OF THE BUREAU OF ETHNOLOGY. XIII 
tained upon the old system of pictographs on birch bark and 
its use. Illustrative specimens were gathered, together with 
myths and legends, which assisted in the elucidation of some 
of the pictographs observed elsewhere. 
WORK OF MR. W. J. HOFFMAN. 
Mr. W. J. Hoffman proceeded in July to visit the Red Lake 
and White Earth Indian reservations in Minnesota. At Red 
lake he obtained copies of birch bark records pertaining to the 
Midé’ wiwin or Grand Medicine Society of the Ojibwa, an order 
of shamans professing the power to prophesy, to cure disease, 
and to confer success in the chase. The introductory portion 
of the ritual of this society pertains particularly to the Ojibwa 
cosmogony. At the same place he secured several birch bark 
records of hunting expeditions, battles with neighboring tribes 
of Indians, maps, and songs. He also investigated the former 
and present practice of tattooing, and the Ojibwa works of art 
in colors, beads, and quills. 
At White Earth Reservation two distinct charts of the Grand 
Medicine Society were obtained, together with full explanations 
by two of the chief midé or shamans, one of whom was the 
only fourth-degree priest in either of thereservations. Although 
a considerable difference between these three charts is appar- 
ent, their principles and the general course of the initiation 
of the candidates are similar. The survival of archaic forms 
in the charts and ritual indicates a considerable antiquity. 
Some mnemonic songs were also obtained at this reserva- 
tion. In addition to the ritual, secured directly from the 
priests, in the Ojibwa language, translations of the songs 
were also recorded, with musical notation. On leaving the 
above reservations, Mr. Hoffman proceeded to Pipestone, Min- 
nesota, to copy the petroglyphs upon the cliffs of that historic 
quarry. 
He then returned to St. Paul, Minnesota, to search the 
records of the library of the Minnesota Historical Society for 
copies of pictographs reported to have been made near La 
Pointe, Wisconsin. Little information was obtained, although 
it is known that such pictographs, now nearly obliterated, 
