(1) _Lake of the Great Beaver._--p. 49.
Among the Ottawas, the Great Beaver is, next to Michabou, the chief
deity. He it was who formed lake Nipissing; and all the rapids or
currents, which are found in the river Ottawa, are the remains of the
causeway which he built in order to complete his design. They also
add, that he died in the same place, and that he is buried under a
mountain which you perceive on the northern shore of lake Nipissing.
It has been observed that this mountain, viewed from one side,
naturally enough represents the figure of a beaver, which circumstance
has, no doubt, occasioned all these tales. The Indians, however,
stoutly maintain that it was the Great Beaver who gave this form to
the mountain after he had made choice of it for his burial-place, and
they never pass by it without rendering him their homage by offering
him the smoke of their tobacco.
(2) _White Beaver._--p. 49.
It has been asserted by travellers, that there is a species of the
beaver perfectly white. I doubt the story much. If there were white
beavers they would be found in the polar regions, yet it is a fact
that there they are quite black. Their colour, in temperate
countries, is brown, and it becomes lighter and lighter in proportion
as they approach toward the south, yet no where becomes white.
(3) _Carcajous and Foxes make war in company._--p. 55.
The carcajou, or wild cat, is the natural enemy of the elk, which, by
the by, has become almost as rare an animal on the western continent
as the mastodon or mammoth. As soon as he comes up with the elk, he
leaps upon him, and fastens upon his neck, about which he twists his
long tail, and then cuts his jugular. The elk has no means of shunning
this disaster, but by flying to the water the moment he is seized by
this dangerous enemy. The carcajou, who cannot endure the water, quits
his hold immediately; but, if the water happen to be at too great a
distance, he will destroy the elk before he reaches it. As this hunter
does not possess the faculty of smelling with the greatest acuteness,
he carries with him three foxes, which he sends on the discovery. The
moment they have got scent of an elk, two of them place themselves by
his side, and the third takes post behind him. They manage the matter
with so much adroitness, that they compel him to go to the place where
they have left the carcajou, with whom they afterwards settle about
dividing the prey. At least so say the Indians.
(4) _Made them more than a match._--p. 55.
The North American Indians are the vainest people living. "As ignorant
as a white man," "as foolish as a white man," are common expressions
with them. As they only value physical greatness, their low opinion of
us proceeds from their observing how very deficient we are in the
qualities which confer that species of superiority. They value,
beyond every other acquirement, that of apparent insensibility to
pain--we start, perhaps cry out, at the twinge of a tooth; in war we
become the dupes of the commonest stratagem, while they can never be
surprised. They see that they excel us in hunting--in endurance of
pain--in the power of encountering the fatigues and perils of savage
life--indeed, in every kind of knowledge which is deemed by them of
value--by their standard they are our superiors. "You are almost as
clever as an Indian," "You are as stupid as a white man," are common
expressions with them. They consider themselves as created for the
noblest of purposes. The Great Spirit made them, that they should
live, hunt, and prepare medicines and charms, in which they fancy they
excel. White men, on the other hand, were doomed to the drudgeries of
manufacturing cloths, guns, &c., for the use of the Indians.
The Five Nations called themselves _Ougwe-hohougwe_, that is, men
surpassing all others. This opinion, which they took care to instil
into their children, gave them that courage which made them so
terrible to their neighbours, and, indeed, to distant nations, for
their hostile incursions extended as far as Florida.
(5) _Unskilful Autmoin._--p. 57.
The Indian physicians possessed great skill as far as simples were
concerned. But it was their practice to profess to cure diseases,
rather by jugglery and witchcraft, than by those means which were
simple and near at hand. Could they be brought to look upon a disease
as purely natural, which they cannot, and treat it accordingly, their
materia medica would possess wonderful efficacy in their hands. The
great use which they make of their simples is for the cure of wounds,
fractures, dislocations, luxations, and ruptures. It is certain that
they are in possession of secrets and remedies which are admirable. A
broken bone is immediately set, and is perfectly solid in eight days'
time. It is related by a traveller, that a French soldier, who was in
garrison in a fort in Acadia, was seized with the epilepsy, and the
fits were become almost daily, and extremely violent; an Indian woman
that happened to be present at one of his fits, made him two boluses
of a pulverised root, the name of which she did not disclose, and
desired that one might be given him at his next fit, predicting
certain consequences and his complete cure by the second bolus, which
actually took place, and he ever after enjoyed a perfect state of
health.
In Acadia, the quacks or physicians were called by the name in the
text, _Autmoin_; it was commonly the chief of the village who was
invested with this dignity. The ceremonies and practices observed by
the Acadian jugglers being common to the "profession" throughout the
Indian nations, I shall insert an account of them from Charlevoix.
When they visited a patient, they first inspected him for a
considerable time, after which they breathed upon him. If this
produced nothing, "of certainty," said they, "the devil is in him; he
must, however, very soon go out of him; but let every one be upon his
guard, as this wicked spirit will, if he can, out of spite, attack
some here present." They then fell into a kind of rage, were shaken
with agony, shouted aloud, and threatened the pretended demon; they
spoke to him, as if they had seen him with their eyes, made several
passes at him, as if they would stab him, the whole being only
intended to conceal their imposture.
On entering the cabin, they take care to fix into the ground a bit of
wood, to which a cord is made fast. They afterwards present the end of
the cord to the spectators, inviting them at the same time to draw out
the bit of wood, and as scarce any one ever succeeds in it, they are
sure to tell him it is the devil who holds it; afterwards making as if
they would stab this pretended devil, they loosen, by little and
little, the piece of wood, by raking up the earth round it, after
which they easily draw it up, the crowd shouting the while. To the
under part of this piece of wood was fastened a little bone, or some
such thing, which was not at first perceived, and the quacks, shewing
it to the company, "Behold," cried they, "the cause of the disease; it
was necessary to kill the devil to get at it."
This farce lasted three or four hours, after which the physician stood
in need of rest and refreshment. He went away, assuring them that the
sick person would infallibly be cured, provided the disease had not
already got the better, that is to say, provided the devil, before his
retreat, had not given him his death-wound. The business was to know,
whether he had or not. This the autmoin pretended to discover by his
dreams, but he took care never to speak clearly, till he saw what turn
the disease took. On perceiving it incurable, he went away; every one
likewise, after his example, abandoned the patient. If, after three
days were expired, he were still alive, "The devil," said he, "will
neither allow him to be cured, nor suffer him to die; you must, out of
charity, put an end to his days." Immediately the greatest friend of
the patient brought cold water, and poured it on his face till he
expired.
In a note, vol. i., pages 141, 142, there is an account of the
ceremonies practised by the Delaware jugglers.
(6) _Spirits of beasts._--p. 66.
Every species has its presiding genius, and to these the Indians
frequently address their prayers. Some of them are held in great
estimation, some are little valued. The genius of the beavers is much
respected. They were formerly of opinion that beavers were endued with
reason, and had a government, laws, and language, of their own; that
they had officers who assigned to each his task, and placed sentries
to give the alarm at the approach of an enemy, and to punish the lazy.
A volume would scarcely afford sufficient space to relate their
traditions about this animal.
The bear is also a venerated animal--it is not, however, deemed so
auspicious to dream of the bear as of the beaver. Before setting out
upon an expedition in search of him, a fast is necessary in order to
induce his guardian genius to discover where the greatest number can
be found. They also, at these fasts, invoke the spirits of the bears
they have killed in their former huntings. The skins of bears are
commonly worn by the jugglers while performing their feats of
pretended witchcraft, and their teeth, &c., are held to be powerful
amulets or charms.
They endeavour, on all occasions, to propitiate the spirits of the
beasts, being persuaded that every species of animals has a genius
that watches for their preservation. A Frenchman having one day thrown
away a mouse he had just taken, a little girl took it up to eat it;
the father of the child, who perceived it, snatched it from her, and
fell to caressing the dead animal. The Frenchman asked him the reason
of it. "It is," answered he, "in order to appease the guardian spirit
of the mice, that they may not torment my child after she has eaten
it." After which he restored the animal to the girl, who ate it.
An Indian came to Mackenzie, requesting him to furnish him with a
remedy that might be applied to the joints of his legs and thighs, of
which he had, in a great measure, lost the use for five winters. This
affliction he attributed to his cruelty about that time, when having
found a wolf with two whelps, in an old beaver lodge, he set fire to
it and consumed them.--_Mackenzie's Journal of a Voyage, &c._ 4to.
London, 1801.