X.] THE AMERICAN ABORIGINES. 387 



There is a good deal of what may be called mysticism in the 

 article, which contains a curious account of certain processes 

 by which the natives communicate with the spiritual world, as 

 witnessed by the writer himself: "Poles 10 to 12 feet high are set 

 in the ground in the form of a circle from 6 to 8 feet in diameter. 

 The top of the lodge is left open ; the sides are tightly covered 

 with birch-bark or the skins of animals. A fire is built close to 

 the lodge, for the purpose of enabling the spectators to light their 

 pipes, as they generally smoke during the strange performance. 

 All being ready, a low, tinkling sound is heard, like several small 

 bells at a distance. With a rush, on comes the leading performer, 

 carrying a magician's little flat rattle-box like a tambourine. He 

 sits down by the fire, and begins by telling his audience how he 

 can call up spirits of the dead, as well as of those yet living in the 

 world, and that any present can ask them questions and receive 

 true answers thereto. He next sings a true song which can 

 scarcely be understood. He then either goes into the lodge by 

 crawling under, or sits outside with the audience ; throwing his 

 blanket or some other clothing over the top of it. Immediately 

 the lodge begins to shake, like a creature of life with an ague chill. 

 Then is heard in the lodge a sound, like that of a distant strong 

 wind sweeping through leafless trees, and intermingled with strange 

 noises. When questions are asked by anyone present they are 

 always answered in an unknown tongue ; but, luckily, among the 

 spirits there is always a special interpreter to explain what the 

 spirits say." 



This, at all events, is as good as the seances of our modern 

 theosophists with their paid mediums, mahatmas and other ex- 

 travagances, and a great deal better than the scalpings, lingering 

 tortures, and other nameless horrors of Indian warfare. 



What are the relations of these Algonquian tribes to those 

 strange monuments of an unknown past, the earth- 

 works and sepulchral mounds which are strewn B JiideJl OUnd ~ 

 over the Mississippi basin and some adjacent lands, 

 but thickly crowded especially in the Ohio valley, which at all 

 times formed part of the Algonquian domain ? Few now believe 

 that their builders were a different race from the present Indians, 

 and the majority of antiquaries agree with Dr Cyrus Thomas, who 



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