154 THE CANADIAN NATURALIST. 



most diseases. A small hut is made over a* hole in the 

 ground, and a number of red-hot stones are put at the bottom 

 of the hole. The patient crawls in with a vessel of water, 

 and closes the entrance ; he throws the water on the hot 

 stones, which fills the hut with a cloud of steam, and the 

 man is thrown into a profuse perspiration. He then comes 

 out, and instantly plunges into cold water ; repeating the 

 course several times, and ending with the steam bath. The 

 medicine-bag, rattle, and juggling tricks of the priests were, 

 however, the ordinary hopes of restoration. 



C. Had they any notions of religion ? 



F. In this respect they were far before the refined 

 nations of antiquity ; for they held these important doc- 

 trines, the unity of God, the immortality of the soul, and a 

 state of future retribution. It is certain these doctrines were 

 tinctured by the prejudices of their habits and education : 

 their paradise was a happy hunting-ground, where game was 

 plentiful ; their notions of vice and virtue were in many in- 

 stances erroneous : thus an Indian prays that he may be- 

 some a great warrior, hunter, and horse-stealer ; but it 

 appears that these children of the forest acted, in general, 

 in conformity to the light they had received, and were in 

 many cases examples to us, who are partakers of a better 

 dispensation. They were destitute of all government, except 

 the influence which a strong mind exerts over a weak one ; 

 their chiefs were merely the bravest or most sagacious of 

 their warriors, having no authority to make laws, nor power 

 to execute them ; but they were looked up to for advice, 

 and led them in battle. Every man did what was right in 

 his own eyes, and public opinion appears to have been the 

 principal restraint on individuals. The chief was called a 

 Sachem, or Sagamore ; he wore no badge of rank, and often 

 possessed no more wealth than others. The Indian was in- 

 defatigable in the chase, unshrinking in war, but supinely 

 indolent in peace ; this indolence was an insuperable bar to 



