292' TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth.ann. 31 



Then the young- man left. In lens than half a day he reached 

 home, and told his people what had become of their master, and how 

 he and the two others perished in the whirlpool. 



Dragging Along Shore now lived in the house of Chief Na-gun-a'ks ; 

 and the two other men who had laughed at the bullhead perished in 

 the bottom of the great whirlpool, because they had disobeyed the 

 commands that Chief Na-gun-a'ks had given Dragging Along Shore 

 before he sent him home, when he commanded him not to hurt any 

 kind of fish. 



48. The Four Chiefs and Chief Grizzly Bear 1 



A long time ago, before the Deluge, while the people were living 

 on the upper course of Skeena River, there were four brothers, all 

 chiefs. Each of them had a house. They lived in the old village 

 Prairie Town, and their people were very proud of their four good 

 chiefs, who treated them well. 



One hard winter, when all the food was used up, each of the four 

 brothers made a fire in his house every rnorning to show the people 

 that they were still alive, but others were starving to death. Many 

 people were dying of starvation, and every day they made a fire to 

 show that they had plenty to eat. 



One day toward evening a thin person came down the river on the 

 ice, and the eldest one of the chiefs sent out his attendants to call 

 him into his house. The man came in, and they spread mats by the 

 side of the great fire, and the thin man seated himself there. Then 

 the eldest chief, who had invited him in, inquired, "How long is it 

 since you left your home?" The man replied, "It is many days 

 since I left my home." — "What have you been eating all the while 

 along the way?" The thin man replied, "I have eaten only snow 

 all along the way. " Then the chief said, "Bring in snow in a wooden 

 dish!" and his attendants filled the dish and put it before him. The 

 man did not eat the snow, but arose and went out. 



Another evening the thin man came round to the village again, 

 and they told the second chief that he was coming, so he sent out his 

 attendants to invite him in. They spread mats by the side of the 

 fire, and the second chief asked him, "How long is it since you left 

 home?" The thin man replied, "I left home many days ago." 

 The chief said, "What have you been eating all along the way?" — 

 " I ate only snow. " Then the second chief ordered his attendants to 

 bring in some snow in a wooden dish. They did so, and brought in a 

 large wooden dish full of wet snow, and put it before him, and gave 

 him a spoon; but the man did not eat. He arose and went out. 



Another day toward evening, while the young people were playing 

 games, the lean man came down again from the woods. They told 



