﻿hoffmanj 
  midE' 
  facial 
  decoration. 
  183 
  

  

  Tliird 
  degree. 
  — 
  The 
  upper 
  half 
  of 
  the 
  face 
  is 
  painted 
  green 
  and 
  the 
  

   lower 
  half 
  rod. 
  

  

  Fourth 
  degree. 
  — 
  The 
  forehead 
  and 
  left 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  face, 
  from 
  the 
  

   outer 
  canthus 
  of 
  the 
  eye 
  downward, 
  is 
  painted 
  green; 
  four 
  spots 
  of 
  

   vermilion 
  are 
  made 
  with 
  the 
  tip 
  of 
  the 
  finger 
  upon 
  the 
  forehead 
  and 
  

   four 
  upon 
  the 
  green 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  left 
  cheek. 
  In 
  addition 
  to 
  this, 
  

   the 
  plumes 
  of 
  the 
  golden 
  eagle, 
  painted 
  red. 
  are 
  worn 
  upon 
  the 
  head 
  

   and 
  down 
  the 
  back. 
  This 
  form 
  of 
  decoration 
  is 
  not 
  absolutely 
  neces- 
  

   sary, 
  as 
  the 
  expense 
  of 
  the 
  " 
  war 
  bonnet" 
  places 
  it 
  beyond 
  the 
  reach 
  

   of 
  the 
  greater 
  number 
  of 
  persons. 
  

  

  Before 
  proceeding 
  further 
  with 
  the 
  explanation 
  of 
  the 
  Mide' 
  rec- 
  

   ords 
  it 
  may 
  be 
  of 
  interest 
  to 
  quote 
  the 
  traditions 
  relative 
  to 
  the 
  

   migration 
  of 
  the 
  Ani'shina'beg, 
  as 
  obtained 
  by 
  Mr. 
  Warren 
  previous 
  

   fci 
  > 
  1 
  853. 
  In 
  his 
  reference 
  to 
  observing 
  the 
  rites 
  of 
  initiation 
  he 
  heard 
  

   one 
  of 
  the 
  officiating 
  priests 
  deliver 
  ''a 
  loud 
  and 
  spirited 
  harangue/' 
  

   of 
  which 
  the 
  following 
  words' 
  caught 
  his 
  attention: 
  

  

  Our 
  forefathers 
  were 
  living 
  on 
  the 
  great 
  salt 
  water 
  toward 
  the 
  rising 
  sun. 
  the 
  great 
  

   Megis 
  (seashell) 
  showed 
  itself 
  above 
  the 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  great 
  water 
  and 
  the 
  rays 
  of 
  

   the 
  sun 
  for 
  a 
  long 
  time 
  period 
  were 
  reflected 
  from 
  its 
  glossy 
  back. 
  It 
  gave 
  warmth 
  

   and 
  light 
  to 
  the 
  An-ish-in-aub-ag 
  (red 
  race). 
  All 
  at 
  once 
  it 
  sank 
  into 
  the 
  deep, 
  and 
  

   for 
  a 
  time 
  our 
  ancestors 
  were 
  not 
  blessed 
  with 
  its 
  light. 
  It 
  rose 
  to 
  the 
  surface 
  and 
  

   appeared 
  again 
  on 
  the 
  great 
  river 
  which 
  drains 
  the 
  waters 
  of 
  the 
  Great 
  Lakes, 
  and 
  

   again 
  for 
  a 
  long 
  time 
  it 
  gave 
  life 
  to 
  our 
  forefathers 
  and 
  reflected 
  back 
  the 
  rays 
  of 
  

   the 
  sun. 
  Again 
  it 
  disappeared 
  from 
  sight 
  ami 
  it 
  rose 
  not 
  till 
  it 
  appeared 
  to 
  the 
  eyes 
  

   of 
  the 
  An-ish-in-aub-ag 
  on 
  the 
  shores 
  of 
  the 
  first 
  great 
  lake. 
  Again 
  it 
  sank 
  from 
  

   sight, 
  and 
  death 
  daily 
  visited 
  the 
  wigiwams 
  of 
  our 
  forefathers 
  till 
  it 
  showed 
  its 
  back 
  

   and 
  reflected 
  the 
  rays 
  of 
  the 
  sun 
  once 
  more 
  at 
  Bow-e-ting 
  (Sault 
  Ste. 
  Marie). 
  Here 
  

   it 
  remained 
  for 
  a 
  long 
  time, 
  but 
  once 
  more, 
  and 
  for 
  the 
  last 
  time, 
  it 
  disappeared, 
  

   and 
  the 
  An-ish-in-aub-ag 
  was 
  left 
  in 
  darkness 
  and 
  misery, 
  till 
  it 
  floated 
  and 
  once 
  more 
  

   showed 
  its 
  bright 
  back 
  at 
  Mo-ning-wun-a-kaun-ing 
  (La 
  Pointe 
  Island), 
  where 
  it 
  has 
  

   ever 
  since 
  reflected 
  back 
  the 
  rays 
  of 
  the 
  sun 
  and 
  blessed 
  our 
  ancestors 
  with 
  life, 
  

   light, 
  and 
  wisdom. 
  Its 
  rays 
  reach 
  the 
  remotest 
  village 
  of 
  the 
  widespread 
  Ojibways." 
  

   As 
  the 
  old 
  man 
  delivered 
  this 
  talk 
  he 
  continued 
  to 
  display 
  the 
  shell, 
  which 
  he 
  rep- 
  

   resented 
  as 
  an 
  emblem 
  of 
  the 
  great 
  megis 
  of 
  which 
  he 
  was 
  speaking. 
  

  

  A 
  few 
  days 
  after, 
  anxious 
  to 
  learn 
  the 
  true 
  meaning 
  of 
  this 
  allegory, 
  * 
  * 
  * 
  I 
  

   ^quested 
  him 
  to 
  explain 
  to 
  me 
  the 
  meaning 
  of 
  his 
  Me-da-we 
  harangue. 
  

  

  After 
  filling 
  his 
  pipe 
  and 
  smoking 
  of 
  the 
  tobacco 
  I 
  had 
  presented 
  he 
  proceeded 
  

   to 
  give 
  me 
  the 
  desired 
  information, 
  as 
  follows: 
  

  

  •' 
  My 
  grandson," 
  said 
  he. 
  "the 
  megis 
  I 
  spoke 
  of 
  means 
  the 
  Me-da-we 
  religion. 
  Our 
  

   forefathers, 
  many 
  string 
  of 
  lives 
  ago, 
  lived 
  on 
  the 
  shores 
  of 
  the 
  great 
  salt 
  water 
  in 
  

   the 
  east. 
  Here, 
  while 
  they 
  were 
  suffering 
  the 
  ravages 
  of 
  sickness 
  and 
  death, 
  the 
  

   Great 
  Spirit, 
  at 
  the 
  intercession 
  of 
  Man-a-bo-sho. 
  the 
  great 
  common 
  uncle 
  of 
  the 
  

   An-ish-in-aub-ag, 
  granted 
  them 
  this 
  rite, 
  wherewith 
  life 
  is 
  restored 
  and 
  prolonged. 
  

   Our 
  forefathers 
  moved 
  from 
  the 
  shores 
  of 
  the 
  great 
  water 
  and 
  proceeded 
  westward. 
  

  

  "The 
  Me-da-we 
  lodge 
  was 
  pulled 
  down, 
  and 
  it 
  was 
  not 
  again 
  erected 
  till 
  our 
  fore- 
  

   fathers 
  again 
  took 
  a 
  stand 
  on 
  the 
  shores 
  of 
  the 
  great 
  river 
  where 
  Mo-ne-aung 
  (Mon- 
  

   treal) 
  now 
  stands. 
  

  

  "In 
  the 
  course 
  of 
  time 
  this 
  town 
  was 
  again 
  deserted, 
  and 
  our 
  forefathers, 
  still 
  

  

  1 
  Op. 
  cit. 
  , 
  p. 
  78 
  et 
  seq. 
  

  

  