hofkman] MEETING WITH THE WHITES 215 



were near to them and wonderful to behold. Suddenly there was a 

 terrific explosion, as of thunder, which startled the people greatly. 



When the vessels approached the shore, men with light-colored skin 

 landed. Most of them had hair on their faces, and they carried on 

 their shoulders heavy sticks ornamented with shining metal. As the 

 strangers came toward the Indians the latter believed the leader to be 

 a great ma'uido, with liis companions. 



It is customary, when offering tobacco to a ma'nido, to throw it into 

 the lire, that the fumes may ascend to him and that he may be inclined 

 to grant their request; but as this light-skin ma'nido came in person 

 the chief took some tobacco and rubbed it on his forehead. The 

 strangers appeared desirous of making friends with the Indians, and 

 all sat on the ground and smoked. Then some of the strangers brought 

 from the vessel some parcels which contained a liquid, of which they 

 drank, finally offering some to the Menomini. The Indians, however, 

 were afraid to drink such a pungent liquor indiscriminately, fearing it 

 would kill them; therefore four useless old men were selected to drink 

 the liquor, and thus to be experimented on, that it might be found 

 whether the liquid would kill them or not. 



The men drank the liquid, and, although they had previously been 

 very silent and gloomy, they now began to talk and to grow amused. 

 Their speech flowed more and more freely, while the remainder of the 

 Indians said, "See, now it is beginning to take effect!" Presently the 

 four old men arose, and while walking about seemed very dizzy, when the 

 Indians said, " See, now they are surely dying!" Presently the men 

 dropped down and became unconscious; then the Indians said to one 

 another, " Now they are dead; see what we escaped by not drinking 

 the liquid!" There were sullen looks directed toward the strangers, 

 and murmurings of destroying them for the supposed treachery were 

 heard. 



Before things came to a dangerous pass, however, the four old men 

 got up, rubbed their eyes, and approached their kindred, saying, "The 

 liquor is good, and we have felt very happy; you must try it too." 

 Notwithstanding the rest of the tribe were afraid to drink it then, they 

 recalled the straugers, who were about to return to their boats. 



The chief of the strangers next gave the Indians some flour, but they 

 did not know what to do with it. The white chief then showed the 

 Indians some biscuits, and told them how they were baked. When that 

 was over, one of the white men presented to an Indian a gun, after fir- 

 ing it to show how far away anything could be killed. The Indian was 

 afraid to shoot it, fearing the gun would knock him over, but the stran- 

 ger showed the Indian how to hold it and to point it at a mark; then 

 pulling the trigger it made a terrific noise, but did not harm the Indian 

 at all, as he had expected. Some of the Indians then accepted guns 

 from the white strangers. 



Next the white chief brought out some kettles and showed the Indi- 

 ans how to boil water in them. But the kettles were too large and too 



