sight. These were
the maidens, so the Indians say, who left behind them all this lovely
land for regions unexplored, taking with them both clams and mussels.
This is the reason Indians give for the lack of these shell-fish now,
upon the shores of the great inland sea. The maidens also took the
Kwa-nis bulbs, but as they flew they dropt a few upon the ground,
hence the Kwa-nis bulb is still found in Tsomass land.

Wick-in-in-ish, with his sons, now made haste to paddle to the
river mouth, but lo, the house was gone, no sign of it was left,
and with it all the klootsmah tribe had fled. Then he turned to
Ha-houlth-thuk-amik and said, "This is thy land, and this thy future
home shall be; thou and thy chosen one Kla-kla-as-suks shall dwell
therein, and may thy children be many."

THE LEGEND OF EUT-LE-TEN

EXPLANATION OF "THE LEGEND OF EUT-LE-TEN"

As stated in the introduction, the details for this story were
given by the late Indian missionary, Mr. M. Swartout, who received
them direct from the Indians of Dodger's Cove, Barkley sound, in
the year 1897.

The reader will recognize in this legend the Indian equivalent for
Hansel and Gretel, Jack the Giant Killer, Jack and the Bean stalk,
and other stories of childhood days.

It is not likely that the exploits of Eut-le-ten were considered
by the older Indians to be the product of imagination, and most
probably they believed that some time in the distant past, a
supernatural being called Eut-le-ten was born and lived and
performed extraordinary feats and taught them wonderful things.

This is an Ohyaht Indian story. The chief village of the Ohyahts
was at a bay called Keeh-him between Bamfield and Cape Beale,
Barkley Sound.

THE LEGEND OF EUT-LE-TEN

THE WITCH E-ISH-SO-OOLTH

Long, long ago, in the gloom of deep and silent woods there lived a
witch or evil chehah. The Indians called her E-ish-so-oolth. So tall
was she that, stalking through the forest, her head would brush the
lower branches of the giant fir.

She dwelt in a huge lodge, the walls of which were built of cedar
logs as thick as men are high. This evil chehah was the dread of
young and old alike, for all believed that boys and girls and even
men and women, who left their homes, not to return again, were
taken to her lodge, there to be devoured at leisure. Therefore
mothers often said, when children misbehaved, "Be good or I will
call E-ish-so-oolth."

One day some Keeh-hin village child