VI. - ANCESTOR TALES FROM SPUZZU -NI.
3 . The Origin of the Wau'us Mask.
(Lower Uta'mqt.)Some people of the Fraser Delta tribes (S'a'tcinko) lived formerly at a place called Wau'us.1 Among them was a boy who was troubled with large swellings on the body (Komkome'x) and was unable to find a cure. Since there was no relief for him, he expressed a wish to die, and wandered aimlessly about on the mountains to the east of the Hope trail, until he reached the source of a creek. Here he came to a lake, and, wishing to drown himself, he jumped in. He sank until he almost reached the bottom of the lake, where he came in contact with the roof of a house. This was inhabited by water-spirits or water-people (xaxaa'tko), who, hearing the thud of the lad striking the roof, sent one of their number out to see what was the matter. He came back, and reported that a stranger was resting on the roof of their house. He was ordered to bring him inside.
As the lad entered, he saw sitting in the doorway a woman holding an infant, and he spat on the latter as he passed. The child at once became sick with the same disease as himself. The people sent to a neighboring lake for a medicine-man, but after several trials the latter declared he was unable to cure the child. Then some of the old people said, " Ask the stranger to treat the child. He must be a medicine-man, or at least possessed of much power and knowledge ; otherwise he could never have come to our dwelling." They asked the lad to doctor the sick infant; but he said, " I am sick myself, and came here to get cured. If you cure me, I will treat your child." Then they brought medicine of different kinds2 and anointed his whole body with it, until he became well. When he saw that they had cured him, he spat on the child, and it became well also.
The people were very well pleased because he had cured the child, and they treated him very kindly; but after a time he became tired of staving there, and desired to go home to his own people. So the chief selected four of his people to conduct the lad home. They were Beaver, :Mink, Otter, and Loon. After going a considerable distance, they lost their way, and had to return. Some days afterwards they tried it again, Beaver leading the way. Wherever they travelled, the water gave way before them, and stood back, leaving a passage like a tunnel.
1 They say this place is three miles east of Hope. Some say that this was also the name of the lad.
2 Evidently decoctions of herbs.
