212 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [BTH. ASN. 3] 



examined the sticks that the woodworkers brought. Each had dune 

 his very best to make the best stick, and each brought a nicely carved 

 digging-stick into the chiefs house. The princess refused them, but 

 she took the one made of ash. 



On the following morning some more woodworkers went, five in all. 

 They made five digging-sticks of ash, and carved them as well as they 

 could. They took them to the princess, who examined them. Now 

 she had what she needed. The first time each of the woodworkei-s had 

 made his digging-stick out of other wood — one of spruce, another of 

 hemlock, another of fir, another of maple, another of yellow cedar. 

 Therefore the princess refused them. They were not strong enough. 

 The six digging-sticks of ash were red and strong and would not 

 break. 



Early the following morning they arose, and her husband said to 

 his father's attendants, 'Take my wife down to the low-water line." 

 Therefore the young men took her down on the same plank on which 

 she had come. She took one of the long digging-sticks and put it 

 down into the sand very deep. She took another one and put it- 

 down in the same way as the first one, and she did so with the rest 

 of the six sticks. Then she leaned on the first stick. Behold! there 

 was a large whale pierced through the back by the stick. She went 

 to another one, leaned against it, and it had speared a great sea lion. 

 She went to the next one, leaned on it, and there was a seal; aiiot her 

 one, and there was a large halibut; another one, and there was a 

 large red cod; and when she leaned on the last stick, there was a 

 great bullhead. After she had finished, the young men took her up 

 to the house. The people of the whole village carved the great 

 whale and cut off slices of blubber; and they carved the sea lion, 

 seal, halibut, red cod, and bullhead. They carried them into the 

 chief's house, and three houses were well filled. 



Then all the tribes of the Tsimshian heard of it, and they all came 

 together to buy food; and the prince sold the whale blubber and the 

 sea-lion blubber and all the large fishes and seals; and when he had 

 finished, his father's house was full of elk skins and all kinds of goods. 



On the following morning the young men carried her down again to 

 the low-water line. She was seated on the plank, and other young 

 men took down her digging-sticks. She put the first one very deep 

 into the ground, and then the other ones to the last one. Then 

 Peace. Woman went to the first stick, leaned on it, and there was a 

 great whale. She went to the second one, there was another whale, 

 and there was a whale at each of the six digging-sticks. She put 

 down the six digging-sticks again, and another six whales came up. 

 Then she stopped. Now she stood on her board, and pointed out one 

 large whale, which she gave to her father-in-law, and one whale to 

 each of the four brothers of her mother-in-law (that is, to her hus- 



