INDIANS. 33 



some flowers of tobacco of a small kind (Itch-au-chu-le-puc- 

 pug-gee), or, as the name imports, the old man's tobacco, 

 which was prepared on the first day, and put it in a pan in the 

 cabin of the Mic-co, and they give a little of it to every one 

 present. 



The Mic-co and counsellors then go four times round the 

 fire, and every time they face the east, they throw some of the 

 flowers into the fire. They then go and stand to the west. 

 The warriors then repeat the same ceremony. 



A cane is stuck up at the cabin of the Mic-co with two 

 white feathers in the end of it. One of the Fish tribe (Thlot- 

 lo-ul-gee) takes it just as the sun goes down, and goes off 

 towards the river, all following him. When he gets half way 

 to the river, he gives the death whoop ; this whoop he repeats 

 four times, between the square and the water's edge. Here 

 they all place themselves as thick as they can stand, near the 

 edge of the water. He sticks up the cane at the water's edge, 

 and they all put a grain of the old man's tobacco on their 

 heads, and in each ear. Then, at a signal given four different 

 times, they throw some into the river, and every man at a 

 like signal, plunges into the river, and picks up four stones 

 from the bottom. With these, they cross themselves on 

 their breasts four times, each time throwing a stone into the 

 river, and giving the death whoop ; they then wash them- 

 selves, take up the cane and feathers, return and stick it up in 

 the square, and visit through the town. At night they dance 

 O-bun-gau Haujo (mad dance), and this finishes the cere- 

 mony. 



This happy institution of the Boos-ke-tau, restores a man 

 to himself, to his family, and to his nation. It is a general 

 amnesty, which not only absolves the Indians from all crimes, 

 murder only excepted, but seems to bury guilt itself in obli- 

 vion. 



The Ceremony of Initiating Youth into Manhood. — At 

 the age of from fifteen to seventeen, this ceremony is usually 

 performed. It is called Boos-ke-tau, in like manner as the 

 annual Boos-ke-tau of the nation. A youth of the proper age 

 gathers two handsfuU of the Sou-watch-cau, a very bitter 

 root, which he eats a whole day ; then he steeps the leaves in 



