At one time there was a flood that covered the earth, and most of the people were drowned. When the waters rose, the people fled to the mountains; but some were overtaken and drowned on the way, and others were drowned on the tops of the lower mountains. All the land was flooded except the tops of a few very high mountains. Xäls and his wife and daughters escaped in a large canoe. They were chiefs. After paddling about for many days and nights, they became very tired. They drifted against the top of Qotse'lis Mountain, and there they made a hole through a stone, and moored their canoe by passing a heavy cedar-bark cable through the hole. Here they stayed and gauged the increase and decrease of the water with stakes as marks. After flowing and receding several times, the water at last receded, and they cast off their canoe. The flood now subsided rapidly, and they found themselves in the Lower Fraser Valley. Some say they had drifted there from the south. Now all the water was gone, excepting some that remained in the form of lakes and ponds, filling up the hollows and depressions. After this Xäls travelled over the world, and taught the survivors of the flood how to act and how to work. He was very wise, and taught the people how to pray, and do every kind of work. He travelled among all the neighboring coast tribes.
Once there was a man named Xwiämä'ta,3 who lived at Union Bar. He had a sister called Swalsta't. He was sick with a loathsome disease. His nose and eyes were swollen. He had been sick a long time, and could not be cured. He became very sorrowful, and one day wandered away to a small lake called Qo'eqoea, near the Coquahalla River. As he went along, he tore up his blanket, and tied the rags to sticks.4 The people followed his track for some distance,5 and then gave it up, saying, "There is no use following him. He has no doubt gone very far, and then committed suicide." He sat by the lake and spat into the water. The saliva descended through the water, entered the lodge of the chief who lived at the bottom of the lake, and fell on the stomach of his daughter, who at once became sick. Xwiämä'ta said to himself, "There is nothing to live for. I cannot get well. I will throw myself into the lake." He dived, and descended until he saw a ladder standing up, which led into the chief's house. He entered, and found the chief's daughter very sick. The chief told him that she was dying, and asked him to try to cure her. He cured her by scraping off the spittle, and at once she became well. In return the chief cured Xwiämä'ta's sickness. They were very grateful, and showed him the .sxo'exo'e mask. They said it was of very great value, and told him how to use it. They presented it to him. They promised to send it. Xwiämä'ta returned home, and sent his sister Swalsta't to fish in the lake. While she was fishing, the Water people attached the mask to her hook. She thought she had caught a fish. When she landed it and saw the feathers on it, she ran away in fright. Her brother sent her back. She wrapped it in a blanket, and put it in a large basket and carried it home. Then her brother showed it at dances.
The .sxo'exo'e mask had a feathered head, protruding eyes, feathered hands, and feathered feet and knees. It could only be used by people who inherited it. By intermarriage with people of Hope it was introduced among the people of Hammond. The people on the North Arm (near the mouth of the Fraser River) made war on the Hammond people, and stole their mask. After this they used it, although it did not belong to them; but they did not know the proper song and dance that belonged to the mask, which always was used when it was exhibited.
Once there was a man who said to his three sisters, "I saw many ali'la7-berries down the river. Let us go down there in a canoe and pick them." They arrived at the place, and picked berries until they had filled one set of baskets. When they had placed them in the canoe, the brother said, "I hear enemies coming. They will kill us. All of you must hide." The two eldest sisters ran off into the woods; while he hid the youngest one in a hole, and covered her with leaves. Then he went to the canoe and ate all the berries, threw the juice over himself, and lay down in the bottom of the canoe as though he were covered with blood. The little girl peered through the leaves, and saw what he did. After a while the elder sisters returned, and, finding where she was hidden, asked her where their brother was. She told them what she had seen, but they would not believe her. When they went to the canoe and saw him, they thought he was dead. They said, "The enemies must have killed him. See! He is covered with blood." The little girl answered, "That is not blood, it is berry-juice." They tickled his soles until he moved and began to laugh. They asked him why he had acted thus. He answered, "I longed for a good feed of berries." Then they filled the other set of baskets with berries and returned home.
1 RBAE 31 : 586.
2 RBAE 31 : 820.
3 A little east of Hope, near the mouth of the Coquahalla River.
4 Others say he marked the way by sticking arrows into the ground.
5 Some say they followed the signs to the lake, and, thinking he had drowned himself, returned.
6 A version of this story is current among the Uta'mqt. -RBAE 31 : 705.
7 Lower Thompson word.
