296 BUKEAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY Lmii-^'J 



Big -TAIL. 



[Told by .lob Moody of the Witcli in-ople.] ' 



Mouse- woman adopted him.' Presently, after she had lived at 

 Skidegate for a while, supernatural powers began to tiy him. After 

 some time he began to be a shaman. By and by he became a real 

 shaman. 



Then he prepared to dance upon the surface of the ocean. He was 

 going out after whales. Then they began to observe the regulations.^ 

 [They did so for] live nights. The old people were afraid to let it 

 become ten nights. If the numlier of nights were even, they said his 

 supernatural power would be spoiled. For that reason they said they 

 wanted it uneven. When some said there were ten nights, and some, 

 too, said there were nine, the supernatural power came through him. 



Then he asked them for his name. " What kind of supernatural being- 

 am I ? " he said. Then they guessed at his name. By and by an old 

 man said: "Great shaman, you are Supernatural-being-at-whose-voice- 

 the-ravens-sit-on-the-sea."^ Then he jumped up and ran around the 

 fire four times. And he named himself as follows: "I am he, grand- 

 son. I am he." 



While he was speaking through him he said to him: "'How many 

 whales are there going to be ? " He said to him : " ' One floats at Point- 

 tla'iAS."* And he said to him, "One is floating below Ku'nga-i."* 

 Then he (the shaman) looked there and the whale floated there. Then 

 he sent a person thither. He saw nothing. Only coots floated there. 

 And, since he did not find it there, he (the shaman) again looked, 

 and it was still floating there. Then he became angry, because he (the 

 spirit) kept fooling hiuL 



Now he put tobacco into his mouth. After it he put in calcined 

 shells. Then he went down to the house of Supernatural-being-at- 

 whose-voice-the-ravens-sit-on-the-sea. And he entered his house. 

 And Su per natural-being-at- whose- voice-the-ravens-sit-on-the -sea said 

 to him: " Big-tail, bring that box of mine to me." Then he put his 

 box before him. They sat at either end. 



Then he took out a dancing hat with sea gulls carved upon it. And 

 at the very edges of the box Big-tail stopped him as he held it. 

 And he asked Supernatural -being- at-whose-voice- the- ravens-sit-on- 

 the-sea: " What will happen when one sings for it?" "^ And he said 

 to him: "There will be two whales." Then he absolutely refused it. 



And he reached his hand into the box for another one. When he 



