A little above this place they came to a large underground lodge inhabited by Coyote people. Qwa'qtqwEtl transformed them into rocks. At that place is a large, deep, circular depression in the ground, with bowlders in it. The latter are the transformed Coyote people.1
3. QWA'QTQWETL and KOKWE'LA.
(From the Upper and Lower Thompson Indians.)
(continued)The next incident was the quarrel between the brothers regarding their respective powers. They were going to separate, and the eldest brother was going to take the second brother along. They left Qwa'qtqwEtl in bed by the camp-fire. When they had gone some distance, Qwa'qtqwEtl caused a flood by throwing his beaver-skin head-band into the fire.2 This happened about one mile below Spences Bridge.3
When they reached the mouth of the Nicola River, the brothers desired some tso'.la4 fish to eat. Qwa'qtqwEtl caught a large fat one; and after they had eaten it, he threw the bones into the Thompson River, saying, "Henceforth this fish shall frequent this river, and be abundant at this place." This is the reason why the river near Spences Bridge is now a famous tso'.la-ground.
Next they travelled some forty or fifty miles up the Nicola Valley. They transformed into stones a hunting-party of bad people who were going up a hillside, one behind the other. They may now be seen as a long row of bowlders on the side-hill.
Above this place, on the south side of the river, near Nai'Ek,5 they transformed a war-party. The warriors may now be seen as pinnacles of clay in a bluff at this place.6 They also had a contest with Coyote, and transformed his seat, or bed, into stone. Coyote transformed their tracks into stone, which may all be seen there at the present day.7
While travelling in the Nicola Valley, the brothers desired beaver-tails to eat, but they did not know how to catch the beaver. Qwa'qtqwEtl drank the beaver-lake dry, and clubbed the beavers. He threw their bones into the water, and they became beavers. He said, ''Henceforth beavers shall be plentiful in this country." In the Upper Nicola Valley the brothers desired to eat elk-meat, but they did not know how to hunt elk. Qwa'qtqwEtl changed himself into a fly, entered a bull-elk's anus, and killed him. After they had eaten, he threw the bones in four directions, saying, "Henceforth elk shall be abundant in this region."
Then the brothers returned to Spences Bridge and proceeded up the Thompson River. In several places between Spences Bridge and Ashcroft they had contests with Coyote people. Here are related the incidents of transformation into stone of Coyote's sweat-house (two miles above Spences Bridge), of Coyote's and his wife's privates, and of her basket (five miles above Spences Bridge), and of Coyote's fish-weir, into islands and bars six miles above Spences Bridge.9
At Black Canyon, below Ashcroft,10 a large dark animal, or buffalo, blocked the river, and everything that came downstream was swallowed by him. The water passed into his mouth and out of his anus. He had killed many people. Qwa'qtqwEtl transformed himself into a small piece of driftwood, floated into the mouth of the monster, cut out his heart, and killed him. He said, "Henceforth there shall only be a canyon at this place."11
Then they proceeded up the Bonaparte River. Somewhere near Cache Creek, on an open flat, grew a large tree with spreading branches. It had a nice odor, and its shade was cool. This mystery tree caused hot weather, in order to induce people to seek its shade. The odor put them to sleep; and then the tree would fall over on them, and crush them to death. Qwa'qtqwEtl lay down under the tree, and pretended to sleep. When the tree began to fall on him, he placed his arrow-flaker on the ground point up, and the tree could descend no farther. He said, "Henceforth trees shall not have the power of falling on people, except by accident."12
Next they went up Hat Creek. (Here follows the incident of pushing the heads against the rock.13)
In Marble Canyon they transformed the cannibals Eagle and Skunk.14
In La Fontaine they burned Coyote's wooden wife, and Qwa'qtqwEtl made two wives for him out of cottonwood and alder trees, and blew breath into them, thus transforming them into people.15
Then they crossed Pavilion mountain, where they transformed three or four witches into stone while they were dancing for the purpose of overcoming Qwa'qtqwEtl.16
There they also changed Coyote's penis into stone. It may be seen sticking out on the south edge of the mountain as an isolated peak.
1 RBAE 31 : 603 (No. 46) et seq.
2 Some Indians believe that the burning of beaver hair or skin will cause rains, and the lakes and streams to swell or flood their banks.
3 RBAE 31 : 608 (No. 68).
4 A large variety of trout. Steelhead-salmon are also called by this name. He commanded the fish to jump ashore, and caught it.
5 An Indian village in the Lower Nicola Valley,
6 RBAE 31 : 603 (No. 44).
7 RBAE 31 : 604 (No. 55).
8 RBAE 31 : 612 (No. 8).
9 RBAE 31 : 603 (No. 47) et seq.
10 About twenty miles above Spences Bridge, on the Thompson River.
11 RBAE 31 : 611 (No. 4).
12 Some say he transformed it into the tobacco-plant, saying, "Henceforth you shall grow around old camps."-- RBAE 31 : 612 (No. 6).
13 RBAE 31 : 614 (No. 13).
14 RBAE 31 : 613 (Nos. 10 and 11).
15 RBAE 31 : 609 (No. 69).
16 Some informants say that they were adolescent girls, or adolescent girls and an old woman in charge of them. -- RBAE 31 : 615 (No. 17).
