swANTON] HAIDA TP:XT8 AND MYTHS 141 



Tlic chief who arrived here was called Qoeijciu'iis."^ He lived in the 

 middle of the ocean. He was his mother's father. The boy had 

 visited him and had borrowed his people, whom he took to his uncle's 

 house. He had put on his woodpecker blanket, and he flew to his 

 o-randfather's house. He painted his face with a desio-n of Ts'ag-uP* 

 and made himself ver}^ beautiful. When he returned he walked about 

 inside the house scolding his uncle: " Why is there nobod}^ sta3'ing 

 with you^ Now, all the chiefs are coming, and there is nobody to 

 receive them.'' Then Nenk'ilsLasLingai stamped his feet, and immedi- 

 ately the house was full of people. He had transformed the dirt on 

 the floor of the house into people by stamping once. In one corner of 

 his house were Qoeqqu'ns's people, who spoke the Tsimshian language. 

 When he stamped with his foot in another corner of the house people 

 api)eared who spoke Heiltsuk (or Wakashan). In the next corner, 

 when he stamped the ground, the Haida arose, and in the last corner 

 he also created Haida. 



After a while Qing' arrived. They performed a dance, and 

 Nenk'ilsLasLiiigai gave them to eat. Then Qing* returned to his own 

 country. The boy accompanied him. When he made the Tsimshian 

 he wore a flicker''' (Sqaldzit) blanket. Then he changed and wore 

 a woodpecker (sLodz'adang) blanket. Afterward he used a Six- 

 asLdAlgang"'' blanket. This is a large bird with yellow head, which 

 (lies very rapidly. Finally he used a Tin''' blanket. This is a bird 

 that is eaten in Victoria. When they arrived in Qing-'s house 

 Neidv'ilsLasLingai sat between Qing* and his wife. The chief asked 

 him: "Are you hungry?" But he did not want to eat. He was chew- 

 ing gum all the time. In the house there were man}^ people. Two 

 youths were standing on one side of the door when the chief was eat- 

 ing. The chief sent some food to them. Their skin was quite black. 

 Their name was Squl ('* Porpoise"). They were eating ravenously. 

 The boy asked: "How is it that you can eat so much?" They 

 replied: •" Don't ask us. We are very poor because we are hungry 

 all the time.'' But he insisted. He said: " I can not eat, and I must 

 learn how to eat. You must assist me to learn." They refused, but 

 Nenk'ilsLasLingai insisted. They said : "We are afraid of 3"our 

 fathei-. If we tell you, you will have bad luck." But the boy would 

 not accept their statements. Then they became angry and said: "Go 

 and bathe, and when you do so scratch 3^our skin and eat what you 

 scratch ofl. Do so twice." The youth did so, and then he became 

 very hungry. He told his father: "I am a little hung•r3^" Then 

 the old man was very glad. He called all the people to see how his 

 child was eating. The people came, and when they had seen it they 

 returned. After a very short time the youth was hungry again. His 

 father invited the people, and after they had eaten they went away. 



