302 HISTORICAL TRADITIONS AND MYTHS OF OBSERVATION. 



when he saw the grains, he thought they were maggots.^ Now 

 there is a tradition of recent date, among the Keethratlah In- 

 dians of British Columbia, which tells in the most graphic way 

 the story of the first appearance of the white men among them ; 

 how an Indian canoe was out catching halibut, when the noise 

 of a huge sea-monster was heard, plunging along through the 

 thick mist; the Indians drew up their lines and paddled to 

 shore, when the monster proved to be a boat full of strange- 

 looking men. " The strangers landed, and beckoned the In- 

 dians to come to them and bring them some fish. One of 

 them had over his shoulder what was supposed to be a stick ; 

 presently he pointed it to a bii'd that was flying past — a violent 

 poo went forth — down came the bird to the ground. The In- 

 dians died ! as they revived, they questioned each other as to 

 their state, whether any were dead, and what each had felt. 

 The whites then made signs for a fire to be hghted ; the In- 

 dians proceeded at once, according to their usual tedious prac- 

 tice, of rubbing two sticks together. The strangers laughed, 

 and one of them, snatching up a handful of dry grass, struck a 

 spark into a little powder placed under it. Instantly another 

 poo ! — and a blaze. The Indians died ! After this the new- 

 comers wanted some fish boiled : the Indians, therefore, put 

 the fish and water into one of their square wooden buckets, 

 and set some stones on the fire ; intending, when they were 

 hot, to cast them into the vessel, and thus boil the food. The 

 whites were not satisfied with this way : one of them fetched 

 a tin kettle out of the boat, put the fish and some water into 

 it, and then, strange to say, set it on the fire. The Indians 

 looked on with astonishment. However, the kettle did not 

 consume ; the water did not run into the fire. Then, again, 

 the Indians died ! When the fish was eaten, the strangers 

 put a kettle of rice on the fire ; the Indians looked at each 

 other, and whispered Akslialm, akshahn!, or 'Maggots, mag- 

 gots V "^ 



Again, the Australians have had the same idea of what rice 

 was, for in the Moorunde dialect it is called "yeelilee/' or 



' St. John, vol. i. p. 202, and see under, Chap. XII. 

 » Mayne, ' British Columbia,' p. 279. 



