The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1894-09-21

Wings anu y Ieatner covering for his
body, and around his waist he ties the
tightening fish, which slightly resem-
bles the sea horse. This animal has a
head IS sharp as knife, and when he
secs whale he darts the tightening
fish into his body, which he then
seizes and carries to his home. Occa-
sionally, however, he strikes a tree
and more seldom man.
The origin of the bird, according to
Mr.. Swan, as given by the Chehalis
and Chinook Indians are as follows
Ages ago an old man named Too-lux,
or the south wind, while travelling
north, met an old woman named
Quoots-nooi, who was an ogress, or
glantess. He asked her for food, when
she gave him a net, telling him she
had nothing to eat, and he must 90
and try to catch some fish. He accor-
cordingly dragged the net and sue
ceedsd in catching the grampus, or as
the Indians called it, little whale.
This he was about to cut with his
knife, when the old lady called out to
him to take sharp she'll and not to
cut the fish crossways, but split it
down the back. Without giving heed
to what she said he cut the fish across
the side and was about to take off a
piece of blubber, but the fish imme-
diatsly changed into an immense bird,
that when flying completely obscured
the sun, and the noise made by its
wings shook the earth They also
add that this thunder bird flew to the
north and lit ON the top of the Sad
dleback mountain near the Columbia
river, where it laid nest full of eggs.
IL was followed by the giantess. who
found the eggs; whereupon she began
to break and eat them, and from these
mankind, or at least the Chehalis and
Chinook tribes, were produced. The
thunder bird, called Hahness by these
Indians, came back and finding it's
nest destroyed went to Toolux, the
south wind, for redress, but neither of
them could ever find the ogress,
although they regularly went north
every year.
As to the cause of thunder among
these tribes, Mr.. Swan says that when
young girl reaches womanhood she
has to 60 through a process of purif-
cation which lasts month. Among
other customs at this time, if there is
a southwest wind, with signs of rain,
she must OH no account go out of
doors, else the southwest wind is Sc
offended that he will send the thun-
der bird, who then by shaking his
wings causes the thunder, and from
whose eyes 20 forth the flashes of
tightening. As far as Mr.. Swan knew,
every thunder storm which occurred
while he lived at Shoalwater Bay,
three years, was attributed by the
Indians to this cause-that is, to some
girl disobeying this law.
The Indians are very superstitious
in regard to this bird, believing that if
they possess any feather, bone, or other
part OF it, or bone of the Tightening
fish, it will be of supernatural advan-
tage to them. A Makah, who had
been very sick, reduced to skeleton,
and it was believed could not recover,
vet he managed to crawl out one day,
says Mr.. Swan, to brook near by,
and while there he heard a rustling
which 30 frightened him that he COW
cred his face with his blanket. Peep
ing out ho saw a raven, apparent
ly trying to throw up something, and,
according to the Indian, it did throw
up a piece of bone about three inches
long. The Indian secured this, be-
lisving it to be the bone of the thun-
dor bird, and he was told by the Ind
ian doctors that it was a medicine
sent to him by his Tamahnous, or
guardian spirit, to cure him. Itwas
fact that he did recover very quickly,
perhaps through the effect of his i'm
agining it to be such bone and
strong medicine.
On one occasion, at a display of
fireworks in Port Townsend, number
OF rockets bursting showed fiery SER
psnts. These the Indians believed
belonged to the thunder bird, and Of
fered large sums for pieces of the ami
NAL. They told Mr.. Swan they would
give two hundred dollars for the back
bone of one.
A Quiniault Indian once professed
to have obtained a feather of one OF
these birds. He said he saw one OF
them light, and, creeping up softly,
tied = buckskin string to one OF his
feathers and fastened the other end to
a stump. When the bird flew away
Il left the feather, which was ~ faith
ON. lonr No other Indian saw 1t,
for he was careful to keep it hid, but
the possession of it was not questioned