As an illustration of the reason why they still believe in it, the
following examples are given:--
Chehalis Jack is one of the most intelligent and civilized of the older
uneducated Twana Indians. He has been one of those most ready to adopt
the customs and beliefs of the whites; has stood by the agent and
missionary in their efforts to civilize and Christianize his people when
very few other Indians have done so, and was one of the first of the
older Indians to unite with the church. He was a sub-chief, and tried to
induce his people to adopt civilized customs, setting them an example in
building by far the best house erected by the Indians on the
reservation, and in various other ways. He was told by some who opposed
civilization that because of this some enemy would send a bad tamahnous
into him and make him sick. In July, 1881, he was taken sick, evidently
with the rheumatism, or some thing of the kind, and the threats which he
had heard began to prey upon his mind, as he afterward said. Yet for six
weeks he lived at his home a mile from the agency, and would have
nothing to do with an Indian doctor. The agency physician attended him,
and his rheumatism seemed to leave him, but he did not get well and
strong. At last the physician said that he did not believe that any
physician could find what was the matter with him. After six weeks thus
spent, by the advice of friends he tried some Indian doctors on the
reservation, but some in whom he had little confidence. He grew worse.
He left the reservation for other Indian doctors, twenty miles away, who
said they could cure him, but he did not recover. He came back home, and
imported another Indian doctor from a hundred miles distant, but was not
cured. We were afraid that he would die, and it was plain to several
whites that he was simply being frightened to death. I had long talks
with him on the subject, and told him so, but could not convince him of
the truth of it. He said: “Tamahnous is true! Tamahnous is true! You
have told us it is not, but now I have experienced it, and it keeps me
sick.” During the winter the agency physician resigned, and another one
took his place in March, 1882. Jack immediately sent for him, but failed
to recover. By the advice of white friends, who thought they knew what
was the matter with him, he gave up his Indian doctor and tried patent
medicines for a time, but to no purpose. He left his home, and moved
directly to the agency, being very near us, having no Indian doctor.
Thus the summer passed away and fall came. Intelligent persons had
sometimes said that if he could be made to do some thing his strength
would soon return to him, and he would find that he was not very sick.
He had had fourteen cords of wood cut on the banks of the Skokomish
River. There was no help that he could obtain to bring the wood to his
house except a boy and an old man. He was much afraid that the rains
would come, the river would rise, and carry off his wood. He left the
agency and returned to his home, and had to help in getting his wood.
About the same time he employed another Indian doctor in whom he seemed
to have considerable confidence, and between the fact of his being
obliged to work and his confidence in the Indian doctor, he recovered.
It was the effect of the influence of the mind over the body. The
principles of mental philosophy could account for it all, but he was not
versed in those principles, and so thoroughly believes that a bad
tamahnous was in him and that Old Cush, the Indian doctor, drew it out.
Since that time he has worked nobly for civilization and
Christianity--but his belief in tamahnous still remains in him. When the
question of his joining the church came up, as nothing else stood in the
way, I could not make up my mind that this superstition ought to do so,
and after two and a half years of church membership the results have
been such that I am satisfied that the decision was wise.