March 3, 1887.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



105 



priest, or commonly two associates of the same fraternity, 

 while thev are practicing upon a patient, cannot be as- 

 sisted in their own particular rites by a priest of a differ- , 

 ent fraternity. But in the chorus of song-prayers and in 

 the dances, m preparing fetiches and Band-picture altars, 1 

 and in the erection of singing-house and sweat-houses, it 

 is expected that all male visitors will give willing assist- 

 ance. These ceremonies are always liable to interruption 

 — numerous classes of accidents arising- either from 

 chance or design; or the happening of some bad omen 

 may cause an abrupt adandonment. But the fee of the 

 mediciner is invariably settled upon before the treatment 

 begius, and must be unconditionally paid, no matter at 

 how early a stage an accident may have compelled the 

 priest to desist. Nor is it reckoned whether, after the 

 close of the treatment, the patient may be better or worse. 

 In other words, payment of the mcdiciner's fee is con- 

 sidered a religious duty, because it is well understood 

 that the gods never listen until a gift is proffered them. 

 The exaction of the fee in these degenerate days is now, 

 I fear, prompted by a more sordid motive. But there are 

 still very evident traces among both Mold and Navajo 

 that in earlier days the "medicine fee'' was merely indi- 

 cated by the gift of an emblem from patient to priest— a 

 feather, a shell, a pinch of pollen, a whiff of smoke. A 

 Substantial fee is now usually produced and appraised be- 

 fore any of the ceremonies are entered upon. 



The following memoranda must be taken as but a brief 

 summary of the ceremonies. I aim in this to give you 

 but the gist of the curatio, I have ignored a multitude 

 of minor rites, etc., which, although interesting as studies, 

 would be tiresome to recapitulate in this instance. 



The first priest to officiate was Oj-kai-yos-na (Osh-ki- 

 yos-nah). Theory — The rites and song-prayers of this 

 priest are directed immediately to the Ye who dwells at 

 the mouth of the pit through which all people came up to 

 this World, and through which the spirits of the dead re- 

 turn to the lower worlds. This pit, Ne-chro-yosc-cha-chee, 

 is in the concave summit of that mountain hi the north 

 called Tjolf-i (Gho-le-he), desciabed by Dr. Matthews in 

 his "Part of the Navajo's Mythology," p. 6. Between the 

 patient and the mouth of that pit, this priest makes a fire 

 with certain woods, and beside this fire the priest sings 

 prayers to the Ye who "sits on this side" the mouth of the 

 pit.' He beseeches the Ye not to call the patient to descend 

 the ladder leading to the regions of the dead. He rubs 

 the ashes and rjulverized charcoal of his medicine fire all 

 over the body of the patient — first having rubbed him 

 with a mixture obtaiued by melting the fat of the bison, 

 mountain sheep, elk, deer and a small portion of the fat 

 of the domestic sheep. The patient is rubbed with this 

 fatty mixture so that the coals and ashes of the medicine 

 fire may adhere closely to the skin. The priest sings at 

 the fire, and after having rubbed the patient with" coal 

 and ashes sings the same songs beside liim. In other 

 words this priest stands between the patient and death. 

 His rites lasted two days and nights and his fee was one 

 horse, say $50. 



The next physician summoned was Kama bi-ge (bi-geh). 

 Theory — Good medicine smell — the inhalation of fumes 

 from burning herbs. In the sick man's hut the mediciner 

 makes a small medicine fire. A little, hollow mound of 

 clay is made, and within the hollow three stones are set. 

 On these are laid splinters of pinion and cedar which are 

 then set afire. When they have burned to embers the 

 priest shakes his rattle and sings to the Yes of his (the 

 priest's) father. (See Kuma further on.) He then lays 

 upon the embers five herbs. The patient is then laid 

 naked upon the sand — close to the fire-place — and a 

 blanket is spread over the fire-place and patient, who 

 thus lies there inhaling the fumes of the herbs, while the 

 mediciner sits beside him — outside the blanket, of course 

 — shaking his rattle and continuing his song. The dry 

 herbs were als bruised fine in the mediciner's hands, and 

 after being mixed with water in a bowl were rubbed over 

 the entire body of the patient. This treatment is per- 

 formed at sunrise and sunset, and should last four days, 

 with songs and dances and other ceremonies at night. 

 But in this instance at the close of the second day an em- 

 barrassing circumstance occurred — the patient's wife was 

 taken ill. This at once put a stop to all further treatment 

 by this priest. Fee, one horse, say $50. 



After the wife got well Et-sidi bi-kis (be-ges) was sum- 

 moned. Theory — Inherent virtue of the winds. The 

 mediciner signs to the "Leader" of the four winds, viz.: 

 White (east), Blue (south), Black (north). Yellow (west). 

 Before the people emerged from the lower world, these 

 winds were taken up the pit at Tjoli-i (Cho-le-he) by the 

 "Leader" and their directions were assigned them by 

 him. He caused them to blow upon the muddy surface 

 which was still new and damp until the world became 

 dry enough for habitation. The winds expelled the evil 

 influence of the bad Yes and the new world became beau- 

 tiful. So it is to this "Leader" that Et-sidi bi-kis sings, 

 asking him to bring all these winds together and expel 

 the evil influence that threatens the patient. The cere- 

 monies last four days and nights and consist of song- 

 prayers, the exhibition of fetiches, shaking the rattle, 

 blowing the whistle and swinging the Tsln-bo-os-ni. This 

 is the same performance as swinging the Thunder Baho 

 with the Mokis. Fee, a large horse, or say $60. 



The next one called was Hostin bi-kan. Theory— Ad- 

 ministering the herb roots, both raw and infusions. These 

 are of the same number — five — as those used in the medi- 

 cine fire, but they are entirely different plants. The raw 

 root of the Datura meteloides was given the patient at 

 sunrise, noon and sunset. Each dose was something less 

 than half an ounce of the recently dug root. This was 

 chewed and swallowed. Closely following each of these 

 doses he was given a piece of the stalk of golden alexan- 

 der, about six inches long .and as thick as the thumb. 

 This he chewed, swallowing the saliva, but not the fibre. 

 Between the songs during the day and night, infusions 

 were given the patient to drink in quantities never to ex- 

 ceed a half a pint at once. These were separate infusions 

 from the roots of herbs known to the Navajos as Aze 

 Klo-hl (laughing medicine or medicine hay,' Arenaria 

 acideata;, Aze bi-ni (bad talk, dreaded medicine), To-jo-zhe- 

 tso (Great Chief of all medicines). These three herbs 

 were jealously guarded, thus I have had no opportunity 

 to examine them. This old fellow's ceremonies lasted 

 only a day and a night. His fee was one horse, say $50. 



The last and most potent of the priestly mediciners 

 called to complete the cycle of exorcism", was Kuma. 

 Perhaps you may remember him. He is the chief of the 

 gens to which the patient belongs, and lives about thirty 

 miles southwest from here. Theory— Sweathouse decor- 



ated upon outside with rainbow in colored sands. Sing- 

 ing-house (built for this special occasion); sand pictures — 

 altars— upon floor of the singing-house. Dances of the 

 four, and of the twelve participants, etc. A series of 

 elaborate ceremonies very similar to those which Dr. 

 Matthews observed at Fort Defiance three years ago and 

 which will be described in an elaborate report to the 

 Bureau of Ethnology by Dr. Matthews and Mr. Stevenson. 

 Kuma's prayers were directed to Hos-djeh-hog-wan (the 

 Killer) and Hos-dje- yeltl (the Talker) guardian deities of 

 TjolI-i (Chi-le-he). But aLl these prayers are more imme- 

 diately addressed to the Yes who dwell in the "Half - 

 White-Hotisc," asking their mediation, that the "Killer" 

 might withhold his hand, that the "Talker" might with- 

 hold the word— of death. I am under the impression 

 that the ceremonies Dr. Matthews observed were ad- 

 dressed to the Yes of the "Hali'-Red-House," but the 

 motive is very similar. 



Apropos of these Yes. I suppose you know there is a 

 mythic region in the North. It extends from Nadu to 

 Zenith and has no horizon. It is a land of vertical strata 

 of various colored sandstone, each stratum reaching from 

 the below to the above. At the junction of each stratifi- 

 cation is the house of a Ye— half in one stratum, half in 

 the other. 



Kuma's ceremonies lasted five days and nights. Every 

 morning at sunrise the patient was placed in the sweat- 

 house for about twenty minutes— that is about ten 

 minutes in each. Nothing of special significance was 

 done during the day, but from sunset until dawn the 

 maskers danced before the singing-hoUse, the priests sang 

 their prayers, made the prescribed sand pictures and 

 placed the proper fetiches upon these pictures. For a fee 

 Kuma received a fine horse and colt worth at least 

 $100. 



Aside from all these fees, sheep were killed to provide 

 mutton, and other provisions were purchased to feed the 

 priests and their associates, the dancers; and the numer- 

 ous gathering of idleis and spectators that flocked around 

 when any of these religious ceremonies are in progress. 

 In these expenses, however, the patient is usually assisted 

 by some of his relatives. 



' In these ceremonies, with the alternating days, three 

 weeks went by — every clay an attack of ague. At the end 

 of that time the patient said he was "looking down the 

 descending ladder." His friends then covered him up 

 on a saddle and brought him here muffled up in a blanket 

 — just like a bag of bones — and we had him dumped in 

 the avooI room. This was four days ago. We had no 

 calomel, so we gave him a generous dose of blue mass — 

 about SO grains. The following morning we administered 

 a liberal dose of castor oil, and then we gave him about 

 30 grains of quinine in four doses daily. Two days ago 

 his ague left him and he is now almost well. 



This morning he and his friends returned home, and 

 just as he was leaving he told me he Avas feeling so well 

 he thought by to-morrow he could resume the per- 

 formance of duties, which in an Indian's mind stand for 

 the acme of physical and mental vigor. 



OLD-TIME NATURAL HISTORY. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



While reading a quaint old volume, which Avas pub- 

 lished nearly half a century since, I found quite a number 

 of interesting items of the early natural history of Long 

 Island. The title is as follows: 



HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND; 



CONTAINING 



An Account 

 OF THE 



DISCOVERY AND SETTLEMENT ; 



WITH OTHER 



IMPORTANT AND INTERESTING MATTERS 



TO THE 



Present Time.. 



By BENJAMIN F. THOMPSON, 

 Counsellor-at-Laav. 



NEW YORK: 

 1839. 



The work contains the usual preface, which is followed 

 by a general description of Long Island, its geology, dis- 

 covery and Indian tribes, and an account of the Dutch, 

 English and Colonial gOA^ernments. The bulk of the 

 work, however, is deA-oted to the history of the counties 

 and towns of Long Island. The early records, Mr. Thomp- 

 son states, are all made in the Dutch language. 



When writing of the discovery he quotes from a 

 "History of New York," by Joseph W. Moulton, as fol- 

 lows: " When Hudson first arrived within the waters of 

 Sandy Hook, he observed them swarming with fish, and 

 sent his men to obtain a supply. It may Avell be that they 

 landed upon Coney Island, in the town of Gravesend, 

 which Avas the nearest land. Two hundred and tAventy- 

 irine years ago, being the 3d of September, 1G09, the 

 chivalric Hudson first saw the shores of this island. On 

 the 4th, it is related, he sent his men on shore in a boat, 

 Avho, according to the Avords of his journal, 'caught ten 

 great mullet, a foot and a half long, and a ray as great as 

 four men could haul into the ship.' Here, he says, they 

 found the soil of Avhite sand, and a vast number of plum 

 trees loaded with fruit, and many of them covered with 

 grapevines of different kinds. They saAV, also, a great 

 quantity of snipe and other birds." The natives were 

 clothed, he says, "in the skins of elks, foxes and other 

 animals." 



"Seaivan A\ r as the name of Indian money, of which 

 there Avere two kinds: wompan (which signifies white) 

 and mckauhoek (sncki signifying black). Wompan, or 

 the Avhite money, was made of the stem or stock of the 

 metauhock or peri winkle; suckauhock, or black money, 

 was manufactured from the inside of the shell of the 

 q aahang, a round thick shellfish that buried itself but a 

 little Avay in the sand and was generally found lying on 

 it in deep water, and gathered by rakes or by diving after 

 it. The seaivan Avas manufactured most abundantly on 

 Long Island which abounded in shells and was called, for 

 this reason, Scawan-hacky, or the Island of Shells. The 



1 poquanhock or quahang and the periwinkle were ex- 



! trehiely plenty." 



In speaking of the Indians of Kings county he says : 

 "They depended, in great measure, upon the flesh of the 

 deer and other wild game, and the great abundance of 

 fish, clams and oysters which were found on every shore 

 and in every creek and harbor." 



It is also stated "that when the English first com- 

 menced the settlement of Long Island the Indians an- 

 noyed them much by the multitude of dogs they kept, 

 which ordinarily were young Avolves brought up tame, 

 and continuing of a very ravenous nature." 



Part of the rental James, Duke of York, promised for 

 himself, his heirs and assigns, was "Yearly, and every 

 year, forty beaver skins." 



Among the statutes passed March 1, 1665, by the 

 deputies assembled at Hempstead was the following: 

 "The value of an Indian coat, to be giA^en to any one Avho 

 shall bi-ing the head of a wolf to any constable on Long 

 Island, provided it be killed up the island." "On NoA'em- 

 ber 2, 1717, an act was passed for destroying foxes and 

 wildcats upon Long Island, they having become both 

 numerous and mischievous. The reward for killing a 

 wildcat was nine shillings, and for a fox five shillings." 



The careless use of firearms, it seems, is a hereditament 

 which has descended to us from the earlier times. Mr. 

 Thompson quotes from Rivingtorfs New York Gazette, 

 Jan. 16, 1774, as follows "From Huntington, on Long- 

 Island, we are informed that last Christmas-day, Mr. 

 Ebenezer Piatt being hunting deer with some other y oung 

 men near that A'illage, they surrounded a swamp where 

 the game were, and agreed with each other not to enter 

 any part of it. Mr. Piatt seeing a buck at some distance, 

 rushed forward, and one of his companions, hearing a 

 noise in the bushes, immediately fired and lodged five 

 swan-shot in Mr. Piatt, three of which entered his arm 

 and two his body, which render Ms life despaired of." 



The natives, Avhen selling what is now known as the 

 town of Easthampton, covenanted as follows: "Alsoe 

 Ave, the sayd Sachems, have covenanted to have libertie 

 ffor ourselves to ffish in any or all the cricks and ponds, 

 and hunting upp and downe in the avoocIs, without 

 molestation; they giving to the English inhabytants noe 

 just offence, or injurie to their goods and chattels. Alsoe, 

 they are to have ifynnes and tayles of all such whales as 

 shall be cast upp, to their proper right, and desire they 

 maybe friendly dealt with in the other parte. Alsoe 

 they reserve libertie to ffish in convenient places for shells 

 to make wampum, Alsoe Indyns hunting any dcare they 

 should chase into the water, and the English should kill 

 them, the English shall have the body and the Sachems 

 the skin. And in testymony of our well performance 

 hereof, aa*o have set our 'hands, the day and yeare above 

 written. 



Signed, 



In presence of Richard"] Poygratastjck, x 

 Woodhull, Thomas Stan- I Wayandanch, x 

 ton, Robert Bond, and f Momometou. x 

 Job Sayre. J Nowedonah, x 



At a general court held in the same town, March 7, 

 16. r )0, it Avas "Ordered that any man may set guns to kill 

 Avolves, provided they be not set within half a mile of the 

 toAvn, and also to take up the guns by sunrise; and 

 further, that It shall not be lawful to sell any dog or bitch, 

 young or old, to any Indian, upon penalty of thirty shil- 

 lings." 



From Fisher's Island, which is a part of the town of 

 Southhold, "An attempt was made in the year 1712, to 

 transport a pair of moose deer to England, as a present to 

 Queen Anne, which faded by the death of one and the 

 other breaking its leg; and Her Majesty was finally pre- 

 sented with the horns only." 



The town of Brookhaven seems to have been an earthly 

 paradise for sportsmen, and also to have possessed a poet 

 to perpetuate some of its charms in verse: 



"THE GROVES OF MASTIC. 

 Far in a sunny, cool retreat, 



From folly and from noise remote, 

 I shun the scorching noonday heat, 



Contented in my peaceful cot; 

 Thro' towns and glades I often stray, 



Of turn somewhat monastic, 

 And spend the solitary day 



Amongst the groves at Mastic. 



Dame Nature, in a kinder mood, 



When things were first created, 

 Decreed this spot near ocean's flood. 



An Eden when completed; 

 Here all the luxuries of life, 



She spreads with hand all plastic, 

 Beyond the reach of noise and strife. 



Among the groves at Mastic. 



When spring her annual visit pays, 



Sol puts a brighter face on, 

 And Zephyr fills our creeks and hays, 



AVith brant and geese in season; 

 Here, on Smith's Point, we take our stand, 



When free from toils gymnastic, 

 Where Death and lead go hand in hand, 



Among the fowl at Mastic. 



Sometimes the tim'rous trout Ave wait 



Along the streamlet's border, 

 With well-dissembled fly or bait, 



And tackle in good order. 

 Or catch the huge enormous bass, 



Be his course e'er so drastic, 

 While sitting on the verdant grass, 



Clcse by the groves at Mastic. 



The grouse, the pheasant and the quail, 



In turn we take by changes, 

 Or hunt the buck with flippant tail. 



As through the wood he ranges; 

 This strings our nerves! oh, pleasant toil, 



We want no epispastic, 

 Nor doctor, with his castor oil, 



Among the groves at Mastic." 



The deer hounders of the present day are only follow- 

 ing the bad example set them by the early hunters of the 

 toAvn of Islip, of whom it is related, "The extensive for- 

 ests which border upon this pond (Ronkonkoma) are 

 stocked with herds of deer, who, when hard pressed by 

 the sportsman and his dogs, often, as a last resort, betake 

 themselves to the water in the hope of escape; but this 

 resource avails them not; boats are procured and the poor 



