418 TRIBES OF THE UPPER MISSOURI [ETH. ANN. 46 



do not delight to talk about these matters but appear to think them 

 sacred or forbidden fields through which their thoughts ought not 

 to roam. The subject affords no scope for research unless a writer 

 is disposed to collect a number of fables, which would serve no pur- 

 pose unless it be to develop their ignorance and superstition. 



FUTUKE LlEE 



Indian Paradise. — The Paradise of these Indians is in the south 

 in warm regions (not necessarily in the heavens, yet in some imagi- 

 nary country not belonging to earth), where perpetual summer, 

 abundance of game, handsome women, and, in short, every com- 

 fort awaits them; also the satisfaction of seeing their friends and 

 relatives. No quarrels, wars, disturbances, or bodily pain are al- 

 lowed to exist, but all live in perfect harmony. Departed spirits 

 have the power to revisit their native lands, manifest themselves to 

 their friends in dreams, and if they have been neglectful in crying 

 for or feasting them can trouble them with whistling sounds and 

 startling apparitions, many of which are said to be seen and heard 

 and are most religiously believed in by all. Consequently, the dead 

 are feasted (a long ceremony), smoked, sacrificed to, and invoked, 

 besides being cried for years after they are gone, perhaps as long 

 as any of the relatives are living. The heavenly bodies they think 

 may also be residences for spirits, but we think this idea is derived 

 from the whites. The other is the most ancient and original tradi- 

 tion, if not the only one, and is universally believed. This subject 

 will meet with further notice in the course of these pages. 



Arithmetic 



Numeration. — All these prairie tribes count by decimals and in no other way. 

 The names of the digits are: 



One — washe'nah. Six — sha'kpah. 



Two — noom'pah. Seven — shakkowee. 



Three — yam'ine. Eight — sha'kkando'gha. 



Pour — topah. Nine — noo'mpehewo'nukkah. 



Five — ta'ptah. Ten — wixchemenah. 



After ten the word akkai, dropping the name of the ten, serves 

 until twenty, thus : 



Eleven — akka'i washe. Seventeen — akkai shakko'. 



Twelve — akkai noompah. Eighteen — akkni sha'kando'gha. 



Thirteen — akkai yammene. Nineteen — akkai noompchewoukkah. 



Fourteen — akkai topah. Twenty — wixche'mmene noompa ; i. e. 

 Fifteen — akkai zaptah. for twenty, literally two tens. 



Sixteen — akkai sha'kpah. 



From twenty to thirty the word " sum " or " more " (plus) is 

 added, thus: 



