frachtenbekg] 



ALSEA TEXTS AND MYTHS 171 



among themselves. (The rope) was pulled, whereupon (the seal) 

 came close to the canoe. At then he was speared there, when he 

 happened to come close. "The breakers have disappeared now," 

 (were) the words of the one who held fast to the rope. Then at last, 

 verily, they came close to where there was a rocky place. ''Why! 

 it is, truly, as thou didst say. It will not be long before he will stop 

 with us." And now the seal was going slowly. Thereupon the 

 steersman said, "He went with us far." Verily, they were at last 

 close to where yon seal was living. 



They had been gomg for perhaps one day. It was counted. It 

 seemed (more) like two days and one night. And then they came 

 to where that previously mentioned rocky place was. Not many 

 seals were living (there). Then their chief said, "(The man with 

 the rope) wiU now let go of it." But thereupon spoke he who held 

 fast to the rope: "No! I will never let him loose. Wliy? After 

 he went with me (so) far shall I let go of him ? I will never let him 

 loose, my friend. I am going to kiU him. He simply went with me 

 to a far place. For that reason I shall never let him loose." Then 

 the steersman likewise said thus. Now as they kept on gomg, the 

 breakers had simply disappeared. (Then) not long (afterward it 

 seemed as if the seal) were gomg to become tired. So then they came 

 to the rock. And (the seal) went slowly there. "Now I am gomg to 

 kill him. After I shall have kiUed him I will leave him, because that 

 one merely went with me to a far place." (Those were) his words. 

 And now they were hungry. For such a (long) period they did not 

 eat (anythmg). So then they finally kiUed the seal, whereupon he 

 was pulled (close to the canoe). And then their chief kept on saying, 

 "The rope shall be cut." Thereupon, indeed, it was cut. 



The food of those people was simply gone. So then they began to 

 talk among themselves: "From where the sun usually rises we will go 

 in boats there. Are we then not going to come upon people ? " Now 

 thus they were talkmg contmuaUy: "Your hearts shall not be little. 

 Even though (we may have come) somewhere (to) a bad place, we 

 will nevertheless reach the shore and will go back along the shore." 

 (Such was) their talk among themselves. Then finally, indeed, they 

 reached the shore. Those people did not seem to look like people, 

 because of their privations. Now they came to the shore. And 

 then they came to the mouth of the river (and) they kept on talking. 

 One man (especially) was there who knew everything very (well). 

 He never kept quiet. He was talking all the time. Then after they 

 came in their boats into that river, they arrived at people. And 

 when they came to the village they were (thus) talked (about). 

 "Perhaps (those are) people from across the ocean." And then they 

 said (separately): "I am simply ver}' hungr}', my friend. For per- 



