hoffman] POWER OF THE MEDICINE BAG 2G3 



assistance of those things they had dreamt of during their fast-days. One man's 

 munedoo was a sturgeon, which being invoked, their speed was soon equal to that 

 of this fish, leaving the enemy far behind; but the sturgeon being short-winded, 

 was soon tired, and the enemy again advanced rapidly upon them. The rest of the 

 warriors, with the exception of one young man who, from his mean and ragged 

 appearance, was considered a fool, called the assistance of their gods, which for a 

 time enabled them to keep in advance. At length, having exhausted the strength 

 of all their munedoos, they were beginning to give themselves up for lost, the other 

 canoes being now so near as to turn to head them, when just at this critical moment 

 the foolish young man thought of his medicine bag, which in their flight he had 

 taken off from bis side and laid in the canoe. He called out, "Where is my medicine 

 bag?" The warriors told him to be quiet; what did he want with his medicine bag 

 at this perilous time? He still shouted, " Where is my medicine bag?" They again 

 told him to paddle and not trouble them about his medicine bag. As he persisted 

 in his cry, "Where is my medicine bag?" one of the warriors seeing it by his side 

 took it up and threw it to him. He, putting his hand into it, pulled out an old 

 pouch made of the skin of a Saw-bill, a species of duck. This he held by the neck 

 to the water. Immediately the canoe began to glide swiftly at the usual speed of a 

 Saw-bill; and after being propelled for a short time by this wonderful power, they 

 looked back and found they were far beyond the reach of the enemy, who had now 

 given up the chase. Surely this Indian deserved a patent for his wonderful propell- 

 ing power, which would have superseded the use of the jarring and thumping steam- 

 boats, now the wonder and admiration of the American Indian. The young man 

 then took up his pouch, wrung the water out of it, and replaced it in his bag; telling 

 the Indian that he had not worn his medicine bag about his person for nothing, — 

 that in his fast he had dreamt of this fowl, and was told that in all dangers it would 

 deliver him, and that he should possess the speed and untiring nature of the Saw- 

 bill duck. The old warriors were astonished at the power of the young man whom 

 they had looked upon as almost an idiot, and were taught by him a lesson, never to 

 form a mean opinion of any persons from their outward appearance. 



A similar exhibition of the alleged power of the medicine bag has been 

 referred to in connection with mita /T ceremonies, in which an Ojibwa 

 woman is said to have caused her snake-skin bag to become a living 

 reptile, and to have chased for a considerable distance one of the doubt- 

 ing Indian commissioners present. 



SNOWSHOES 



The Menomini snowshoe varies in form and size according to the indi- 

 vidual as well as to the sex of the person who is to use it. Figure 42 

 represents a type, which it will be observed differs from that of the 

 neighboring Ojibwa shown in figure 44. 



The toe of the Menomini snowshoe is transverse, and has a thinning of 

 the frame to admit of a short turn without breaking. The frame is made 

 of ash; it is 38 inches in length and is somewhat of boat shape, with a 

 thick heel. The inside or upper part is divided, as usual, into three 

 sections by two crossbars, and the intervening spaces of the anterior 

 and posterior are fdled in by a fine network of thin fibers made either of 

 sinew or of buckskin. The middle space is lliinches broad, and is filled 

 in with closely plaited thongs of rawhide or buckskin — usually the 

 former — at the anterior portion of which is an opening for the move- 



