CHINOOK 

 BOAS 



^] CA'xAL myth TRANSLATION 131 



''This was carried uj) to me from the sea. You will see it. Just there 

 they came ashore." Blue- Jay said: "Let us go tomorrow and see 

 where they fouud it." Early he ran around [saying]: "Quick, quick, 

 arise!" All the people arose and launched two canoes. Then they 

 went out seaward. They traveled a long distance. When the moun- 

 tains [of their own country] had almost disappeared they discovered 

 laud. Blue- Jay said : "Certainly here are abalone shells." After awhile 

 they landed. Tlie ground was full of abalone shells. The i)eople went 

 ashore and picked up these abalone shells. They selected only the 

 very green ones. Blue- Jay gathered those which were near the canoe. 

 Then their chief [Ca/xaL] went away and left them. He went around 

 the island. He took only the large and very green ones. The people 

 waited for their chief. Then Blue- Jay became hungry, and said: " Let 

 us leave him." But part of the people said: "No; we must wait for 

 him; perhaps he met some people." [After awhile] Blue- Jay said: 

 "Come! Let us leave him." It grew dark; then his people left him. 

 They followed Blue Jay's advice and went home. In the evening the 

 chief had gone around the island. Now his people had disappeared; 

 they had left him. Then he lay down under a log and cried: "Why 

 did my people desert me ; why did they leave me ? " He stayed there 

 for a long time. He carried all the abalone shells [up to the log]. On 

 the next day he found a seaotter. On the following morning he awoke 

 and heard people talking on the beach below him. He lifted his 

 blanket and looked seaward, but he saw only gulls. He pulled his 

 blanket over his head again. On the next morning, when it grew day- 

 light, he heard again people talking on the beach below. Again he 

 lifted his blanket, but there were only albatross. Five days he heard 

 people [talking on the beach]. On the next morning [he saw] a i^erson 

 standing by him. He lifted his blanket [and the stranger said] : "To 

 morrow you will be carried back." Early the next morning the per- 

 son stood again near him, and said : "Arise ; now you will be carried 

 back." He looked down to the beach and saw a whale. He carried 

 down his abalone shells. A hole was in the middle of the whale, into 

 which he was placed. [The person said:] "Do not open your eyes 

 while they are carrying you." Now he lay down and he was carried 

 away. All the people carried him. They paddled. The albatross and 

 pelicans were told : "Put down your i^addles; put down your paddles." 

 The gulls were told: "Put up your paddles, put up your paddles." 

 The snipes were told: "Put up your paddles, put up your paddles." 

 Then when they were at sea, part of those people departed. When 

 they were near the land another part departed. Now only the snipes 

 and gulls remained. He felt [the whale] rock, then all was quiet and 

 he lifted his blanket. He lay on the beach. He looked and saw only 

 gulls and snipes. Now he arose. He went inland, carrying all his 

 abalone shells and the sea otters. He took five cuts of the whale. 

 That person had told him to do so. Then that whale returned. Now 



