16 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [BULL. 77 
canoes indicated by Kane in his painting (pl. 7, @) were of this form, 
probably the most graceful and easiest propelled craft ever devised. 
The various structures in an Ojibway village do not appear to have 
been erected or placed with any degree of order. Certainly this is 
true of conditions in recent times, and whether any accepted or 
recognized plan was followed in the past is not known. The small 
wigwams formed an irregular group on the shore of a lake or the 
bank of a stream surrounded by the primeval forest. 
In the month of May, 1900, a council house which had been erected . 
by the Ojibway some years before stood on a high point of land in 
the midst of dense woods, about 1 mile north of the outlet of Mille 
Lac—the beginning of Rum River—and about 200 yards from the 
lake shore. It was oriented with its sides facing the cardinal points, 
about 20 feet square, with walls 6 feet in height and the peak of the 
roof twice that distance above the ground. The heavy frame was 
covered with large sheets of elm bark, which had evidently been re- 
newed from time to time during the preceding years. No traces of 
seats remained and grass was again growing on the ground which 
had served as the floor. This was the scene of the treaty of October 
5, 1889, between the Ojibway of Mille Lac and the United States 
Government. Within a short time this very interesting primitive 
structure had disappeared and two years later no trace of it remained. 
Whether this represented an ancient type of building could not be 
ascertained. 
The Ojibway villages were supplied with the usual sweat houses, _ 
a small frame covered with blankets or other material, so often de- 
scribed. Resembling these were the shelters prepared for the use of 
certain old men who were believed to possess the power of telling of 
future events and happenings. Such a lodge was seen standing on 
the shore of Lake Superior, about 18 miles from Fond du Lac, July 
27, 1826. As described by McKenney: “At this place, Burnt river. 
is a place of divination, the seat of a jongleuwx’s incantations. It is a 
circle, made of eight poles, twelve feet high, and crossing at the top, 
which being covered in with mats, or bark, he enters, and foretells 
future events.” (McKenney, (1), p. 269.) Interesting, indeed, are 
the many accounts of the predictions believed to have been made by 
these old men. 
A remarkable performance of this nature was witnessed by Paul 
Kane. When returning from the far West during the summer of 
1848 the small party of which he was one arrived at Lake Winnipeg 
and on July 28 had advanced about midway down the eastern shore. 
On that day Kane made this entry in his journal: “July 28th— 
About 2 o’clock P. M., we endeavoured to proceed, but got only as 
far as the Dog’s Head, the wind being so strong and unfavourable, 
ae Wig 
