582 REPORT— 1895. 



bodies of persons who had died by accident before they were found by 

 the friends of the deceased. They sold them among the other Halda'wit. 

 There are, however, many tales which mention the use of bodies for 

 supernatural purposes as well as tree burial, such as is practised by the 

 southern tribes. For this reason I suppose that the custom of cremating 

 the body was borrowed recently from the Tlingit. 



The following tale explains the ideas of the Nisk-a' regarding the 

 future life. 



Once upon a time the GyispawaduwE'da killed Adina'ky, the chief of 

 the Laqkyebo.' There was a youth living in their town who happened 

 to walk towards the graveyard chewing gum. There he saw a man 

 approaching him, who wore a robe of marten skins. When he came 

 nearer he saw that he was no other than the dead chief. The youth wished 

 to run away, but the ghost overtook him and asked him for some of the 

 gum he was chewing. The youth did not dare to hand it to him, and just 

 pushed it out of his mouth. The ghost took it and turned back. The 

 youth went home, and after he had told what had happened, he fell down and 

 lay there like one dead. He had a perforated stone for an amulet, which 

 he wore suspended from his neck. It was to insure him long life. His 

 friends washed the body and put clean clothing upon him. Meanwhile 

 the ghost carried his soul away. They followed a broad trail, and came 

 to a river. He got tired of waiting, and yawned. Then he heard a noise 

 iia the town. A canoe came across to fetch him. He went aboard, and 

 was taken to the chief's house. He was sick, and the chief ordered him 

 to be laid down next to the fire, and called four shamans, who were to 

 heal him. They tried to take his heart out of his body, but they were 

 unsuccessful. They said, ' His breast is as hard as stone.' This was 

 because he wore the amulet. Finally the chief said to the shamans, ' Let 

 us give up our efforts. He is too powerful ; we must send him back.' 

 Then he was taken back to the canoe, and sent across the river. He 

 returned tlie same way which he had come, and when he entered his house 

 life was restored to the body. 



The conception of the world is as follows : — 



The earth is carried by a man named Am'ala' (smoke-hole). He lies 

 on his back, and holds on his chest a spoon made of the horn of the 

 mountain goat. It is filled with grease, and in it stands a pole on which 

 the earth is resting. When he gets tired he lifts the pole, and the earth 

 shakes. The pole, with the earth on it, is turning in the bowl of the 

 spoon. The grease in it serves to make it turn easily. The earth is 

 round. Sun, moon, and stars belong to the sky, and do not turn with the 

 earth. 



An eclipse of the sun indicates that a chief is to die. Then the whole 

 tribe go out of the house and sing . — 



Daq — d'ii daq - d';i daq — 



The following games were described to me : — 



1. Leha'l : the guessing game, in which a bone wrapped in cedar-bark 

 is hidden in one hand. The player must guess in which haiad the bone is 

 hidden. 



2. Qsan : guessing game played with a number of maple sticks marked 

 ■with red or black rings, or totemic designs. Two of these sticks are 



