DENIG] THE ASSINIBOIX 493 



of witchcraft, as this is a dangerous profession, but this power is 

 ascribed to them by the other Indians. 



The majority of these people believe, or say they believe, that 

 some of these old conjurors can "shoot them with bad spells" 

 (as they express it) at the distance of 100 miles off, and it is on the 

 assumption that they are the cause of some of their deaths, that the 

 lives of these professors are sometimes forfeited. We believe their 

 confidence in the powers of these priests and medicine men is pretty 

 general, though some of them (the priests) are more divine or 

 Wa-con than others. When an Indian is sick they endeavor to cure 

 him, as has been stated, and if unsuccessful and death ensues they 

 usually keep out of sight until the first bursts of grief are over. 

 Others of the same profession who have not been called to administer 

 to the patient attend the funeral, their object being to secure what- 

 ever property they can by loud crying, cutting their hair and bodies, 

 and other display of profound grief. Nothing resembling a prayer 

 is said over the dead at the burial nor anything spoken. Indeed, 

 on account of their loud lamentations it would be impossible to hear 

 it if it were. Some weeks afterwards, however, other ceremonies 

 take place regarding the dead which will be described in another 

 place. The body is placed in the fork of a tree, on a scaffold, or 

 occasionally interred on the top of a high hill. No device, inscrip- 

 tion, or hieroglyphics are made at or near the place of interment 

 by any of these nations. 



As far as we have proceeded with their religion, belief is the gen- 

 eral one, though it may be clothed in different language by different 

 Indians, sometimes superstitious and fabulous, but our object has 

 been to arrive at the philosophy of their religion by rejecting fables, 

 etc., which do not bear upon the inquiry. 



From this point all other religion diverges into different minor 

 beliefs and superstitions according to the fancy of each individual. 

 Many believe in certain evil spells and troubles brought on them by 

 lesser spirits or ghosts and even of the spirits of monsters which have 

 no existence nor ever had except in their dreams and morbid imagi- 

 nation. It appears that these ghosts are the cause of all petty 

 malice, vexations, or bad luck, not being of sufficient consequence to 

 attract the attention or induce the influence of Wakohda. To relate 

 the different kinds of belief in these powers as each would explain it 

 would require the labor of years, and it is somewhat difficult to gener- 

 alize, owing to the prevailing differences. Under some of the answers 

 that will follow regarding charms, amulets, ghosts, etc., will be de- 

 tailed enough in conjunction with what has already been stated to 

 form a tolerably connected idea of this feature of their faith. 



Sorcery or witchcraft has already been noticed, but we may in 

 addition state that the witchcraft imputed to some of their doctors 



