350 



ACCOUNT OF THE INDIANS. 



they believe that he has the power, if he choose 

 to exercise it, of restoring him to health, notwith- 

 standing the design which the evil spirit has, of 

 taking his life from him. 



All the Indians on the east side of the Rocky 

 Mountain, bury their dead. After a person is 

 dead, some of his deceased relatives cut off a 

 lock of his hair, which they carefully lay up ; and 

 they sometimes preserve such relicks, for a great 

 number of years. Preparatory to its interment, 

 they dress the corpse in as gay a manner as possi- 

 ble ; and then wrap a blanket, over the whole. 

 But they never sew or pin this blanket together, 

 lest he should be unable to shake it off with 

 ease, when he arrives in the other world. If 

 it were fastened, they say, he might lie in it 

 for several days, aftei^his arrival in the land of 

 his departed relations, before any one would meet 

 with, and release him. The bottom and sides of 

 the grave, which is two or three feet deep, are 

 lined with the branches of trees. The corpse is 

 then deposited in it ; and along with it, a pipe and 

 tobacco, a dish or small kettle, an awl and sinews 

 to repair his shoes, and a sufficiency of provisions, 

 to support him for a few days, until he shall ar- 

 rive in the land of plenty. They then cover the 

 body with branches, and fill up the grave with 

 earth ; and on the top of it, they place bark, to 



