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354 THE BELLA COOLA INDIANS

overland to Kimsquit, and from there to Bella Coola. The crew of
another craft lost their way among the islands and fiords and wandered
around for days until their food was exhausted. They were then near
China Hat where they could have landed in safety but, thinking that
they were still in hostile territory, they feared to camp and hunt. At
last, spurred by hunger, they determined to catch some eagles, the only
living creatures in sight. A rude shelter was built on the shore, a bark
tray placed before it, and one of the party gashed the fleshy part of his
back until the blood ran sufficiently freely to fill the vessel and serve as
bait. A companion hid himself and clubbed the eagles as they swooped
down to the fresh blood. Though the food was coarse and had to be
eaten raw, it enabled the refugees to continue their journey home.

Another canoe was surprised at the entrance to Douglas Channel by
a party of Kitimat who slew all the crew except a certain Ya-k¥axwaxwa
who succeeded in escaping into the woods. Thinking that the survivor
would be driven down to the beach by hunger, the Kitimat patrolled the
shore for days, but he eluded them by travelling overland, though his
only food was uncooked plants and a single goat, killed by a stone.
YVa-k”’axwaxwa was a Kimsquit man whose wife was from Kitlobe; her
relatives, hearing of his plight, watched the shore of Gardners Canal,
hoping that he might be able to reach that refuge. He managed to do so,
though at the last gasp, and was taken to Kitlobe whence he returned to
Kimsquit. This was the first time that anyone had travelled overland
from Douglas Channel to Gardner Canal.

Still another canoe actually landed at Kitimat where the crew was
butchered except for five men who fled to the forest. One of them,
Xnutti, uncle of a man about seventy years old in 1923, had made several
trading expeditions into the interior and was familiar with part of the
route. He acted as guide, but soon lost his way and the five wandered
for months through the trackless interior, often in dire straits for food,
and becoming more and more weary. Their journey began in May, and
by October they were all enfeebled through hardship and lack of food.
Xnutti himself was the first to give up the struggle, saying that he could
go no further. He asked his comrades to make him as comfortable as
possible, and then to leave him; regretfully they laid him on some ever-
green boughs, and tottered off, expecting their own death within a few
days. Soon after their departure, there was a violent thunderstorm and,
at the moment of a tremendous clap, Thunder, himself, appeared to the
dying wanderer. The supernatural one went to a near-by rivulet and
dipped up water which he brought Xzu#ti to drink; when he had done
this four times, the man felt as if he had had a hearty meal. Thunder
then told Xnuiti to close his eyes. He did so; then the supernatural one