Page:The International Folk-Lore Congress of the World's Columbian Exposition, Chicago, July, 1893.djvu/328

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LEGENDARY LORE OF NORTHWESTERN AMERICA.

all of you, I say, 'Remain where you are, and I will give you a beautiful land to the North.'"

So saying he took all the snow and ice which he turned into Pe-kullkun (mountain sheep) so named from Pe (white) and kullkun (an animal). So in time the Whull-e-mooch moved northward.

That at one time their country was full of ice and snow is proved by the numerous ice grooves, which every where abound on the numerous rock outcrops.

That these people should connect the ice grooves with the mountain sheep, is not apparent. In all my dealings with these people I never once heard these grooves ascribed to the action of ice. In fact, if asked what made them, they either said. We do not know, or else they never saw them before. That means, the presence of the grooves never drew their attention.

One fact there is, that this legend has passed down from the dim and misty ages of the past, whatever might have been its origin.

The Haida tribes on Queen Charlotte's Islands, B. C, have a remarkable legend, bearing on a period of glacial action. Scannahgunnuncus (hero of the Scannah or Finback whale crest or class) they say took a canoe and went up Hunnah river on that island. Being tired he went ashore and lay down; he had not rested long until he heard a noise up stream; going to see what caused it, was surprised to see a body of stones coming down, going to see the cause, he was more surprised to find a body of ice coming down and pushing everything before it. Seeing this he ran into the bush for safety. In the bush he found the trees cracking and breaking. Everything seemed to say to him. Go away, go away. Hearing this he made for his canoe as fast as he could and never stayed till he reached the open sea. At that time, they say there was far more water than there is now. They say that they could sail miles up rivers into which at high water only a canoe can enter. A few years ago I made a survey of this valley and found everywhere traces of glacial action. In fact the valley had been formed by local glacial action at a comparatively late period. There is a rather interesting legend current amongst these people. It is