W A L L A W A L L A. 427 



suit the case. She bent over the sick boy, and was constantly in 

 motion, making all kinds of grimaces. She would bare his chest, 

 and pretend, by her actions, to be scooping out his disease ; then she 

 would fall on her knees, and again strive to draw out the bad spirit 

 with both hands, blowing into them, and, as it were, tossing the spirit 

 into the air. 



The evening of the same day, Mr. Drayton paid another visit to the 

 same lodge, when he found the medicine-squaw much exhausted. 

 She was blowing with her mouth on his neck downwards, making 

 a quick sputtering noise, thus — 



sis: 



ISij: 



4§: 



tut- 1 - t - t- tut, tut - 1 - 1 - 1- lut. 



l§iI15II 



While she was uttering this, a man was holding her up by a rope 

 tied round her waist, while she, bending over the body, began to suck 

 his neck and chest in different parts, in order more effectually to 

 extract the bad spirit. She would every now and then seem to 

 obtain some of the disease, and then faint away. On the next morn- 

 ing she was still found sucking the boy's chest, and would frequently 

 spit into her hand a mouthful of saliva and blood, which she had 

 extracted from her own gums, and spread it with her finger over the 

 palm of her hand, taking great care that all shoiild see it. She 

 would then pronounce the boy better, with apparent satisfaction. So 

 powerful was the influence operated on the boy, that he indeed seemed 

 better, and made endeavours to speak. The last time Mr. Drayton 

 visited the doctress, her patient was found sitting up. She exhibited 

 a stone, about the size of a goose's egg, saying she had taken the 

 disease of the boy out of him as large as it, and that he would now 

 get well. The parents were greatly delighted to hear that their son 

 would recover. The reward she was to receive was a large basket of 

 dried salmon, weighing eighty pounds, a blanket, and some other 

 presents. 



One singular custom prevailing here is, that all the convalescent 

 sick are directed to sing for several hours during the day. 



It would be a profitable occupation to be a medicine-man or woman, 

 were it not for the forfeiture in case of a want of success ; but this 

 applies only where the patient is a person of distinction. 



It is seldom that medicine-squaws are met with, as they are by no 

 means numerous. 



