boas] DESCRIPTION OF THE TSIMSHIAN 469 



they were scattered by the Deluge (250, 272, 1.245). It is said that 

 on account of some misdeeds of the people it began to rain, and the 

 waters were rising for twenty days. The old and poor people and 

 many animals were drowned. The water covered the hills, and there 

 were high waves. The people made tents in their boats and drifted 

 about. Finally, after twenty days, the waters began to subside; but 

 some canoes drifted to distant countries, where the people became the 

 ancestors of the various tribes, not only of the Tsimshian, but also 

 of those speaking other languages. Only two people survived among 

 the Tsimishian, and these became the ancestors of the recent tribes. 

 Up to that time the people had not known sea food; but since they 

 were starving, a shaman led them down the river and taught them 

 how to catch halibut and other sea fish. Only the Ts!Ets!a'ut are 

 said to have a different origin. It is said (221) that they are the 

 descendants of a woman whose brothers were killed by her jealous 

 husband; she was protected by a supernatural being, who caused a 

 flash of lightning that destroyed the whole village. 



Before the Deluge, while the people were still living in Prairie 

 Town, the seasons were instituted in a council of the animals, which 

 was held immediately after the sons of the chief had become Sun 

 and Moon. The Dogs first suggested a month of forty days; but the 

 Porcupine demonstrated the inadvisability of this arrangement, and 

 instituted the seasons and months that we have now (115). 



In another tale the origin of the seasons is accounted for in a council 

 of animals in which the Grizzly Bear and other large animals desire a 

 long and very cold winter, while the Porcupine demonstrates that in 

 this case not only all the small animals would die, but that also the 

 plants would die, and that the large animals would starve. In this 

 whole group of tales the Porcupine appears as the wise counsellor, to 

 whose intelligence the present sensible arrangement of the world is 

 due (106). 



There are many tales explaining the origin of animals. The Owl 

 is a woman who had maltreated her blind husband, who in turn shut 

 her out of the house. In the bitter cold night when she had staid 

 outside she was transformed into a hoot-owl (249). The Blue-Sided 

 Codfish is a princess who jumped out of a canoe, and who said to the 

 man with whom she had quarreled, "I shall be your codfish." 

 Because she was a princess, the blue-sided cod is the prettiest of all 

 the fishes (302). The Red Cod is her husband, who was cursed by a 

 man of supernatural origin whom he had offended. He was told 

 that Ms head should always be downward, and his tail upward, and 

 that if he should ever look up, his stomach would come out through 

 Ids mouth. This is given as the reason that the red cod, when coming 

 up to the surface of the water, has its stomach come out through 

 its mouth (302). The Sawbill Duck is a young man who seduced 



