boas] TSIMSHIAX MYTHS 285 



4.5. Story of Guxaxxesemga'd ' 



(Printed in Boas 13, pp. 147-192. 



46. Story of the Gamia'da- 



Once upon a time a man went out hunting in his canoe, hut for 

 three days he did not catch anything. On the fourth day he saw 

 swimming on the sea a largo raven, which was flapping its wings and 

 diving and emerging again. Under the wings he saw many people. 

 When he came hark home, he built a house and painted on its front 

 the sea raven (TslEm-a'ks 3 ). 



47. Gtt-xa-gux-a'ks 4 



A long time ago a hunter and his family lived in Ms own town. 

 This was soon after the Deluge. The people were all scattered over 

 the world. So it was with this family. They made their home on 

 an island outside of China Hat. 



Once upon a time they set out to hunt sea otters, sea lions, and 

 seal. They left their new town. There were not many people at 

 this time, but only a few. The name of this chief was Dragging 

 Along Shore (Dzagam-sa'glsk) . They went on many days, but they 

 caught nothing. They were still looking for animals, but they were 

 tired, for they had not caught anything. Therefore the head men 

 hi the canoe said, "Let us turn back to go home!'' and they all 

 decided to go back. As they were going along the channel, evening 

 came; and when they came to the foot of a steep mountain, the 

 steersman said, "Let us cast anchor here for the night, and stay 

 until tomorrow morning!" They all consented, and the steersman 

 cast his anchor-stone. Then they all went to sleep in the canoe. 

 There were four men in the canoe. The head man slept in the bow, 

 his two companions hi the middle, and the steersman slept in the 

 stern. They were all fast asleep. 



When they were fast asleep, about midnight, the hunter hi the 

 bow of the canoe was awakened by a noise which he heard around 

 his canoe. Therefore he looked into the water, and saw a beautiful 

 blue cod 5 swimming around the canoe. Therefore the man, Chief 

 Dragging Along Shore, was angry with the codfish, because he could 

 not sleep well at night. He took her up and broke up her little fins. 

 Then he threw her away, anil said, ''You disturbed my sleep tonight!" 

 Then he went to sleep again. He wrapped his blanket over his head, 

 and soon was fast asleep. 



When the steersman had cast anchor, the anchor-stone had 

 dropped on the roof of the house of a supernatural chief which 

 stood at the foot of the steep cliff in the water at the bottom of the 



i Notes, pp. 717, 835. ' Notes, p. 846. 



2 Translated from Boas 1, p. 293.— Notes, p. S46. 6 A female slave of Na-gun-a'ks. 



3 This is a personifical ion of the snag. 



