ON THE ETHNOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA. 531 



himself frequently as he went along. They came to several other small 

 lakes, all of which the serpent tried as before, but none of them was 

 big enough for its purpose. Thus the third year passed, which to 

 Qoitclta'l seemed as another day. At last the serpent came to a lake 

 large enough for it to swim about in. Into this the Sino'tlkai dived. On 

 the edge of the lake Qoitcita'l built himself a house and watched the 

 serpent which from time to time came to the surface of the water to 

 disport itself. One night Qoitcita'l dreamt that he killed the serpent 

 with a big heavy spear made of resinous pine-wood. In his dream he 

 seemed to be in a large canoe, and he possessed two of these heavy 

 spears. So when he awoke he built himself a canoe, and made a couple 

 of spears after the fashion of those he had seen in his dream. When he 

 had finished his canoe he launched it on the lake. The serpent was not 

 visible at the time, so he allowed the canoe to drift about as it would. 

 By-and-by the serpent came to the surface again at some little distance 

 from Qoitclta'l. He at once paddled quietly towards it. The serpent's 

 two large heads were now raised in the air with its great mouths agape. 

 When it opened its mouths it was like the opening of two fiery ovens ; 

 and the cries it made on these occasions were exceedingly terrifying. 

 Qoitcita'l paddled towards the nearest of the heads and struck it. just 

 at the junction of the neck with one of his spears which remained sticking 

 in it. He then hastily paddled towards the other and did the same with 

 it, and the serpent sank to the bottom of the lake. Qoitclta'l there- 

 upon went into a trance and remained in that condition for some time. 

 While he was in this state the water of the lake rose up and carried hira 

 to the top of a high mountain. When he came out of his trance, in 

 which he had learnt many secrets and much strange knowledge, he 

 looked intently at the water which immediately began to sink, and in 

 a little while the whole lake was dry. He now descended the mountain 

 and got down to the bed of the lake across which he perceived, stretching 

 from side to side, the trail of the serpent's bones. These were now clean 

 and free from flesh, and some of them were curiously shaped. Some 

 had the form of swords, and some of blanket-pins or brooches. He took 

 possession of two of these — one of the sword kind and one of the brooch 

 kind—and returned to his house on the edge of the lake. Having now 

 accomplished his task he determined to return home. He accordingly 

 sets his face homewards. To get home he had first to pass over many 

 mountains and rivers. One day he perceived a flock of mountain- sheep 

 on a ridge before him. Thereupon he takes his new sword, which 

 possessed magic properties, and waves it in the air, and all the sheep 

 straightway fall down dead. He now skins them all, and dries their 

 hides. When they are dried he packs them up and takes them with 

 him. There are many hundreds of them, but his magic enables him to 

 carry them all easily. As he journeyed on he came to a certain mountain 

 which it was necessary for him to cross But his passage over this was 

 hindered by the presence of a huge snail which barred his way whenever 

 he sought to cross it. He tried every means to pass this creature, but 

 always failed. At last it occurred to him to use the Sino'tlkai-bone 

 brooch, which like the sword possessed magic properties. He now points 

 this at the snail, and it immediately shrivels up like a green leaf in the 

 fire, and dies. At last after much travelling he comes to the head of 

 the Sk'qo'mic River, at the mouth of which his own village is situated. 

 BetAveen the head and the mouth of the river there are many o'kwumHq, 



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