Prevod
Tako kot stari Grki tudi Siwashi s severozahoda nevidni svet naseljujejo z razumnimi duhovnimi bitji. Vsako drevo ima dušo; gozdove so naseljevali dobri in zli duhovi, slednjim pa so pri hudičevih plesih darovali žrtve, saj ni bilo vredno miriti tistih, ki so bili že tako dobri; gore pa so dom tamanousov ali duhov varuhov, ki se včasih spopadejo med seboj — kakor tedaj, ko so se duhovi gore Tacoma spopadli z duhovi gore Hood: z njunih vrhov sta bruhala ogenj in staljena kamnina, njuno rjovenje se je slišalo daleč naokrog, nekaj skal, ki jih je zalučala Tacoma, pa ni doseglo cilja in je zajezilo Columbio pri kraju Dalles.
Skozi te fantastične pripovedi iz davnih časov odmeva poznejši nauk, prilagojen in prepleten z domorodnimi legendami tako tesno, da ni več mogoče razločiti meje med njima. Takšna je tudi pripoved o skrivnostnem popotniku po Whulgeu — tako Siwashi imenujejo zaliv, ki je dobil ime Puget po enem od Vancouvrovih častnikov. Čez to vodovje je tujec priplul v bakrenem kanuju, ki se je bleščal v jutranjem sijaju. Ko je pristal in dal sklicati vse rdečekožce od blizu in daleč, jim je oznanil nauk, ki je izzval prezir — nauk ljubezni.
Nič več se bojevati in krasti, deliti svoje imetje z ljudmi v stiski, odpuščati sovražnikom — takšnih reči niso mogli razumeti. Ta sijoči tujec je tistim, ki bi živeli pravično, obljubil večno življenje na morjih in gričih, lepših od teh na zemlji, vendar ga niso poslušali. Nazadnje so se naveličali njegovega govorjenja, ga odvlekli k drevesu in ga s klini skozi dlani in stopala pribili nanj. Zasmehovali so ga in plesali okoli njega, kakor so pri hudičevem plesu plesali okoli svojih žrtev, dokler mu ni glava omahnila na prsi in je njegovo življenje ugasnilo.
Silovit vihar, grmenje in potresi! Sneli so truplo in ga hoteli pokopati, toda glej! Ko je posijalo sonce, je vstalo na noge in spet začelo pridigati. Tedaj so popotnikovo besedo sprejeli za resnico in mu nikoli več niso storili nič žalega, sami pa so z vsakim letom postajali manj bojeviti, dokler niso bili med vsemi Indijanci najbolj miroljubni.
Izvirnik
Like the ancient Greeks, the Siwash of the Northwest invest the unseen world with spiritual intelligence. Every tree has a soul; the forests were peopled with good and evil genii, the latter receiving oblation at the devil-dances, for it was not worth while to appease those already good; and the mountains are the home of tamanouses, or guardian spirits, that sometimes fight together--as, when the spirits of Mount Tacoma engaged with those of Mount Hood, fire and melted stone burst from their peaks, their bellowing was heard afar, and some of the rocks flung by Tacoma fell short, blocking the Columbia about the Dalles.
Across these fantastic reports of older time there come echoes of a later instruction, adapted and blended into native legend so that the point of division cannot be indicated. Such is that of the mysterious voyager of the Whulge--the Siwash name for the sound that takes the name of Puget from one of Vancouver's officers. Across this body of water the stranger came in a copper canoe that borrowed the glories of the morning. When he had landed and sent for all the red men, far and near, he addressed to them a doctrine that provoked expressions of contempt--a doctrine of love.
To fight and steal no more, to give of their goods to men in need, to forgive their enemies,--they could not understand such things. He promised--this radiant stranger--to those who lived right, eternal life on seas and hills more fair than these of earth, but they did not heed him. At last, wearying of his talk, they dragged him to a tree and nailed him fast to it, with pegs through his hands and feet, and jeered and danced about him, as they did about their victims in the devil-dance, until his head fell on his breast and his life went out.
A great storm, with thunderings and earthquakes! They took the body down and would have buried it, but, to! it arose to its feet, as the sun burst forth, and resumed its preaching. Then they took the voyager's word for truth and never harmed him more, while they grew less warlike as each year went by until, of all Indians, they were most peaceable.
