In my Canoe, July, 1846.
Leech Lake lies in the midst of a forest, mostly composed of pine,
maple, oak, elm, and tamarack. It is supposed to be about forty miles in
length, and perhaps twenty to twenty-five in width. Its shores are very
irregular, it contains a number of large islands, and a trading post of
some antiquity. It derives its name (Casagasque) from the story, that
the first man who discovered it, saw in it a leech, that was wider
across the back than an ordinary Indian mat. It is deep and clear, has a
sandy bottom and shores, and is far-famed for its white fish, though
possessing almost every other variety in great abundance. Three of its
most prominent islands are known by the names of the Goose, the Pelican,
and the Bear. The first has a desolate appearance, and is inhabited only
by immense numbers of water-fowl; the second is noted for its fishing
grounds, and a certain species of the pelican said to be found only on
its shores; and the third has a good soil, is thickly wooded, and
somewhat cultivated by a tribe of Indians, who own the lake, and inhabit
the surrounding country.
This tribe of people glory in the name of _Pillagers_, and are fully
deserving of the name. If they happen to meet a stranger Indian or
Trader, _each_ one will unceremoniously help himself to an article that
he likes, politely remarking that for _his_ part he desires nothing
more, after which they feed the unfortunate man well, but let him depart
with nothing but a blanket or jacket. The Pillagers are a brave, proud,
and warlike people, but on account of their thieving peculiarity, are
universally hated and feared. But they are good hunters, and pay more
attention to agriculture than any other tribe in the nation.
During my stay at Leech Lake I had an opportunity of witnessing a
Medicine Dance, and of obtaining some information with regard to the
Medicine Society. It is a religious rite, and practised on a great
variety of occasions. At this time the dance was given by a man who had
lost a relative. The ceremony commenced at twelve o’clock at night, and
lasted until the evening of the following day; and such a perfect
mixture of ridiculous dancing, horrible yelling, and uncouth dressing, I
never before witnessed, and never wish to witness again. It positively
seemed as if all the more unearthly creations of Dante had been let
loose upon the earth, and had sought the heart of the wilderness, to
rejoice at their freedom, and portray the miseries of hell. I would, but
cannot, adequately describe the scene, and I can only expect my more
imaginative readers to obtain the faintest idea of its strange, strange
appearance.
White men and Indians who have never been initiated into the mysteries
of the Grand Medicine, are not allowed to be present during the first
part of the celebration. From what I have seen and heard about it, I am
convinced that it is nothing in the world but an Indian and _savage_
species of Free-Masonry. A Medicine man would sooner die, than divulge
the secrets of his order. The ceremony on the occasion above mentioned,
was performed in the immediate vicinity of the deceased; while a
conversation was carried on with the dead, and food placed by its side,
as if it had been a living and hungry individual. Then it was that their
medicine bags were taken out, and as each Indian has a certain medicine,
or preparation which he supposes his skin to possess, he attempts to
manifest its virtues on this occasion. By breathing into the nostrils of
the skin, he imparts to it a particular charm, by which he can cure the
sick or destroy his enemies. Hence the great fear that these conjurers
inspire in all others. Medicine men support each other in every thing
they may happen individually to require, even to the murder of an
unfortunate child. When a man has passed the highest degree, he can
command the services of his brethren for any purpose. The price of
admission is six pieces for each grade, and there are eight grades. By
one piece they mean a blanket, a pair of leggins, a knife, a gun, or any
other useful article. The man who gives the most expensive pieces is
highly honored, and can make the largest demands upon the Society, so
that the older members obtain quite a revenue for their former
expenditures. When they wish to inform a distant lodge of the
faithlessness of a member, they despatch a piece of tobacco; the guilty
man is always known and never admitted, but when they prove true, their
membership is inherited. The missionaries of the west are inclined to
believe that this Medicine institution is the grand obstacle to the
promulgation of the Christian Religion among the Indians.
I also witnessed while at Leech Lake the _conclusion_ of a ceremony that
was commenced some weeks before. There had been a Virgin Dance, the
prominent features of which are as follows. All the virgins of the
village assemble together and seat themselves in a large circle. In the
midst of this company are collected all the young men of the village,
who dance for the amusement of the ladies. But if it so happens that one
of the men stops suddenly and points his finger at a particular girl,
she is at once looked upon as having lost her virginity; if the charge
is substantiated the girl is disgraced, but if not, the young man must
_die_. The _conclusion_ that I alluded to was, the execution, in cold
blood, of a fine looking young man who had attempted, without cause, to
ruin the reputation of a girl by whom he had been rejected. In an
unguarded moment he had been stabbed, and when I saw him, he was
weltering in his blood. It was a most terrible exhibition of justice and
cruelty, and made me partly admire and then utterly despise the
character of the whole Indian race.
While I was at this lake a couple of trappers made their appearance from
the Red River wilderness, where they had been hunting during the past
winter, but owing to an accident had been detained from returning until
the present time. They were Half-Breeds, and as wild a pair of beings as
I ever beheld. Their furs, at the usual prices, would probably bring
them some fifteen hundred dollars. Their place of destination was St.
Louis, where each one had a wife and children. Their intention was to
remain with their friends until November, when they would dive into the
wilderness again.
I only heard three legends at Leech Lake. One gives the origin of a
certain miniature whirlpool, which may be seen on the south side of the
lake. A couple of Chippeway women, while crossing in a canoe, were
pursued by Sioux Indians, but the Lake Spirit, out of compassion for
their misfortune, struck the water with his wings and opened an easy
pathway to the Spirit Land. The second story is about Pelican Island. It
is said that no Indian ever visited it without being caught in a storm;
and that it has for centuries been inhabited by strange people. They
were never visible excepting from the main shore, for when the island
was searched no tracks or wigwam-poles could be seen, nothing but rocks,
grass, and reeds. At the present time, none but the bravest dare land
upon its shore with their canoes.
The third legend that I heard on the borders of this lake was about a
famous battle once fought, between the gods of the white man and the red
man. A great many summers ago, a race of white people made their
appearance on the shores of this country, and, as they were a strange
people, the red men of the wilderness were disposed to love them. As the
former were very poor, the latter presented them with a few acres of
land to cultivate. As the white men increased in numbers, they craved
more land, but the red men would not yield to their extravagant
solicitations. In the mean time the strange people were becoming
powerful. In process of time the Big Manito became displeased with them,
and was determined that this usurpation should cease. He visited the
white man’s god, and told him that he must take back his ambitious
children. The white man’s god replied that he would do no such thing,
but was determined to protect his own. Manito then told him that the
question must be decided by battle. A famous battle was fought, and the
white man’s god triumphed. He took Manito prisoner, and tied him to an
oak with hickory saplings, but he finally made his escape, and with his
children took up his home in the more remote wilderness.
The region of Leech Lake is somewhat famous for the quantity and good
quality of the original maize or Indian corn. When I was there it was
not sufficiently advanced to be eaten, even in a green state, but I
obtained a fact with regard to corn planting, which may be new to my
readers. All the labor connected with the raising of corn is performed
by the women, who take it upon themselves as an offset to the hardships
endured by the men in hunting. It is customary for them after they have
planted the seed, to perform, in a state of nudity, a nocturnal walk
through the field, which ceremony is supposed to protect the grain from
the destroying insect or worm.
During my stay at this lake I received from my friend Morrison, the
following facts with regard to the game now inhabiting this region. The
black bear, the black and gray wolf, the elk, the moose, and the deer,
the otter, the mink, porcupine, white fisher, fox, the coon, the martin,
the rabbit and a variety of squirrels are as abundant as ever; the
grisly bear and buffalo are found only occasionally; and the beaver is
entirely extinct. Among the birds that I saw were eagles, fish-hawks,
night-hawks, owls, loons, the swan, the crane, a great variety of ducks,
the pigeon, the woodpecker, blue-jay, black and blue-bird, red-bird, and
the king-bird; and among the fish that may be found in Leech Lake, are
the white-fish, the trout, the pike, the pickerel, the bass, the sucker,
and the mullet. It is said the white-fish of this lake, originated from
the brains of a woman; and I am also told that its shores have in times
past yielded more wealth in the way of furs than any other place of the
same extent in the northwest. But enough. It is time that I should close
this desultory paper, else my reader will accuse me of practising the
most prominent peculiarity of the _animal Leech_.