64 



Harmon's journal. 



was sinking below the horizon, and when the hun- 

 ter was about to take a sweat, which is frequently 

 done in the following manner. The women make 

 a kind of hut, of bended willows, which is nearly 

 circular, and if for one or two persons only, not 

 nlore than fifteen feet in circumference, and three 

 or four in height. Over these, they lay the skins 

 of the buffaloe, &c. and in the centre of the hut, 

 they place heated stories. The Indian then en- 

 ters, perfectly naked, with a dish of water in his 

 hand, a little of which, he occasionally throws on 

 the hot stones, to create steam, which, in connex- 

 ion with the heat, puts him into a profuse perspi- 

 ration. In this situation he will remain, for about 

 an hour ; but a person unaccustomed to endure 

 such heat, could not sustain it for half that time. 

 They sweat themselves in this manner, they say, 

 in order that their limbs may become more sup- 

 ple, and they more alert, in pursuing animals, 

 which they are desirous of killing. They, also, 

 consider sweating a powerful remedy, for the most 

 of diseases. As they come from sweating, they 

 frequently plunge into a river, or rub themselves 

 over with snow. The country we passed 

 through, is large prairies, with here and there 

 a grove of small trees. This evening we return- 

 ed to the fort ; and the horses of our people 

 were loaded with the flesh of the moose and elk. 



