372 DIVISION I. VERTEBRAL ANIMALS.—CLASS I. MAMMALIA. 
they have experienced in this world. They have also a vague idea of future 
punishment for sins committed in the body. Among the superstitions of the 
Algonquin and Dahcotah tribes is a very singular one. A man is sometimes 
devoted, by his parents or himself, to a life of ignominy. In this case, he 
dresses like a woman, and performs all female avocations. He associates 
with women only, and sometimes takes a husband. He is held in utter con- 
tempt by all, though his condition be not of his own choice. This condition 
is frequently owing to a dream of his parents while he is yet unborn. In 
many tribes men have what they call their medicine bags. These are filled 
with bones, feathers, and other rubbish. To the preservation of their medi- 
cine bags they attach much importance. Besides this, each holds some 
particular animal in reverence, which he calls his med¢ezne, and can by no 
means be induced to kill, or eat when killed, for fear of some terrible mis- 
fortune. Moreover, the Indians leave tobacco, worn-out clothing, and 
other articles, on rocks, as sacrifices to invisible spirits. 
“The above is nearly the sum of their religion. It is, we believe, impos- 
sible to estimate the number of the North American Indians with any degree 
of accuracy. It is, however, very small throughout, in proportion to the 
extent of territory; for a hunting people cannot be very numerous. Their 
wars, of which we have heard so much, do not materially affect them. 
They are carried on in detail, by small parties, and consequently are not 
very destructive. They very seldom give quarter; but when a prisoner is 
spared, he is sure of being adopted by the conquering tribe. The tribes 
who inhabit the prairies go to war on horseback, and their weapons are 
spears and bows and arrows. Those who inhabit the forests are generally 
armed with guns. Their courage is moral and passive rather than active. 
They think it cowardice to be affected by calamity, or to give way to passion. 
or feeling. To be always ready and willing to die, and to suffer whatever 
may befall with constancy, is their idea of the perfection of courage. 
“As to government among them, there is none. They have no laws; 
but there are customs, which every individual scrupulously observes. In 
cases of murder, for instance, the rule is, blood for blood, and the homicide 
rarely shuns the penalty of his deed. They have chiefs, but the power of 
these is limited to persuasion, and they can command no one. Sometimes a 
chief becomes such in virtue of his achievements in war or his wisdom. In 
some tribes there is something like hereditary rank; but even then author- 
ity does not descend in a direct line. The son of a chief is often set aside, 
to make room for one more worthy. But in war, implicit obedience is given 
to the commands of the leader. The tribes that inhabit the prairies all live 
by hunting the buffalo, mostly on horseback. Those who dwell in wooded 
countries hunt deer and smaller animals. The more primitive savages are 
