RELIGION 93

his left cheek until the blood flows, takes also a mouthful of
his own urine, and spits out the mixture.

The following instance of this belief was recorded.

A Bella Coola chief and a number of followers were once at Kwatna
where they had been gambling for stakes of mountain goat grease. Two
of the men had lost their supply, so they went into the mountains be-
tween Kwatna and Restoration Bay to replenish it. They saw two
goats, killed them, and at once two more appeared in the same place;
these they also slew. When a fifth and sixth goat appeared and were
likewise dispatched, one of the hunters tried to restrain his comrade,
saying that such phenomenal success must be due to supernatural power
which they should not abuse. They stopped firing, cut the grease
from their quarry, and started on the return journey. Presently the
mountain began to tilt upwards before their feet. They had no ropes,
and almost in despair concealed themselves in a small rock shelter.
Their dogs too felt the movement and barked in terror. Fortunately,
the mountain did not rise more than a few feet and soon subsided, so
that the men escaped.

The attitude of the Bella Coola to supernatural powers of
all kinds may be termed a doctrine of Opportunism. Super-
natural beings abound and constantly play a part in the affairs
of mortals. An alert and bold man can take advantage of
these opportunities and obtain assistance, but he who hesitates
is indeed lost. Certain types of assistance are most commonly
granted to orphans and other unfortunates; accounts of these
belong to the realm of mythology and will be described in a
later chapter. On the whole the supernatural ones do not
show discrimination in conferring boons, and the man who is
quick to take advantage of them is the one to whom success

comes.

SUPERNATURAL ELEMENTS IN Human BEINGS

The Bella Coola believe that in the human body itself there
are certain supernatural elements. Neither sticks nor stones
can move, because they lack these attributes possessed by men
and animals. Considering the firm belief of the Bella Coola
in the omnipresence of the supernatural, it is not surprising
that they should ascribe the phenomena of health and sickness,