RELIGION 89

afriend. Raven determined to supply this want for the benefit
of the Kimsquit people. Accordingly he used a natural stone
depression near the village as his chamber-pot, and the liquid
reflected faces clearly. Ever since, any liquid, even rain-water,
placed in that depression acts as a reflector. The place is called
Anilxsaix, “Where People Go,” and it has been used as a mirror
by the Kimsquit people and their guests for many generations.
In this way, the renown of Raven spread to foreigners visiting
Kimsquit. Another survival of this construction is the name
Nusqalat-a, ““Chamber-Pot,” commonly applied as a nickname
to the small daughters of Kimsquit chiefs.

One of Raven’s inventions was the making of nettle-fibre
olachen nets, an art which he taught spiders as well as men.
In the beginning of time, Raven told two men to make a net
according to a pattern which he showed them, and gave them
some fibre. It was not sufficient, and when the workers asked
for more, Raven told them to draw it from their own intes-
tines. This they did, and ever since spiders have had the same
ability. Another story describes how Raven saw an olachen
net being made in one of the distant villages which he visited
during his travels, learnt the details of its manufacture, and
taught the Bella Coola on his return home.

Many of Raven’s exploits are well known, although not
embodied in elaborate myths. For example, it is believed that
in the beginning of time the ocean was to the east of Bella
Coola and the land to the west. Drownings were frequent, so
Raven altered the relative positions of land and sea. Most
ocean dwellers followed the sea to its new home, but a number
of mussels remained near their human friends. They are still
to be found in the upper valley of Bella Coola River. These
shell-fish, which are probably freshwater mussels, are said to
be identical with those of the ocean, and are called by the same
name. This is always mentioned as proof of the former pre-
sence of salt water in the upper Bella Coola valley. The occur-
rence of the shell-fish may be the origin of this theory. It might
also be mentioned that the Bella Coola believe that a few years