146 THAXSACTIOXS OF THE 



sent genii that can only be seen by the conjurers in their dreams. 

 They stand on one leg only, the other leg being wrapped around the 

 one on which they stand. This helps, it is said, to remain on their 

 legs longer than by standing in any other way, since one leg adds 

 strength to the other. On their heads they carry an ornament re- 

 sembling two horns, which are in fact, as the name has it, two hats. 

 The men represented by these effigies are supposed to dream and to 

 convey the import of their dreams to the conjurors by means of 

 birds called " God's messengers," each bird having the same colors 

 as the effigies. 



The effigy of the black man lies behind some black rays of the 

 circle and is supposed to have charge of the whole ceremony. The 

 efifigy of the blue man stands at the end of blue rays. The effigy 

 of the yellow man is at the end of yellow rays; and the white 

 efifigy at the end of white rays. 



Before each of these effigies a sort of standard (nada) is stuck 

 up — about six feet high. They are carried about in the dances and 

 their purpose is, as alleged, the same as our lightning-rods. They 

 say the nadnai insure getting good health while dancing. The 

 chief part of Indian religious ceremonies consist in dances which 

 commence at sundown and continue till sunrise, with only three 

 interruptions for meals. The dances take place at some distance 

 from the magic circle and about a central fire. Near this fire may 

 be seen the pile of firewood provided for the occasion, and on an- 

 other side a group consisting of conjurors and men of the tribe. 

 Close to the fire are the groups of dancers, male and female. In 

 dancing they do not move about but skip up and down — a mode of 

 dancing common to all Indians of North America. Smaller fires 

 are blazing in a circle around and at some distance from the cen- 

 tral fire. About these fires are gathered the people, old and young, 

 while back of them are standing the horses that brought them to 

 the ceremony. 



Dances begin when the leading conjuror begins a song. At each 

 new song a girl starts from one of the fires and directs her steps 

 towaiid the males standing in the central group. She gently touches 

 one man's shoulder and then returns to her ftimily at the fire. This 

 pantomime indicates a sentiment of love and is at the same time an 

 invitation to the dance, which is responded to within a short time 

 by the lucky young man, who is careful not to meet the looks of 

 the girl's mother. 



