page © 8, Augnst 4, 1976 - Nerth Shore News

Well, sir, we wus over to
the Island on the weekend an
we left the wimmen to home
an yet they cum with us.

Jest in case you mite
figger 1 aren’t thinkin’
straight, it cum about like
this:

Alf an FF wus settin’ on
the beach jest watchin’ the

seagulls floatin’ in the air. I

wus doin’ my. offishul job,
wich is cook fer the camp, an

' wen 1 went.to tell "em the

steaks wus jest about ready
‘they wus asleep on a rock,
sorta snufflin’ an snortin’
onct in a wile, jest like a
cupple ola dogs in the sun.

: It wus a real pity to rouse
7em, becus they wus twitch-
in’ onct in a wile, sorta like
they wus dreamin’ about
chasin’ ancient cats over
ancient fences.

I riz them up with my boot —

an when we had et we set
arount burpin’ peaceful like
and I ses it’s too bad the
wimmen ain’t yere. First
thing I knowd they wus

by Bill Clark

scramblin’ arount the floor:
on their knees an I'ses wot
the hell are you lookin’ fer?

They ses I must have lost

sum marbles on they is lookin’

fer them, becus ony an: idjut
wud have wanted the wim-

men thrashin’ arount where
you cud use a buckit to dip
up the peace an quiet that
‘wus layin’ arount:

Well, we set on the porch
after an AIf ses the coffee
needs sumthin becus the
spring water is sorta flat an

he figpers a gud belt of rum
wud help an we agree.

I ses we cud mebbe go
fishin’ if sumbody wud help

' me riz up becus the sun has

sorta took my strength. |

FF ses we better holt it a.

wile, becus he is watchin’ a

shagpoke heron settin’ on a.

rock. an Alf ses the heron
_ain’t moved fer an hour. FF
ses yqu catch on real quick
‘becus he ain't movin’
neither.

- Sumbody ses if the wim-

men wus here they. wud be.

runnin’ arount chatterin’ like
‘squirrels or raisin’ hell becus
we hadn’t scrubbed our
armpits. or shaved. .

Well, sir,-we set a spell
longer an ..the shagpoke
heron moved frum one leg to
tuther an FF wus smokin’
his pipe an I ses I wus giv
instruckshuns fer changin’
my socks but damd if I cud
find ’em an FF ses you can’t
live with ’em and you can’t
live without ’em.

Petroglyphs, those

pre-history, are by no means uncommon along the

mysterious relics of

Pacific Coast from Alaska to California. One of the
most pleasant and accessible places for indulging

in the game of speculation about who made these ..

rock carvings, and why, is Sproat Lake Park, eight
miles northwest of Port Alberni on Highway A.

Unlike Dr. Frank Boas,

who first wrote about the_

petroglyphs in a_ Berlin
anthropological journal

nearly a century ago, you

won’t have to break trail

through the Vancouver Is-

land West Coast. jungle of
blackberry and salal, for the
Parks Branch. has conside-
rately graded an easy trail,
and even built. a little dock

from which you can get a.

close view of the cliff and its
carvings without even ‘get-
ting your feet wet.

" “LIGHTNING SNAKE”

The carvings at Sproat
Lake have a certain grace
and artistry about them; and
one can, with a little
imagination, see in them a
close resemblance to familiar
‘fish and crustaceans.

One figure in particular --

the one that excites the
students of Indian mythology

BE A
BEACH
BEAUTY

Short Term Special -
3 months

(on initial visit only)

tor $39.00 =~

most -- appears to represent
the “‘lightning snake’’, call-
ed Haietlik by the local
.Clayoquot people. This fear-
some creature, with the body

of a serpent and an oversized.

‘mouth and teeth, was reput-
ed to be the living harpoon
launched by the Thunderbird

_to slay his adversary, Killer

Whale.

So powerful a weapon was’
the lightning snake consid-
‘ered that there was a price of
20’ beaverskins on his head,

’- for the Indians believed that

even a small piece of Haietlik
ina whaling canoe would
assure a kill for the expedi-
tion. The figure on the cliff at
Sproat Lake resembles those
represented on chiefs’ hats

and the .barbs of whale -

harpoons.

ans, closely questioned by

by Rosemary Neering |

carvers of the petroglyphs.
All of which adds to the
puzzle. Who. did. these
carvings and why?

Were they part of the
initiation of some applicant
for entrance into a secret
society—carved - during a
period 6f,enforced solitude
and communication . with
spirits—a_ representation of-

_the ‘spirits with whom ‘the

initiate had contact? Or were

-they- a memorial of some

kind? aa

All that - is known for
certain is that the petro-
glyphs were carved within
the last 15,000 years—or
after the last ice age, since
otherwise they would have
been obliterated by glacial
action.

WHAT HAPPENED?

ma

Similarity of designs such

as the lightning snake to

those used in latter’ day
garments, weapons and bas-

_ketry indicate some contin-

uity—however | nebulous—
with this remote past with

) “which no connecting thread
However, latter-day Indi- |

exists,

explorers, apparently poss-. 7 -

essed no knowledge of the

or 2 Males or. Females

(Riviers FREE WEEK PASS
(Health

Entitles Bearer To All |
Facilities

Must Be Used Before.
Aug. 18, 1976

148 WEST 14th ST.
NORTH VAN

EU

(Clip This Coupon) ,

900.9358

Stereo Bench
36"' - 43"' - 72". long

| 2h
| | A ities am: |

: Day Beds

eng

HOURS; 10 ob pm doily
$ot.0:30- 6 Fri, tod

ONE LOCATION ONLy MMi
EASY PARKING «= {//SENI'S

‘BEDS WITH OR WITHOUT

~~ Walnut Toak

‘Il ses if you are talkin’

about. my socks I agree,

becus they is gettin’ so .I
can’t live with ’em myself

_an FF ses it wus simmen he
wus talkin’ about.

Well, I ses, that’s an old
one an purty wore out, but
there is anuther feller has
cum up with one that’s a
helluva lot better, wich ses:

‘*She is steadfast as a star
And yet fhe maddest
maiden:
She can wage a gallant
war,
And give the peace of
Eden’’*

Jest then Alf ses wud you
luk at that shagpoke, becus
anuther one .cum an set
alongside an. druv’ the first
one to swum. out an go
fishin’. ;

. Missus Heron? asts FF.

. George Meredith:
1828-1909. .

Sproat Lake petroglyphs
What happened to the

‘carvers? Were they. driven

out, exterminated, assimi-

lated, or what? Your guess is ' :
probably as good as + that of |

the experts. wef

And if you choose to: do
your guessing at Sproat
Lake, you can enjoy taking

our time about it, for the
other members of your party
can be fully occupied with
swimming, boating, or ex-
ploring the rest of the park

while you indulge in‘a little : &

amateur anthropology:

Bey ART GALLERY
=) FRAMING
fe STRETCHING

fae 971 Marine Dr.,
ay North Van. .
es

Sofa Group

3. 2.1, Brown Corduroy
Special $509.00 limited
stock

HEADBOARDS |

cox

Out of town write

INSTANT .
FURNISHINGS
1773 Robson St.

Corner Robson and Denman

@ BEST-O-FRANES=—

Hair - Removal can be hazar-
dous untess done by an expert. .
Avoid costly delay with temp-.

“ orary methods and treatments.
Electrolysis: is the only. perm-— ,

* anent cure.

: DUMONT ELECTROLYSIS

EVELYN. DUMONT — -_R.E, Suitews . :
For information phone: - 117-E. 15th St.

987-2025 North Van...

A one price special ‘on
hair streaking—price

effective through
August.

CHARGEX- MASTERCHARGE _
(UPPER LEVELS HWY. AT WEST-VIEW DR:

WESTVIEW MALL
NORTH VANCOUVER -

987-5713.
987-7292

_ Fine ethnic clothing from |

Afghanistan, the Middle East & India’
Wools - Weaves- Embroidery —

Ethiopian Basketware

_ MORNINGSTAR

311 West Cordova
681-0531