CONVERSATION ON RAIN-MAKING. 27 



your medicine ; sometimes not — he dies. When he is cured, you 

 take the credit of what God does. I do the same. Sometimes 

 God grants us rain, sometimes not. When he does, we take the 

 credit of the charm. When a patient dies, you don't give up trust 

 in your medicine, neither do I when rain fails. If you wish me to 

 leave off my medicines, why continue your own ? 



M. D. I give medicine to living creatures within my reach, 

 and can see the effects, though no cure follows ; you pretend to 

 charm the clouds, which are so far above us that your medicines 

 never reach them. The clouds usually lie in one direction, and 

 your smoke goes in another. God alone can command the clouds. 

 Only try and wait patiently ; God will give us rain without your 

 medicines. 



R. D. Mahala-ma-kapa-a-a ! ! Well, I always thought white 

 men were wise till this morning. Who ever thought of making 

 trial of starvation ? Is death pleasant, then ? 



M. D. Could you make it rain on one spot and not on an- 

 other ? 



R. D. I wouldn't think of trying. I like to see the whole 

 country green, and all the people glad ; the women clapping their 

 hands, and giving me their ornaments for thankfulness, and lulli- 

 looing for joy. 



M. D. I think you deceive both them and yourself. 



R. D. Well, then, there is a pair of us (meaning both are 

 rogues). 



The above is only a specimen of their way of reasoning, in 

 which, when the language is well understood, they are perceived 

 to be remarkably acute. These arguments are generally known, 

 and I never succeeded in convincing a single individual of their 

 fallacy, though I tried to do so in every way I could think of. 

 Their faith in medicines as charms is unbounded. The general 

 effect of argument is to produce the impression that you are not 

 anxious for rain at all ; and it is very undesirable to allow the 

 idea to spread that you do not take a generous interest in their 

 welfare. An angry opponent of rain-making in a tribe would be 

 looked upon as were some Greek merchants in England during 

 the Russian war. 



The conduct of the people during this long-continued drought 

 was remarkably good. The women parted with most of their 



