SOURCE OF ST. PETEr's RIVER. 227 



according to the mere relation in which nature or accident 

 placed him in life; for his friend he entertains a feeling 

 deep, warm, and unalterable. Their friendship is seldom 

 divided between two objects, hence they have not those 

 bands of brothers which are stated by Lewis and Clarke 

 to exist among some of the tribes they visited ; but the 

 adoption of a brother is very common with them ; it 

 is always founded upon sincere friendship ; and in the ex- 

 posed and wandering life of the Indian, opportunities are 

 not wanting to display the extent of this feeling. An In- 

 dian will willingly endanger his existence to save the life 

 of his adopted brother ; and should one of the two be killed, 

 there is no duty more strongly enjoined upon the survivor, or 

 which he more willingly discharges, even at the risk of much 

 personal danger, than that of avenging his friend's death. 



Against the charge of cannibalism, Wennebea defended 

 his nation with considerable zeal. This practice, he ad- 

 mitted, existed among the Winnebagoes, Chippewas, Da- 

 cotas, and other Indians, but he denied its ever occurring 

 among the Sauks, except in a few instances, in which per- 

 sons that were very lean and thin would eat a small piece 

 of the human heart, together with other medicines, in or- 

 der to fatten themselves. When asked whether this must 

 not be considered as offensive to the Deity, he replied that 

 he knew not, he had never held converse with the Great 

 Spirit ; he had heard other men say that they had enjoyed 

 visions, and conversations of this kind, but, for his part, he 

 never credited them. 



Suicide is, according to Wennebea, common among the 

 Sauks, more so with women than men. Grief and jealousy 

 appear to be the predisposing causes with women, and 

 envy, at the power or consequence of others, is the mo- 

 .tivc which impels men to this deed. Our guide, whose 



