36 GEOEGE M. DAWSON ON THE 



eagle and the mouse were sitting ou a crag above the lake and the skunk saw only their 

 reflection in the water. The skunk, however, ejected his malodorous secretion into the 

 lake several times, till he had exhausted the supply, when looking up at last he was 

 chagrined to see the pair laughing at him for his pains. Ever since this time the lake 

 has had its present peculiar colour. 



Plp'-tsutl or "Trout Lake," situated about fifteen miles south-south-west of Kamloops, 

 is said to have been a resort of the " water people," who are spoken of under the same 

 name as those of Adams Lake. It is also said that in this lake, when the Indians are 

 spearing fish by torchlight, they can see in the bottom a cleft, from which great numbers 

 of fish come out, but all are imperfect or half-fish wanting the tail end. Long ago the 

 old people used to catch these half-fish, but the water is so deep that they can never spear 

 them now. A similar story is told of the lake at the head of Edwards' Creek, a tributary 

 of the North Thompson, and here also are " water people." These, on fine, calm, warm 

 days have been seen to the number of two or more floating upon the surface asleep. 

 " Water people" are also said to have inhabited Stump Lake, south of Kamloops. 



Nearly all the large lakes in British Columbia, whether in the regions inhabited by 

 the Shuswaps or Tinneh, are reported to contain or to have contained monsters of some 

 kind. Thus Adams Lake was inhabited by two " water people," a man and a women. 

 These are said to have been about twice the size of ordinary human beings, with human 

 heads, long hair and tails like fish, the description agreeing with that ordinarily given of 

 mermen or mermaids. Their particular abode was at the foot of a cliff on the east side of 

 the lake, about five miles from its lower end, where it is said a hole may be seen below 

 water which served them as a doorway. Indians were afraid to pass this point in canoes, 

 as when doing so the winds frequently arose in consequence of the malign power of 

 the " water people," and canoes were swamped and the occupants drowned. At last, so 

 the story runs, the Indians made a combined onslaught on these " water people," shooting 

 arrows at them from the lake and at the same time rolling stones into the upper aperture 

 of the cave or fissure which they inhabited, which it appears was somewhere on the hill 

 above. After this a very strong wind blew over the lake for four days, and then the 

 " water people " were seen taking their departure down Adams River, one going thence 

 in the direction of Kamloops, the other to some place in the vicinity of Copper Island, on 

 G-reat Shuswap Lake. These " water people " are known by the name of kul-a-moo-whot'- 

 kwa, with the above meaning. 



I had previously (in 1877) heard from the Indians that a monster or monsters of 

 some kind lived about Copper Island. Mr. J. McEvoy subsequently ascertained that 

 here also habits similar to those attributed to the " water people " of Adams Lake were 

 given to those of Copper Island. It is stated that they were here killed by three wood- 

 peckers The " water people " at first took refuge in a cave which opened below the 

 level of the lake. The first wood-pecker, the red-naped sap-sucker {Tau-lara'-Inv'i-ox) tried 

 to split the rock but failed. Next the flicker (Tsuk-isu-Im'asp') tiled and failed. Then the 

 pileated wood-pecker {Tsvk-we-kain') struck the rock a great blow, when it split open 

 and all three joined in destroying the " water people." 



The " water people " are also said to have haunted the vicinity of Battle Bluff", on 

 Kamloops Lake. The Indian name of the bluff" is Hoom-a-tat'-kwa} It was dangerous for 



' The same name is applied to Copper Island, previonsly mentioned, but mean."? merely " in the middle of the 

 lake." 



