472 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 



A sandbar originated when gravel was thrown out of the canoe into 

 the sea (170). A sandbar with large rocks originated when a strong 

 man threw down a mountain, breaking it to pieces (120). When a 

 raven flew across the sea from Queen Charlotte Islands, he threw a 

 few stones into the sea, which became resting-places. They still 

 exist in the form of large rocks that are way out at sea. The rocks 

 near the village Xien are the sea food which Sawbill-Duck Woman 

 brought to her husband, and which by mistake was thrown out of 

 the canoes into the sea (185). The rocks on the shore-line on one of 

 the islands at the mouth of Nass River originated when the Frogs 

 that had made fun of the Raven were driven down river by the wind, 

 and were wrecked on the island which they tried to climb. They 

 were frozen to death and became stone (62). The Killer Whales 

 that pursued a man whose wife they had carried away, and who had 

 recovered her, were transformed into stone when the hero threw 

 hellebore and urine into the sea (1.187). 



When a hero moved a supernatural plume against a mountain and 

 obstructed the passage, the mountain melted down, and the molten 

 rock may still be seen (N 234). A canoe that had been pulled 

 ashore and turned upside down was transformed into a hill, and the 

 load in the canoe was transformed into rocks (235). 



In the beginning the fingers of man had eyes and mouth. Because 

 Raven scorched his fingers in the house of the Seal, the fingers have 

 assumed their present form. In former times people did not eat with 

 their mouths only, but their fingers also ate (91). Cripples exist be- 

 cause at the time when a plume took up the people to heaven and let 

 their bones fall down on the plain, the skeletons were put together in a 

 wrong way and revived. For this reason some men have no beards 

 because they have women's heads; women have whiskers because 

 they have men's heads; and people limp because they have legs 

 belonging to different persons (127). 



The different languages originated when the people were scattered 

 after the Deluge (1.251). At the same time new chiefs originated in 

 all the different towns (1.253). In the beginning canoes would 

 always capsize at Cape Fox; but since Raven showed the way, passing 

 this place on a driftlog, canoes do not capsize when they cross there 

 in stormy weather. It is known that driftwood burns well, because 

 Mouse Woman advised the girl who was taken away by the Black 

 Bears to use driftwood for fuel (1.155). Because Raven used rotten 

 hemlock wood for smoking salmon, it is known that this kind of wood 

 is serviceable for this purpose (S9). The art of making nets is known 

 because the son of Spider Woman married a girl and taught her 

 mother the art (159). 



Girls have no say about their marriage because a girl made fun of 

 her cousin, whom she was to have married. The young man was 



