364 THE BELLA COOLA INDIANS

of the expedition. Some were able to answer for themselves, but to
many queries the reply came that the one asked about had been slain,

This defeat did not by any means discourage the Kwakiutl, whose
forays continued as before. On one occasion, as they were returning
homewards, they noticed several canoes drawn up on the west side of
South Bentinck Arm, not far from its junction with Burke Channel. The
raiders cautiously landed and stalked the unsuspecting owners, Bella
Coola who had landed to cut stakes for a salmon-weir. The Kwakiutl
bore down upon them with a rush; unarmed and taken unaware, the
Bella Coola could make no real resistance. One of them managed to flee
into the deeper woods, but the rest were either killed or captured. Among
the prisoners was a chief, Simk’Jusam, who was wearing a handsome
marten-skin cloak at the time. His captor promptly appropriated this,
leaving the man naked.

Elated at this success, the Kwakiutl continued their return journey.
When near Kwatna, they encountered a fierce southeast gale which made
progress impossible; at this point cliffs rise so precipitously on either
side of Burke Channel that there is not even the semblance of a harbour,
and the only chance to weather the storm was by anchoring. There was
considerable anxiety as to whether or not the weight would hold, but it
did so, and the canoe remained tied, now carried to the full extent of the
mooring-rope almost against the cliffs, now to the same distance far out
in mid-channel. Towards night it began to rain and the cold grew bitter.
The crew, assured that the anchor would hold and weary from their exer-
tions, went to sleep, as did most of the prisoners. Sink/usam, without
covering of any kind, was too uncomfortable to follow their example. As
the canoe was tossed near the cliff, he happened to notice a narrow ledge
just above water, with a small cedar growing in a nearby cleft. Here was
a possibility of escape and the chief became alert at once. When next
the canoe was dashed near he examined the cliff more closely, and decided
that it might be possible to scale it. At any rate death was better than
captivity, and he determined to make the venture. As the craft came
shorewards again, he plunged overboard into the rough water and
succeeded in grasping the tree-root with the aid of which it was an easy
matter to pull himself to the ledge. The surf was breaking over it and
he was bitterly cold, but he managed to reach another root and to scramble
up to a second ledge. From it he gained a wider projection where he
could rest in comfort. His escape had been unobserved, and as Sink’lusam
looked downward he could see the canoe tossing to and fro at the end of
the cable; there was a large boulder near him, and he thought of tipping
this over to sink the craft, but refrained out of consideration for the pris-
oners. From this point the climb upwards was comparatively simple,