78 



A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



the ig 



of the white people considers as the screams of the 



goat-sucker, are really, according to my informant, the moanings of 



these unhappy beings. 



The Crees have somewhat similar notions, but as they inhabit a 

 country widely different from the mountainous lands of the Black- 

 foot Indians, the difficulty of their journey lies in walking along a 

 slender and slippery tree, laid as a bridge across a rapid stream of 

 stinking and muddy water. The night owl is regarded by the Crees 

 with the same dread that it has been viewed by other nations. One 

 small species, which is known to them by its melancholy nocturnal 

 hootings, (for as it never appears in the day, few even of the hun- 



ters have ever seen it) is particularly ominous. They call it the 



cheepai-peethees, or death bird, and never fail to whistle when they 

 hear its note. If it does not reply to the whistle by its hootings, the 

 speedy death of the inquirer is augured. 



When a Cree dies, that part of his property, which he has not 

 given away before his death, is burned with him, and his relations 



take care to place near the grave little heaps of fire-wood, food* 

 pieces of tobacco, and such things as he is likely to need in his 

 journey. Similar offerings are made when they revisit the grave* 

 and as kettles, and other articles of value, are sometimes offered, 

 they are frequently carried off by passengers, yet the relations are 

 not displeased, provided sufficient respect has been shewn to the 

 dead, by putting some other article, although of inferior value, in 

 the place of that which has been taken away. 



The Crees are wont to celebrate the returns of the seasons by 

 religious festivals, but we are unable to describe the ceremonial in 

 use on these joyous occasions from personal observation. The fol- 

 lowing brief notice of a feast, which was given by an old Cree chief, 

 according to his annual custom, on the first croaking of the frogs, 

 is drawn up from the information of one of the guests. A large 

 oblong tent, or lodge, was prepared for the important occasion, by 



