306 SOCIAL AND WARLIKE CUSTOMS 



pleasure to do in their own lifetime. I think, also, there is a shadow 

 of the doctrine of transmigration in some of their ideas. They 

 thought that the dead could partake of the good things of this world. 

 Hence some were in the habit of throwing meat, sugar, or pouring 

 whisky in the fire for their departed friends. 



Some of my readers are no doubt aware that Manido is the term- 

 applied by the Indians to a superhuman being ; but more especially 

 to the Supreme Being. The last syllable of this word should be " do" 

 not " to." If the Yowels are pronounced according to the English 

 alphabet it would be necessary to write the word Mah-ni-do, in order 

 to enable any English reader to pronounce it properly. In adopting 

 the French pronounciation of the vowels it is not, of course, necessary 

 to make use of "h" in writing the word, and it would be Ma-ni-do. 

 The English word " God," I believe, signifies " good." But our In- 

 dian word " Manido" denotes terror and irresistible power. And it 

 appears to me rather a remarkable circumstance, by no means to be 

 overlooked by the inquirer into the origin of the Indians of this conti- 

 nent, that the Seiks in the northern part of Hindostan, — in fact, all 

 the Hindoos, if I am not mistaken, — call their Supreme God, Maha- 

 deo, when viewed in the light of Destroyer. That these two important 

 words, Mahnido and Mahadeo, should resemble each other in sound 

 and in signification, is, in my humble opinion, not altogether the 

 result of chance. 



I would further state that I have often been asked by white people 

 to explain the meaning of the word Manitoulin, the name of the large 

 island on the north-west side of Lake Huron, and said to be so called 

 by the Indians, according to geographical writers. As far as I know, 

 there is no such word in the languages spoken by the Odahwahs, 

 Ojibwas, or any of the surrounding tribes. Manitoulin may be a 

 Huron word : but, not being acquainted with the Mohawk, which,%I 

 understand nearly resembles the Huron or Iroquois language, I can- 

 not say positively, but so far as I can see by their alphabet, and 

 printed books in their language, they never make use of the letter L, 

 which is also wanting in the Odahwah and Ojibwa alphabet, besides F, 

 R, V, and X. It is true there is a bay towards the south-east end of this 

 island which we call Manidowaning . Of the meaning of the word 

 Manido I have already endeavored to give an idea. The other part of 

 the word, viz. waning, signifies a hollow or cavern, because there is a 

 certain part of the bay of which the Indians say they neser could find 

 the bottom. They often made the trial in winter, by letting dowa 



