722 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1896. 



It sometimes liai)peus that tliesc ])artie8ofpl:iy are made by order of the physician 

 or at the request of the sick. There ueeds for this iiurpose no more than a dream of 

 one or the other. This dream is always taken for the order of some spirit, and they 

 prepare themselves for the game Avith a great deal of care. They assemble for sev- 

 eral nights to ti\v and to see who has the luckiest hand. They consult their genii, 

 they fast, the married persons observe continence, and all to obtain a favorable 

 dream. Every morning they relate what dreams they have had and of all the things 

 they have dreamt of which they think lucky and they make a collection of all 

 and put them into little bags which they carry about with them, and if anyone has 

 the leputation of being luckj' — that is, in the opinion of these peojile, of ha\ing a 

 familiar sjiirit more powerful or more inclined to do good — they never fail to make 

 him keep near him who holds the dish. They even go a great way sometimes to 

 fetch him, and if through age or any infirmity he can not walk, they will carry him 

 on their shoulders. 



They have often pressed the missionaries to he present at these gameSj as they 

 believe their guardian genii are the most powerful. 



Brebeuf describes the game as follows: 



The game is also in great repute as a medicine, especially if the sick has dreamed of 

 it. This game is a game of chance, pure and simple. They take six prune stones, 

 white on one side and black on the other, put them in a plate, and shake the latter 

 violently, so that the bones fall to the ground, showing one or the other side, as it 

 may happen. The game is to get either all with the black side or all with the white 

 side up. Generally they play village pitted against village. They all convene in a 

 hut, and take places on benches ranged along the sides. The sick is carried in a 

 coverlet, and the one who is to shake the plate (there is only one jilayer for each 

 side) walks after the sick, head and face Avrapped in his robe. As soon as the player 

 of the opposing party takes hold of the plate they cry aloud, Achinc achinc, achinc, 

 trois, trois, irois, or rather, ioio, iolo, ioio, desiring that either three white or three 

 black be thrown by him. This winter you would have seen a good many returning 

 to their village, having lost their breeches at a time when there was nearly 3 feet 

 of snow, as frolicsome as if they had won. What I find the most remarkable thing 

 about it is the preliminary arrangements. Some of them fast several days before 

 the game is to take place. The evening before they convene in a hut, and by a cere- 

 mony try to find out the result of the game. The one who is chosen to hold the 

 plate takes the stones, puts them in the plate, which he covers, so that nobody can 

 touch them. After tbis they sing. After the song the plate is uncovered, and the 

 stones are either all black or all white. 



Thereupon I asked a savage whether the opposing party did not do the same, and 

 whether they could not get the stones arranged in the, same Avay. He answered 

 " Yes." "Nevertheless," I said, "both can not win," which he did not know how to 

 answer. He told me, further, two remarkable things: 



1. They choose for holding the plate someone who had dreamed that he won or 

 who had a charm. Generally those who have one do not make a secret of it, but 

 carry it about with them. They say that one person in our village rubs the stones 

 with a certain ointment and never fails to win. 



2. In making the trial some of the stones disappear and are found after a time in 

 the plate with the others. 



Father Lalemaiit^ relates the following: 



One of the latest foolish things which has hapjiened in this village was occa- 

 sioned by a sick jierson in one of the neighboring villages, Avho, in order to regain 

 his health, dreamed or really get the prescription of the local medicine man that a 

 "game of platter" should be played for him. He spoke about it to the headmen, 



1 Relations des Jesuites, Relation en I'Aun^e, 1636, Quebec, 1858, p. 113. 

 '^Idem., 1639, p. 95. 



