26 THE CHINOOK INDIANS. 



prepare a feast for his friends and all who choose to partake of it, and 

 make presents to the other medicine men. A lodge is prepared for 

 him, which he enters, and remains alone for three days and nights, 

 without food, whilst those already initiated keep dancing and singing 

 round the lodge during the whole time. After this fast which is 

 supposed to endue him with wonderful skill, he is taken up appar- 

 ently lifeless and plunged into the nearest cold water, where they rub 

 and wash him until he revives. This they call " washing the dead." 

 As soon as he revives he runs into the woods, and soon returns dress- 

 ed as a medicine man, in a costume which generally consists of the 

 light down of the goose stuck all over the body and head with thick 

 grease, and a mantle of friezed cedar bark. . With the medicine rattle 

 in his hand he now collects all his property, blankets, shells and or- 

 naments, and distributes the whole amongst his friends, trusting for 

 his future support to the fees of his profession. The dancing and 

 singing are still continued with great vigour during the division of 

 the property, at the conclusion of "which the whole party again sit 

 down to feast, apparently with miraculous appetites, the quantity of 

 food consumed being perfectly incredible. 



I witnessed one day their mode of treatment of the sick whilst 

 passing through a village. Hearing a horrible noise in one of the 

 lodges, I entered it, and found an old woman supporting one of the 

 handsomest girls of the tribe I had ever seen; cross-legged and naked 

 in the middle of the room sat the medicine man with a wooden dish full 

 of water before him, and twelve or fifteen other men sitting round 

 the lodge. T^he object in view was to cure the girl of a disease 

 affecting her side. As soon as my presence was noticed a space was 

 cleared for me to sit down. The officiating medicine man appeared 

 in a state of profuse pespiration from the exertions he had used, and 

 soon took his seat amongst the rest as if quite exhausted ; a young- 

 er medicine man then took his place in front of the bowl and close 

 beside the patient ; throwing off his blanket he commenced singing 

 and gesticulating in the most violent manner, whilst the others kept 

 time by beating with little sticks on hollow wooden bowls and drums, 

 singing continually. After exercising himself in this manner for 

 about half an hour, until the pespiration ran in streams down his 

 body, he darted suddenly upon the young woman catching hold of her 

 side with his teeth and shaking her for a few minutes, as one dog 

 does another in fighting. The patient seeming to suffer great agony. 

 He then relinquished his hold, and cried out he had got it, at the 

 same time holding his hands to his mouth, after which he plunged 



