THE BOOK OF THE INDIANS OF NORTH AMERICA: ILLUSTRATING THEIR MANNERS, CUSTOMS, AND PRESENT STATE EDITED BY JOHN FROST, L. L. D. AUTHOR OF THE "BOOK OF THE NAVY," "BOOK OF THE ARMY," ie.. See. HARTFORD: PUBLISHED BY W. J. HAMERSLEY .no 53 Entered, according' to the Act of Congress, in the year 1 844 by D. APPLETON & CO., in the office of the clerk of the district court of the United States in and for the southern district of New York. PREFACE. THE intention of the following work is to furnish a correct view of the present state of the Aborigines of this country ; and especially of the wild Indians who are comparatively ignorant of the white man and his arts of civilization. The form chosen is that of familiar conversation between an in telligent old hunter and a circle of young friends. The au thorities, chiefly relied on, are Mr. Catlin, Prince Maximilian of Wied and other recent travellers, with occasional anec dotes and illustrations from older writers. The embellish ments are taken chiefly from the fresh and graphic pictures of Mr. Catlin and Prince Maximilian. Three of the draw ings viz. : The Frontispiece, the Indian Buffalo Hunt and Mr. Char don's Adventure were furnished by that accom plished artist Mr. F. 0. C. Barley, after Mr. Catlin's designs. The information contained in the volume having been Wholly derived from authentic sources, it is believed that it will prove useful and acceptable to the reading public. (5) CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. THE subject introduced ---.--.. 13 CHAPTER II. Some account of the fur trade The lakes, rivers, and mountains of North America Indian hunters Courreurs des Bois Voyageurs North men Comers and goers A decharge A portage Trappers Beaver hunting Adventure with a bear Peltries and furs Deer hunting A cache Fur companies- Bisons, bears, deer, wolves, badgers, beavers^ minxes, martins, foxes, racoons, lynxes, hares, rabbits, musk-rats, squirrels, and stoats - - - -- - -'- - - -19 CHAPTER III. Difficulty in ascertaining who were the Aborigines of America, and from whence they came Various opinions on the subject Catlin's publication on the " Manners, Customs, and Condition of the North American Indians" Census of the different tribes Locality of the Crows, Blackfeet, Sioux, and Creeks The names of some of the Indian chiefs and remarkable characters 33 CHAPTER IV. Wigwams Crow Indians quitting an encampment Villages Food Pomme blanche Pemican Marrow fat Fruit Dress Full dress of Mah-to-toh-pa, "the four bears" Bows and arrows, quivers, tomahawks, spears, shields, and scalping knives Scalping War clubs Indian warfare Warfare of white men Language Names of the sun and moon, a buffalo, and the Great Spirit, in different languages Indian method of signing treaties -t :- ' = - " - - - - - 48 CHAPTER V. The history of Black Hawk Na-na-ma-kee's dream Black Hawk's birth place Becomes a brave Fights against the vii viii CONTENTS. Osages His father killed Destroys forty lodges of the Osages **& Sac chiefs go to St. Louis Strong drink given them, and they sign away land of the Sac's nation American whites de ceive the Sacs, and Black Hawk joins the British His battles He returns home Kee-o-kuk made chief Black Hawk again goes to war He gives himself up to the Americans A buffalo hunt -- 4 v>. . -.' . 64 CHAPTER VI. Valleys and prairies A flat prairie Bluffs and square hills Floyd's grave Blackbird's grave Fruit grounds in prairie Prairie la Crosse Prairie du Chien Couteau des Prairies Missouri prairies Swan Lake, River rice grounds Lover's leap Salt meadows Savannahs Red Pipe-stone quarry - 79 CHAPTER VII. The Seminole Indians King of the Red Hills Oceola A coun cil Agreement to an exchange of land Oceola refuses to sign the contract Made prisoner, and afterwards set at liberty His message to the whites Made prisoner again His death Ad ventures of Nikkanochee, prince of Econchatti 93 CHAPTER VIII. The religion of the Red Indians Medicine, or Mystery Rain making Marriage Flattening the heads of children Cradles Practice of shaving the head Exposure of the aged The Leaping Rock Catching white fish Fasts, feasts, and sacri fices Runners Indian squaws Pipe smoking Dog feast A common life scene among the Indians Smoking a shield Pipes Pipe of peace Indian burial Resting-place for the dead - - - * ,. ^- * : ;;t - ^ . . 104 CHAPTER IX. Anecdotes of the Red Indians Indian observation and sagacity Indian conscientiousness Indian honesty Indian ignorance Indian shrewdness Indian cunning and deceit Indian hero ism Adventures of an American trapper - - - 119 CHAPTER X. Buffaloes Bisons A grand surround of buffaloes A buffalo wal low Bears Adventure with a grizzly bear Anecdote of a CONTENTS. ix common bear Wild horses Catching horses with the laso *** Creasing horses Cougers Wolves White, black, and clouded wolves Deer Moose deer Elk Common deer The wapiti deer Black-tailed deer Cariboo Mountain sheep Prairie dogs Musk rats Taking musk rats Fearful adventure of the prairie on fire 134 CHAPTER XI. Games Ball play among the Choctaws Ball play by the women of the Prairie du Chien Horsemanship Foot races Canoe races Wrestling The game of tchung-kee among the Man- dans Archery The game of the arrow Swimming Mode of swimming customary among the Indians Prank of the Min- ataree children on the Knife river Buffalo dance The poor Indian woman - - - 150 CHAPTER XII. Musical instruments Whistles, lutes, rattles, and drums War whistle and deer-skin flute The beggars' dance The doctors' dance The pipe dance The black drink The green corn dance The dog dance The discovery dance The slave dance The scalp dance The sham scalp dance The eagle dance The snow shoe dance The straw dance The bear dance The war dance Sham fight - 167 CHAPTER XIII. The mystery lodge of the Mandans, to appease the good and evil spirits The Great Canoe The unknown man from the prairie The old mystery man -The bull dance Preparing young warriors for hardships and dangers The tortures inflicted The self-possession of the young men The last run Fainting and recovery of the tortured Indians The speech of Logan, an Indian chief Address of the Seneca Indians to Governor Clinton Address of the chiefs of the same tribe Speech of a warrior Speech of Red Jacket ------ 181 CHAPTER XIV. Poisoned arrows Poison, making The deadly power of the poison Council of war Enlisting Preparation for battle Indian mode of fighting A war party A night march A surprise A village attacked The onset The resistance The retreat False alarms Camanchee war party Their x CONTENDS. chief in full dress The wounded Crow warriors The mystery * man rHis useless attempts to restore the wounded Death of Oceola, the Seminole chief The death of a Christian - - 195 CHAPTER XV. A treaty of peace The tomahawk buried Pipe of peace dance " Assinneboin chief Tribes who shave their heads Turning in the toes in walking- Names of women Different modes of building lodges Buffalo hunting in wolves' skins Begging horses Medicine rock Hatching thunder Captain Smith saved by a chief's daughter Horned frogs Mosquitoes Salt water brooks ....._. 207 CHAPTER XVI. Dreadful ravages of the small pox Loss sustained by the Minetereers, Blackfeet, Crows, and Crees The Mandan people all destroyed Death of Mah-to-toh-pa, "the four bears" Attempts to introduce vaccination Narrative of Mr Catlin John Eliot, the first Protestant missionary among the Red Indians His progress and death Brainerd ; his Christian course and death Character given of him Letter of the Oneida chiefs Speech of Little Turtle Missionary trials Slaughter of the Christian Indians Two Chippeways visit England - 220 CHAPTER XVII. Trade of the Indians Visit of Mr Catlin to the Pawnees The Council Exchange of Prisoners ------ 247 CHAPTER XVIII. Buffalo Hunt American Board of Missions The United Brethren The Church Missionary Society The Wesleyan Missionary Society The American Presbyterian Board of Missions The American Baptist Missions The American Methodist Mission ary Society Stations, schools, missionaries, communicants, scholars, etc. Missionary relations Conclusion. - 257 THE INDIANS OF NORTH AMERICA. CHAPTER I. The subject introduced. ~~^ N a wild and gusty day, Austin and Brian Edwards were return ing home from a visit to their uncle, who lived at a distance of four or five miles from their father's dwell ing, when the wind which was before suffi ciently high, rose suddenly ; and the hea vens, which had for some hours been overclouded, grew darker, with every appearance of an approaching storm. Brian was for returning back ; but to this, Austin would by no means consent. Austin was twelve years of age, and Brian about two years younger ; their brother Basil, who was not with them, had hardly completed his sixth year. 2 13 14 A LAND STORM. The three brothers, though unlike in some things for Austin was daring, Brian fearful, and Basil affectionate very closely resembled each other in their love of books and wonderful relations. What one read, the other would read ; and what one had learned, the other wished to know. Louder and louder blew the wind, and darker and darker grew the sky, and already had a distant flash and growling thunder announced the coming storm, when the two brothers arrived at the rocky eminence where, though the wood was above them, the river rolled nearly a hundred fathom below. Some years before, a slip of ground jiad taken place at no great distance from the spot, when a mass of earth, amounting to well nigh half an acre, with the oak trees that grew upon it, slid down all at once towards the river. The rugged rent occasioned by the slip of earth, the great height of the road above the river, the rude rocks that here and there presented themselves, and the giant oaks of the wood frowning on the dangerous path, gave it a character at once highly picturesque and fearful. Austin, notwithstanding the loud blustering of the wind, and the remonstrance of his brother to hasten on, made a momen tary pause to enjoy the scene. In a short time the two boys had approached the spot where a low, jutting rock of red sand-stone, around which the roots of a large tree were seen clinging, narrowed the path ; so that there was only the space of a few feet be tween the base of the rock and an abrupt and fearful precipice Austin was looking down on the river, and Brian was holding his cap to prevent it being blown from his head, when, between the fitful blasts, a loud voice, or rather a cry, was heard, " Stop, boys, stop ! Come not a foot farther on peril of your lives !" Austin and Brian stood still, neither knowing whence came the cry, nor what was the danger that threatened them ; they were, however, soon sensible of the latter, for the rushing winds swept through the wood with a louder roar, and all at once, part of the THE HUNTER'S COTTAGE. 15 red sand-stone rock gave way with the giant oak whose roots were wrapped round it, when the massy ruin, with a fearful crash, fell headlong across the path, and right over the precipice. Brian trembled with affright, and Austin turned pale. In another minute, an active man, somewhat in years, habited as a shepherd, with a crook in his hand, was seen making his way with great agility over such parts of the fallen rock as had not cleared the precipice. It was he who had given the two brothers such timely notice of their danger, and thereby saved their lives. Austin was about to thank him, but hardly had he began to speak, when the stranger stopped him. " Thank God, my young friends/' said he, with much emotion, " and not me ; for we are all in his hands. It is his goodness that has preserved you." In a little time the stranger had led Austin and Brian, talk ing kindly to them all the way, to his comfortable cottage, which stood at no great distance from the bottom of the wood. Scarcely had they seated themselves in the cottage, when the storm came on full of fury. As flash after flash seemed to rend the dark clouds, and clap after clap shook the walls of the cottage, the rain came down like a deluge, and the two boys were thakful to find themselves in so comfortable a shelter. Brian was too fearful to pay attention to any thing except the storm ; but it did not escape the eye of Austin, that the cottage walls were hung round with lances, bows and arrows, quivers, tomahawks, and other weapons of Indian warfare ; together with pouches girdles, and gar ments of great beauty, such as he had never before seen. A sight so unexpected both astonished and pleased him, and made a deep impression on his mind. It was some time before the storm had spent its rage, so that the two brothers had some pleasant conversation with the stranger, who talked to them cheerfully. He did not, however fail to dwell much on the goodness of God in their preservation ; nor did he omit to urge on them to read, on their return, home, the first two verses of the forty-sixth Psalm, which 16 THE HUNTER. he said might dispose them to look upwards with thankful ness and confidence, Austin and Brian left the cottage, truly grateful for the kindness which had been showed them ; and the former felt determined it should not be his fault, if he did not, before long, make, another visit to the place. When the boys reached home, they related in glowing colors, and with breathless haste, the adventure which had befallen them. Brian dwelt on the black clouds, the vivid lightning, and the rolling thunder ; while Austin described, with startling effect, the sudden cry which had arrested their steps near the narrow path, and the dreadful crash of the red sand-stone rock, when it broke over the precipice, with the big oak tree that grew above it. " Had we not been stopped by the cry," said he, " we must, in another minute, have been dashed into a thousand pieces." He then, after recounting how kind the stranger had been to them, entered on the subject of the Indian weapons. Though the stranger who had rendered the boys so im portant a service was dressed like a shepherd, there was that in his manner so superior to the station he occupied, that Austin, being ardent and somewhat romantic in his notions, and wrought upon by the Indian weapons and dresses he had seen, thought he must be some important person in disguise. This belief he intimated with conside rable confidence, and assigned several good reasons in sup port of his opinion. Brian reminded Austin of the two verses they were to read ; and when the Bible was produced, he read aloud, " God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea," Psa. xlvi. 1, 2. " Ay," said Austin, " we had indeed a narrow escape ; for if the mountains were not carried into the sea, the rock fell almost into the river.'* On the morrow Mr. Edwards was early on his way to THE HUNTER. 17 the cottage, to offer his best thanks, with those of Mrs. Edwards, to the stranger who had saved the lives of his children. He met him at the door, with his crook in his hand. In an interview of half an hour, Mr. Edwards learned that the cottager was the son of an English fur trader; and that, after the death of his father in North America, he had spent several years among the Indian tribes, resting in their wigwams, hunting with them, and dealing in furs ; but that, having met with an injury in his dangerous calling, he had, at last, returned to his native country. Being fond of solitude, he had resolved, having the means of following out his plans, to purchase a cottage, a small estate, and a few sheep ; he should then be employed in the open air, and doubted not that opportunities would occur, wherein he could make himself useful in the neigh borhood. There was, also, another motive that much influenced him in his plans. His mind had for some time been deeply impressed with Divine things, and he yearned for that privacy and repose, which, while it would not pre vent him from attending God's house, would allow him freely to meditate on God's holy word, which for some time had been the delight of his heart. He told Mr. Edwards, that he had lived in the cottage for some months ; and that, on entering the wood the day before, hard by the narrow path, he perceived by the swaying of the oak tree and moving of the sand-stone rock, that there was every probability of their falling : this had induced him to give that timely warning which had been a means, by the blessing of God, of preserving the young gentlemen from their danger. Mr. Edwards perceived, by the conversation and man ners of the stranger, that he was evidently a respectable char acter ; and some letters put into his hand by him, both from missionaries abroad and ministers of the gospel in England, addressed to the stranger, spoke loudly in favour of his piety. After offering him his best thanks, in a warm hearted manner, and expressing freely the pleasure it would C 2* 18 INVITATION TO THE COTTAGE. give him, if he could, in any way, act a neighbourly pan in adding to his comfort, Mr. Edwards inquired if his chil dren might be permitted to call at the cottage, to inspect the many curiosities that were there. This being readily assented to, he took his departure with a very favourable impression of his new neighbour, with whom he had so unexpectedly been made acquainted. Austin and Brian were, with some impatience, awaiting their father's return, and when they knew that the stranger who had saved their lives had actually passed years among the Indians, on the prairies and in the woods : that he had slept in their wigwams ; hunted with them, beavers, bears, and buffaloes; shared in their games; heard their wild war-whoop, and witnessed their battles, their delight was unbounded. Austin took large credit for his penetra tion in discovering that the cottager was not a common shepherd, and signified his intention of becoming thoroughly informed of all the manners and customs of the North American Indians. Nothing could have been more agreeable to the young people than this unlooked-for addition to their enjoyment. They had heard of the Esquimaux, of Negroes, Malays, New Zealanders, Chinese, Turks, and Tartars; but very little of the North American Indians. It was generally agreed, as leave had been given them to call at the cottage, that the sooner they did it the better. Little Basil was to be of the party; and it would be a difficult thing to decide which of the three brothers looked forward to the proposed interview with the greatest pleasure. Austin, Brian, and Basil, had at different times, found abundant amusement in reading of parrots, humming birds, and cocoa nuts; lions, tigers, leopards, elephants, and horned rhinocerosses ; monkeys, racoons, opossums, and sloths ; mosquitoes, lizards, snakes, and scaly crocodiles ; but these were nothing, in their estimation, compared with an account of Red Indians, bears and buffaloes, from the mouth of one who actually lived among them. INDIAN SCENERY. CHAPTER II. Some account of the fur trade The lakes, rivers, and mountains of North America Indian hunters Courreurs des Bois Voyageurs North men Comers and goers A decharge A portage Trappers Beaver hunting Adventure with a bear Peltries and furs Deer hunting A cache Fur companies Bisons, bears, deer, wolves, badgers, beavers, minxes, martins, foxes, racoons, lynxes, hares, rabbits, musk-rats, squirrels, and stoats. USTIN EDWARDS was too ardent in his pursuits not to make the intended visit, to the cottage near the wood, the continued theme of his conversation with his brothers, through the remain der of the day ; and, when he retired to rest, in his dreams he was either wan dering through the forest defenceless, having lost his tomahawk, or flying over the prairie on the back of a buffalo, amid the yelling of a thousand Red Indians. The sun was bright in the skies when the three brothers set out on their anticipated excursion. Austin was loud in praise of their kind preserver, but he could not at all under- 19 20 THE ROAD TO THE COTTAGE. stand how any one, who had been a hunter of bears and buffaloes, could quietly settle down to lead the life of a shep herd : for his part, he would have remained a hunter for ever. Brian thought the hunter had acted a wise part in coming away from so many dangers ; and little Basil, not being quite able to decide which of his two brothers was right, remained silent. As the two elder brothers wished to show Basil the place where they stood when the oak tree, and the red sand stone rock, fell over the precipice with a crash ; and as Ba sil was equally desirous to visit the spot, they went up to it. Austin helped his little brother over the broken fragments which still lay scattered over the narrow path. It was a sight that would have impressed the mind of any one ; and Brian looked up with awe to the remaining part of the rifted rock, above which the fallen oak tree had stood. Austin was very eloquent in his description of the sudden voice of the stranger, of the roaring wind as it rushed through the wood, and of the crashing tree and falling rock. Basil showed great astonishment ; and they all descended from the commanding height, full of the arresting adventure of the preceding day. When they were come within sight of the wood, Brian cried out that he could see the shepherd's cottage ; but Aus tin told him that he ought not to call the cottager a shep herd but a hunter. It was true that he had a flock of sheep, but he kept them more to employ his time than to get a living by them. For many years he had lived among the Indians, and hunted buifaloes with them ; he was, there fore, to all intents and purposes, a buffalo hunter, and ought not to be called a shepherd. This important point being settled, Brian and Basil having agreed to call him, in future, a hunter, and not a. shepherd, they walked on hastily to the cottage. In five minutes after, the hunter, for such by Austin Ed wards' express requirements he must, in future, be called, was showing and explaining to his delighted young visitors INTERIOR OF THE HUNTER'S COTTAGE. 21 the Indian curiosities which hung around the walls of his cottage, together with others which he kept with greater care. These latter were principally calumets, or peace- pipes ; mocassins, or Indian shoes ; war-eagle dresses, man tles, necklaces, shields, belts, pouches, and war clubs of superior workmanship. There was also an Indian cradle, and several rattles and musical instruments ; these altogether afforded the young people wondrous entertainment. Austin wanted to know how the Indians used their war clubs; Brian inquired how they smoked the peace-pipe ; -and little Basil was quite as anxious in his questions about a rattle, which he had taken up and was shaking to and fro. To all these inquiries the hunter gave satisfactory replies, with a promise to enter afterwards on a more full explanation. In addition to these curiosities, the young people were shown a few specimens of different kinds of furs : as those of the beaver, ermine, sable, martin, fiery fox, black fox, silver fox, and squirrel. Austin wished to know all at once, where, and in what way these fur animals were caught ; and with this end in view, he contrived to get the hunter into a conversation oh the subject. " I suppose," said he, " that you know all about beavers, and martins, and foxes, and squirrels." Hunter. I ought to know something about them, having been in my time somewhat of a Voyageur , a Courreur des bois, a Trapper, and a Freeman; but you will hardly understand these terms without some little explanation. Austin. What is a Courreur de bois ? Brian. What is a Voyageur. Basil. I want to know what a Trapper is. Hunter. Perhaps it will be better if I give you a short account of the way in which the furs of different animals are obtained, and then I can explain the terms, Voyageur, Courreur des bois, Trapper and Freeman, as well as a few other things which you may like to know. Brian. Yes, that will be the best way, dustin. Please not to let it be a short account, but a long 22 WHERE FURS COME FROM. one. Begin at the very beginning, and go on to the very end. Hunter. Well, we shall see. It has pleased God, as we read in the first chapter of the book of Genesis, to give man " dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth." The meaning of which is, no doubt, not that he may cruelly abuse them, but that he may use them for his wants and comforts, or destroy them when they annoy and injure him. The skins of animals have been used as clothing for thousands of years 1 ; and furs have become so general in dresses and orna ments, that, to obtain them, a regular trade has long been carried on. In this traffic, the uncivilized inhabitants of cold countries exchange their furs for useful articles, and comforts, and luxuries, which are only to be obtained from warmer climes and civilized people. Austin. And where do furs come from ? Hunter. Furs are usually obtained in cold countries. The ermine and the sable are procured in the most northerly parts of Europe and Asia ; but most of the furs in use come from North America. ftustin. Ay ! North America is very large, and some parts of it are very cold. Hunter. Yes. If you look at the map of North America, you will find that between the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans the space is, in its greatest breadth, more than three thousand miles; and from north to south, the country stretches out, to say the least of it, a thousand miles more than this. The principal rivers of North America, are the Mackenzie, Missouri, Mississippi, Ohio, and St. Laurence. The Mississippi is between three and four thousand miles long. The Rocky or Stony mountains stretch themselves the whole length of the land, from north to south ; and another range of mountains, called the Apa- lachian, extends through the United States. North America abounds with lakes : Ontario and Winipeg are each near THE FUR TRADE. 23 two hundred miles long; Lakes Huron and Erie are between two and three hundred ; Michigan is four hundred, and lake Superior nearly five hundred miles long. Brian. What a length ! Nearly five hundred miles ! Why, it is more like a sea than a lake. Hunter. Well, over a great part of the space that I have mentioned, furry animals abound ; and different fur compa nies send those in their employ, to boat up the river, to sail through the lakes, to hunt wild animals, to trap beavers, and to trade with the various Indian tribes which are scattered throughout this extensive territory. Austin. Oh ! how I should like to hunt and to trade with the Indians. Hunter. Better think the matter over before you set off on such an expedition. Are you ready to sail by ship, steam-boat, and canoe ; to ride on horseback, or to trudge on foot, as the case may require ; to swim across brooks and rivers ; to wade through bogs, and swamps, and quag mires ; to live for weeks on flesh, without bread or salt to it; to lie on the cold ground; to cook your own food; and to mend your own jacket and mocassins ? Are you ready to bear hunger and thirst, heat and cold, rain and solitude ? Have you patience to bear the stings of tormenting mosqui toes ; and courage to defend your life against the grizzly bear, the buffalo, and the tomahawk of the red man, should he turn out to be an enemy ? Brian. No, no, Austin. You must not think of running into such dangers. Hunter. I will now give you a short account of the fur trade. About two hundred years ago, or more, the French made a settlement in Canada, and they soon found such advantage in obtaining the furry skins of the various animals wandering the woods and plains around them, that, after taking all they could themselves, they began to trade with the Red Indians, the original inhabitants of the coun try, who brought from great distances skins of various kinds. In a rude camp, formed of the bark of trees, these 24 COURREURS DBS BO1S. red men assembled, seated themselves in half circles, smoked their pipes, made speeches, gave and received presents, and traded with the French people for their skins. The articles given in exchange to the Indian hunters, were knives, axes, arms, kettles, blankets, and cloth : the brighter the colour of the cloth, the better the Indians were pleased. Austin. I think I can see them now. Basil. Did they smoke pipes like those we have been looking at ? Hunter. Yes ; for almost all the pipes used by the red men are made of red stone, dug out of the same quarry, called pipe-stone quarry ; but about this I will tell you some other time. One bad part of this trading system was, that the French gave the Indians but a small part of the value of their skins, besides which they charged their own articles extravagantly high ; and a still worse feature in the case was this, that they supplied the Indians with spirit uous liquors, thereby bringing about great irregularities, which the French did not fail to turn to their own account. Basil. That was too bad on the part of the French. Hunter. This system of obtaining furs was carried on for many years, when another practice sprang up, which was for such white men as had accompanied the Indians in hunting, and made themselves 'acquainted with the country, to paddle up the rivers in canoes, with a few arms and provisions, and hunt for themselves. They were absent sometimes for as much as a year, or a year and a half, and then returned with their canoes laden with rich furs. These white men were what I called Courreurs des bois, or wood- rangers. Austin. Ah ! I should like to be a Courreur des bois. Hunter. Some of these Courreurs des bois became very lawless and depraved in their habits, so that the French government enacted a law whereby no one, on pain of death, could trade in the interior of the country with the Indians without a licence. Military posts were also estab lished, to protect the trade, and to restrain the lawless VOYAGEURS NORTH-MEN. 25 rangers of the woods'. In process of time, too, fur compa nies were established ; and men, called Voyageurs, or canoe men, were employed, expressly to attend to. the canoes carrying supplies up the rivers, or bringing back cargoes of furs. Basil. Now we know what a Voyageur is. Hunter. You would hardly know me again, were you to see me dressed as a voyageur. Let me see, I should have on a striped cotton shirt, cloth trousers, a loose coat made of a blanket, with perhaps leathern leggings and deer-skin mocassins ; and then I must not forget my coloured worsted belt, my knife, and tobacco pouch. Austin. What a figure you would cut ! and yet, I dare say, such a dress is best for a voyageur. Hunter. Most of the Canadian voyageurs were good- humoured, light-hearted men, who always sang a lively strain as they dipped their oars into the waters of the lake or rolling river ; but steam-boats are now introduced, so that the voyageurs are but few. Basil. What a pity ! 1 like those voyageurs. Hunter. The voyageurs, who were out for a long period, and navigated the interior of the country, were called North-men, or Winterers; while the others had the name of Goers and Comers. Any part of a river where they could not row a laden canoe, on account of the rapid stream, they called a Decharge ; and there the goods were taken from the boats, and carried on their shoulders, while others towed the canoes up the stream : but a fall of water, where they were obliged not only to carry the goods, but also to drag the canoes on land up to the higher level, they called a Portage. Austin. We shall not forget the North-men, and Comers and Goers, nor the Decharges and Portagers. Basil. You have not told us what a Trapper is. Hunter. A Trapper is a beaver hunter. Those who hunt beavers and other animals, for any of the fur compa- D 3 26 THE BEAVER. ^ * nies, are called Trappers,; but such as hunt for themselves, take the name of Freemen. Austin. Yes, I shall remember. Please to tell us how they hunt the beavers. Hunter. Beavers build themselves houses, on the banks of creeks or small rivers, with mud, sticks, and stones, and afterwards cover them over with a coat of mud, which be comes very hard. These houses are five or six feet thick at the top ; and in one house, four old beavers, and six or eight young ones, often live together. But, besides their houses, the beavers take care to have a number of holes in the banks, under water called washes, into which they can run for shelter, should their houses be attacked. It is the business of the trappers to find out all these washes, or holes; and this they do in winter, by knocking against the ice, and judging by the sound. Over every hole, they cut out a piece of ice, big enough to get at the beaver. No sooner is the beaver-house attacked, than the animals run into THE BEAVER. their holes, the entrances of which are directly blocked up with stakes. The trappers then either take them through the holes in the ice with their hands, or haul them out with hooks fastened to the end of a pole or stick. Austin. But why is a beaver hunter called a trapper? I cannot understand that. Hunter. Because beavers are caught in great numbers in steel traps, which are set and baited on purpose for ADVENTURE WITH A BEAR. 27 Brian. Why do they not catch them in the summer ? Hunter. The fur of the beaver is in its prime in the win ter ; in the summer it is of inferior quality. Austin. Do the trappers catch many beavers ? I should think there could not be very many of them. Hunter. In one year, the Hudson's Bay Company alone, sold as many as sixty thousand beaver skins. Austin. Sixty thousand ! I did not think there were so many beavers in the world. Hunter. I will tell you an anecdote, by which you will see that hunters and trappers had need be men of courage and activity. It is said, that a trapper, of the name of Cannon, had just had the good fortune to kill a buifalo ; and BUFFALO OR BISON. as he was at a considerable distance from his camp, he cut out the tongue and some of the choice bits, made them into a parcel and slinging them on his shoulders by a strap passed round his forehead, as the voyageurs carry packages of 28 ADVENTURE WITH A BEAR. goods, set out on his way to the camp. In passing through a narrow ravine, he heard a noise behind him, and looking round, beheld, to his dismay, a grizzly bear in full pursuit, ap parently attracted by the scent of the meat. Cannon had heard so much of the strength and ferocity of this tremendous ani mal, that he never attempted to fire, but slipping the strap from his forehead, let go the buffalo meat, and ran for his life. The bear did not stop to regale himself with the game, but kept on after the hunter. He had nearly overtaken him, when Cannon reached a tree, and throwing down his rifle, scrambled up into it. The next instant Bruin was at the foot of the tree, but as this species of bear does not climb, he contented himself with turning the chase into a blockade. Night came on. In the darkness, Cannon could not per ceive whether or not the enemy maintained his station; but his fears pictured him rigorously mounting guard. He passed the night, therefore, in the tree, a prey to dismal fan cies. In the morning the bear was gone. Cannon warily descended the tree, picked up his gun, and made the best of his way back to the camp, without venturing to look after his buifalo meat. GRIZZLY BEAR. Austin. Then the grizzly bear did not hurt him after all. Brian. I would not go among those grizzly bears for all in the world. We have no bears in England, and nothing larger than a hare or. a fox in the woods, so we are safe here. Hunter. In some places, perhaps, a few deer might be found, and they are larger than half a dozen foxes. DEER-TRAPPING. 29 Austin. Do they take deer in North America, as well as other animals ? Hunter. Deer, though their skins are not so valuable as many furs, are very useful to hunters and trappers; for they not only add to their stock of peltries, but also supply them with food. When skins have been tanned on the inside, they are called furs ; but, before they are tanned, they are called peltries. . Deer are trapped much in the same way as buffaloes are. A large circle is inclosed with twisted trees and brushwood, with a very narrow opening, in the neighbourhood of a well-frequented deer path. The inside of the circle is crowded with small hedges, in the openings of which are set snares of twisted thongs, made fast at one end to a neighbouring tree. Two lines of small trees are set up, branching off outwardly from the narrow entrance of the circle ; so that the further the lines of trees extend from the circle, the wider is the space between them. As soon as the deer are seen moving in the direction of the circle, the hunters get behind them, and urge them on by loud shouts. The deer mistaking the lines of trees set up for enemies, fly straight forward, till they enter the snare prepared for them. The circle is then surrounded, to prevent their quitting it, while some of the hunters go into it blocking up the entrance, and kill the deer with their bows and arrows, and their spears. Basil. I am sorry for the poor deer. Brian. And so am I, Basil. Hunter. Hunters are often obliged to leave food in par ticular places, in case they should be destitute on their return that way. They sometimes, too, leave property behind them, and for this purpose they form a cache. Jiustin. Oh ! what is a cache ? Hunter. A cache is a hole, or place of concealment ; and when any thing is put in it, great care is required to conceal it from enemies, and indeed from wild animals, such as wolves and bears. flustin, Well ! but if they dig a deep hole, and put the 30 FUR COMPANIES. things in it, how could any body find it? A wolf arid a bear would never find it out, for they could not see through the ground. Hunter. Perhaps not ; but if they could not see the flesh hidden in the cache, they might smell it. Austin. Ay ! I forgot that. I must understand a little more of my business before I set up for a hunter, or a trap per ; but please to tell us all about a cache. Hunter. A cache is usually dug near a stream, that the earth taken out of the hole may be thrown into the running water, otherwise it would tell tales. Then the hunters spread blankets, or what clothes they have, over the surrounding ground, to prevent the marks of their feet being seen. When they have dug the hole, they line it with dry grass and sticks, and bark, and sometimes with a dry skin. After the things to be hidden are put in, they are covered with another dry skin, and the hole is filled up with grass, stones, and sticks, and trodden down hard, to prevent the top from sinking afterwards : the place is sprinkled \vith water to take away the scent ; and the turf, which was first cut away, before the hole was dug, is laid down with care, just as it was before it was touched. They then take up their blankets and cloths, and leave the cache, putting a mark at some distance, that when they come again they may know where to find it. ftustin. Capital ! capital ! I could make a cache now, that neither a bear, nor a wolf, nor a Red Indian could find out. Brian. But if the bear did not find the cache, he might find you ; and then what would become of you ? Austin. Oh ! climb a tree, as Cannon did. I warrant you that I should manage him, one way or another. Hunter. The fur companies that have been established at different times, are as far as I can remember, the Hud son's Bay Company, the North-west Company, the Russian American Fur Company, the Mackinaw Far Company, the American Fur Company, the. South-west Company, HUNTER'S INVITATION. 31 the Pacific .Fur Company, Ashley's Fur Company, and Bonneville's Fur Company. Of these, I think, the latter two, with the Russian, the American, and the United Hud son's Bay and North-west Companies, are all that now remain. Most of the furs that are taken find their way to London ; but every year the animals which produce them become fewer. Besides the skins of larger animals, North America supplies the furs of a great number of smaller creatures ; and these, varying in their habits, require to be taken in a different manner. The bison is found on the prairies, or plains ; the beaver, on creeks and rivers ; the badger, the fox, and the rabbit, burrow on the ground ; and the bear, the deer, the minx, the martin, the racoon, the lynx, the hare, the musk-rat, the squirrel, and the stoat (the North American ermine) are all to be found in the woods. In paddling up the rivers in canoes, and in roaming the woods and prairies, in search of these animals, I have mingled much with Indians of different tribes ; and if you can, now and then, make a call at my cottage, you will, perhaps, be entertained in hearing what I can tell you about them. The Red Indians should be regarded by us as brothers ; we ought to feel interested in their welfare here, and in their happiness hereafter. We have the word of God, and Christian sabbaths, and Christian ministers, and religious ordinances in abundance, to direct and com fort us ; but they are but scantily supplied with these advan tages. Let us not forget to put them in our prayers, that the Father of mercies may make known his mercy to them, opening their eyes, and influencing their hearts, so that they may become true servants of the " Lord of lords, and King of kings." The delight visible in the sparkling eyes of the young people, as they took their leave, spoke their thanks much better than the words that fell from their tongues. On their way home, they talked of nothing else but fur companies, lakes, rivers, prairies and rocky mountains; buffaloes, wolves, bears, and beavers j and it was quite as much as 32 THE RETURN HOME. Brian and Basil could do, to persuade their brother Austin from making up his mind at once to be a voyageur, a cour- reur des bois, and a trapper. The more they were against it, so much the more his heart seemed set upon the enter prise ; and the wilder they made the buffaloes that would attack him, and the bears and wolves that would tear him to pieces, the bolder and more courageous he became. However, though on this point they could not agree, they were all unanimous in their determination to make another visit to the cottage the first possible opportunity. INDIAN CLOAK. CHIEFS OK DIFFERENT TRIBES. CHAPTER III. Difficulty in ascertaining who were the Aborigines of America, and from whence they came Various opinions on the subject Catlin's publication on the " Manners, Customs, and Condition of the North American Indians'' 1 Census of the different tribes Locality of the Crows, Blackfeet, Sioux, and Creeks The names of some of the Indian chiefs and remarkable characters. PON the next occasion when the three brothers paid a visit to the cottage, they did not go to the red sand-stone rock, though the adventure which took place there formed a part of their con versation. They found the hunter at home, and, being now on very friendly and familiar terms with him, they entered at once on the subject that was nearest their hearts, namely, that of the North American Indians. " Tell us, if you please," said Austin, as soon as they were seated " about the very beginning of the red men. E 33 34 RED MEN. "You are asking me to do that/' replied the hunter, "which is much more difficult than you suppose. To account for the existence of the original inhabitants, and of the various tribes of Red Indians which are now scattered throughout the whole of North America, has puzzled the heads of the wisest men for ages ; and, even at the present day, though travellers have endeavoured to throw light on this subject, it still remains a mystery." Jlustin. But what is it that is so mysterious ? What is it that wise men and travellers cannot make out ? Hunter. They cannot make out how it is, that the whole of America, taking in, as it does, some parts which are almost always covered with snow ; and other parts that are as hot as the sun can make them ; should be peopled with a class of human beings distinct from all others in the world red men, who have black hair, and no beards. If you remember, it is said, in the first chapter-of Genesis, " So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him ; male and femaleVreated he them." And, in the second chapter , " And the Lord God planted a gar den eastward in Eden ; and there he put the man whom he had formed." Now, it is known, by the names of the rivers which are mentioned in the chapter, that the garden of Eden was in Asia ; so that you see our first parents, whence the whole of mankind have spjung, dwelt in Asia. Austin. Yes, that is quite plain. Hunter. Well then, you recollect, I dare say, that when the world was drowned, all mankind were destroyed, except Noah and his family in the ark. Brian. Yes ; we recollect that very well. Hunter. And when the ark rested, it rested on Mount Ararat, which is in Asia also. If you look on the map of the world, you will see that the three continents, Europe, Asia, and Africa are united together ; but America stands by itself*, with an ocean rolling on each side of it, thousands of miles broad. It is easy to suppose that mankind would spread over the continents that are close together, but difficult RED INDIANS OF FORMER TIMES. 35 lo account for their passing over the ocean, at a time when the arts of shipbuilding and navigation were so little under stood. Austin. They must have gone in a ship, that is certain. Hunter. But suppose they did, how come it about that they should be so very different from all other men? America was only discovered about four hundred years ago, or little more, and then it was well peopled with red men, and had great cities. Besides, there have been dis covered throughout America, monuments, ruins, and sites of ancient towns, with thousands of inclosures and fortifi cations. Articles, too, of pottery, sculpture, glass, and copper, have been found at times, sixty or eighty feet under the ground, and in some instances, with forests growing over them, so that they must have been very ancient. The people who built these fortifications and towers, and pos sessed these articles in pottery, sculpture, glass, and copper, lived at a remote period, and must have been, to a conside rable degree cultivated. Who these people were, and how they came to America, no one knows, though many have expressed their opinions. But, even if we did know who they were, how could we account for the present race of Red Indians in- North America being barbarous, when their ancestors were so highly civilized ? These are difficulties which as I said, have puzzled the wisest heads for ages. Austin. What do wise men and travellers say about these things ? Hunter. They think, that as the frozen regions of Asia^ in one part, are so near the frozen regions of North America it being only about forty miles across Behrings' Straits some persons from Asia might have crossed over-there, and peopled the country ; or that North America might have once been joined to Asia, though it is not so now ; or that, in ancient times, some persons might have drifted, or begn blown there by accident, in boats or ships, across the wide ocean. Some think these people might have been the Phenicians, Carthagenians, Hebrews, or Egyptians ; while 36 RED INDIANS OF PRESENT TIMES. another class of reasoners suppose them to have been Hin doos, Chinese, Tartars, Malays, or others. It seems, how ever, to be God's will often to humble the pride of his crea tures, by baffling their conjectures, and hedging up theii opinions with difficulties. His way is in the sea, and his path in the great waters, and his footsteps are not known, Psa. Ixxvii. 1 9. He " maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof," Isa. xxiv. I. Austin. Well, if you cannot tell us of the Red Indians in former times, you can tell us of the Red Indians that are in North America now, and that will be a great deal better. Brian. Yes, that it will. Hunter. You must bear in mind, that some years have passed since I was hunting and trapping in the woods and prairies, and that many changes have taken place since then among the Red Indians. Some have been tomahawked by the hands of the stronger tribes ; some have sold their lands to the whites, and retired to the west of the Missis sippi ; and tho.usands have been carried off by the small pox, which has made sad- havoc among them. I must therefore, speak of them as they were, except in such instances wherein I may happen to know what changes have taken place. Some of the tribes, since I left them, have been utterly destroyed ; not one living creature among them being left to speak of those who have gone before them. Jlustin. What a pity ! They want some good doctors among them, and then the small pox would not carry them off in that way. Hunter. I will not pretend to give you an exact account of the number of the different tribes, or the particular places they now occupy ; for though my information may be gener ally right, yet the changes which have taken place are many. JLustin. Please to tell us what you remember, and what you. know ; and that will quite satisfy us. Hunter. An American, of the name of Catlin, has pub- INDIAN TRIBES. 37 lished a book called, " Letters and Notes on the Manners, Customs, and Condition of the North American Indians ;" and a most interesting and entertaining account it is. If ever you can lay hold of it, it will afford you great amuse ment. Perhaps no man who has written on the Indians has seen so much of them as he has. Brian. Did you ever meet Catlin ? Hunter. Oh yes, many times ; and a most agreeable companion I found him. The last time I took him by the hand was at the Egyptian Hall, in London, where he had the best collection of Indian curiosities that ever was amassed together. If you can get a sight of his book, you will soon see that he is a man of much knowledge, and pos sessing great courage, energy and perseverance. I will now, then, begin my narrative : and if you can find pleasure in hearing a description of the Red Indians, with their villages, wigwams, war-whoops, and warriors ; their man ners, customs, and superstitions ; their dress, ornaments, and arms; their mysteries, games, huntings, dances, war- councils, speeches, battles, and burials ; with a fair sprink ling of prairie dogs, and wild horses; wolves, beavers, grizzly bears, and mad buffaloes ; I will do my best to give you gratification. Austin. These are the very things that we want to know.- Hunter. I shall not forget to tell you what the missiona ries have done among the Indians ; but that must be towards the latter end of my account. In the year 1836, there was published at New York as correct a statement as could then be drawn up of the numbers of the different tribes. As I have it here, I will just read it over, that you may see which are the most numerous of the tribes. The names of the Indian tribes, with their numbers, which have emigrated to the west of the Mississippi, are, Chocktaws ^ ^ . ; *- .- .. ^ - - 15,000 Appalachicoles - - - - ^ . .. 265 Cherokees - - ' 5,000 33 INDIAN TRIBES. Creeks - - - - - - . - 2,459 Senecas and Shawanees - . - . . . 211 Senecas from Sandusky 231 Potowatemies ........ 141 Peorias and Kaskaskies - - - - - - 132 Pienkeshaws ... . . . 162 Wees - . - - 222 Ottowas 200 Kickapoos 470 Shawanees 1,250 Delawares 825 The names and numbers of the Indian tribes resident west of the Mississippi, are, loways 1,200 Sacs, of the Missouri 500 Omahas 1,400 Ottos and Missourias 1,600 Pawnees . 10,000 Camanchees 7,000 Mandans 15,000 Mirietereers 15,000 Assinaboins ........ 800 Crees 3,000 Grdsventres 3,000 Crows ......... 45,000 Sioux 27,000 Quapaws . . - - - - - 460 Caddoes 800 Poncas ^ 800 Osages 5,120 Kansas - J:>OJ Yfi;ilo fei!^'^:- 4,800 Arickaras 3,000 Charanes - - - - - - - - 2,000 Blackfeet . 30,000 Foxes .' 1,600 Arepehas and Keawas ...... 1,400 And there are yet remaining, east of the river in the southren states, a considerable number ; the five principal tribes, are the Seminoles, yet remaining east ..... 2,420 Choctaws, ditto * - " - . ~ - 3,500 MAP OF NORTH AMERICA. 39 Chickasaws, ditto _ - 5,429 Cherokees, ditto - ... - 10,000 Creeks 22,668 Those stated as western tribes extend along the whole western frontier. The average number of an Indian family is four. Austin. The Crows and the Blackfeet are the most numerous, and then come the Sioux and the Creeks. Hunter. Though this account might be correct in 1836, it is not correct at the present time ; for, in 1838, the Black- feet lost twelve thousand by small pox. Should you meet with an account of North American Indians that differs from this, you must remember that some people include * many of the smaller tribes under the general names of the larger; this would make an apparent difference. Well, now, I will lay before you a map of North America. See how it stretches out north and south from Baffin's Bay to the Gulf of Mexico, and east and west from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. What a wonderful work of the Almighty is the rolling deep ! " The sea is his, and he made it : and his hands formed the dry land." Here are the great Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario. Basil. There is one up higher ; and yonder is another to the left hand, bigger still, I think. Hunter. That to the left is Slave Lake, and the other is Lake Winipeg ; and here run the mighty rivers, the Mis sissippi, the Mackenzie, the Missouri, the Ohio, and the St. Lawrence : the Mississippi itself is between three and four thousand miles long. Basil. What a river ! Please to tell us what are all those little hills running along there, one above another, from top to bottom. Hunter. They are the Rocky Mountains. Some regard them as a continuation of the Andes of South America ; so that, if both are put together, they will make a chain of mountains little short of nine thousand miles long. North America, with its mighty lakes, rivers, and mountains, its 40 CHARACTER OF THE INDIANS. extended valleys and prairies, its bluffs, caverns, and cata racts, and, more than all, its Red Indian inhabitants, beavers, buffaloes, and bisons, will afford us something to talk of for some time to come ; but the moment you are tired of my account, we will bring the matter to a close. Austin. We shall never be tired ; no, not if you go on telling us something every time we come, for a whole year. Hunter. You remember the Crow Indians are the most numerous of all the tribes. You will find them at the head waters of the Yellow Stone River. When a Crow meets a Blackfoot there is a struggle, for they mortally hate each Other. Brian. Where are the Blackfeet? Are they near the Crows? Hunter. They are at the head of the Missouri river. These are not such fine looking men as the Crows, for they are low in stature ; however, they are strong, broad-chested men, and have usually plenty of arms. The Sioux, or Dahc6ta, occupy a large tract of country in the upper part of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers, stretching out to the rocky mountains on the west ; while the Creeks are divided, part being on the east of the Mississippi, and part on the west. Austin. How did these tribes behave to you, when you were among them ? Hunter. I have not a word of complaint to make. The Red Indians have been represented as treacherous, dis honest, reserved, and sour in their disposition ; but, instead of this, I have found them generally, though not in all cases, frank, upright, hospitable, light-hearted, and friendly. Those who have seen Indians smarting under wrongs, and deprived, by deceit and force, of their lands, hunting grounds, and the graves of their fathers, may have found them other wise : and no wonder ; the worm that is trodden on, will writhe ; and man, unrestrained by divine grace, when treated with injustice and cruelty, will turn on his oppressor, STU-MICH-O-SUCKS, CHIEF OF THE BLACKFEKT INDIANS. 41 INDIAN CHIEFS. 43 Austin. Say what you will, I like the Red Indians. Hunter. That there is much of evil among Indians, is certain : much of ignorance, unrestrained passions, cruelty, and revenge : but they have been misrepresented in many things. I had better tell you the names of some of the chiefs of the tribes, or of some of the most remarkable men among them. Austin. Yes ; you cannot do better. Tell us the names of all the chiefs, and the warriors, and the conjurors, and all about them. Hunter. The Blackfeet Indians are a very warlike peo ple ; they inhabit, or did inhabit, a tract of land at the head waters of the river Missouri, stretching off to the west as far as the Rocky Mountains. Stu-mich-o-suks \ was the name of their chief. Austin. Stu-mich-o-sucks ! What a name ! Is there any meaning in it ? Hunter. Oh yes. It means, " the back fat of the buffalo ;" and if you had seen him and Peh-to-pe-kiss, " the ribs of the eagle," chief of the Blood Band, dressed, up in their splendid mantles, buffaloes' horns, ermine tails, and scalp locks, you would not soon have removed your eyes from them. Brian. Who would ever be called by such a name as that ? The back fat of the buffalo ! Hunter. The Camanchees are famous on horseback. There is no tribe among the Indians that can come up to them, to my mind, in the management of a horse, and the use of the lance : they are capital hunters. If you pay them a visit, you will find them, part in the provinces of Mexico, and part farther north, near the Rocky Mountains. The name of their chief is Ee-shah-kd-nee, or " the bow and quiver." I hardly ever saw a larger man among the Red Indians than Ta-w valour and war. RESTING-PLACE FOR THE DEAD. CHAPTER VIII. The religion of the Red Indians Medicine, or Mystery Rain making Marriage Flattening the heads of children Cradles Practice of shaving the head Exposure of the aged The Leaping Rock Catching white fish Fasts, feasts, and sacrifices Runners Indian squaws, with their customary employments Pipe smoking Dog feast A common life scene among the Indians Smoking a shield Pipes Pipe of peace Indian burial Resting-place for the dead. PON the next visit of the three brothers to the hunter, he pointed out to them the great influence that religion had on the character of a people and a country. A false re ligion brought with it a train of un numbered evils ; while a knowledge of the true God, and a living faith in the Saviour who died for sinners, continually promoted among mankind princi ples of justice and kindness, and communicated to their hearts the blessings of peace and joy. " True it is," said he, " that among professedly Christian people there is much 104 RELIGION OF THE RED INDIANS. 105 of evil ; much of envy, hatred, malice, and uncharitable- ness ; of injustice, covetousness, and cruelty : but this pro ceeds not from Christianity, but from the fallen state of human nature, which nothing but the grace of God can renew, and from the great number of those who profess to be Christians, while they are uninfluenced by the gospel of the Redeemer. Christianity will neither allow us to dishonour God by bowing down to idols, nor to injure man by injustice and oppression. The Red Indians of North America are not found bowing down to numberless idols, as the inhabitants of many countries are : they worship what they call < the Great Spirit,' with a deep reverence, humbling themselves before him, and undergoing self-imposed torments, to gain his good will, which the generality of Christians, in the manifestation of their faith, would find it hard to endure. They believe also in an Evil Spirit, as well as in a future state; and that they shall be happy or unhappy, just as they have done good or evil, according to their estimate of those qualities ; but this belief is mixed up with mysteries and superstitions without number. I speak of Red Indians in the forest and the prairie, who know nothing of God's word, and who have never heard the voice of a missionary." Austin. You told us what the Sioux, the Riccarees, the Tuskaroras, and the Mandans called the Great Spirit. Please to tell us again. Hunter. The Mandans call him Mah-ho-peneta ; the Riccarees, Ka-ke-iva-rooh-teh ; the Sioux, Wo-kon-she-cha ; and the Tuskaroras, Ye-wun-ni-yoh. The different tribes believe, that if they are expert in the chase, bold in battle, and slay many of their enemies, they shall live forever, after death, in beautiful hunting grounds, enjoying the pleasures of the chase continually. You know that we, as Christians, are enjoined to forgive our enemies ; but untutored Indians delight in revenge : they love to boast, and to shed blood ; but we are taught, by God's holy word, to be humble and merciful. There is one thing that mingles much with the 106 THE MEDICINE BAG. Indian character ; and that is, medicine, or mystery I must try if I can make you understand it. Austin. Yes ; I should like to know all about that very well. Hunter. Go where you may, among the Ojibbe ways and Assinneboins of the north, the Choctaws and the Seminoles of the south, or the Crows, the Blackfeet, and the Shiennes of the west, every Indian has his me'dicine or mystery bag, which he regards with reverence, and will not part with for any price. He looks upon it as a kind of charm, or guar dian spirit, that is to keep him from evil. He takes it with him to battle, and when he dies it is his companion. Austin. But what is it ? Is there any thing in the bag ? What is it that makes medicine ? Hunter. Every thing that is mysterious or wonderful to an Indian, he regards as medicine. I do not mean such medicine as you get from a doctor ; but he regards it as something awful, and connected with spirits. This is a strong superstition, which has laid hold of the red man throughout the whole of North America. Brian. But is there any thing in the medicine bag ? Hunter. The medicine bag is usually the skin of some animal, such as the beaver, otter, polecat, and weazel ; or of some bird, as the eagle, the magpie, and hawk ; or of some reptile, as the snake and the toad. This skin is stuffed with any thing the owner chooses to put into it, such as dry grass, or leaves ; and it is carefully sewn up into some curi ous form, arid ornamented in a curious manner. Some medicine bags are very large, and form a conspicuous part of an Indian's appendages ; while others are very small, and altogether hidden. Basil. Why, it is very foolish for the red men to carry such things about with them. Hunter. It certainly is so ; but their fathers and their tribes have done so for many generations, and it would be a disgrace to them, in the