BOAS] DESCRIPTION OF THE TSIMSHIAN 423 



A widow who has been helped by supernatural beings takes her 

 supply of salmon to her brother's house (160). 



In a few cases the relation between sisters is also described as inti- 

 mate. Thus, when one girl is taken up to heaven by her husband, 

 she wants to have her sister taken along too (298); and when two 

 sisters visit the camp of a hunter and one of them is put into an embar- 

 rassing position, her sister tries to protect her against ridicule (154). 



Brothers appeal- often as companions, but there is no special men- 

 tion of the love between brothers. In 1.193 a number of brothers go 

 out hunting, one of them is killed, and the three remaining ones are 

 very sad. Four brothers, chiefs of one village, are spoken of as each 

 having a house of his own (292). A number of brothers live together 

 who are very active, except the youngest one, who is lazy (116). 



Male Cousins. — Cousins (that is to say, sons of a brother and 

 sister) are mentioned once only, when it is told that when a lost man 

 returns and finds that his cousin has succeeded to the chieftaincy 

 formerly held by his father, the two embrace each other, and the 

 new chief receives his returning cousin most kindly (321). 



Brothers-in-law and Sisters-in-law. — The relations between a man 

 and his wife's brothers appear, on the whole, as friendly, but very liable 

 to turn into enmity. They bring food to their sister's husband (217). 

 Four brothers give their sister in marriage to Asdi-wa'l (1.121), who 

 later on presents them with gifts of meat (1.123). They, however, 

 become jealous of him on account of his prowess (1.125); and when 

 he goes hunting with them in the canoe of the eldest one, they 

 desert him on a sea-lion rock (1.127). Later on they look for his 

 body (1.133). Another set of brothers-in-law desert a hunter 

 because they are ashamed on account of their lack of success (1.121). 

 Only the youngest one is merciful (1.127, 1.137). When the hunter 

 is saved in a. miraculous way, he lives with his youngest brother-in- 

 law (1.143). Brothers-in-law come to visit their sister's husband, 

 and bring him food (217, 1 .163). The chief then gambles with them 

 (217); and later, in a fit of jealousy, the chief orders bis people to 

 kill his brothers-in-law. The brothers will take vengeance on any 

 injury inflicted upon their sister. For instance, the woman's brothers 

 kill her husband because he has killed his wife, their sister, in a fit of 

 jealousy (270). 



In one case we are told that a chief had two wives. The brothers 

 of the younger wife came to visit him, and at this opportunity the 

 chief's first wife falls in love with one of the brothers, who declines 

 her overtures (217). Tins instance is interesting, because it shows 

 that the two wives of the chief must have belonged to different clans, 

 otherwise the woman could not have approached the other wife's 

 brothers. The incident in which a man kills his Bear brother-in-law 

 (282) can hardly be used in this connection, because obviously it 



