2l6 



SCIENCE. 



[Vol. XIII. No. 320 



stem toward the chiefs, each was allowed to take a smoke. The 

 pipe was beautifully ornamented, and was used only at the sun- 

 dance. Some of these pipes are of great value, the one seen cost- 

 ing fifteen of the best horses in the tribe, and these were used for 

 hunting the buffalo. The women have one important ceremony to 

 perform ; namely, the preparation of the tongues. In former 

 years, when buffalo were in abundance, as many as two thousand 

 buffalo-tongues were used at a single sun-dance : now the Indians 

 have to be contented with two hundred tongues of domestic cattle. 

 These are slightly boiled and dried, cut in slices very carefully, 

 taken in sacks to the sun-lodge, and guarded by two young men. 

 This rite partakes of the nature of a sacrament. None but virtu- 

 ous women are allowed to go up and take a piece of tongue. After 

 the persons devoted to the sun have partaken of the meal, the rest 

 of the tongues are distributed among the people as a religious cere- 

 mony. 



At this time a young Indian went to an old medicine-woman and 

 presented his sacrifice to the sun. During the year he had gone 

 on a horse-stealing expedition, and, as is customary on such occa- 

 sions, had prayed to the sun for protection and success, offering 

 himself to his god if his prayers were answered. He had been 

 successful, and he now presented himself as a sacrifice. The old 

 woman took his hand, held it toward the sun, and prayed ; then, 

 laying a finger on a block of wood, she severed it with one blow of 

 a knife. She held the portion of the finger cut off toward the sun, 

 and dedicated that to him as the young man's sacrifice. 



One of the principal features of the sun-dance is the self-torture 

 of those who are admitted as warriors. Dr. McLean witnessed one 

 of these ceremonies. Two young men, having their whole bodies 

 painted, wearing the loin-cloth only, and with wreaths of leaves 

 around their heads, ankles, and wrists, stepped into the centre of 

 the lodge. A blanket artd a pillow were laid on the ground, and 

 one of the young men stretched himself upon them. As he lay, an 

 old man came forward and stood over him, and then in an earnest 

 speech told the people of the brave deeds and noble heart of the 

 young man. In the enumeration of his virtues and noble deeds, 

 after each separate statement the musicians beat applause. When 

 the aged orator ceased, the young man arose, placed his hands 

 upon the old man's shoulders, and drew them downward, as a 

 sign of gratitude for the favorable things said about him. He lay 

 down, and four men held him, while a fifth made the incisions in 

 his breast and back. Two places were marked in each breast, de- 

 noting the position and width of each incision. This being done, 

 the wooden skewers being in readiness, a double-edged knife was 

 held in the hand, the point touching the flesh, a small piece of 

 wood was placed on the under side to receive the point of the knife 

 when it had gone through, and the flesh was drawn out the de- 

 sired length for the knife to pierce. A quick pressure, and the in- 

 cision was made, the piece of wood was removed, and the skewer 

 inserted from the under side as the knife was being taken out. 

 When the skewer was properly inserted, it was beaten down with 

 ^ the palm of the hand of the operator, that it might remain firmly 

 in its place. This being done to each breast, with a single skewer 

 for each, strong enough to tear away the flesh, and long enough to 

 hold the lariats fastened to the top of the sacred pole, a double in- 

 cision was made on the back of the left shoulder, to the skewer of 

 which was fastened a drum. The work being pronounced good 

 by the persons engaged in the operation, the young man arose, and 

 one of the operators fastened the lariats, giving them two or three 

 jerks to bring them into position. 



The young man went up to the sacred pole, and, while his coun- 

 tenance was exceedingly pale, and his frame trembling with 

 emotion, threw his arms around it, and prayed earnestly for strength 

 to pass successfully through the trying ordeal. His prayer ended, 

 he moved backward until the flesh was fully extended ; and, pla- 

 cing a small bone whistle in his mouth, be blew continuously upon 

 it a series of short, sharp sounds, while he threw himself backward, 

 and danced until the flesh gave way and he fell. Previous to his 

 tearing himself free from the lariats, he seized the drum with both 

 hands, and with a sudden pull tore the flesh on his back, dashing 

 the drum to the ground amid the applause of the people. As he 

 lay on the ground, the operators examined his wounds, cut off the 

 flesh that was hanging loosely, and the ceremony was at an end. 



In former years the head of a buffalo was fastened by a rope to the 

 back of a person undergoing the feat of self-immolation, but now a 

 drum is used for that purpose. 



From two to five persons undergo this torture every sun-dance. 

 Its object is military and religious. It admits the young man into 

 the noble band of warriors, whereby he gains the esteem of his 

 fellows, and opens up the path to fortune and fame. But it is 

 chiefly a religious rite. In time of sickness or danger, or in start- 

 ing upon some dangerous expedition, the young man prays to the 

 sun for help, and promises to give himself to the sun if his prayers 

 are answered. Upon his return, when the annual sun-dance is 

 held, he fulfils his vow, gives himself to his god, and thus performs a 

 twofold duty. Of course, the applause of the people and the ex- 

 hibition of courage are important factors in this rite, but its chief 

 feature is a religious one. Instead of being a time of feasting and 

 pleasure, the sun-dance is a military and religious festival, in con- 

 nection with which there are occasions for joy, and the feast en- 

 hances the pleasure. 



During the feast the entire assemblage will burst forth in songs 

 of thanksgiving, and again a famous warrior will sing aloud the 

 praises of a young man or some brave kinsman who merits the 

 applause of the tribe. This is a kind of chant, in which the name 

 and noble deeds are spoken of. 



A Survival of Corporal Penance. — The state of mind 

 from which the infliction of self-torture arises is not confined to 

 primitive people, but has manifested itself in all great religions of 

 the world. In the middle ages the Order of the Flagellants was 

 devoted exclusively to this purpose. A survival of this once 

 powerful organization offers an interesting comparison to the prac- 

 tices of the Blackfeet, just described. This was observed to exist 

 by Mr. O. H. Howarth in the village of Fenaes d'Ajuda on the 

 Azores, and has been described by him in a recent number of the 

 /oiirna/ of the Anthropological Institute. The Order of the Fercei- 

 ros in that place now consists of a body of from fifteen to eighteen 

 lay inhabitants of the parish, who are admitted to it by election 

 every seven years ; the order being held in such reverence, and 

 the efficacy of the penance so profoundly believed in, that vacancies 

 are much sought after. The ceremony takes place annually in 

 connection with the procession of N. S. dos Passos on the third 

 Sunday in Lent. The costume of the Flagellants is a white linen 

 tunic, with a large oval opening in the back for the purpose of 

 flagellation ; and the head of the performer is entirely concealed 

 with a wrapper of white linen, so that his identity may be unknown 

 to the general spectator^. Mass is conducted by the priest, and 

 the flagellation commences when the church is darkened in the 

 course of the Lenten ritual, the order kneeling in two rows at each 

 side of the chancel. It is continued throughout the procession 

 which follows. The principal streets of the village are traversed, 

 and the self-punishment is inflicted with special violence during 

 pauses at the street-corners, when the members of the band seem 

 to vie with one another in the severity of their discipline. The 

 procession returns to the church ; the flagellants resuming their 

 former position, and continuing to scourge themselves with in- 

 creasing vigor until the conclusion of the ceremony. The torture 

 is carried to such extremities that the side walls, railings, and con- 

 fessionals in the chancel are smeared and spotted with blood to a 

 height of four or five feet. The type of the scourge and flagellum 

 are such that the author concludes the institution to be kept up by 

 unbroken tradition from the middle ages, the implements being of 

 the same description as those used six centuries ago by the Flagel- 

 lants. 



ELECTRICAL NEWS. 



Small Engines for Electric Lighting. — The Society of 

 Arts in England having offered a gold medal for the best small en- 

 gine to be used for electric lighting, some tests have just been pub- 

 lished giving the results of the trial. There were four competitors, 

 — three gas-engines, and a high-speed high- pressure steam-engine. 

 As the machines are especially useful for isolated lighting plants, 

 the results give some valuable data as to the cost of lighting by 

 electricity as compared with gas. One of the three gas-engines. 



