322 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [bull. 29 



How THE Seaward- sqoa'i^adas obtained the names of their 



GAMBLING STICKS 



[Told by Walter McGregor of the Sealion-town people] 



His father was a chief in Sealion-town.^ His name was Poor- 

 chief's-son." One time his father was going to have a potlatch. 

 Then his father went to invite the Tsimshian. While he was gone, 

 Gasi'na-A'ndjii^ began to gamble. After he had gambled for some 

 time, he lost all of his father's propert3\ Then he put a bladder full 

 of grease into his gambling- stick bag. And he put it on his back and 

 went awa3^ 



After he had traveled for a while, he went in* at White-rocks. As 

 he went he ate all kinds of leaves.'' Presently he wanted to defecate, 

 and he defecated at a rotten stump. And after that he again went 

 about eating leaves. After he had gone along for a while, he passed 

 over the bones of two human beings upon which moss was growing. 



And, after he had gone on a while longer, he came to where two 

 streams flowed down from Dju'tclitga," near which lay the fresh 

 bones of two persons. One stream was red. The other was blue. 

 Dju'tclitga's manure made it red, they say, and his medicine made it 

 blue. Those who drank from the red one died there. 



Then he took the grease out of his bladder, and he greased his 

 insides. Then he put his head into the blue one. After he had drunk 

 for a while, he lost consciousness. When he came to himself he was 

 standing in front of a big house with a two-headed house pole. And 

 they told him to come in. At once he entered. 



The chiefs in the house said to him: "News of you has come, grand- 

 son. You gambled away all of your father's potlatch property." 

 Then the chief had a small box brought to him, and he took a hawk 

 feather out of it. Then he put it into the corner of hi.s (the youth's) 

 eye. After he had twisted it around there for a while, he pulled it 

 out and took out blood ** and moss from it. 



After he had linished both he said to him "Let me see 3^our gam- 

 bling sticks," and he gave them to him. He squeezed them. Then 

 })lood'* came out. And, after he had touched his lips to his hands, he 

 cut ai'ound the middle of one of them with his finger nail. It was 

 red. And he said to him: "It's name shall be Coming-out-ten- 

 times." And, after he had touched his lips to his hands again, he cut 

 around on another of them near the end. The end of it was red. 

 Then he said: "Its name shall be Sticking-into-the-clouds." 



