resembling thunder, in repeated peals. When they had got over their
fears, they were shown the large guns which made this noise. Soon after
they saw a vessel smaller than their own, sailing out of a bay, in the
direction toward them. She had flags on her masts, and when she came
near she fired a gun. The large vessel also hoisted her flags, and the
boat came alongside. The master told the person who came in it, to tell
his master or king, that he had six strangers on board, such as had
never been seen before, and that they were coming to visit him. It was
some time after the departure of this messenger before the vessel got
up to the town. It was then dark, but they could see people, and
horses, and odawbons[96] ashore. They were landed and placed in a
covered vehicle, and driven off. When they stopped, they were taken
into a large and splendid room. They were here told that the great
chief wished to see them. They were shown into another large room,
filled with men and women. All the room was Shoneancauda.[97] The chief
asked them their business, and the object of their journey. They told
him where they were from, and where they were going, and the nature of
the enterprise which they had undertaken. He tried to dissuade them
from its execution, telling them of the many trials and difficulties
they would have to undergo; that so many days' march from his country
dwelt a bad spirit, or Manito, who foreknew and foretold the existence
and arrival of all who entered into his country. It is impossible, he
said, my children, for you ever to arrive at the object you are in
search of.
Ioscoda replied: "Nosa,"[98] and they could see the chief blush in
being called _father_, "we have come so far on our way, and we will
continue it; we have resolved firmly that we will do so. We think our
lives are of no value, for we have given them up for this object.
Nosa," he repeated, "do not then prevent us from going on our journey."
The chief then dismissed them with valuable presents, after having
appointed the next day to speak to them again, and provided everything
that they needed or wished for.
Next day they were again summoned to appear before the king. He again
tried to dissuade them. He said he would send them back to their
country in one of his vessels: but all he said had no effect. "Well,"
said he, "if you will go, I will furnish you all that is needed for
your journey." He had everything provided accordingly. He told them,
that three days before they reached the Bad Spirit he had warned them
of, they would hear his Shéshegwun.[99] He cautioned them to be wise,
for he felt that he should never see them all again.
They resumed their journey, and travelled sometimes through villages,
but they soon left them behind and passed over a region of forests and
plains, without inhabitants. They found all the productions of a new
country: trees, animals, birds, were entirely different from those they
were accustomed to, on the other side of the great waters. They
travelled, and travelled, till they wore out all of the clothing that
had been given to them, and had to take to their leather clothing
again.
The three days the chief spoke of meant three years, for it was only at
the end of the third year, that they came within the sight of the
spirit's shéshegwun. The sound appeared to be near, but they continued
walking on, day after day, without apparently getting any nearer to it.
Suddenly they came to a very extensive plain; they could see the blue
ridges of distant mountains rising on the horizon beyond it; they
pushed on, thinking to get over the plain before night, but they were
overtaken by darkness; they were now on a stony part of the plain,
covered by about a foot's depth of water; they were weary and fatigued;
some of them said, let us lie down; no, no, said the others, let us
push on. Soon they stood on firm ground, but it was as much as they
could do to stand, for they were very weary. They, however, made an
effort to encamp, lighted up a fire, and refreshed themselves by
eating. They then commenced conversing about the sound of the spirit's
shéshegwun, which they had heard for several days. Suddenly the
instrument commenced; it sounded as if it was subterraneous, and it
shook the ground: they tied up their bundles and went toward the spot.
They soon came to a large building, which was illuminated. As soon as
they came to the door, they were met by a rather elderly man. "How do
ye do," said he, "my grandsons? Walk in, walk in; I am glad to see you:
I knew when you started: I saw you encamp this evening: sit down, and
tell me the news of the country you left, for I feel interested in it."
They complied with his wishes, and when they had concluded, each one
presented him with a piece of tobacco. He then revealed to them things
that would happen in their journey, and predicted its successful
accomplishment. "I do not say that all of you," said he, "will
successfully go through it. You have passed over three-fourths of your
way, and I will tell you how to proceed after you get to the edge of
the earth. Soon after you leave this place, you will hear a deafening
sound: it is the sky descending on the edge, but it keeps moving up and
down; you will watch, and when it moves up, you will see a vacant space
between it and the earth. You must not be afraid. A chasm of awful
depth is there, which separates the unknown from this earth, and a veil
of darkness conceals it. Fear not. You must leap through; and if you
succeed, you will find yourselves on a beautiful plain, and in a soft
and mild light emitted by the moon." They thanked him for his advice. A
pause ensued.
"I have told you the way," he said; "now tell me again of the country
you have left; for I committed dreadful ravages while I was there: does
not the country show marks of it? and do not the inhabitants tell of me
to their children? I came to this place to mourn over my bad actions,
and am trying, by my present course of life, to relieve my mind of the
load that is on it." They told him that their fathers spoke often of a
celebrated personage called Manabozho, who performed great exploits. "I
am he," said the Spirit. They gazed with astonishment and fear. "Do you
see this pointed house?" said he, pointing to one that resembled a
sugar-loaf; "you can now each speak your wishes, and will be answered
from that house. Speak out, and ask what each wants, and it shall be
granted." One of them, who was vain, asked with presumption, that he
might live forever, and never be in want. He was answered, "Your wish
shall be granted." The second made the same request, and received the
same answer. The third asked to live longer than common people, and to
be always successful in his war excursions, never losing any of his
young men. He was told, "Your wishes are granted." The fourth joined in
the same request, and received the same reply. The fifth made an humble
request, asking to live as long as men generally do, and that he might
be crowned with such success in hunting as to be able to provide for
his parents and relatives. The sixth made the same request, and it was
granted to both, in pleasing tones, from the pointed house.
After hearing these responses they prepared to depart. They were told
by Manabozho, that they had been with him but one day, but they
afterward found that they had remained there upward of a year. When
they were on the point of setting out, Manabozho exclaimed, "Stop! you
two, who asked me for eternal life, will receive the boon you wish
immediately." He spake, and one was turned into a stone called
Shin-gauba-wossin,[100] and the other into a cedar tree. "Now," said he
to the others, "you can go." They left him in fear, saying, "We were
fortunate to escape so, for the king told us he was wicked, and that we
should not probably escape from him." They had not proceeded far, when
they began to hear the sound of the beating sky. It appeared to be near
at hand, but they had a long interval to travel before they came near,
and the sound was then stunning to their senses; for when the sky came
down, its pressure would force gusts of wind from the opening, so
strong that it was with difficulty they could keep their feet, and the
sun passed but a short distance above their heads. They however
approached boldly, but had to wait sometime before they could muster
courage enough to leap through the dark veil that covered the passage.
The sky would come down with violence, but it would rise slowly and
gradually. The two who had made the humble request, stood near the
edge, and with no little exertion succeeded, one after the other, in
leaping through, and gaining a firm foothold. The remaining two were
fearful and undecided: the others spoke to them through the darkness,
saying, "Leap! leap! the sky is on its way down." These two looked up
and saw it descending, but fear paralyzed their efforts; they made but
a feeble attempt, so as to reach the opposite side with their hands;
but the sky at the same time struck on the earth with great violence
and a terrible sound, and forced them into the dreadful black chasm.
The two successful adventurers, of whom Iosco now was chief, found
themselves in a beautiful country, lighted by the moon, which shed
around a mild and pleasant light. They could see the moon approaching
as if it were from behind a hill. They advanced, and an aged woman
spoke to them; she had a white face and pleasing air, and looked rather
old, though she spoke to them very kindly: they knew from her first
appearance that she was the moon: she asked them several questions: she
told them that she knew of their coming, and was happy to see them: she
informed them that they were half way to her brother's, and that from
the earth to her abode was half the distance. "I will, by and by, have
leisure," said she, "and will go and conduct you to my brother, for he
is now absent on his daily course: you will succeed in your object, and
return in safety to your country and friends, with the good wishes, I
am sure, of my brother." While the travellers were with her, they
received every attention. When the proper time arrived, she said to
them, "My brother is now rising from below, and we shall see his light
as he comes over the distant edge: come," said she, "I will lead you
up." They went forward, but in some mysterious way, they hardly knew
how: they rose almost directly up, as if they had ascended steps. They
then came upon an immense plain, declining in the direction of the
sun's approach. When he came near, the moon spake--"I have brought you
these persons, whom we knew were coming;" and with this she
disappeared. The sun motioned with his hand for them to follow him.
They did so, but found it rather difficult, as the way was steep: they
found it particularly so from the edge of the earth till they got
halfway between that point and midday: when they reached this spot, the
sun stopped, and sat down to rest. "What, my children," said he, "has
brought you here? I could not speak to you before: I could not stop at
any place but this, for this is my first resting-place--then at the
centre, which is at midday, and then halfway from that to the western
edge.[101] Tell me," he continued, "the object of your undertaking
this journey and all the circumstances which have happened to you on
the way." They complied, Iosco told him their main object was to see
him. They had lost four of their friends on the way, and they wished to
know whether they could return in safety to the earth, that they might
inform their friends and relatives of all that had befallen them. They
concluded by requesting him to grant their wishes. He replied, "Yes,
you shall certainly return in safety; but your companions were vain and
presumptuous in their demands. They were Gug-ge-baw-diz-ze-wug.[102]
They aspired to what Manitoes only could enjoy. But you two, as I said,
shall get back to your country, and become as happy as the hunter's
life can make you. You shall never be in want of the necessaries of
life, as long as you are permitted to live; and you will have the
satisfaction of relating your journey to your friends, and also of
telling them of me. Follow me, follow me," he said, commencing his
course again. The ascent was now gradual, and they soon came to a level
plain. After travelling some time he again sat down to rest, for we had
arrived at Nau-we-qua.[103] "You see," said he, "it is level at this
place, but a short distance onwards, my way descends gradually to my
last resting-place, from which there is an abrupt descent." He repeated
his assurance that they should be shielded from danger, if they relied
firmly on his power. "Come here quickly," he said, placing something
before them on which they could descend; "keep firm," said he, as they
resumed the descent. They went downward as if they had been let down by
ropes.
In the mean time the parents of these two young men dreamed that their
sons were returning, and that they should soon see them. They placed
the fullest confidence in their dreams. Early in the morning they left
their lodges for a remote point in the forest, where they expected to
meet them. They were not long at the place before they saw the
adventurers returning, for they had descended not far from that place.
The young men knew they were their fathers. They met, and were happy.
They related all that had befallen them. They did not conceal anything;
and they expressed their gratitude to the different Manitoes who had
preserved them, by feasting and gifts, and particularly to the sun and
moon, who had received them as their children.
[93] The East--_i.e._ place of light.
[94] Ship and boat. These terms exhibit the simple and the
diminutive forms of the name for ship or vessel. It is also the
term for a woman's needlework, and seems to imply a tangled
thready mass, and was perhaps transferred in allusion to a ship's
ropes.
[95] Wewaquonidjig, a term early and extensively applied to white
men, by our Indians, and still frequently used.
[96] Odawbon comprehends all vehicles between a dog train and a
coach, whether on wheels or runners. The term is nearest allied
to vehicle.
[97] Massive silver.
[98] My father.
[99] A rattle.
[100] A hard primitive stone, frequently found along the borders
of the lakes and watercourses, generally fretted into image
shapes. Hardness and indestructibility are regarded as its
characteristics by the Indians. It is often granite.
[101] This computation of time separates the day into four
portions of six hours each--two of which, from 1 to 6, and from 6
to 12 A.M. compose the _morning_, and the other two, from 1 to 6,
and from 6 to 12 P.M. compose the _evening_.
[102] This is a verbal form, plural number, of the transitive
adjective--foolish.
[103] Midday, or middle line.
THE ENCHANTED MOCCASINS.
ODJIBWA.
There once lived a little boy, all alone with his sister, in a very
wild uninhabitable country. They saw nothing but beasts, and birds, the
sky above them, and the earth beneath them. But there were no human
beings besides themselves. The boy often retired to think, in lone
places, and the opinion was formed that he had supernatural powers. It
was supposed that he would perform some extraordinary exploits, and he
was called Onwe Bahmondoong, or he that carries a ball on his back. As
he grew up he was impatient to know whether there were other beings
near them: she replied, that there was, but they lived in a remote
distance. There was a large village of hunters and warriors. Being now
well grown, he determined to seek his fortune, and asked her to make
him several pairs of moccasins to last him on the journey. With this
request she complied. Then taking his bow and arrows, and his war-club,
and a little sack containing his _nawappo_, or travelling victuals, he
immediately set out on his journey. He travelled on, not knowing
exactly where he went. Hills, plains, trees, rocks, forests, meadows,
spread before him. Sometimes he killed an animal, sometimes a bird. The
deer often started in his path. He saw the fox, the bear, and the
ground-hog. The eagles screamed above him. The ducks chattered in the
ponds and lakes. He lay down and slept when he was tired, he rose up
when he was refreshed. At last he came to a small wigwam, and, on
looking into it, discovered a very old woman sitting alone by the fire.
As soon as she saw the stranger, she invited him in, and thus addressed
him: "My poor grandchild, I suppose you are one of those who seek for
the distant village, from which no person has ever yet returned. Unless
your guardian is more powerful than the guardian of your predecessors,
you too will share a similar fate of theirs. Be careful to provide
yourself with the Ozhebahguhnun--the bones they use in the medicine
dance[104]--without which you cannot succeed." After she had thus
spoken, she gave him the following directions for his journey. "When
you come near to the village which you seek, you will see in the centre
a large lodge, in which the chief of the village, who has two
daughters, resides. Before the door you will see a great tree, which is
smooth and destitute of bark. On this tree, about the height of a man
from the ground, a small lodge is suspended, in which these two
daughters dwell. It is here so many have been destroyed. Be wise, my
grandchild, and abide strictly by my directions." The old woman then
gave him the Ozhebahguhnun, which would cause his success. Placing them
in his bosom, he continued his journey, till at length he arrived at
the sought-for village; and, as he was gazing around him, he saw both
the tree and the lodge which the old woman had mentioned. Immediately
he bent his steps for the tree, and approaching, he endeavored to reach
the suspended lodge. But all his efforts were vain; for as often as he
attempted to reach it, the tree began to tremble, and soon shot up so
that the lodge could hardly be perceived. Foiled as he was in all his
attempts, he thought of his guardian and changed himself into a small
squirrel, that he might more easily accomplish his design. He then
mounted the tree in quest of the lodge. After climbing for some time,
he became fatigued, and panted for breath; but, remembering the
instructions which the old woman had given him, he took from his bosom
one of the bones, and thrust it into the trunk of the tree, on which he
sat. In this way he quickly found relief; and, as often as he became
fatigued, he repeated this; but whenever he came near the lodge and
attempted to touch it, the tree would shoot up as before, and place the
lodge beyond his reach. At length, the bones being exhausted, he began
to despair, for the earth had long since vanished from his sight.
Summoning all resolution, he determined to make another effort to reach
the object of his wishes. On he went; yet, as soon as he came near the
lodge and attempted to touch it, the tree again shook, but it had
reached the arch of heaven, and could go no higher; so now he entered
the lodge, and beheld the two sisters sitting opposite each other. He
asked their names. The one on his left hand called herself
Azhabee,[105] and the one on the right Negahnahbee.[106] Whenever he
addressed the one on his left hand, the tree would tremble as before,
and settle down to its former position. But when he addressed the one
on his right hand, it would again shoot upward as before. When he thus
discovered that, by addressing the one on his left hand, the tree would
descend, he continued to do so until it had resumed its former
position; then seizing his war-club, he thus addressed the sisters:
"You, who have caused the death of so many of my brothers, I will now
put an end to, and thus have revenge for the numbers you have
destroyed." As he said this he raised the club and laid them dead at
his feet. He then descended, and learning that these sisters had a
brother living with their father, who would pursue him for the deed he
had done, he set off at random, not knowing whither he went. Soon
after, the father and mother of the young women visited their residence
and found their remains. They immediately told their son Mudjikewis
that his sisters had been slain. He replied, "The person who has done
this must be the Boy that carries the Ball on his Back. I will pursue
him, and have revenge for the blood of my sisters." "It is well, my
son," replied the father. "The spirit of your life grant you success. I
counsel you to be wary in the pursuit. It is a strong spirit who has
done this injury to us, and he will try to deceive you in every way.
Above all, avoid tasting food till you succeed; for if you break your
fast before you see his blood, your power will be destroyed." So
saying, they parted.
His son instantly set out in search of the murderer, who, finding he
was closely pursued by the brother of the slain, climbed up into one of
the tallest trees and shot forth his magic arrows. Finding that his
pursuer was not turned back by his arrows, he renewed his flight; and
when he found himself hard pressed, and his enemy close behind him, he
transformed himself into the skeleton of a moose that had been killed,
whose flesh had come off from his bones. He then remembered the
moccasins which his sister had given him, which were enchanted. Taking
a pair of them, he placed them near the skeleton. "Go," said he to
them, "to the end of the earth."
The moccasins then left him and their tracks remained. Mudjikewis at
length came to the skeleton of the moose, when he perceived that the
track he had long been pursuing did not end there, so he continued to
follow it up, till he came to the end of the earth, where he found only
a pair of moccasins. Mortified that he had been outwitted by following
a pair of moccasins instead of the object of his revenge, he bitterly
complained, resolving not to give up the pursuit, and to be more wary
and wise in scrutinizing signs. He then called to mind the skeleton he
met on his way, and concluded that _it_ must be the object of his
search. He retraced his steps towards the skeleton, but found, to his
surprise, that it had disappeared, and that the tracks of _Onwe
Bahmondoong_, or he who carries the Ball, were in another direction.
He now became faint with hunger, and resolved to give up the pursuit;
but when he remembered the blood of his sisters, he determined again to
pursue.
The other, finding he was closely pursued, now changed himself into a
very old man, with two daughters, who lived in a large lodge in the
centre of a beautiful garden, which was filled with everything that
could delight the eye or was pleasant to the taste. He made himself
appear so very old as to be unable to leave his lodge, and had his
daughters to bring him food and wait on him. The garden also had the
appearance of ancient occupancy, and was highly cultivated.
His pursuer continued on till he was nearly starved and ready to sink.
He exclaimed, "Oh! I will forget the blood of my sisters, for I am
starving;" but again he thought of the blood of his sisters, and again
he resolved to pursue, and be satisfied with nothing but the attainment
of his right to revenge.
He went on till he came to the beautiful garden. He approached the
lodge. As soon as the daughters of the owner perceived him, they ran
and told their father that a stranger approached the lodge. Their
father replied, "Invite him in, my children, invite him in." They
quickly did so; and by the command of their father, they boiled some
corn and prepared other savory food. Mudjikewis had no suspicion of the
deception. He was faint and weary with travel, and felt that he could
endure fasting no longer. Without hesitancy, he partook heartily of the
meal, and in so doing was overcome. All at once he seemed to forget the
blood of his sisters, and even the village of his nativity. He ate so
heartily as to produce drowsiness, and soon fell into a profound sleep.
Onwe Bahmondoong watched his opportunity, and, as soon as he found his
slumbers sound, resumed his youthful form. He then drew the magic ball
from his back, which turned out to be a heavy war-club, with one blow
of which he put an end to his pursuer, and thus vindicated his title as
the Wearer of the Ball.
[104] The idea attached to the use of these bones in the medicine
dance is, that, by their magical influence, the actor can
penetrate and go through any substance.
[105] One who sits behind.
[106] One who sits before.
LEELINAU.
A CHIPPEWA TALE.