448 INDIAN TRIBES OF 



and have always been remarked for their attentions and kindness to 

 the infirm and aged, who are first to be provided for. One of their 

 customs would, however, go to prove that these good qualities cannot 

 exist in the degree in which some represent it. When an Indian of 

 this tribe dies, leaving young children who are not able to defend 

 themselves, his other relatives seize upon his property, and particularly 

 the horses, which he may have left. The only excuse they offer for 

 this kind of robbery and desertion is, that their fathers did so before 

 them. 



I have before said, that there is no authority recognised in their 

 chief, at least so far as the power to inflict punishments for crimes or 

 disorders is concerned. There is, however, often a principal man, 

 who, from the circumstance of possessing wealth, intelligence, and 

 character, and sometimes from birth, united, obtains a sort of control 

 or chieftainship, and exercises an authority over others from his per- 

 sonal influence, ruling more by persuasion than by command through 

 sanction of law. The extent of his authority must of course depend 

 upon the individual's own temper : if he were a determined character, 

 he might no doubt exercise very considerable power. 



Punishment for crime is generally inflicted by the tribe, and fre- 

 quently goes so far as to expel the delinquent ; but I understand that 

 the circumstances under which the crime was committed, have great, 

 influence in their decisions, and that they are for the most part just. 

 Punishment is not by any means certain, an instance of w r hich occur- 

 red in the case of Cornelius sending the very man with horses, which 

 had been hired of him, who had the year before, on a similar errand, 

 cheated him out of the stipulated pay. The chief had no redress for 

 this wrong, and moreover, felt obliged again to employ the same per- 

 son, from fear, as was supposed, of exciting the ill-will of his friends 

 or tribe. 



As respects the belief of these Indians in a Supreme Being, they 

 had a very confused idea. Their ceremonies were connected with 

 their superstitions, and one of the most remarkable of these was called 

 " huwash." This results from the belief that the spirit within a person 

 may be separated from the body for a short time, without the person 

 being aware of it, or its causing death, provided it be quickly restored 

 to him. This accident of losing the spirit is supposed to become first 

 known to the medicine-man in a dream, who communicates it to the 

 unhappy individual, and who, in return, immediately employs him to 

 recover it. During a whole night the medicine-man will be engaged 

 in hunting it up, passing from one lodge to another, singing and dancing. 

 Towards morning, they retire into a separate lodge, which is closed up 



