338 NARCOTIC USAGES AND SUPERSTITIONS 



him, gathered from the different bauds of the tribe who had already 

 enlisted in. the cause, and each committed to him by the medicine- 

 man of the band. Armed with these sacred credentials, he proceeds 

 through the encampments of his nation, attended by a few of his 

 own immediate followers, but without the pipe-stem bearers, whose 

 rights and privileges pass 'for the time being to the chief. When- 

 ever he comes to an encampment he calls on the -braves to assemble, 

 tells them he is getting up a war party, recounts to them the 

 unavenged wrongs of the tribe, recalls the names of those slain in 

 former feuds with the Blackfeet, and appeals to them to join him in 

 revenging their death. Throughout such an oration the tears stream 

 down the cheeks of the excited orator, and this is styled " crying for 

 war." On such occasions the medicine pipe-stems are not uncovered, 

 but Mr. Kane having persuaded the Cree Chief to sit for his por- 

 trait, he witnessed the ceremony of "opening the medicine pipe- 

 stem," as it is called, and during its progress had to smoke each of 

 the eleven pipes before he could be allowed to commence his work. 

 His spirited portrait represents the grim old chief, decorated with 

 his war-paint, and holding in his hand the medicine pipe-stem, 

 elaborately adorned with the head and plumes of an eagle. 



In the grave ceremony of opening the medicine pipe-stem, the 

 Crees make use of a novel addition to the tobacco. It is procured 

 from the leaves or fibres of a species of cedar or spruce, which, when 

 dried and burnt, yields a very pleasing fragrance. A handful of 

 this was thrown on the fire in the middle of the room, and filled it 

 with the fragrant smoke, and some of the same was sprinkled on the 

 top of the tobacco each time one of the medicine pipe-stems was 

 used. 



All this ceremonial, and the peculiar sanctity attached to the pipe- 

 stem, apart from the pipe, are special characteristics of the Eed 

 Indian of the North West, of which no trace is apparent in the 

 singular memorials of the ancient Mound Builders, or in the sculp- 

 tures and paintings of Mexico. Throughout the whole elaborate 

 illustrations of Lord Kingsborough's great work it is difficult to 

 discover a trace of Mexican usages connected with the tobacco-pipe, 

 and in no one can I discern anything which appears to represent a 

 pipe-stem. In volume IV, plate 17, of a series copied from a 

 Mexican painting preserved at Pass, in Hungary, a figure coloured 

 as a black carries in his hand a plain white pipe, already referred to 

 as somewhat of the form of the larger clay pipes found in Canada 

 and in the State of New York, and from the bowl rises yellow 



