﻿hoffman.] 
  NOTES 
  ON 
  INITIATION 
  CEREMONY. 
  221 
  

  

  In 
  Fig. 
  19 
  is 
  reproduced 
  a 
  curious 
  abnormal 
  growth 
  which 
  was 
  in 
  

   the 
  possession 
  of 
  a 
  Mide' 
  near 
  Red 
  Lake, 
  Minnesota. 
  It 
  consists 
  of 
  

   the 
  leg 
  of 
  a 
  Goshawk 
  — 
  Astur 
  atricapillus, 
  Wilson 
  — 
  from 
  the 
  outer 
  

   inferior 
  condyle 
  of 
  the 
  right 
  tibia 
  of 
  which 
  had 
  projected 
  a 
  super- 
  

   numerary 
  leg 
  that, 
  terminated 
  in 
  two 
  toes, 
  the 
  whole 
  abnormality 
  

   being 
  about 
  one-half 
  the 
  size 
  and 
  length 
  of 
  the 
  natural 
  leg 
  and 
  toes. 
  

  

  This 
  fetish 
  was 
  highly 
  prized 
  by 
  its 
  former 
  owner, 
  and 
  was 
  be- 
  

   lieved 
  to 
  1)'' 
  a 
  medium 
  whereby 
  t 
  he 
  favor 
  of 
  the 
  Great 
  Thunderer, 
  

   or 
  Thunder 
  God. 
  might 
  be 
  invoked 
  and 
  his 
  anger 
  appeased. 
  This 
  

   deity 
  is 
  represented 
  in 
  pictography 
  by 
  the 
  eagle, 
  or 
  frequently 
  by 
  

   one 
  of 
  the 
  Falconidae; 
  hence 
  it 
  is 
  but 
  natural 
  that 
  the 
  superstitious 
  

   should 
  look 
  with 
  awe 
  and 
  reverence 
  upon 
  such 
  an 
  abnormality 
  on 
  

   one 
  of 
  the 
  terrestrial 
  representatives 
  of 
  this 
  deity. 
  

  

  A 
  Mide' 
  of 
  the 
  first 
  degree, 
  who 
  may 
  not 
  be 
  enabled 
  to 
  advance 
  

   further 
  in 
  the 
  mysteries 
  of 
  the 
  Mide'wiwin, 
  owing 
  to 
  his 
  inability 
  to 
  

   procure 
  the 
  necessary 
  quantity 
  of 
  presents 
  and 
  gifts 
  which 
  he 
  is 
  re- 
  

   quired 
  to 
  pay 
  to 
  new 
  preceptors 
  and 
  to 
  tin' 
  officiating 
  priests 
  — 
  the 
  

   latter 
  demanding 
  goods 
  of 
  double 
  the 
  value 
  of 
  those 
  given 
  as 
  an 
  

   entrance 
  to 
  the 
  first 
  degree 
  — 
  may, 
  however, 
  accomplish 
  the 
  acqui- 
  

   sition 
  of 
  additional 
  knowledge 
  by 
  purchasing 
  it 
  from 
  individual 
  

   Mide'. 
  It 
  is 
  customary 
  with 
  Mide' 
  priests 
  to 
  exact 
  payment 
  for 
  

   every 
  individual 
  remedy 
  -or 
  secret 
  that 
  may 
  be 
  imparted 
  to 
  another 
  

   who 
  may 
  desire 
  such 
  information. 
  This 
  practice 
  is 
  not 
  entirely 
  

   based 
  upon 
  mercenary 
  motives, 
  but 
  it 
  is 
  firmly 
  believed 
  that 
  when 
  a 
  

   secret 
  or 
  remedy 
  has 
  been 
  paid 
  for 
  it 
  cannot 
  be 
  imparted 
  for 
  nothing, 
  

   as 
  then 
  its 
  virtue 
  would 
  be 
  impaired, 
  if 
  not 
  entirely 
  destroyed, 
  by 
  

   the 
  man'ido 
  or 
  guardian 
  spirit 
  under 
  whose 
  special 
  protection 
  it 
  

   may 
  be 
  supposed 
  to 
  be 
  held 
  or 
  controlled. 
  

  

  Under 
  such 
  circumstances 
  certain 
  first 
  degree 
  Mide' 
  may 
  become 
  

   possessed 
  of 
  alleged 
  magic 
  powers 
  which 
  are 
  in 
  reality 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  

   accomplishments 
  of 
  the 
  Mide' 
  of 
  the 
  higher 
  degrees; 
  but. 
  for 
  the 
  

   mutual 
  protection 
  of 
  the 
  members 
  of 
  the 
  society, 
  they 
  generally 
  

   hesitate 
  to 
  impart 
  anything 
  that 
  may 
  be 
  considered 
  of 
  high 
  value. 
  

   The 
  usual 
  kind 
  of 
  knowledge 
  sought 
  consists 
  of 
  the 
  magic 
  properties 
  

   and 
  use 
  of 
  plants, 
  to 
  the 
  chief 
  varieties 
  of 
  which 
  reference 
  will 
  be 
  

   made 
  in 
  connection 
  with 
  the 
  next 
  degree. 
  

  

  There 
  is 
  one 
  subject, 
  however, 
  which 
  first-degree 
  Mide' 
  seek 
  en- 
  

   lightment 
  upon, 
  and 
  that 
  is 
  the 
  preparation 
  of 
  the 
  "hunter's 
  medi- 
  

   cine" 
  and 
  the 
  pictographic 
  drawings 
  employed 
  in 
  connection 
  there- 
  

   with. 
  The 
  compound 
  is 
  made 
  of 
  several 
  plants, 
  the 
  leaves 
  and 
  roots 
  

   of 
  which 
  are 
  ground 
  into 
  powder. 
  A 
  little 
  of 
  this 
  is 
  put 
  into 
  the 
  

   gun 
  barrel, 
  with 
  the 
  bullet, 
  and 
  sometimes 
  a 
  small 
  pinch 
  is 
  dropped 
  

   upon 
  the 
  track 
  of 
  the 
  animal 
  to 
  compel 
  it 
  to 
  halt 
  at 
  whatever 
  place 
  

   it 
  may 
  be 
  when 
  the 
  powder 
  is 
  so 
  sprinkled 
  upon 
  the 
  ground. 
  

  

  The 
  method 
  generally 
  employed 
  to 
  give 
  to 
  the 
  hunter 
  success 
  is 
  

   as 
  follows 
  : 
  When 
  anyone 
  contemplates 
  making 
  a 
  hunting 
  trip, 
  he 
  

   first 
  visits 
  the 
  Mide'. 
  giving 
  him 
  a 
  present 
  of 
  tobacco 
  before 
  announc- 
  

  

  