278 OLD PLYMOUTH TRAILS 



the blue fruit of the cedars very plentiful the 

 birds are likely to stay by all winter, not minding 

 the cold so there be plenty of food. 



It is worthy of note that tbe robin and the red 

 cedar have the same range. 



I do not blame the red men for holding the 

 cedar sacred and ascribing to it certain mystic 

 powers. They burned cedar twigs as incense in 

 some of their sacred ceremonies, and surely they 

 could have found no finer aroma. Some of 

 tribes always set a cedar pole for the centre of 

 their ghost dance, and they gave the tree an un- 

 translatable name which referred to power, mys- 

 tery and immortality. The Dakotas burned ce- 

 dar to drive away ghosts, and in the lodge at 

 nig'ht when anyone lay sick there was always a 

 fire of cedar wood to protect from evil spirits. 

 Often a cedar bough lay across the door of the 

 lodge. It is thus that we ourselves hang up 

 horseshoes. 



On the continent of Europe, I am told, the 

 juniper, which is a very close relative of our red 

 cedar, is held in great veneration. Tradition 

 has it that it saved the life of the Madonna and 

 the infant Jesus when they fled into Egypt. In 



