RELIGION 65

been frightened at any time but nightfall increased their fears.
Their dogs heard the sound and howled in dread. The woman
threw on their fire several soiled blankets, her only pair of
shoes, and some dry salmon, which all supernatural beings
abhor. Then she and her husband fled home, waving lanterns
to and fro and firing musket shots in all directions. The birds
did not follow them, but they considered themselves fortunate
to reach Bella Coola unmolested.

The beliefs of the Bella Coola concerning the supernatural
animals just described are fairly exact; they know their ap-
pearance, what to expect, and what to do if one is encountered.
In addition to these, they assume the existence of monsters of
indefinite form which they term szusxy. Any supernatural
creature, a babunk* for example, is spoken of as a snusx in
general, not specific, classification. Consequently, what one
Bella Coola may describe as a s#usx is given a distinctive name
by someone else with wider knowledge. As far as could be
learnt, there is no designation other than s#usx for creatures
which move from the ocean in April to clear the way for salmon,
and spend the summer in the lakes of the interior, or beneath
the ice of glaciers. They can assume various forms, sometimes
even human, though they usually appear as giant, hairless,
bear-like creatures with short legs and brown skin. Their eyes
are large, round, and glass-like. In whatever form these crea-
tures may appear, they are almost certain to bring disaster to
the beholder. One of the haunts of susx is beneath the glacier
on Mount Ogwan-i, behind the small mountain which rises
behind 9omgo-ts, on the south side of the Bella Coola River
about half a mile from the sea. It is said that only a few
years ago a white man, having heard of these creatures, went
to that place with a number of Bella Coola. All the latter were
able to hear the roaring of the beasts, louder than the whistle
of a steamer, but the white man seemed deaf to it, though the
power of the szusx had affected him, for he died on the way
back to the village.

Other suusx are said to live near Kimsquit. The father of