boas] DESCRIPTION OF THE TSIMSHIAN 461 



apple Tree, Sloe Bush, and Spruce, who originate from wedges made 

 of these kinds of wood; Mountain, who originates from a whetstone; 

 the girl is called Knife, and originates from a knife (N 96). In their 

 contest with the Magical Feather they assume the forms of the objects 

 whose names they bear (N 99). In the parallel Tsimshian story these 

 children are Mucus, Grindstone, Crabapple Tree, Feather, and the 

 girl Knife Hand (125). 



A great many supernatural beings are associated with mountains and 

 dangerous rapids. The supernatural beings of mountains in general 

 are referred to in 1.189; those of a particular rock on 239, of abay273. 

 The monsters identified with dangerous places in the sea are spoken of 

 (222, in 1.189). In former times these upset many canoes, because 

 they desired to take the dried berries that were carried in them (274) ; 

 but at a feast given by one of their own number they promised to 

 desist. In another feast two of the most dangerous ones are asked to 

 move out of the canoe passes (276). Wherever they appear as guests 

 in a house, they come on a flood and foam. At the same place it is said 

 that this flood covers the whole village except the houses of their hosts. 

 They enter the house, bringing with them a flood of water (287). To 

 this class belong also the giant devilfish (135), and the monster halibut 

 which swallows people (271). Among these may perhaps also be 

 counted the Owner Of The Lake, called Floating Across (1.157). 



The Was is a monster that is not described in detail. Self-moving 

 canoes have a Was head at each end (N 106). In the version Boas 

 4.275 the slaves who make Txa'insEm greedy are called Was At Each 

 End.- He appears also as protector of a shaman (348). 



In early times copper was hanging on a mountain near Nass Kiver. 

 A son of the Sun hit it with a sling-stone and caused one part to go 

 north to Alaska, another east to the head waters of Skeena Kiver, 

 where it became the live copper (300). Haklula'q was first a lake 

 woman who married a young man. When their child was taken away 

 by another man who deceived her, it killed all the people by plucking 

 out their eyes (154). Then the woman went into the sea and became 

 the monster Haklula'q. A child of Haklula'q was floating between 

 two islands, and by raising high waves and gales she killed every- 

 body who tried to take the child (221). It is not certain whether 

 this monster and the woman mentioned before are the same. 



Among evil beings that live in distant parts of the world, I mention 

 the shaman women, referred to in 151 ; Knife-Hand Woman (N 234) ; 

 the Mosquito chief, who has a crystal proboscis, and whose heart, 

 which has eyes and mouth, does not die after his body has been killed 

 (145) ; and the blind cannibal who catches people in his bag net (127). 



The great slaves of supernatural beings are mentioned, particularly 

 Slave Dr^m-Belly, whose stomach is used in place of a drum (N 125). 



