ON THE NOKTH- WESTERN TRIBES OF CANADA. 461 



help the people when hunting deor. In reference to this belief, George 

 StsEe'lis told me that his grandfather and a man named A'm'amaltsen 

 went hunting in their canoes on Harrison Lake. Soon they saw a number 

 of deer crossing the lake. A'm'amaltsen went in pursuit, but George's 

 grandfather stopped on hearing a panther call him. He went ashore, 

 and immediately a panther jumped aboard and asked to be carried across 

 the lake. The man obeyed, and when he had almost reached the other 

 side, the panther jumped ashore, crying Hum! hum ! He jumped up the 

 mountain, and soon a great number of deer came down the hills, which 

 the panther had sent. Ever since that time he has helped the StSEe'lis 

 in hunting deer. 



These tales are interesting, particularly on account of their close 

 similarity to the traditions of the animal totems of America, 



A great number of restrictions and regulations refer to the salmon. 

 These rules are similar to those observed among the other coast ti*ibe!=. 

 When the fishing season begins, and one of the fishermen catches the 

 first sockeye-salmon of the season, he carries it to the chief of his tribe, 

 who delivers it to his wife. She prays, saying to the salmon : ' Who has 

 sent you here to make us happy ? We are thankful to your chief foi" 

 sending yon.* Then she begins to cut it. She commences at the tail, 

 holding the latter with her foot, and cutting along the belly towards the 

 head. After having reached the middle of the fish she must rise, go to 

 the head, hold the latter with her foot, and make another cut from the 

 head along the belly towards the middle of the fish, thus completing the 

 whole cut. She is forbidden to turn the salmon. Then the fish is roasted 

 on a frame placed over the fire. After one side is done, it is turned over. 

 The skin and the bones must not be removed. Then the whole tribe is 

 invited. The plant pe'pek'oi and pewter grass are placed in a basket, 

 rubbed, and a decoction is made of these plants, which is used as a 

 medicine ' for cleansing the people.' The guests drink this decoction^ 

 and then every member of the tribe receives and eats part of the fish. 

 Widows, widowers, women during their menses, and youths must not eat 

 of the salmon. Even later on, when the fish are numerous, and these 

 ceremonies are dispensed with, they are not allowed to partake of fresh 

 salmon, but eat dried salmon only. The sockeye-salmon must always be 

 looked after carefully. The bones must be thrown into the river. It 

 is believed that then they will revive, and return to their chief in the west. 

 If not treated carefully, they will take revenge, and the careless fisherman 

 will be unlucky. 



Religion. 



Man is believed to have four souls. The main soul is said to have 

 the shape of a mannikin, the others are the shadows of the first. lu 

 disease either the lesser souls, or the main one, leave the body. Shamans 

 can easily return the shadows, but not the main soul. If the latter leaves 

 the body the sick one must die. After death the main soul goes to the sun- 

 set, where it remains. The shadows become ghosts (puleJc oi'tsa). They 

 revisit the places which the deceased frequented during lifetime, and 

 continue to do the same actions which he did when alive. Souls are 

 believed to be taken away by the rising sun, which thus produces disease. 

 They may be recovered by shamans. The belief of the identity of the 

 shadow and the lesser soul accounts also for the custom that nobody 



