74 



A General History of the Fur Trade. 



their art, and do not communicate their knowledge. Their 

 materia medica they administer in the form of purges and 

 clysters ; but the remedies and surgical operations are sup- 

 posed to derive much of their effect from magic and incan- 

 tation. When a blister rises in the foot from the frost, the 

 chafing of the shoe, &c. they immediately open it, and ap- 

 ply the heated blade of a knife to the part, which, painful 

 as it may be, is found to be efficacious. A sharp flint serves 

 them as a lancet for letting blood, as well as for scarification 

 in bruises and swellings. For sprains, the dung of an ani- 

 mal just killed is considered as the best remedy. They are 

 very fond of European medicines, though they are ignorant 

 of their application: and those articles form an inconsider- 

 able part of the European traffic with them. 



Among their various superstitions, they believe *hat the 

 vapour which is seen to hover over moist and swampy places, 

 is the spirit of some person lately dead. They also fancy 

 another spirit which appears, in the shape of a man, upon 

 the trees near the lodge of a person deceased, whose proper- 

 ty has not been interred with them. He is represented as 

 bearing a gun in his hand, and it is believed that he does not 

 return to his rest, until the property that has been withheld 

 from the grave has been sacrificed to it. 



Examples of the Knisteneaux and Algonquin Tongues. 



Knlsteneaux. Algonquin. 



Good Spirit - - Ki jai Manitou - Ki jai Manitou. 



Evil Spirit - - Matchi manitou - Matchi manitou. 



Man - - Ethini - „ - Inini. 



Woman - - Esquois - - Ich-quois. 



Male - - Nap hew - - Aquoisi. 



Female - - Non-gense - - Non-gense. 



Infant - - A* wash ish - Abi nont-chen. 



Head - -Us ti quoin - O'ehiti-goine. 



Forehead - - Es caa tick - - O catick. 



Hair - - Wes ty-ky - - Winessis. 



Eyes - - Es kis och - - Oskingick. 



Nose - - Oskiwin - - O'chengewane, 



Nostrils - - Oo tith ee go mow Ni-de-ni-guoim 



Mouth - O toune - O tonne. 



My teeth - - Wip pit tah - - Nibit. 



Tongue - - Otaithani - - O-tai-na-ni. 



Beard - » Michitoune - - Omichitonrk 



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