414 REPORT — 1902, 



the invitation began in the usual way with his dance and seuwE'n. After 



awhile he showed them a peculiar stone and bade them note it. He then 



cast it into the fire, and a moment afterwards it was heard to fall upon 



the roof. Another then began his dance and seuwE'n. Presently he 



showed them two stuffed mice. These he cast into the fire, and two live 



mice were seen to come out of a hole in the ground close by. A third 



then exhibited his 'medicine.' This man commenced liis dance with a 



large feather in liis hand. After he had been dancing a while he threw 



the feather into the fire, and a moment later it came up from a hole in the 



ground and stood up and danced. The last to perform was an old man. 



He begged someone to do his dancing for him ; but no one complying, he 



■cast into the fire some native fish-hooks he had in his hand, whereupon 



■they flew hither and thither and fixed themselves in the lips and mouths 



-of the bystanders, from which they could not remove them till he himself 



'did so. The stories in the native Kwa'ntlEn text below also relate 



instances of these shamanistic displays. The following account of some 



shamanistic feats was given me by an old settler wlio has lived among the 



Kwa'ntlEn people for a great many years and has an Indian wife. He 



^relates that at a shamanistic performance at which lie was present lie saw 



■■a shaman take a feather and stick it apparently into a piece of rock. 



'^The stone then began to roll about, but tlie feather remained in it. 



Another wore in his cap a number of di-ied birds' heads. He took these 



► out of the hat and threw them into the air, whereupon each became a 



» living bird and flew about the shaman. Another took a bucketful of 



vwater and danced round it for a while. Presently a little fir-tree was seen 



1 to grow out of it, each branch of which was tipped with feathers. 



-Another, to show his powers, sat Avith his feet and lower limbs in an oven. 



- Presently water began to run out of the oven and put the fire out ; but 



^wji on. lie withdrew his legs and feet the water disappeared and the fire 



••cajme again. 



These are samples of the thaumaturgical skill of the Salish sliaman. 

 1 may add that I regard these feats as quite distinct from those more 

 psychical conditions and manifestations before alluded to. They appear 

 paltry beside the thaumaturgical powers of the conjurers of India, or even 

 of our own professional wonder-mongers. 



Qlils. 



Qals, the Transformer, was invoked as a deity by the Kwa'ntlEn. 

 They believed it was he who instituted the Feasts of First Fruits and 

 taught them to pray. According to them the muddy waters of the Fraser 

 were caused by Qals beating out the brains of one of his brothers and 

 throwing them into the stream. Up to this time the waters were clear. 

 He did this that they might the more readily catch the salmon. He also 

 taught the sQEna'm their seuwE'n or dance-songs, and bade them sing 

 them when they wanted his help in healing their patients. According to 

 my Kwa'ntlEn informants the Qals were eight brothers. This lack of 

 definite concepts concerning this marvellous being, and the conflicting 

 accounts of his personality, or personalities, and character among the 

 different coast and delta Salish tribes, would seem to indicate that his 

 cult has been adopted by them since their migration hither, and was not 

 one originally belonging to the whole undivided stock. Higher up the 

 river, above the Halkome'lEm tribes, he does not appear to be known. 



