an uncle found reason to plan the death of a nephew who had of-
fended against Tribal law. The nephew, however, though thrown
out of the canoe by his uncle's slaves while hunting seals
presently drifted ashore and was rescued by a Princess of the
Eagles whom he later married. Being allowed to share in the
activities of the Eagle Princess he found his new friends re-
lied upon whales as their chief source of food, and soon the
young man was permitted to wear an Eagle's feather dress and
join in the frequent and exciting hunts of these mighty creatures .
This Eagle skin had belonged to the King of the Eagles in his
youth and imparted unusual strength to its possessor. Always he
returned successful from these hunts when some of his companions
failed. Filled with pride, the young man determined to disobey
the constant injunctions to his companions and himself not to be
tempted to try and catch a small animal which looked like a sea-
otter but was actually a Giant Clam endowed with supernatural
power. So, one morning, flying out over the ocean, he swooped
down on this Clam and succeeded in lifting it a short distance
above the water. Soon he felt overpowered; he sank lower and
lower in its clutches. Then one of the young Eagles came to his
help, seizing firm hold of his wings. But he, too, was dragged
under the sea. All the Eagle whale hunters came in turn to give
help but all shared the same fate. At last only one of them was
left. Wisely, he flew home and told his sad tale to the old
Queen of the Eagles. Instantly she sharpened her nails, put on
her old ragged eagle's skin and flew out to sea.. She caught
Sight of the wings of only one Eagle above the water. Again

and once again she tried to raise the long chain of drowning
birds, singing "N'gai, N'gai, N'gai; why did my son-in-law dis-
obey me? N'gai, N'gai, N'gai?" When finally she had rescued all
the young Eagles from the Clam's strong grasp, she ordered them
back home reproving them severely for their disobedience to her
commands which had so nearly cost them their lives.

The Eagle Grave Monument (Plate 9, Figure 6) carved out of
cedar was placed on the top of a surface burial and denoted a
member of the Kwakiutl Eagle Clan of Bella Bella. It measures
« feet 6 inches by 1 foot 3 inches; and is to be seen in the
Provincial Museum, Victoria, B. Cc.

kK Bee