IMPLEMENTS AND WEAPONS OP GRAHAM ISLAND. S3 



Examples of the prices paid for such coppers may be interesting. Thus Taow-ked-oos 

 was sold by Edensaw to Legale, a Tshimsean chief, for ten slaves. Yen-an-taous was sold 

 by Edensaw to the same man for ten slaves, two large cedar canoes and one dance head- 

 dress. Tauw-kee-ass was purchased by a Tshimsean chief named Nees-thUm-on-oos from a 

 Haida chief for eight slaves, one large cedar canoe, one hundred elk skins and eighty 

 boxes of grease.' 



The devices graven on the upper part of the copper were according to fancy, and re- 

 presented the bear, eagle, crow, whale, etc. A conspicuous mark was always on these, 

 the (T) cross, and on the skill with which this was executed depended in a great measure 

 the value of the copper. This T or indentation is called in Haida Taotv-tsoo -eh, namely, 

 "back-bone of the taow." It was hammered, when fashioned, on a pattern by a peculiar 

 process known only to skilful workers, with the result that when the taow was finished 

 the indentation of the T was of the same thickness as the rest of the copper plate. If this 

 T proved thinner the value was consideiably diminished, in Itict the copper was considered 

 not genuine. 



Fantastic carving in red stone representing incidents and transformations related in traditions 

 of the doings of Ni-kil-stlass, an evil mischievous spirit, sometimes described as a creator. 

 [No. 1296.] — The inherent love of ornamentation and method of preserving tradition from 

 oblivion by means of imagery in absence of written symbols is w^ell shown by this carving. 



As an illustration, one of the traditions regarding the doings of Ni-kil stlass may be 

 here related. 



Ni-kil-stlass, who at this time has assumed the form of Yellh (the raven) washed to 

 become possessed of the moon, and so determined to steal it from a great spirit-chief who 

 owned it and guarded it with jealous care. In order to gain access to this spirit-chief's 

 lodge, the raven decided to change his form. He therefore transferred his spirit to a small 

 piece of moss which hung above a clear spring of water. A young woman, a chief 's 

 daughter and wife of the son of the above spirit-chief, came to the spring to take a drink 

 of water. She used a small basket or vessel made of woven roots. At that time the 

 small piece of moss fell into the spring, and was lifted in this vessel to the lips of the 

 woman, who blew it two or three times from her lips, but eventually swallow^ed it. In 

 time she bore a son, a remarkably small child. This child incessantly cried for the moon 

 to play with, thus — koong-ah-ah, koong-ah-ah ("The moon, the moon"). The spirit-chief 

 in order to quiet the child, after carefully closing all apertures of the house, produced the 

 moon and gave it to the child to play with. The child rolled it about for a time, 

 but now kept crying ah-ah-kineet, ah-ah-kineet. (" open the smoke-hole "). He also put the 

 moon in his mouth, but his mother observing this pi^lled it from him, but gave it to him 

 again to roll about. The smoke-hole had been opened a little. He still kept crying 

 ah-ah-kineet, till to quiet him the smoke-hole was opened a little more. Watching his 

 opportunity he quickly put the moon in his mouth, assumed the form of a raven and flew 

 out. He alighted on the summit of a high tree, where he hid the moon under his wing. 

 A number of people then took stone axes and commenced to fell the tree. When the tree 

 was nearly falling, the raven would fly to another tree. The people then began \o 

 fell the second tree, but again the raven would fly to another tree This was repeated 

 several times, until the people wept over their failure to recover the moon. A great chief 



' O'olachen fish grease; esteemed a delicacy. 



