44 THE BELLA COOLA INDIANS

is in the upper Bella Coola valley near Firvale, cause cold
breezes by blowing them through their anuses. cuxvexrwan-t es-
pecially is a prominent figure in mythology (I, p. 670), but she
has not appeared for many generations and her actions belong
to legend rather than to either religion or social practices.
It is said that she has four sons who once wanted to break a
large number of grass stalks. Finding it difficult to do so on
account of their toughness, they asked their mother to freeze
them; she did this and destroyed every other plant at the same
time.

Another anthropomorphic being is Swxk7?at?, the super-
natural South Wind of winter who brings storm and snow.
The Carriers affirm that every icicle which grows down until
its end is in the snow is his walking-stick, and that to break
one causes famine. Some Bella Coola have adopted this be-
lief and carefully refrain from destroying such icicles.

Supernatural beings experience the same difficulty as mor-
tals in reckoning the passage of time. A number of calendrical
experts live in the land above, whose duty it is to record both
months and years. They are called Aminskattwaiyaix or
Almunskitinum. They have been seen occasionally, and are
shown, as masked figures, at susaok (I, p. 180), but not at kusiut
dances. Two of these beings always appear, and they argue
about their observations after the fashion of humans.

Another denizen of Nusmdt-a of slight importance in the
social life of the Bella Coola is Xemxemdlotia, a friend and
associate of diquntém. He acts as patron of kusiut dancers,
and in this manner is brought to the notice of mortals. In the
land above his function is to cherish T¥agmd-ks, a being re-
sembling a diminutive man, created by 4/guntdm as a child to
all supernatural beings. Xemxemdlotta is its guardian or nurse;
and for safety he usually keeps his charge in the far distant
upper land above Nusmdt-a, where Afquntém frequently visits
the two. In some mysterious manner, Tligma-ks has been
known to reach this earth, giving good fortune to the lucky
finder. He is in many cases spoken of as ‘““The Cherished