822 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 



told to untie the stomach as soon as he lands, and to call the east wind to drive it 

 back Ts 1 .133-135. The chief of the Sea Lions sends four canoes, but all are cracked. 

 Finally a good one is found. It is the stomach of a Sea Lion. He is put in, to- 

 gether with provisions, and is told to summon a favorable wind. Then the same 

 happens as before Ts 5.289. Asi-hwi'l demands a canoe in payment for curing the 

 Sea Lion. The canoe is made of intestines of sea lions. He is put in, the intes- 

 tines are tied up, the west wind is called, and he drifts home N 229. The chief asks 

 for the canoe of the Gull. They say it is too slow. He asks for the canoe of another 

 bird. They say it breaks too easily. The canoe of the Goose is too low. Finally he 

 takes the canoe of the Sea Lion. Ham.!ekunas is tied in, the west wind is called, 

 he drifts ashore and hides the skin in the woods Ri 5.230. When the Sea Lions are 

 unable to transform the man into a killer whale, he is put into a sea-lion stomach, 

 and is told to get out as soon as he feels that the stomach has struck land four times. 

 The stomach then drifts back again Sk 2S3. He cleans a sea lion's stomach, ties up the 

 lower part with rope, blows it up, and ties up the other end. He opens it again, goes 

 in, and is blown ashore. A sculpin disengages the drifting sea-lion stomach from 

 kelp. He lands at night, takes the stomach of the sea lion inland, and hangs it up 

 M 388. In payment for his services in curing the child, he asks for a box which brings 

 any kind of wind wanted. Black Skin gets into it, calls for west wind, and drifts 

 ashore. He hangs the box on the limb of a tree Tl 150. The story Tl 230 omits this 

 incident. 



Distantly related is the story of the seal hunter who is sent home by the Seals and 

 takes revenge on those who deserted him Nu 5.121. 



(hi e) Asdi-wa'l Makes Killer Whales of Wood 



(6 versions: Ts 1.135; Ts 5.289; N 229; Sk 283; M 3S8; Tl 230. See also Ts 164; Ts 123; 

 Ts223;N 109; Tl 25; Tl 175; Sk32; Ne 5.191; Co 5.87; Nisqually; 1 Lku'figEn Hill- 

 Tout 7.344; Quin 102) 



This incident belongs to the Asdi-wii'l story as well as to other 

 stories of deserted hunters. 



After landing he meets his wife, who is wailing. He asks for his tool box. 'When, 

 the woman goes to get it, she pretends that she is going to burn it. She tells her hus- 

 band that only her youngest brother is kind to her. Asdi-wa'l carves a killer whale 

 first of cedar wood, then of other kinds of wood, finally of yellow cedar. Every time 

 he blackens their backs and puts lime on their bellies. Meanwhile his wife sacrifices 

 food, fat, and tobacco, down of birds, and red ocher. He takes the killer whales to 

 the water and tells them to swim, but all die, until finally those made of yellow cedar 

 remain alive and swim like true killer whales Ts 1.135-139. He finds his wife and her 

 child wailing. He asks for his wood-carving tools, and carves killer whales near a 

 lake. He tries alder wood, red cedar, yellow cedar. The first and the second are too 

 heavy. The last swim well after he has anointed them with fat Ts 5.289. He carves 

 killer whales first of red cedar, then of yellow cedar, finally of yew. The first twn 

 attempts are unsuccessful. After swimming a little they become logs again, turn 

 over, and drift about. The last become real killer whales N 229. [In the version 

 Ri 5.229 it is merely stated that the young woman and her child are crying, that 

 only her youngest brother pitied her, and that therefore Hanidekunas killed all the 

 brothers.] He finds his wife and children mourning for him. He taps on the wall 

 where his wife's room is and asks for his tools. He takes a child from his village along 

 and goes to a lake. Here another incident is introduced . He cuts a large cedar and 

 makes a trap for catching the lake monster Wa'sgo. He ties the child to a rope of 

 cedar limbs and lets it down through the crack of the split cedar. The lake begins to 

 boil, the sea monster takes hold of the child, and is caught between the two halves 



1 Paul Kane, Wanderings of an Artist among the Indians ot North America (London, 1859), pp. 250 



