[2] The word used here, Tcꜝa′tcꜝagusga-i, is the story name of this sparrow; the common name is tcꜝa′tcꜝa. See the story of [He-who-was-born-from-his-mother’s-side], note [5]. [↑]
[3] The grizzly bear appears in this story because it was a great bugaboo to children. To quiet a crying child they said to it: “The grizzly bear might get after you.” [↑]
[4] The meaning of these words, if they have any, is unknown. [↑]
[5] These birds always lay their eggs among the salmon-berry bushes and the ferns. ↑ [a] [b]
A raid on the Tlingit
[Told by Richard of the Middle-gîtî′ns]
Qä′ndawas was going to make a potlatch in Masset. She owned ten slaves. And she had eight storehouses in the Kaigani country.[1] She was going to have [her property] brought over from there.
And she owned a copper plate worth ten slaves. She intended to sell it for that price in the Tsimshian country. They offered her nine slaves and an 8-fathom canoe. Thereupon she said that she would not part with it because there were not ten slaves. They then returned. And they came to Raven creek.[2]
And, after they had sailed from there to House-point[3] with a south wind, a strong land breeze came upon them (i.e., a west wind). They were then carried away. And it carried them to the Kaigani country, where some Tlingit were gathering seaweed. Then the Tlingit invited them in. And they got off. After they had given them food they killed them.