92 THE INDIANS OF CAPE FLATTERY. 



Daylight or daytime is expressed by the word Kle-se-hark, which also means 

 sun ; but in enumerating days the word che-al'th is used, denoting a day and night, 

 or twenty-four hours ; thus, tsark-wark che-al'th, one day, &c. The divisions of the 

 day are sunrise, yo-wie ; noon, ta-kas'-sie ; sunset, art'hl-ha-chitl ; evening, ar-tuktl ; 

 midnight, up'ht-ut-haie. 



Wind is called wake-sie; the north wind, batl-et-tis; the south, kwart-see-die ; 

 the east, too-tooch-ah-kook ; the southeast, too-chee ; the west, wa-shel-lie, and the 

 'northwest yu-yoke-sis. These are each the breath of a fabulous being who resides 

 in the quarter whence the wind comes, and whose name it bears. 



Kwartseedie, the south wind, brings rain,^ and the cause of it is this : Once upon 

 a time the Mouse, the Flounder, the Cuttlefish, the Skate, with several other fishes 

 and some land animals, resolved to visit Kwartseedie and see how he lived. After 

 a journey of many days they found him asleep in his house, and thought they would 

 frighten him; so the Cuttlefish got under the bed, the Flounder and Skate lay 

 flat on the floor, and the other visitors disposed themselves as they thought best. 

 The Mouse then jumped on the bed and bit Kwartseedie's nose, which suddenly 

 awakened him ; and as he stepped out of bed he slipped down by treading on the 

 Flounder and Skate, while the Cuttlefish, twining round his legs, held him fast. 

 This so enraged him that he began to blow with such force that the perspiration 

 rolled down from his forehead in drops and formed rain. He finally blew all his 

 tormentors home again; but he never has forgotten the insult, and comes at 

 intervals to annoy his enemies, for the land animals at such times are very uncom- 

 fortable, and the fish are driven from their feeding grounds on the shoals by the 

 great breakers, which also oftentimes throw vast numbers of them on shore to perish. 



The legends respecting all the other winds are very similar, and their blowing 

 is a sign of the displeasure of their imaginary beings. 



The Indians are excellent judges of the weather, and can predict a storm or 

 calm with almost the accuracy of a barometer. On a clear calm night, if the stars 

 twinkle brightly they expect strong wind, but if there is but a slight scintillation 

 they are certain of a light wind or a calm, and consequently will start at midnight 

 for the fishing grounds, fifteen or twenty miles due westward from Cape Flattery, 

 where they remain till the afternoon of the following day. Their skill is not sur- 

 prising when it is understood that their time is in great measure passed upon the 

 water, on a most rugged coast ; that their only means of travel is by canoes, and 

 that from childhood up it is as natural for them to watch the weather as it is for 

 a sailor on the ocean to note the skv. 



* It is the prevalent winter wind of the northwest coast. — G. G. 



