The Yaquina tell that As'ai′yahaL transformed himself into a dry tree at Yaquina Bay, and that his life returned from there to the salmon country. The Alsea and Yaquina, when passing this tree, shot an arrow at it. It is quite full of arrows.
As'ai′yahaL made all the rocks, rivers, and cascades while travelling all over the world. Finally he returned to the country of the salmon, whence he came.
The Siletz, a subdivision of the Tillamook, call him Tsaai′yahaL.
11. THE MAN WHO FOUND THE DENTALIA.
There was an old man who lived at Nestucka. He had five sons and several daughters. One of his sons went up the river fishing salmon, and he saw a small fish carrying something white under his belly. He looked at it attentively, but was unable to discover what it was. Finally he caught the fish and saw that he carried a dentalium shell under his belly. He took part of his blanket and wrapped the fish in it, and buried it under a tree. Then he thought, "As I have found something wonderful, I will fast for ten days."
He went home and did not eat anything that his mother offered him, and went to bed. On the following day, when he continued to fast, his father and mother asked him, "Are you sick?" But he did not reply. After five days he went up the river to see what had become of the salmon. He unearthed it, and found that there were several dentalia shells under its belly. He wrapped it up once more, buried it again, and returned home. After fasting ten days more, he went again to look after the fish. He unearthed it, and found a great many dentalia shells in his blanket. The salmon itself had disappeared. He carried some of the shells home. He said to his mother, "Make threads of sinews." She obeyed, and after she had made a strong rope he took it and went to the place where he had buried the salmon, and made a large bundle of dentalia shells. He carried it home, opened it, and the people saw it was full of shells, and henceforth he was a rich man.
12. THE MAN WHO FOUND THE FLINT KNIFE.
Once upon a time there lived a man at Slab Creek (Nasqēuwi′n). When fishing near the headwaters of the river he saw two salmon playing in the water. When they touched each other, they made a noise like that of falling metal. He tried to catch them, and finally succeeded in getting one of them. When he threw the fish ashore, he found that he had cut his hand, and saw that it was no salmon that he had caught, but a flint knife. The second salmon he found to be a stone hammer.[1] He took both of them home and concealed
- ↑ Flint (or obsidian?) is highly valued by the Siletz, and whoever possessed a
