THE KWAKIUTL INDIANS. 



451 



see anything there. Therefore he felt badly and was about to turn 

 homeward. Then he discovered steam rising halfway down the moun- 

 tain. He went to that place. It was evening when he arrived there. 

 He saw a lake with steep precipices all around it, like to a washtub. 

 He tried to iind a way to go down to the lake. He slept during the 

 night. In the morning he twisted 

 cedar twigs. He made four loug 

 pieces so that the end reached down 

 to the water. ISTow he saw a small 

 island floating on the lake. He 

 climbed down the cedar rope and 

 came to the lake. Then the fishes 

 in the lake covered his whole body 

 and sucked at it. After he had 

 bathed he climbed up the rope 

 again. The fishes had sucked at 

 his body so that it was all covered 

 with blood. In the evening he 

 climbed down again. The fishes 

 tormented him in the same manner. 

 Then he climbed up again and saton 

 the ground. The following morn- 

 ing he saw a cloud descending to 

 the lake. When the cloud lifted, what should he see? There was a 

 canoe on the lake with fifteen men in it. Fourteen were paddling and 

 one was standing in tlie bow of the canoe. He carried a spear in his 

 hand. They kept close to the island. Three times they went around it. 

 Then Xa'niats'amg-ilak" climbed down his rope. As soon as he reached 



rig. 81. 



NECK KING OP HA'MATS'A. 

 Cat. No. 169112, U. S. N. M. Collected Iiv F. Bo 



Fig. 82. 



KAVEN MASK. 

 Cat. No. IBinH, U. S. N. M. Collected by F. Knas. 



the water he dived and swam to the island. When he was near it, he 

 raised his head. After a short time the canoe came to the place where 

 he was in hiding. He took hold of the canoe under its bow. Then the 

 men became afraid and rushed, to the stern of the canoe. The chief 

 of the men said: "Look what stops our canoe!" One of the men saw 



