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p. 270

XXVIII.

Formula of the Rain-rock Medicine. 1

p. 273

Ten brothers lived at Yastsime. One of them went away toward the south. At the end of the world to the south he stayed. After a time he felt the wind blow on him. Frost rolled out of the ground in big chunks. "What is it going to do?" he thought. He took some incense root with him and started back south. When he came back to Yastsime he looked around. He saw nothing. He went on and came down opposite Mīme. He was surprised to see some one sitting there. He turned about and went again to Yastsime. "What is the matter here?" he asked. From some place he heard a voice say, "Indians will become." Here at the world's end toward the north sickness flew up. "Those weather spirits who used to be here have gone away," he told him.

Then that one, who used to stay at the world's end at the south, started down the river. When he came to the creek above Eslick's he built a fire. Then he went on down, coming out on the river bank south of Xaslindiñ. He saw someone sitting

p. 274

above Xaslindiñ. He built a fire there where a pepper wood tree was standing. He went down to Sugar Bowl. The wind was so cold he could hardly face it. He saw someone had taken up his abode each side of the fishing place at Sugar Bowl.

Then crossing the river he went below Nilinkindiñ. He turned back to Nilinkindiñ and built a fire there. "Here he will do this who knows my body," he thought. Then he put incense root into the fire. He started down river climbing the mountain. When he got up the hill he was warm. "This way it will be," he thought, "when Indians come to be." He built a fire on top of the hill and then went down to the northern side.

On the north side of the creek opposite Djictañadiñ above the trail he built a fire. Then he commenced to talk. "Here they will build a fire," he thought. "I first of all will know Indians' hearts when they pass."

Then he started back. "I will lean my foot up this way. The wind will blow up from the ground. They will call me first at the end of the world toward the south where I used to live. Then they will call me here at the end of the world toward the north. There he stays who first knew it." "This way they will do if frost comes," he thought. "Just this way it will happen to the one who talks about my body. In the fashion of the Indian world he will let go from his hand the incense. The wind, just a little warm, will blow gently, if they put this incense in the fire. The fog will stay in the middle of the mountain." This way he established it.

"West it will draw back, north too it will draw back, east too it will draw back, south it will draw back. There will be sunshine. It will be good weather in the world. It will be wet. The frost that used to be will melt. It will settle down. I brought it down."


Footnotes

270:1 Told at Hupa, December 1901, by Emma Lewis, whose father belonged to the southern division of the Hupa.


Next: XXX. Formula of Medicine for Pregnant Women (Deer's Medicine.)