﻿hoffman.] 
  INITIATION 
  CEREMONIES. 
  225 
  

  

  at 
  the 
  Indian 
  traders" 
  stores. 
  Friends 
  may 
  be 
  called 
  upon 
  to 
  ad- 
  

   vance 
  goods 
  to 
  effect 
  the 
  accomplishment 
  of 
  his 
  desire, 
  but 
  such 
  

   loans 
  must 
  be 
  returned 
  in 
  kind 
  later 
  on, 
  unless 
  otherwise 
  agreed. 
  

   When 
  a 
  candidate 
  feels 
  convinced 
  that 
  he 
  has 
  gathered 
  sufficient 
  

   material 
  to 
  pay 
  for 
  his 
  advancement, 
  he 
  announces 
  to 
  those 
  members 
  

   of 
  the 
  society 
  who 
  are 
  of 
  a 
  higher 
  grade 
  than 
  the 
  first 
  degree 
  that 
  he 
  

   wishes 
  to 
  present 
  himself 
  at 
  the 
  proper 
  time 
  for 
  initiation. 
  This 
  com- 
  

   munication 
  is 
  made 
  to 
  eight 
  of 
  the 
  highest 
  or 
  officiating 
  priests, 
  in 
  his 
  

   own 
  wig'iwam, 
  to 
  which 
  they 
  have 
  been 
  specially 
  invited. 
  A 
  feast 
  

   is 
  prepared 
  and 
  partaken 
  of, 
  after 
  which 
  he 
  presents 
  to 
  each 
  some 
  

   tobacco, 
  and 
  smoking 
  is 
  indulged 
  in 
  for 
  the 
  purpose 
  of 
  making 
  

   proper 
  offerings, 
  as 
  already 
  described. 
  The 
  candidate 
  then 
  informs 
  

   his 
  auditors 
  of 
  his 
  desire 
  and 
  enumerates 
  the 
  various 
  goods 
  and 
  pres- 
  

   ents 
  which 
  he 
  has 
  procured 
  to 
  offer 
  at 
  the 
  proper 
  time. 
  The 
  Mide' 
  

   priests 
  sit 
  in 
  silence 
  and 
  meditate 
  ; 
  but 
  as 
  they 
  have 
  already 
  been 
  

   informally 
  aware 
  of 
  the 
  applicant's 
  wish, 
  they 
  are 
  prepared 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  

   answer 
  they 
  will 
  give, 
  and 
  are 
  governed 
  according 
  to 
  the 
  estimated 
  

   value 
  of 
  the 
  gifts. 
  Should 
  the 
  decision 
  of 
  the 
  Mide' 
  priests 
  be 
  favor- 
  

   able, 
  the 
  candidate 
  procures 
  the 
  services 
  of 
  one 
  of 
  those 
  present 
  to 
  as- 
  

   sume 
  the 
  office 
  of 
  instructor 
  or 
  preceptor, 
  to 
  whom, 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  

   officiating 
  priests, 
  he 
  displays 
  his 
  ability 
  in 
  his 
  adopted 
  specialties 
  in 
  

   medical 
  magic, 
  etc. 
  He 
  seeks, 
  furthermore, 
  to 
  acquire 
  additional 
  in- 
  

   formation 
  upon 
  the 
  preparation 
  of 
  certain 
  secret 
  remedies, 
  and 
  to 
  this 
  

   end 
  he 
  selects 
  a 
  preceptor 
  who 
  has 
  the 
  reputation 
  'of 
  possessing 
  it. 
  

  

  For 
  acting 
  in 
  the 
  capacity 
  of 
  instructor, 
  a 
  Mide' 
  priest 
  receives 
  

   blankets, 
  horses, 
  and 
  whatever 
  may 
  be 
  mutually 
  agreed 
  upon 
  be- 
  

   tween 
  himself 
  and 
  his 
  pupil. 
  The 
  meetings 
  take 
  place 
  at 
  the 
  in- 
  

   structor's 
  wig'iwam 
  at 
  intervals 
  of 
  a 
  week 
  or 
  two; 
  and 
  sometimes 
  

   during 
  the 
  autumn 
  months, 
  preceding 
  the 
  summer 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  ini- 
  

   tiation 
  is 
  to 
  be 
  conferred, 
  the 
  candidate 
  is 
  compelled 
  to 
  resort 
  to 
  a 
  

   sudatory 
  and 
  take 
  a 
  vapor 
  bath, 
  as 
  a 
  means 
  of 
  purgation 
  preparatory 
  

   to 
  his 
  serious 
  consideration 
  of 
  the 
  sacred 
  rites 
  and 
  teachings 
  with 
  

   which 
  his 
  mind 
  '-and 
  heart 
  - 
  ' 
  must 
  henceforth 
  be 
  occupied, 
  to 
  the 
  

   exclusion 
  of 
  everything 
  that 
  might 
  tend 
  to 
  divert 
  his 
  thoughts. 
  

  

  What 
  the 
  special 
  peculiarities 
  and 
  ceremonials 
  of 
  initiation 
  into 
  

   the 
  second 
  degree 
  may 
  have 
  been 
  in 
  former 
  times, 
  it 
  is 
  impossible 
  to 
  

   ascertain 
  at 
  this 
  late 
  day. 
  The 
  only 
  special 
  claims 
  for 
  benefits 
  to 
  be 
  

   derived 
  through 
  this 
  advancement, 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  into 
  the 
  third 
  and 
  

   fourth 
  degrees, 
  are. 
  that 
  a 
  Mide' 
  upon 
  his 
  admission 
  into 
  a 
  new 
  de- 
  

   gree 
  receives 
  the 
  protection 
  of 
  that 
  Man'ido 
  alleged 
  and 
  believed 
  to 
  

   be 
  the 
  special 
  guardian 
  of 
  such 
  degree, 
  and 
  that 
  the 
  repetition 
  of 
  

   initiation 
  adds 
  to 
  the 
  magic 
  powers 
  previously 
  received 
  by 
  the 
  ini- 
  

   tiate. 
  In 
  the 
  first 
  degree 
  the 
  sacred 
  mlgis 
  was 
  " 
  shot 
  " 
  into 
  the 
  two 
  

   sides, 
  the 
  heart, 
  and 
  head 
  of 
  the 
  candidate, 
  whereas 
  in 
  the 
  second 
  

   degree 
  this 
  sacred, 
  or 
  magic, 
  influence, 
  is 
  directed 
  by 
  the 
  priests 
  

  

  7 
  ETH 
  15 
  

  

  