774 THE GHOST-DANCE RELIGION [eth.akh.U 



already enfeebled by sickness, resulted in delirium, in which he imag- 

 ined himself to enter the portals of the spirit world. Constant dwelling 

 on the subject in thought by day and in dreams by night would effect 

 and perpetuate the exalted mental condition in which visions of the 

 imagination would have all the seeming reality of actual occurrences. 

 To those acquainted with the spiritual nature of Indians and their 

 implicit faith in dreams all this is perfectly intelligible. His frequent 

 trances would indicate also that, like so many other religious ecstatics, 

 he is subject to cataleptic attacks. 



I have not been able to settle satisfactorily the date of this eclipse. 

 From inquiry at the Nautical Almanac office I learn that solar eclipses 

 visible in Nevada and the adjacent territory from 1884 In 1890 occurred 

 as follows: 1884, October 18, partial; 1885, March 16, partial: 18S6, 

 March 5, partial; 1887, none; 1888, none; 1889, January 1, total or par- 

 tial; 1890, none. The total eclipse of January 1, 1889, agrees best with 

 his statement to me on New Year's night, 1S92, that it was about two 

 years since he had gone up to heaven when the sun died. It must be 

 noted that Indians generally count years by winters instead of by series 

 of twelve calendar months, a difference which sometimes makes an 

 apparent discrepancy of nearly a year. 



In subsequent conversations he added a few minor details in regard 

 to his vision and his doctrine. He asked many questions in regard to 

 the eastern tribes whose delegates had visited him, and was pleased 

 to learn that the delegates from several of these tribes were my friends. 

 He spoke particularly of the large delegation — abi mt twelve in number — 

 from the Cheyenne and Arapabo, who had visited him the preceding 

 summer and taken part in the dance with his people. Nearly all the 

 members of this party were personally known to me, and the leader. 

 Black Coyote, whose picture I had with me and showed to him, had 

 been my principal instructor in the Ghost dance among the Arapaho. 

 While this fact put me on a more confidential footing with Wovoka, it 

 also proved of great assistance in my further investigation on my return 

 to the prairie tribes, as, when they were satisfied from my statements 

 and the specimens which I had brought back that I had indeed seen 

 and talked with the messiah, they were convinced that I was earnestly 

 desirous of understanding their religion aright, and from that time 

 spoke freely and without reserve. 



I had my camera and was anxious to get Wovoka's picture. When 

 the subject was mentioned, he replied that his picture had never been 

 made; that a white man had offered him five dollars for permission to 

 take his photograph, but that he had refused. However, as 1 had 

 been sent from Washington especially to learn and tell the whites all 

 about him and his doctrine, and as he was satisfied from my acquaint 

 ance witli his friends in the other tribes that I must be a good man, he 

 would allow me to take his picture. As usual in dealing with Indians. 

 he wanted to make the most of his bargain, and demanded two dollars 



