140 THE MENOMINI INDIANS [eth.ann.14 



the northwest in the latter part of the seventeenth century, speaks of 

 the treatment of the sick by the natives, and with reference to the 

 shaman says: 



A Jongleur is a sort of Physician, or rather a Quae],-, wlio being once cur'd of some 

 dangerous Distemper, haB the Presumption and Folly to fancy that he is immortal, 

 and possessed of the Power of curing all Diseases, by speaking to the Good and Evil 

 Spirits. Now though every Body rallies upon these Fellows when they are absent, 

 and looks upon 'em as Fools that have lost their Senses by some violent Distemper, 

 yet they allow 'em to visit the Sick; whether it be to divert 'em with their Idle 

 Stories, or to have an Opportunity of seeing them rave, skip about, cry, houl, and 

 make Grimaces and Wry Faces, as if they were possess'd. When all the Bustle is 

 over, they demand a Feast of a Stag and some large 'fronts for the Company, who 

 are thus regal'd at once with Diversion and Good Cheer. 



When the Quack comes to visit the Patient, he examines him very carefully; If 

 the Evil spirit be here, says he, we shall quickly dislodge him. This said, he withdraws 

 by himself to a little Tent made on purpose, where he dances and sings houling 

 like an Owl; (which gives the Jesuits Occasion to say, That the Devil converses with 

 'em.) After he has made an end of this Quack Jargon, he comes and rubs the Patient 

 in some part of his Body, and pulling some little Bones out of his Month, acquaints 

 the Patient, That these rery Bones came out of his Body ; that he ought to pluck up a 

 good heart, in regard that his Distemper in but a Trifle: and in fine, that in order to accel- 

 erate the Cure, 'twill he convenient to send his own and his Relations shires to shoot Elks, 

 Deer, &c, to the end they may all eat of that sort of Meat, upon which his Cure does abso- 

 lutely depend. 



Commonly these Quacks bring 'em some Juices of Plants, which are a sort of 

 Purges, and are called Maskikik. But the Patients choose to keep them by 'em 

 rather than to drink them ; for think all Purgatives inflame the Mass of the Blood, 

 and weaken the Veins and Arteries by their violent Shocks. 1 



In his reference to the Indians (Ojibwa?) in the vicinity of Fort Nel- 

 son, on Hudson bay, M. de Bacqueville de la Potherie 2 remarks: 



lis reconnoissent comme ces anciens heretiques im bon A un mauvais esprit. lis 

 appellent le premier le Quichemanitou. C'est le Dieo de prosperity. C'est celui dont 

 ils imaginent recevoir tons les secours de la vie, qui preside dans tous les effets 

 heureux de la nature. Le Matchimanitou au contraire est le Dieu fatal. Ils l'adorent 

 plus par crainte que par amour. . . . 



"Faire turner le Soleil ne se pratique guere que dans des occasions de grande con- 

 Sequence, & pour ce qui regarde leur culte ordinaire ils s'adressent a leur Manitou, 

 qui est proprement leur Dieu tutelaire. Ce Manitou est quelquefois un ongle de 

 castor, le bout de la come d'un pied de Caribou, uue petite peau d'hermine. J'eu vis 

 une attachee derriere le dos d'un Esquimau lorsque nous cations dans le detroit qu'il 

 ne voulut.jamais me donne.r, quoiqu'il me traita generalement tous les habits dont il 

 etnit vetu, un morceau de dents,de vache marine, de nageoite de Ioup mann. & la 

 phipart reeoivent des Jongleurs ce Manitou qu'ils portent toujours avec eux. 



Le demon parolt s'fetro empare de l'esprit de ces infortunez qui voulant seavoir 

 l'evenement de quelques affaires, s'adressent a leurs Jongleurs, qui sout, si je peux me 

 servir de ce terme, des Sorciers. La Jonglerie se f.iit differemment. Kile se fait de 

 cette maniere parmi phipart des Sauvages qui viennent faire le traite. Le Jongleur 

 fait une cabane en rond, faite de perches extre'mement enforcees duns hi terre, en- 

 touree de peaux de Cariboo ou d'autrea auimaux, avec une ouverture en liaut assez 

 large pour passer un homme. Le Jongleur qui s'y renferme tout seul, ehante, pleure, 



■New Voyages to North-America, vol. ii, pp. 47, 48, London, 1703. 

 2 Hi.'*toire de l'Aui6rique Septentrionale, vol. i., p. 121 et seq., Paris, 1753. 



