34 INDIANS. 



water and drinks it. In the dusk of the evening, he eats two 

 or three spoonfuls of boiled grits. This is repeated for four 

 days, and during this time he remains in a house. The Sou- 

 watch-cau has the effect of intoxicating and maddening. The 

 fourth day he goes out, but must put on a pair of new mocca- 

 sons (Stil-la-pica). For twelve moons he abstains from eating 

 bucks, except old ones, and from turkey cocks, fowls, peas, 

 and salt. During this period he must not pick his ears, or 

 scratch his head with his fingers, but use a small stick. For 

 four moons he must have a fire to himself to cook his food, 

 and a little girl, a virgin, may cook for him ; his food is boiled 

 grits. The fifth moon, any person may cook for him, but he 

 must serve himself first, and use one spoon and pan. Every 

 new moon he drinks for four days the possau (button snake- 

 root), an emetic, and abstains for these days from all food, ex- 

 cept in the evening a little boiled grits (humpetuh hutke). 

 The twelfth moon, he performs for four days what he com- 

 menced with on the first. The fifth day, he comes out of his 

 house, gathers corn-cobs, burns them to ashes, and with these 

 rubs his body all over. At the end of this moon, he sweats 

 under blankets, then goes into water, and this ends the cere- 

 mony. This ceremony is sometimes extended to four, six, or 

 eight moons, or even to twelve days only, but the course is the 

 same. 



During the whole of this ceremony, the physic is adminis- 

 tered by the Is-te-puc-cau-chau thluc-co (great leader), who, 

 in speaking of a youth under initiation, says, " I am physicking 

 him" (Boo-se-ji-jite saut li-to-mise-chah), or " I am teaching 

 him all that is proper for him to know'' (nauk o-mul-gau e- 

 muc-e-thli-jite saut litomise chah). The youth, during this ini- 

 tiation, does not touch any one except young persons, who are 

 under a like course with himself; and if he dreams, he drinks 

 the possau. 



War Physic, Ho-ith-le HiL-Lis^^rtTwAu. — When young 

 men are going to war, they go into a hot-house of the town 

 (made for the purpose, and remain there for four days. 

 They drink the Mic-co-ho-yon-e-jau and the possau, and 

 they eat the Sou-watch-cau. The fourth day they come 

 «ut, have their bundle ready, and march. This bundle or 



