boas] TSIMSHIAK MYTHS 381 



front of the camp, and a great battle was fought that clay. There were 

 more Haida than Tsimshian : therefore the Gi-spa-x-la'°ts were van- 

 quished by them. Many of them were killed, and many taken away 

 as captives. Chief LEg - e'°x's sister (Wi-n!e'°x) and her eldest son 

 (Hats!Eks-n!e'°x) were taken captive with the other men and women 

 and children. Half of LEg-e'°x's tribe were killed off by the Haida, 

 who took them to Queen Charlotte Islands. The other half of the 

 tribe moved up Skeena River in order to dry salmon and other winter 

 provisions. They camped below the canyon at G"at-aus (Sandy 

 Camp). They staid there the whole summer, drying salmon and 

 other provisions; and early in the fall they moved their village a 

 little farther down, to Tshrwa'nxlEm gal-ts!a'p (Cape Town), where 

 they used to live in the fall. 



All the people of the village were sorry on account of those members 

 of their families who had been taken captive. Chief LEg-e'°x never 

 spoke a word; but he was still crjnng for his sister and her son, who 

 had been taken away into captivity with the rest of the people. 



One day a great warrior came to the house of Chief LEg - e'°x, 

 and said to the chief, "My dear chief, why don't you say anything 

 about your beloved sister and your nephew, who have been taken 

 captive? Call all the tribes, and say that they shall go to Queen 

 Charlotte Islands to make war on the Haida." 



Therefore the great chief arose from his bed, and said, "Run to all 

 the houses in the village and call all the warriors!" Then the young 

 men ran from house to house to call all the people to the house of the 

 great chief; and when all had come in, LEg'e'°x said to his people, 

 "I want to go to Queen Charlotte Islands on account of my sister and 

 my nephew and my people's wives and children, and on account of 

 some of my people." He ordered his young men to take one box of 

 oil to the front of the fire. They did so; and the chief said, 

 "Who will be the first to bring back my sister and my nephew, who 

 have been carried into captivity ? Let him come forward and dip his 

 fourth finger into the oil, lick it off, and take a vow!" 



Then a warrior came into the chief's house. He stepped forward, 

 dipped his fourth finger into the oil, and put it into his mouth, 

 to show the others that he would be the first to die at the great chief's 

 command in battle, and that he would not break his vow. His name 

 was Qanas. 



Then the chief said again, ' ' Who will be the next brave man to come 

 forward ? " Then two men came forward, and they also took the vow 

 before all the people that they would be second in battle; and so 

 did all the other people of the great chief. They dipped their 

 fingers into the oil, licked it off, until the large box was empty. 

 The last two men broke the empty box and threw it into the fire. 



