boas] DESCRIPTION OF THE TSIMSHIAX 449 



be poor. Without any doubt, the general injunction of sexual 

 restraint was binding upon all hunters. 



Taboos of hunters are also referred to on 199, where we read of the 

 brave men who know how to fast in order to catch animals, and who 

 have eaten medicine in order to obtain power. 



The hunter should close his eyes when "something bad" passes in 

 front of him, lest he lose his eyesight (248). 



During the first salmon-run a great many taboos seem to have been 

 enforced. The whole tribe is instructed to keep taboos until the 

 spring salmon stop running. Old women are ordered to work on 

 salmon nets, but no young woman is allowed to touch the twine. 

 The old men are ordered to make new poles for bag nets, and they 

 are expected to fast during this time (199). 



There are a considerable number of special taboos referring to 

 certain animals. 



Ifr is not allowed to throw stones at wild ducks in winter, lest a 

 heavy snowstorm should set in (252). 



The bear taboos are very complicated. The bear hunter must live 

 by himself and fast for twenty days. During this time he must take 

 a bath every second day. After every bath he must lie with his 

 wife, or, if he has no wife, with some other woman. Then he must 

 put away the mat on which he has been sleeping and use a new mat. 

 During the whole period he must keep away from his wife (280). 

 After the bear has been killed and before it is skinned, the hunter 

 puts his knife at the bear's chest and sings the bear's mourning-song. 

 When the skin is dried and the heart of the bear is roasted, another 

 song is sung. Red ocher is put on the back of the skin, forming a 

 line running from the head to the tail, and red ocher is put under the 

 arms. It is said that when the skin of the bear creaks while drying, 

 it signifies that the bear feels chilly and that the people must add 

 fuel to the fire (283). 



Porcupines must not be smoked out of their dens in winter (108). 

 After a porcupine has been killed, the meat must be dried in a good fire 

 and eaten before winter. The bones must be thrown into the fire 

 to protect the porcupine against sickness. Young people must not 

 eat the heads of young porcupines, lest they become forgetful (110). 



The first salmon of the season must be treated in a certain way. 

 For the G"its!ala/sEr the following taboos are prescribed: The head 

 of the first salmon must be cut first, then the tail. The tail must not 

 be broken off, but it must be cut right through with a mussel-shell 

 knife. No stone or bone blade must be used, lest a thunderstorm 

 set in and bring disaster (205). In the same place it is said that the 

 first salmon of the season must be eaten fresh (200). Dried spring 

 salmon must not be kept more than one season (198). The following 

 description of the capture of the first salmon of the season at G - its!a- 

 50633°— 31 eth— 16 29 



