boas] DESCRIPTION OF THE TSIMSHIAN 403 



Hunters, while out on the hunting-ground, would make arrows and 

 darts as required (95). Arrows were of such value that children were 

 asked to search for one that had missed its mark (247). 



When a question arises as to whether game has been killed by a 

 certain arrow, the people smell of it and decide whether it smells of 

 fat (247) or exhibits other evidences of having hit the animal (N 144). 



The skillful hunter was much admired and renowned among all the 

 tribes (245, 1.83, 1.189). He was even known to the animals (245, 

 317). By selling skins and dried meat he became wealthy (174, 242, 

 1.81). His wife wore beautiful garments (317). The hunter must 

 be fleet, like a flying bird (1.85). 



The grizzly bear is the most dangerous animal. Hunters were 

 attacked by them (150, N 201). They are particularly dangerous hi 

 spring (111). On account of the dangerous character of the grizzly 

 bear, his habits are often described. He catches fish (1.153, N 208), 

 and gets salmon for winter food (111), which he eats before his winter 

 sleep (246). When he gets wet in his den, he comes out and is very 

 angry (1.237). 



Dangers that beset the mountain-goat hunter are fogs (1.91) or 

 the danger of falling off of steep precipices or being unable to turn 

 (1.91, 1.145). Beaver hunters were endangered by the falling of the 

 dams (1.193). 



Sea Hunting. — The sea hunter required a training quite different 

 from that of the mountain hunter. For this reason it is considered 

 remarkable that a man from up the river who settles among the 

 island tribes becomes their best sea hunter (1.123). It- is of course 

 only a mythical incident if he used snowshoes on the slippery sea-lion 

 rocks. Sea hunters go out in a hunting-canoe manned by four men, 

 the harpooneer in the bow of the canoe (260, N 134) ; the steersman, 

 in the stern (261). When one of the men expected to go off by 

 himself, there was a crew of four besides him, a fifth man to take 

 charge of the bow of the canoe during his absence (1.173). Some- 

 times there are five hunters in the canoe (1.167). 



Sea lions and seals were harpooned (N 134). Successful seal 

 hunters come home with a canoe loaded so high that the seal flippers 

 may be seen from a distance (1.169). The sea-lion hunter jumps on 

 the rock on which the animals are basking and kills them there with 

 his harpoon darts ' (1.125). Often the hunter would ask his friends 

 a day in advance to go hunting with him (284). Sea-otter hunting 

 was an important occupation on account of the value of the furs for 

 garments. Princes are described as expert sea-otter hunters (256). 

 The people who have lost their relatives almost forget their grief 

 when they get many sea otters (222), which are plentiful on two 



1 The harpoon ust'il in sr:i-lkm hunting w;i- provided wilh ;i oed:ir-V.;irk lino fur retrieving it (N 110, note). 



