58 M'Keevor's Voyage to Hudson's Bay. 



gar kakaygo o waterwarwardoossin cawween peccan weeley 

 o-iuiiin.it ottertassey memarjis mee mor." 



" Father, I love your daughter ; will you give her to me, that 

 the small roots of her heart may entangle with mine, so that 

 the strongest wind that blows shall never separate them." If 

 the father approves, an interview is appointed, for which the 

 lover prepares by a perspiration ; he then comes into her pre- 

 sence, sits down on the ground and smokes his pipe ; during 

 the time of smoking he continues throwing small pieces of 

 wood of about an inch in length at her, one by one, to the 

 number of a hundred. As many as she can catch in a bark 

 bowl, so many presents her lover must make to her father, 

 which the latter considers as payment for his daughter. The 

 young warrior then gives a feast, to which he invites all the 

 family. When the feast is done, they sing and dance to their 

 war-songs. 



The merriment being over, and mutual presents exchanged 

 between the lover and her relations, the father covers them 

 with a beaver robe, and gives them, likewise, a gun and birch 

 canoe, with which the ceremony ends. 



Conjuring is a very common practice among them, and is 

 frequently had recourse to for the purpose of procuring re- 

 spect and distinction. As the conjurors are the only persons 

 applied to in bodily ailments, their deceptious practices are 

 also resorted to for the pufpose of spreading their professional 

 fame. Frequently they get themselves bound up in the fol- 

 lowing manner: Being stripped quite naked, cords are passed 

 round each finger, and then over the entire hand, so as to de- 

 prive them altogether of the power of moving these parts ; 

 they are then fastened behind their backs ; a large buffaloe 

 skin is now thrown over them, and is tied round with ropes, 

 beginning from above downwards. The legs are secured in 

 a similar manner, so that they are deprived of the least power 

 of motion. Bound up in this manner they are put into a tent 

 alone; after extricating themselves they come out, and tell the 

 by-standers exultingly, that it was the great spirit that assisted 

 them in getting free. When a relation or friend to whom they 

 are particularly attached is, as they suppose, in extreme dan- 

 ger, they make use of the most absurd superstitious practices, 

 such as pretending to swallow knives, chissels, hatchets, c. 

 This is done from a superstitious notion, that they will be able, 

 by these means, to appease the " old scythe-man," and thus 

 procure a respite for their patient. When these extraordinary 

 practices are had recourse to, the patient is placed in the mid- 

 dle of a small square tent, and in a short time is followed by 



