254 WEATHER MAKING, ANCIENT AND MODERN. 



Even the coutrol of fog lias been attempted, as shown by the follow- 

 ing quotation from Dorsey's account of the Turtle subgens of the 

 Omaha:' 



"In the time of a fog the men of this subgens drew the figure of a 

 turtle on the grouud with its face to the south. On the head, tail, 

 middle of tlie back, and on each leg were placed small pieces of a (red) 

 breech cloth, with some tobacco. This they imagined would make the 

 fog disappear very soon." 



But it is not only the pagan Indians who have tried their hand at 

 weather makiug. Their Ohristiauized descendants have also tried to 

 control these operations of nature. lu the transition times between 

 paganism and Christianity occurred some events which throw a curious 

 and instructive side light on this question, and two of these 1 will now 

 give. 



Mr. Parkman says that while the Jesuits labored with the Hurons a 

 severe drought came upon the fields. The sorcerers put forth their 

 utmost i)Ower, and from the tops of the houses yelled incessant invoca- 

 tions to the spirits. All was in vain. A renowned "rain maker," 

 seeing his reputation tottering under his repeated failures, bethought 

 him of accusing the Jesuits, and gave out that the red color of the cross 

 which stood Itefore their house scared away the bird of thunder and 

 caused him to fly another way. On this a clamor arose. The popular 

 ire turned against the priests, and the obnoxious cross was condemned 

 to be cut down. The Jesuits said: "If the red color of the cross 

 frightens the bird of thunder, paint it white." This was done, but the 

 clouds still kept aloof. The Jesuits followed uj) their advantage. 

 "Your spirits can not helyt you. Now ask the aid of Him who made the 

 world." Heavy rains occurring soon after, it is said that many Indians 

 believed in the white man's Great Spirit and presented themselves to 

 the j)riests for baptism (Alice Elliot Keeler). 



A somewhat similar story is told of Peru by Acosta. It appears 

 that the Santa Cruz Indians became Christians because of the success 

 of a renegade soldier in making rain. This soldier, seeing the native 

 Indians " in a great extremity for water, and that to j)rocure rain they 

 used many superstitious ceremonies, according to their usual manner," 

 said to them that if they would do as he said they should presently 

 have rain, which they willingly offered to perform. "Then the soldier 

 made a great cross, which he placed on a high and eminent place, com- 

 manding them to worship it and to demand water, which they did. A 

 wonderful thing to see, there presently fell such an abundance of ram, 

 as the Indians took so great devotion to the holy cross as they tied 

 unto it in all their necessities, and obtained all they demanded, so as 

 they broke down their idols." ■^ 



The quotation from Acosta indicates the attitude of the Indians of 

 middle latitudes on this subject. This attitude, as is well known to 



' Third Ann. Rep. Bureau of Ethnology, page 240. 

 * Op. cit., Vol. II, page b'M. 



