Page:American Anthropologist NS vol. 22.djvu/352

 34 - AMERICAN ANTHROPOLOGIST [N. s., 22, 1920

Animals, birds, fish, etc., dwell in special underworlds of their own. These are visited by the dead hunters and fishermen who thus obtain their necessary supplies of fresh game and fish. No one knows the exact locations of these places, nor has any living person ever been able to find out how to reach them.

Attention has been called before to the fact that, according to Quileute belief, infants and children live in a separate underworld. This is called tcitco'otskldtal, is situated south of the Country of grown-up Souls, and has a trail of its own. The same is covered with nice, green grass and is much shorter than the other road. It is not dotted with obstructions and leads right into the habitations of the souls. The whole place consists of a grass-covered valley sur- rounded by small hills. Swings made of poles are found everywhere and are used by the children constantly. The houses are located right behind the playgrounds. A beautiful lake is situated in the middle of this underworld, and the children bathe in it frequently. It is not known whether and what the souls of infants eat. All children 'are under the perpetual care of some old women called la'tdas who stay with them all the time. No one has ever been able to find out how many of these keepers there are and how they came to live in this underworld. The- children are never visited by the other souls, as there are no means of communication between the two underworlds.

NEW YORK CITY.

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