646 REPORT—1890. 
shamans had always more than one helper. The principal duty of the 
shaman was to cure the sick. Disease may be due to a foreign body enter- 
ing the body of a person, to disobeying certain rules, to the temporary 
absence of the soul, or to witchcraft. In all of these cases the help of the 
shaman is needed. The most important among the paraphernalia of the 
shaman is a headdress made of a mat, which is worn in his incantations. 
The mat is about two yards long by one yard wide. The corners of one 
of the narrow ends are sewed together, and it is put on as a headdress, 
the whole length of the mat hanging down the back of the shaman. — 
Before putting it on they blow on it and sprinkle it with water which 
had been poured over magic herbs. As soon as the shaman puts on 
the headdress he ‘acts as though he was crazy,’ 7.e., he puts himself 
into a trance by singing the song he had obtained from his guardian 
spirit at the time of his initiation. He dances until he perspires freely, 
and finally his spirit comes and speaks to him. Then he lies down next 
to the patient and sucks at the part of the body where the pain is. He 
is supposed to remove a thong or a feather from it, which was the cause 
of the disease. As soon as he has removed it he leaves the hut, takes 
off his mat, and blows upon the object he has removed from the 
body, which then disappears. It is stated that in his dances he some- 
times sinks into the ground down to his knees. 
If the disease is produced by witchcraft or by disobedience to certain 
regulations, the shaman, during his trance, goes into the lower world, i.e., 
underground, in order to consult with his guardian spirits. After a while 
he returns to the upper world and announces the cause of the sickness, 
saying that a woman passed by the head of the patient, or that the 
shadow of a mourner fell upon him, or giving some other imaginary 
cause of sickness. The most elaborate performance is the bringing back 
of absent souls. The Shushwap believe that while a man is alive the 
shaman is able to see the soul. After death the soul becomes invisible, 
although its movements may be heard. Therefore the shaman will some- 
times lie down, the ear on the ground, and listen. If he hears a noise 
of a passing soul without seeing anything he will say: ‘So-and-so has 
died. I heard his soul, but did not see it passing by.’ If he sees it, it is 
a sign that the person to whom the soul belongs is sick, but may recover 
if his soul is restored to him. Then the shaman puts on his mat and 
begins his incantation. As soon as he has succeeded in summoning his 
spirit he sets out with him in search of the lost soul. While he is 
unconscious he runs and jumps, and is heard to speak to his spirit. He 
will say, for instance, ‘Here is a chasm; let us jump across it!’ He 
actually gives a jump and says, ‘ Now we have passed it,’ &c. Finally 
he meets the soul, and is seen to have a severe fight with it until it is 
finally overcome. Then he returns in company with his spirit to the 
upper world, and throws off his mat as soon as he comes back. He 
restores the soul to the sick person by laying it on the crown of his head. 
Sickness due to witchcraft is treated in the following way: When a 
shaman hates any person and looks at him steadfastly, he sends the latter’s 
soul underground, to sunrise or sunset. The anger of a shaman may be 
aroused, for instance, by a young man who prides himself on his courage, 
and in order to show his undaunted spirit paints his face with figures, 
representing stars, sun, moon, birds, or any other designs that are con- 
sidered becoming to the most powerful men of the tribe. After the soul 
has left the body of the young man another friendly shaman is called. 
He begins at once to sing all the songs of the shamans of the tribe. It 
