CN THE NORTH-WESTERN TRIBES OF CANADA. 569 



namely, of the Chilcotin, Carrier, and Siccanie, have been influenced to a 

 considerable extent by the coast tribes.' 



The mythology of the Ts'Ets'a'ut agrees closely with that of the 

 northern and eastern Tinneh tribes, which were studied by E. Petitot. 

 Without entering into details I will mention a few of the fundamental 

 traits of their traditions. The earth was originally level : it was hot, 

 there was neither water, rain, snow, fog, nor wind. The animals were 

 starving and tore the sky, went up and liberated rain, snow, and wind', 

 which were kept in bags in the house of the goose woman. Rivers originated 

 when a man, in order to obtain water, shot an arrow into the ground, 

 whereupon a spring welled up. Mountains originated when two brothers 

 flew from their giant wives, who pursued them. In order to obstruct 

 their progress they threw the contents of the stomach of a cai-iboo upon 

 the ground. These were transformed into mountains and valleyc. Later 

 on a flood destroyed all the people : only children of two clans survived, 

 who were placed by their parents inside two trees. The fire was 

 originally in possession of the grizzly bear, who wore a strike-a-light as an 

 ear-ornament. A bird stole it and brought the stones to men. Glaciers 

 and snow on the mountains are the remains of an immense snowfall which 

 covered the whole world. There are a great many traditions telling of 

 the marriage of men lo women who were animals or other beings. A 

 people of cannibals of human form, but with faces of dogs, called Qudii'le, 

 and giants called Tsufa', are the subjects of many tales. 



IV. The Nass Eiver Indians, the NIsk-a'. 



The customs of the Nisk"a' and those of the Tsimshian, which were 

 described in the Fifth Report of the Committee, are practically identical. 

 Therefore I will not enter into a detailed description of this tribe, but 

 give such data only as supplement my previous notes. The Nisk-a' speak 

 one of the three main dialects of the Tsimshian language; the other dialects 

 are the Tsimshian and the Gyitkshan. They inhabit Nass River, except 

 its upper course. Nowadays they live in a great many permanent 

 villages, but formerly only four subdivisions were recognised by them. 

 Laqk-'altsa'p (=at the town), Andeguale', Gyitwunkse'tlk, and Gyit'- 

 laqda'miks. I mentioned in my former report that the Tsimshian are 

 divided into four clans : The K-anha' da, or Raven ; the Laqkyebo', or 

 Wolf ; the Laqski'yek, or Eagle ; and the GyispawaduwE'da,^ or Bear. 



I discovered that these clans are subdivided or specialised, there being- 

 families of the clan at large, and subdivisions of the clan. Among the' 

 Nisk'a'and Gyitksha'n I found the following subdivisions :— 



' The Kev. F. Maurice misunderstands me when he assumes that I think the coast 

 people have not influenced the tribes of the interior. This influence is apparent in 

 all the descriptions of former travellers, and has been admirably demonstrated by 

 Mr. Maurice. But the reverse influence exists also, and has aflected to the greatest 

 extent theThngit tribes who trade with the interior, the Tsimshian, the Bilqula, and 

 the Salish of the interior. The flood legends whicli refer to the finding of the earth 

 by the musk rat, some of the burial customs and inventions, mast have percolated 

 through these channels, even if tlie Tinneh tribes have lost some of those customs 

 owing to secondary changes. 



^ This spelling is more correct than GyispotuwE'da, as given formerly. 



