After travelling through the upper Shuswap country, they went east to the Kutenai and Cree countries, and disappeared. At some place in the Shuswap country not far from the upper limits of the Thompson tribe, they came to the house of the Rock-Rabbit.1 His dwelling was of stone. When people entered, he caused the entrance to close on them by shouting, "Ski'.p!" ("pinch!") The bones of many people lay around outside the house. Qwa'qtqwetl entered the house, placed his arrow-flaker crossways in the entrance, and prevented it from closing. He threw Rock-Rabbit1 out among the rocks of a large slide, saying, "henceforth you shall be a mere rock-rabbit, and live among the rocks. The entrance of your house shall no longer close when you shout 'Ski'.p!' "
3. QWA'QTQWETL and KOKWE'LA.
(From the Upper and Lower Thompson Indians.)
(continued)The incident of the man who cut open his wives when they were about to give birth occurred in the canyon of the Fraser, below Lytton.2
In several parts of the country the marks of the brothers' feet may still be seen.
In the open country lived a man who killed people. He could not walk; but when the wind blew, he could travel fast, for he bounced along like a ball. He had a large head, large eyes, large mouth, small withered arms and legs,4 and a hollow round body. He knocked down anything that came in his way.
A story relating to the origin of the cry of the Mourning-Dove was told by the old people. Dove was a woman, and had children. Berries and famine were mentioned in the story. All the details have been forgotten.
6. SEA-GULL.
A story used to be told of Sea-Gull. It gave the reason why the gull goes up rivers. The story is now forgotten. It is said that Gull came ahead of the Salmon, and told the people of their coming.
Long ago, before Beaver and Eagle stole the fire, and before there was any fire in wood, the people could not make fire. When they were very cold, they sent messengers to the Sun to procure fire. These had to travel a long distance. When the fire that the messengers carried was used up, and they wanted more, they sent for some more. Some say they carried the fire between shells, or enclosed in some other way. The fire brought from the Sun gave a strong heat. Some men are said to have had the power of bringing down sun-heat and fire without having to go to the Sun for it. They drew down the sunbeams.
The Chinook-Wind people lived in the south, in the timbered mountains. The Cold-Wind people lived in the north, in the bare, snowy mountains. Between them lived the Indians, who had no power over the winds. The Chinook-Wind people were friendly with the Indians, and travelled among them. The Cold-Wind people never visited them. Therefore there was very little cold in the Indian country. The Chinook-Wind's son went north, and married a daughter of the Cold-Wind people, and introduced cold by bringing her back to his home. The annual visits of her people to see her brought on the winter seasons. Before that, the Cold-Wind chief never came out of his house. He always remained inside. Therefore there was no severely cold weather. All the Cold-Wind people remained in their own country. Their houses were made of ice. Only when they walked about outside did it become cold. When they opened the doors of their houses, cold winds blew out, and it became somewhat cold. They never kept their doors open for very long. Thus it was long ago, before the Chinook-Wind's son married.
Kweskapi'nek was a woman who lived at Lytton. She was considered a chieftainess and mother of the people. Some Thompson and Okanagon people are believed to he descended from her. A chief came from the south or east and took her away or married her. Some say he was the Sun. She wept much, because she said she was about to leave her children and live in a strange country. She wanted to make provision for her children, and leave them a token whereby they would remember her. Therefore she filled her basket with edible roots. She repaired to Beta'ni (or Bota'ni), and emptied her basket, saying, "Henceforth roots will grow in abundance in this place; and my children shall repair here to dig them." Therefore almost all kinds of edible roots now grow there. If she had had camas and bitter-root in her basket, these plants also would now be abundant there. (There was a long story about this woman formerly, but it has been forgotten.)
1 Or Little Chief Hare. --RBAE 31 : 613 (No. 9).
2 RBAE 31 : 609 (No. 70).
3 JE 8 : 330 (No. 40).
4 Some informants say that his limbs were boneless.
5 RBAE 31 : 732.TOP
