OF THE ODAHWAH INDIANS. 301 



addition to that of fasting, constituted a useful training for future life. 

 They were required to bathe at daybreak every morning for about a 

 month in the spring, whilst the water was cold. This was done with 

 a view to render them hardy, robust, and capable of standing all sorts of 

 weather. Unhappily the ancient discipline by which the Indian 

 youths were thus trained to hardihood and self-denial, is no longer 

 practised. It is a matter of regret that the young Indians of the 

 present day have almost entirely lost the virtues of sobriety and self- 

 respect practised by their predecessors. Self-indulgence of the grossest 

 kind has taken the place of self-denial. Too often they frequent the 

 low grog-shop, where they lose all sense of shame, and are rendered 

 mean and beggarly, as well as useless members of society. It is 

 scarcely necessary to remark that there were good speakers among the 

 Indians formerly ; but I have too much reason to believe, that there 

 are no such speakers to be found among them at the present day. In 

 my opinion it was chiefly owing to their deep contemplation in their 

 silent retreats in the days of youth, that the old Indian orators 

 acquired the habit of carefully arranging their thoughts ; when, in- 

 stead of the shoutings of drunken companions, they listened to the 

 warbling of birds, whilst the grandeur and the beauties of the forest, 

 the majestic clouds, which appear like mountains of granite floating 

 in the air, the golden tints of a summer evening sky, and all the 

 changes of nature, which then possessed a mysterious significance, 

 combined to furnish ample matter for reflection to the contemplating 

 youth. 



Having made these remarks on the youthful training of the Indians, 

 I proceed to speak about their warlike customs, and the regulations 

 by which they were governed in their military expeditions. In the 

 first place it was customary for the warrior who was to be the leader 

 to give a banquet, about six months before, at his lodge, to which 

 those who were to form the expedition were invited. On this occasion 

 they went through the preliminary ceremonies, such as singing songs, 

 inviting the crows to follow and feast upon the bodies of their enemies, 

 walking or dancing around the fire place carrying the head of some 

 animal on their shoulder, and impregnating their food with some sort 

 of powder. Whether this was prepared from root, mineral, or animal 

 substance, I cannot say ; but, at any rate, after the food was impreg- 

 nated with it, by the principal warrior, with strange invocations, great 

 care was taken to prevent women and dogs from tasting it, as it was 

 said to be ruinous to their Tfealth. After this feast all remained quiet. 



