230 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ax\. .-.1 



men to the chief's house. He asked for their opinion, and they said, 

 "We believe that your son must have been successful." Therefore 

 the chief wanted to send a canoe on the next day to look for him. 

 On the following morning they started, and before evening they arrived 

 in front of Port Simpson. Behold! the surface of the water was 

 covered with grease. They paddled along, and when they came to the 

 place where they had left the prince, they went ashore. Behold! 

 they saw a great many bones on the beach; and the sand smelled of 

 grease in front of the old village; and the houses were full of dried 

 salmon, halibut, dried seals, sea lions, whale blubber; and four great 

 whales were on the beach. They were surprised, and wondered on 

 account of all the prince had done. 



When the prince saw the canoe coming to his town, he went out, 

 and would not allow them to come ashore; but they asked him to 

 take pity on them. So after a little while they landed. Then they 

 ate dried salmon, dried halibut, dried seal meat, dried sea-lion meat, 

 and whale blubber; and when they all had had enough, the prince 

 ordered them, and said, "Don't tell my father that I have plenty 

 to eat! Tell him that I died long ago; but I want you to stay here 

 two days and eat as much as you can, but don't take anything home 

 with you. Tell my youngest uncle that I want him to come home 

 soon. I will give him one great whale that is lying here on the beach; 

 but I don't want my father and my mother here, nor my three elder 

 uncles, who made fun of me at the time of the famine, nor any of 

 my father's people; but I want all the different tribes to buy my 

 provisions which you see in all these houses." 



Then he sent them back; and when they arrived at home on Nass 

 River, the slaves landed in the evening. They went up to the house 

 of then- master. The chief asked them, "Is my son still alive?" 

 They replied, "Yes, he is still alive;" and the slaves said further- 

 more, "Your son, whom you deserted there, has plenty to eat. 

 There is no room for all the meat and fat, for the dried trout, salmon, 

 spring salmon, seal, sea lion, and dried halibut. Many houses are 

 full of whale blubber, and all the houses are full of meat and of fish 

 as well, and four great whales are on the shore, and a great many 

 boxes are full of grease, and the whole surface of the water is covered 

 with grease. The prince has succeeded in getting all these pro- 

 visions, and he does not want to see you or his mother, only his 

 youngest uncle. He asked him to come down to him, and he will 

 give hhn one great whale. He does not want his three elder uncles 

 and all your people, but he ordered me to tell all the different tribes 

 to buy his provisions." 



Then the chief and his wife could not sleep that night. Early the 

 following morning the chief said to his great slave, "Order the people 

 to return to our old town where we deserted our prince. Then we 



