396 THE WINNEBAGO TRIBE [eth. ann. 37 



our meetings at night. We searched the Bible and asked many 

 ministers for any evidence for Christ's ever having held any meetings 

 in the daytime, but we could find nothing to that effect. We did, 

 however, find evidence that he had been out all night in prayer. As 

 it is ovir desire to follow as closely as we can in the footsteps of Christ, 

 we hold our meetings at night. Then, too, when we pray we wish 

 to get as far away as possible from earthly things, and the night is 

 the best time, for then we are not likely to be bothered by anything. 



We have made earnest efforts to become Christians since we began 

 drinking and eating this peyote, but many people say sarcastically 

 that we have drunk ourselves into Christianity, and that we are 

 demented. I am a peyote eater, but I have never found a demented 

 person among them. We claim that there is virtue in the peyote. 

 To you who do not believe and desire to find out let me quote the 

 fourth chapter of the First Epistle of St. John: 



"Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they 

 are of God; because many false prophets are gone out into the world. 



"Hereby know ye the spirit of God. Every spirit that confesseth 

 that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God." 



We claim that you can not find out anything by standing off at a 

 distance and only talking aljout it. We claim that some earthly 

 things can have the virtue of God, for instance, the Bible, which is 

 entirely made up of earthly material — the ink, the paper, the cover — 

 yet it has survived the ages. 



J. B.'s Account of tue Leader of the Peyote ^ 



(PI. 3) 



Among the Winnebago there is a man named Little-Red-Bird, 

 and when he reached middle age he began to travel around the world 

 and leani different Indian languages. He used to travel inland a 

 good deal. Once he joined a circus and crossed the ocean. He felt 

 so ill while crossing that he wanted to die. Suddenly a wind came 

 up and he got very frightened. He did not Ivnow what to do. Then 

 he prayed to Earthmaker. When he came to the other side of the 

 ocean there he saw a big island and a big city (London), and in this 

 last place they held their circus. The chief of that comitry (the king) 

 he met there. 



When he came back to his own people he told them that on the 

 other side of the ocean the Thunderbii-ds did not thunder. All they 

 did was to drizzle. There was no lightning either. As he crossed 

 the ocean on his return it thundered and lightened. 



When he came home he was very glad to see his relatives and he 

 offered tobacco in thanksgivmg. 



I The narrator was a very lukewarm follower. 



