r country. A false religion brings with it a train of unnumbered evils; while a knowledge of the true God, and a living faith in the Saviour who die

neither allow us to dishonour God by bowing down to idols, nor to injure man by injustice and oppression. The Indians of our country 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

ing 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

ld like to know all

r mystery bag, which he regards with reverence, and will not part with for any price. He looks upon it as a kind of charm

here any thing in the bag? W

such medicine as we get from an apothecary; but he regards it as something awful, and connected with spi

ere any thing in

, as the snake or 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 sewed up into some curious for

ish in the red men to carry

ine bag, goes perhaps alone on the prairie, or wanders in the forest, or beside some solitary lake. Day after day, and night after night, he fasts, and calls on the Great Spirit to help him to medicine. When he sleeps, the first ani

the most wonderful thin

er wonderful things, or persuade his tribe that he can do them. Indeed, among Indians, hardly any thing is done without the medicine man. A chief, in full dress, would as soon think of making his appear

t the grizzly bear hurt a

ry to trust the grizzly bear. I am afraid that he wo

t you said about the me

re famous for bringing

ey cannot real

a time of great drought, that I once arrived at the Mandan village on the Upper Missouri. At the different Indian villages, peas and beans, wild rice, corn, melons, squashes, pumpkins, peaches and strawberries were often f

tell the medicine men ear

that there was not the slightest appearance of rain. After putting it off, day after day, the sky grew

they were v

very sure that their medicine men could bring it when they pleased. The tops of the wigwams were soon crowded. In the mystery lodge a fire was kindled, round whic

he way they make

ing manner, lifting it up as though he were about to hurl it up at the heavens. He talked aloud of the power of his medicine, holding up his medicine bag in one hand, and his spe

e had had enough of ra

rain. He shot arrows to the east and west, and others to the north and the south, in honour of the Great Spirit who could send the rain from all parts of the skies. A fifth arrow he retained, until it was almost certain that rain was at hand. Then, sending up the shaft from his bow, with all his might, to make a hole, as he said, in the dark cloud over his head, he cried aloud for the waters to pour down a

bit. I see that

as he did, for he never shot his arrow to

to have suspended themselves from a pole, with splints through their flesh, and their

ng the Indians, I wil

nds, when the young Indian comes in with presents, to induce him to give him his daughter for a wife. If the presents are not liked, they are not accepted; if t

that is like

ps and scalp-locks of the foes he has slaughtered; and by telling her that he will hunt for her, that she may be kept from want, and fight for her, that she may be protected from the enemies of her tribe. Indians have strange customs: some fl

ike my head to be fla

left, in their cradles, floating on the water of a brook or pool, which their superstition teaches them to regard as sacred. A cluster of t

nd the little cradles swimming on it. It

heads, leaving a tuft on the crown two or three inches in length, and a small lock in the middle of it, as long as they can make it grow. By means o

They do not shave off their hair; but let i

t, nor fish, nor do any thing to support himself, he is liable, although in his time he may have been a war-chief, to be left alone to die. I have seen such a one sitting by a little fire left him by his tribe, with perhaps a buffalo skin stretched on poles over his head, and a little water and a few

the worst things we hav

it is very

ke your father, in old age,

d or a drop of water, he should have part of it,

sil. Yes; th

so cruel and unnatural a custom. Among the Sioux of the Mississippi, it is considered great medicine to jump on the Leaping Rock, and back again. This rock is a huge column or block, between thirty and forty feet high, divided from the side of the Red Pipe-stone Quarry. It is about sev

in, have nothing to do with the Leaping Rock.

ping Rock to the leaping Indi

, the white fish, of which the Chippewas take great abundance in the rapids near the Falls of St. Mary's, are preferable. The Chippewas cat

hippewas will suit me better th

s cruel custom is now no more. The Mandans frequently offered a finger to the god, or Evil Spirit; and most of the tribes offer a horse, a dog, a spear, or an arrow, as the case may be. Over the Mandan mystery lod

ny things you

messages and commands, and spread among the people news necessary to be commun

t have your ru

pe-stone Quarry, and white fish from the Chippewas; and then I shall send messa

calling. They get in wood and water; they prepare the ground for grain, cook victuals, make the dresses of their hu

squaws behave the

ell as on all solemn occasions, the pipe is smoked. Oftentimes, before it is passed round, the stem is pointed upwards, and then offered to the four points-east, west, north and south. In the hands of a myste

now, Austin? You never s

learn; besides, I need onl

e him their most favourite dogs, killed and cooked. The more useful the dogs were, and the more highly valued, the greater is the compliment to him in whose honour the feast i

le harder to do now, I think, Au

of the way of a dog feast. I might take a little whiff

there; and on the top of each post the buffalo mask, with its horns and tail, used in the buffalo dance. Fancy to yourselves a group of Indians in the middle of the lodge, with their wives and their little ones around them, smoking their pipes and relating their adventures, as happy as ease and the supply of all their animal wants can make them. While you gaze on the scene,

antastic forms; while the stems, three or four feet long, are ornamented with braids of porcupine's quills, beaks of birds, feathers and red hair. The calumet, or, as it is called, "the peace-pipe," is indeed, as I have before said, great medicine. It is highly adorned with quills of the war-eagle, and never used on any oth

Indian dies, how

sod; some are left in cots, or cradles, on the water; and others are placed on f

n the top of a high bluff, sitting on his

the Chinock children flo

I remember t

all their arms, pipes, and every necessary provision and comfort to supply their wants in their journey to the hunting-grounds of their fathers. In our burial grounds, there are generally some monuments grander than the rest, to set forth the wealth, the station, or the talents of those who slumber below; and, as human nature is the same everywhere, so in the resting place of the Indians. Here and there are spread

come then, for there would be nothing for him. I s

pirit, under whose care they believe their departed relatives to be. The skulls, too, are visited, and every one is placed carefully, from time to time, on a tuft of sweet-smelling herb or plant. Life is but a short season with both the white and the red man, and ought to be

an C