Immediately he invited the people. They came in at once. When all got in he began to dance before them. They who came in wore [[302]]fins. He dressed himself up and came in, and lay down in the rear of the house, wearing a full killer-whale suit. His fins touched the roof of the house. Then he came out of it, and, as he held it in his hands, he said: “Real dorsal fin. Real dorsal fin. What human beings call in a common way a dorsal fin (łg̣ᴀn). Real dorsal fin.” After he had stood around a while, he said: “Human beings keep saying this about me. They keep saying that I used to be a human being.”[27] All in the house laughed at him. It was as if things moved the house.
Now they began eating what they had stirred up. They say they were whales’ tongues. Now, when this was over, the coast between Skidegate inlet and House-point[28] was strewn with whale jaws which had floated ashore. The things they ate in the house of Supernatural-being-looking-landward really floated ashore.
A long time after that they again began to starve. And there was nothing to eat at Skidegate. Then they took him to Da′x̣ua[29], and they lived there with him. And they were starving there. Then they gathered edible fern stumps right behind them. Those they ate. They hunted outward and inward.[30] Sometimes one found the body of a coot. They ate all these things.
One time he performed all night. Then Supernatural-being-looking-landward said to him: “Big-tail, have them stop making the little supernatural women living along the shore cry.[31] Say that I will give the human beings something.”
And next day he repeated it to the people. “Let no one go anywhere. Supernatural-being-looking-landward says he will give some food to the human beings.” But still they all went out to look for food again up and down the inlet.
That night he again sang a song for himself. In the night the wind blew in from the sea. At daybreak he stopped singing. The day after that one went out very early. Astonishing! He came in and he said, “Get up quickly. It lies near Eagle-rock.[32] Astonishing!” All moved at once. He did not eat of it because he was a shaman. Now they were saved. They stopped starving.
At that time the slaves at Skidegate starved to death. Then a man of the Seaward-sqoā′ładas set snares at ʟā′stᴀlañ[33] for cormorants. His slaves alone did not die. Then one tried to set snares near him, and he refused to have him there. He obeyed and went off. He was named Gū′stas. He killed people by means of witchcraft. That is why they did what he told them to.
After another long space of time had elapsed, Welcome-point’s[5] son spoke through him. He put words into his song inside of his father’s house. He sang to get his father’s things he had promised. He was unsuccessful. He sang for the spring salmon his father owns. He was unable to get them. His father was stingy. [[303]]
Now an old man in the house said: “The chief’s son would do it if he could. Even I will put out a few sea-eggs.” The first time he promised not the least thing happened. Because the old man said he would put out a little, they had more sea-eggs than they needed in Skidegate inlet.
Some time after this people went to Skedans, and he wanted to go with them; and he went. And he arrived there with them. And the day after they went to ʟi′nsū,[34] and he went with them. Then they landed at Kꜝū′dᴀsʟꜝxa,[35] and he crept ashore. Then he lay in the sunshine.