Official report of the exploration of the Queen Charlotte Islands | Page 9

them with accuracy. I can
therefore only give a few examples from those most frequently narrated,
which I had from the lips of Edensaw, the oldest and ranking Chief of
the Hydah nation, and Goo'd-nai-u-uns, wife of Goo-gul, well known
as a gifted relator of their legends and traditions. Ne-kil-stlas is their
great creative geni, who, by transforming himself into men, women,
children, beasts, birds and fishes, or whatever thing is best suited to
accomplish his designs, performs the most miraculous deeds.
Ne-kil-stlas is known also as Kill-sing-ne-kee-uns, Goya-ta-get-ya,
Goy-kilt, Guoy-ne, kill-gee-sklass, Hoya, and by other names,

according to the shape which he assumes.
* * * * *
The Creation of Man.
When the water which once covered the whole earth subsided, a raven
(Ne-kil-stlas) was the only creature surviving. In his loneliness he
started around the islands, seeking companionship, and when passing
Sand Spit Point heard very faint cries, which he soon discovered
proceeded from a cockle shell lying upon the beach. While examining
it with great wonder, the voices grew louder and loader, until finally
there issued therefrom several male [Footnote: As related by others
only one infant, and a female, was found in the cockle shell, whom,
marrying Ne-kil-etlas, became the great father of the Indian race.]
infant children, which rapidly increasing in stature joined him in a
common search for mates. Upon reaching the lonely island of Ninstints
they found females clinging helplessly to the rocks, whom rescuing and
taking for their wives, peopled the land.
* * * * *
Origin of Light--The Sun, Moon and Stars.
Ne-kil-stlas, soon discovering that light, fresh water, and many other
things which the people most needed were in possession of a powerful
chief called Setlin-ki-jash, and jealously guarded by him, resolved to
obtain them. Now this chief's daughter had a little babe, which, when
they all slept, Ne-kil-stlas killed, and taking the place of the infant was
fondly petted and cared for. When he found where the chief kept the
moon, he began to cry to see it, and continued so to do for a long time,
and until they opened the door into the apartment where the moon was
concealed, which seeing, Ne-kil-stlas instantly became a raven and
seizing it with his bill flew away to the Naas country. Here the Indians
gathered about him and begged to see the moon, of which they had
heard. Ne-kil-stlas agreed to let them see it if they would give him all
the oolachan fish which he desired, to which consenting, he threw
down the moon before them, which they in their wild delight tossed so

high in the air that it broke in pieces, and formed one part the sun,
another the moon, and the small fragments the stars.
* * * * *
Carvings.
The Hydas are distinguished for their superior skill, above that
possessed by any other aboriginal people on the continent, in carving
and mechanical arts and contrivances generally. Besides their great
columns, from 30 to 75 feet in height, covered with figures from top to
bottom, nearly every article used by them is carved to represent either
their totem crests, or some animal, bird or fish familiar to their sight.
House-posts, canoe-heads, stone axes, mauls and mortars, fish-hooks
and floats, seal-killing clubs, boxes of all kinds, cooking and eating
utensils, trays, spoons, ladles, medicine charms, masks, rattles, whistles,
gambling sticks, towes, and other articles, too numerous to mention, are
all carved. Their designs are often grotesque, many evidently purposely
so, and their workmanship commonly rude compared with that of our
best white carvers; yet their skill in so curiously and accurately shaping
some things, considering their few and inferior tools and semi-savage
state, is quite remarkable. Desiring to possess some small article of
Hyda manufacture, I gave a young Indian jeweler a two-and-a-half
dollar gold piece at 9 o'clock in the morning with instructions to make
from it an eagle. Before 1 o'clock the same day he brought me the bird
so well made that not many jewelers could improve upon it.
* * * * *
Food Supplies.
The Hydas live chiefly upon fish, though of late years they consume
also considerable quantities of other supplies, especially flour, rice,
sugar, coffee, crackers, &c., purchased from the traders. Of fish, halibut
and salmon, dried and smoked, are mainly depended on, though many
other varieties are eaten in their season--herring, flounder, trout, rock
cod, true cod, clams, mussels, &c. Pollock, called by the Hydas skill,
are caught off the west coast, principally for their oil, which is

extracted by boiling them in large wooden tanks by means of heated
stones. Dried herring spawn, salmon roe, sea and birds' eggs, chitons
and octopus are favorite articles of diet. Berries and crabapples are
gathered in large quantities and eaten both