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  THE 
  mbde'wiwin 
  of 
  the 
  ojibwa. 
  

  

  it 
  , 
  when 
  the 
  heaa 
  is 
  put 
  in 
  place. 
  A 
  series 
  of 
  inarticulate 
  utterances 
  

   are 
  chanted, 
  when, 
  if 
  everything 
  be 
  favorable, 
  the 
  figure 
  will 
  per- 
  

   ceptibly 
  move 
  up 
  and 
  down 
  as 
  if 
  possessed 
  of 
  life. 
  Fig. 
  IS 
  repre- 
  

   sents 
  another 
  figure 
  used 
  in 
  a 
  similar 
  manner. 
  It 
  consists 
  of 
  one 
  

   piece, 
  however, 
  and 
  is 
  decorated 
  with 
  narrow 
  bands 
  of 
  dark 
  blue 
  

   flannel 
  about 
  the 
  ankles 
  and 
  knees, 
  a 
  patch 
  of 
  red 
  cloth 
  upon 
  the 
  

   hreast 
  ami 
  bands 
  about 
  the 
  wrists, 
  each 
  of 
  the 
  eyes 
  being 
  indicated 
  

   by 
  three 
  white 
  porcelain 
  beads. 
  

  

  One 
  of 
  the 
  must 
  astonishing 
  tests, 
  however, 
  and 
  one 
  that 
  can 
  be 
  

   produced 
  only 
  by 
  Mide' 
  of 
  the 
  highest 
  power, 
  consists 
  in 
  causing 
  a 
  

   Mide' 
  sack 
  to 
  move 
  upon 
  the 
  ground 
  as 
  if 
  it 
  were 
  alive. 
  This, 
  it 
  is 
  

   confidently 
  alleged, 
  has 
  been 
  done 
  repeatedly, 
  though 
  it 
  is 
  evident 
  

   that 
  the 
  deception 
  is 
  more 
  easily 
  produced 
  than 
  in 
  the 
  above-men- 
  

   tioned 
  instances, 
  as 
  the 
  temporary 
  retention 
  within 
  a 
  bag 
  of 
  a 
  small 
  

   mammal 
  could 
  readily 
  be 
  made 
  to 
  account 
  for 
  the 
  movements. 
  

  

  In 
  most 
  of 
  these 
  private 
  exhibitions 
  the 
  light 
  is 
  so 
  obscured 
  as 
  to 
  

   prevent 
  the 
  deception 
  being 
  observed 
  and 
  exposed 
  ; 
  and 
  when 
  pub- 
  

   lic 
  demonstrations 
  of 
  skill 
  are 
  made 
  the 
  auditors 
  invariably 
  consist 
  

   of 
  the 
  most 
  credulous 
  of 
  the 
  uninitiated, 
  or 
  the 
  confreres 
  of 
  the 
  

   performer, 
  from 
  whom 
  no 
  antagonism 
  or 
  doubt 
  would 
  be 
  expected. 
  

  

  The 
  preceptor 
  then 
  consults 
  with 
  the 
  Mide' 
  priests 
  respecting 
  the 
  

   presents 
  to 
  be 
  delivered 
  by 
  the 
  candidate, 
  and 
  repeats 
  the 
  follow- 
  

   ing 
  words, 
  viz 
  : 
  

  

  Mis-shai'-e-gwa 
  tshi-de-bog-in-de-mung'. 
  gi' 
  -she-go-dung' 
  ka-mi'-ne- 
  

  

  Now 
  is 
  the 
  time 
  that 
  we 
  shall 
  fix 
  the 
  price 
  of 
  everything 
  pertaining 
  to 
  the 
  sky, 
  that 
  has 
  been 
  

   nongk 
  gi 
  -she-got-diing' 
  di'-bi-ga-donk' 
  gai-ye'. 
  A-pe'-ge-da'wiink 
  

   given 
  to 
  us 
  from 
  the 
  day 
  [and] 
  the 
  night 
  also. 
  When 
  it 
  shall 
  come 
  to 
  pass 
  

  

  i'-wa-pi 
  ge-bin'-de-ga-yongk', 
  a-au 
  -wa-mi-de'-wld. 
  

  

  and 
  at 
  the 
  time 
  that 
  we 
  shall 
  enter, 
  he 
  who 
  wishes 
  to 
  become 
  a 
  Mide'. 
  

  

  When 
  the 
  four 
  vapor 
  baths 
  have 
  been 
  taken 
  by 
  the 
  candidate, 
  and 
  

   the 
  eve 
  of 
  the 
  ceremony 
  has 
  arrived, 
  he 
  remains 
  in 
  the 
  sudatory 
  

   longer 
  than 
  usual 
  so 
  as 
  not 
  to 
  come 
  in 
  contact 
  with 
  the 
  large 
  crowd 
  

   of 
  visitors 
  who 
  have 
  arrived 
  upon 
  the 
  scene. 
  The 
  woods 
  resound 
  

   with 
  the 
  noises 
  incident 
  to 
  a 
  large 
  camp, 
  while 
  in 
  various 
  directions 
  

   may 
  be 
  heard 
  the 
  monotonous 
  beating 
  of 
  the 
  drum 
  indicating 
  the 
  

   presence 
  of 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  dancers, 
  or 
  the 
  hard, 
  sharp 
  taps 
  of 
  the 
  mide' 
  

   drum, 
  caused 
  by 
  a 
  priest 
  propitiating 
  and 
  invoking 
  the 
  presence 
  and 
  

   favor 
  of 
  Ki'tshi 
  Ma'nido 
  in 
  the 
  service 
  now 
  so 
  near 
  at 
  hand. 
  

  

  When 
  the 
  night 
  is 
  far 
  advanced 
  and 
  all 
  becomes 
  hushed, 
  the 
  can- 
  

   didate, 
  with 
  only 
  the 
  preceptor 
  accompanying, 
  retires 
  to 
  his 
  own 
  

   wig'iwam, 
  while 
  the 
  assistant 
  Mide' 
  priests 
  and 
  intimate 
  friends 
  or 
  

   members 
  of 
  his 
  family 
  collect 
  the 
  numerous 
  presents 
  and 
  sus- 
  

   pend 
  them 
  from 
  the 
  transverse 
  and 
  longitudinal 
  poles 
  in 
  the 
  upper 
  

   part 
  of 
  the 
  Mide'wigan. 
  Watchers 
  remain 
  to 
  see 
  that 
  nothing 
  is 
  

   removed 
  during 
  the 
  night. 
  

  

  At 
  the 
  approach 
  of 
  day, 
  the 
  candidate 
  breakfasts 
  and 
  again 
  re- 
  

   turns 
  to 
  the 
  sweat-lodge 
  to 
  await 
  the 
  coming 
  of 
  his 
  preceptor, 
  and, 
  

   later, 
  of 
  the 
  officiating 
  priests. 
  The 
  candidate 
  puts 
  on 
  his 
  best 
  cloth- 
  

  

  