424 TSIMSUIAX MYTHOLOGY [eth.an».31 



contains supernatural elements; still it is a reflection of the fact that 

 quarrels between a man and his wife's brothers were not uncommon. 

 In still another passage (225) we hear of a chief who has one son and 

 four brothers-in-law, and that he orders his brothers-in-law not to 

 give any food to his son. Here the wife's brothers, who belong to 

 another clan, appear as living in the chief's village, and to a certain 

 extent subject to his, orders. A supernatural woman who is not 

 treated kindly by her husband gives to his younger brother super- 

 natural presents and other gifts, and finally marries him (N 195). 



There is hardly any mention of the relation between a woman and 

 her brother's wife. In N 204 a girl goes out to invite her brother's 

 wife to come in. 



Parents-inAaw. — The wife's parents and their relatives do not seem 

 to have had a very intimate relation with those of the husband. We 

 hear often, however, of their bringing presents of food. Thus in 

 N 192 the relatives of a strange wife bring much food. A visit of 

 the woman's father to the husband's father's house is spoken of in 

 N 230. The girl's relatives, also her father, give property to her 

 husband's father (207). It does not appear clearly whether there is 

 any reluctance on the part of the young woman to speak to her 

 mother-in-law. The latter turns her out of the house because she 

 dislikes her. Incidentally we hear of a woman's father-in-law inquir- 

 ing how many brothers she has (280), and apparently he addresses 

 her directly. 



References to the relation between the young man and his wife's 

 parents are somewhat more frequent. In one place it is said that 

 the mother loves one of her two sons-in-law, the father the other one 

 (299). The young man gives presents to his father-in-law and to his 

 wife's uncles (302). He gives a sea otter to his mother-in-law (1.173). 

 During the olachen-fishing season a man goes out with his wife and 

 his mother-in-law in his canoe (301); another one with his wife and 

 a slave-girl. A hunter sits in the bow of the canoe, his mother-in-law 

 in the middle, his wife in the stern (84). The wife's mother prepares 

 supper for her son-in-law (84). Very often we hear of a son-in-law 

 doing various kinds of work for his father-in-law. He offers or is sent 

 to get fuel (209, 299) . He is asked to get fish (301 ) . The tests of the 

 son-in-law (1.89, N 130) refer in part to such tasks imposed upon him 

 by his father-in-law: He gives meat to his father-in-law (1.97)', is 

 sent to draw water for him (1.97), is sent for fuel (1.101, N 133). In 

 N 230 a chief asks his son-in-law's help because he is old. When the 

 chief has many slaves, his son-in-law is not allowed to work for him 

 (209). Apparently the young couple may live for some time in the 

 wife's father's house; but after a while the son-in-law puts up a new 

 house (238). As stated before, the couple go back after a while to 

 live in the man's village. The relations between the wife's father 



