NORTHERN OCEAN 325 



out all the lakes, ponds, and rivers, and immediately caused 

 them to be filled with water. He then took the dog, and tore 

 it to pieces ; the guts he threw into the lakes and rivers, com- 

 manding them to become the different kinds offish ; the flesh he 

 dispersed over the land, commanding it to become different 

 kinds of beasts and land-animals ; the skin he also tore in 

 small pieces, and threw it into the air, commanding it to 

 become all kinds of birds ; after which he gave the woman 

 and her offspring full power to kill, eat, and never spare, for 

 that he had commanded them to multiply for her use in 

 abundance. After this injunction, he returned to the place 

 whence he came, and has not been heard of since. 



Religion has not as yet begun to dawn among the Nor- 

 thern Indians ; for though their conjurors do indeed sing 

 songs, and make long speeches, to some beasts and birds of 

 prey, as also to imaginary beings, which they say assist them 

 in performing cures on the sick, yet they, as well as their 

 credulous neighbours, are utterly destitute of every idea of 

 practical religion. It is true, some of them will reprimand 

 their youth for talking [344] disrespectfully of particular beasts 

 and birds ; but it is done with so little energy, as to be often 

 retorted back in derision. Neither is this, nor their custom 

 of not killing wolves and quiquehatches, universally observed, 

 and those who do it can only be viewed with more pity and 

 contempt than the others ; for I always found it arose merely 

 from the greater degree of confidence which they had in the 

 supernatural power of their conjurors, which induced them to 

 believe, that talking lightly or disrespectfully of any thing 

 they seemed to approve, would materially affect their health 

 and happiness in this world : and I never found any of them 

 that had the least idea of futurity. Matonabbee, without one 

 exception, was a man of as clear ideas in other matters as any 

 that I ever saw : he was not only a perfect master of the 

 Southern Indian language, and their belief, but could tell a 

 better story of our Saviour's birth and life, than one half of 



