The California Indians, No. XIII [pp. 542-550]

THE CALIFORNIA INDIANS.
own scientists. Turning, he pointed to sea, and was never heard of more. But
the mountains, and asked, "You see the fire which he had kindled burned
those mountains?" He was informed with a great burning. It ate its way
that they saw them. "Well, I'm not so south with terrible swiftness, licking up
old as they." Then he pointed to the all things that were on the earth-men,
foot-hills and asked, "You see those trees, rocks, animals, water, and even the
foot - hills?" Again, he was informed ground itself. But the old coyote saw
that they saw them. " Well," he added the burning and the smoke of it from
with simple gravity, "I'm older than his place far in the south, and he ran
they." with all his might to put it out. He
The Corusies hold that, in the begin- took two little boys in a sack on his
ning of all things, there was nothing but back, and ran north like the wind. So
a great turtle cruising about in the lim- fast did he run that he gave out just as
itless waters, but he dived down and he got to the fire, and dropped the two
brought up earth with which he created little boys. But he took Indian sugar
the world. The Lewytos related that (honey-dew)in his mouth, chewed it up,
there was once a great sea all over the spat it on the fire, and so put it out.
Sacramento Valley, and an earthquake Now the fire was out, but the coyote was
rent open the Golden Gate and drained very thirsty, and there was no water.
it. This earthquake destroyed all men Then he took Indian sugar again, chewbut one, who mated with a crow and so ed it up, dug a hole in the ground in the
repeopled the world. The Ch6nposels bottom of the creek, spat the sugar into
account as follows for the origin of Clear it, covered it up, and it turned to water,
Lake: Before anything was created, the and the earth had water again. But the
old frog and the old badger lived alone two little boys cried because they were
together. The badger wanted a drink, lonesome, for there was nobody left on
and the frog gnawed into a tree, sucked earth. Then the coyote made a sweatout and swallowed the sap, and dis- house, and split out a great number of
charged it into a hollow place. He cre- little sticks, which he laid in the sweatated other frogs to assist him, and to- house over night. In the morning they
gether they finally made the lake. Then were all turned to men and women; so
he created the little flat white-fish, and the two little boys had company, and
it swum down Cache Creek and turned the earth was repeopled.
into the great salmon, pike, sturgeon,
and whatever other mighty fishes there I deem it probable that this legend
are in the waters. The Chdnposels also has reference to that ancient, vast eruprelate this: tion of lava from the north, recently de scribed by Professor Le Conte, which
THE GREAT FIRE. spread over so great a portion of north There was once a man who loved two ern California. There is a Pit River
women, and wished to marry them. legend much to the same effect.
Now, these two women were magpies The subject of shell-money possesses
(atchatch), but they loved him not, and some interest, and as I have had oppor laughed his wooing to scorn. Then he tunities of studying it most among the
fell into a rage and cursed these two Neeshenams of Bear River, I shallspeak
women who were magpies, and went far of it as it is there seen. Their common
away to the north. There he set the white money is called hawock, and is
world on fire; then made for himself made of the bivalve shell known as
a tule boat, wherein he escaped to the Pachyderma crassatelloides, found on
1874.]
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