 

 laats'iMja is keeping." The squirrel said : "Do you not know how to 

 transform yourself into a baby and enter Xenalaats'eqa's womb? 

 Then, when you are born, you must cry for the box." Then Kuexa- 

 la'lag-ilis was glad to have the advice of his friend the squirrel. He 

 went to his canoe and told his friend: "You may go home. I am not 

 going with you, and do not worry if I stay away long." He pushed 

 the canoe into the water and Ts'eqaxsdo'kuilak" paddled home to 

 G-e'damis. He told the G-d'p'enox what had ha])pened. 



Then Kuexala'lag-ilis walked until he saw the village at Xua/tis. 

 There he saw Nenalaats'eqa sitting in her house, eating salmon. 

 Then he transformed himself into a baby and entered her womb. She 

 vomited at once. Her belly swelled rapidly and after four days she 



