THE AVESTERX DENES. 15i) 



other, their endeavours would be directed towards catching it back. 

 With this end in view, they would hang up in the evening the patient's 

 mocassins previously stuffed with feather down, and next morning, 

 sliould the down be warm, they would with great care and silence 

 put them back on his feet with his supposed shade therein. When- 

 ever the moriljund lay unconscious they believed his double to have 

 departed for the land of the shades or spirits, though after death it 

 recei%'ed another name (nezul) and was then supposed to be the impalp- 

 able form of the man's previous self We thus see that the immortality 

 of the soul, though in an imperfect manner, was admitted by these people. 



Concerning the state of these shades and the regions they inhabit 

 after death, their notions were rather vague and contradictory. 

 Though all of them seemed to agree that their condition was miserable,^ 

 since theii' only food was dried toads (which among the Denes are the 

 uncleanest of animals) yet they do not seem to have known or 

 imagined much regarding the regions in question. 



The following myth may howevei- give a fair idea of the belief 

 entertained by the Carriers on this subject. 



" A long time ago two yoimg men having got lost in the woods, 

 reached in the course of their wanderings a certain spot where the 

 trunk of a tree entirely hollowed out by age and decay was lying on 

 the ground. Ouc of curiosity they crawled in to see where it led to 

 as only one end was visible. After some hard walking on all fours 

 through a dark subterranean passage, they reached a place full of 

 snakes, toads and lizai'ds. Much frightened they endeavoured to go 

 back ; but could not — it was an awful place. Yet, summoning up 

 their coiirage they hurriedly ran through it and after more under- 

 ground journeying, the road widened and darkness ceased. Then 

 they suddenly found themselves to be on the top of a hill command- 

 ing the view of a broad river on the other side of which stood a 

 village. This consisted of innumeraVjle board houses, some of which 

 were black, othei's red — it was the abode of the shades who were 

 then enjoying themselves on the lawn. Nobody could ha\'e an idea 

 of their number and they were making a deafening noise, caused b)' 

 the interest they seemed to take in their sport. 



"At this sight, one of the young men ran away and hid him.self 

 in the bush. As for his cousin (such he was), perceiving several 



