March 3^, 1904. jj 
FORlST AND STREAM, 
t47 
the' westward were ffleiitioned and described, and some 
of them are readily recognized. Such are Lake Winne 
peek, Lac du Bois, and Lac le Pkiye, or Rainy Lake. 
Of the country about Lake Bourboii, and Lake Winne- 
peek, it is said that there are found some buffalo of small 
size, which are fat and good about the latter end of 
summer. This difference in size Carver attributes t.i 
their northerly situation; "just as the black cattle of the 
northern parts of Great Britain differ from English 
oxen." But it is quite possible that these "small buffalo" 
may perhaps have been musk-oxen, and that their loca- 
tion may have been wrong. 
"These Indians informed me that to the northwest of 
Take Winnepeek lies 
another whose circum- 
ference vastly exceeded 
any they had given mc 
an account of. They 
describe it as much 
larger than Lake Su- 
perior. But as it ap- 
pears to be so far to the 
northwest, 1 should im- 
agine that it was not a 
lake, but rather the 
Archipelago or broken 
Vv'aters that form the 
commimication between 
Idudscn's Bay and the 
northern parts of the 
Pacific Ocean." 
As already stated, 
Carver believed that the 
lieadwalers of the Mis- 
souri were not far from 
the headwaters of his 
St. Pierre river. The 
Indians told him th:n 
ihcy frequently ccsed 
over from the he'-; 4 of 
lh;it stream to the 2>1j5- 
souri. The nearest wa 
1pr 10 the head of the 
Minnesota river is Big 
Sioux river, in Dakota, 
which i.s, in fact, a 
tribi^ary of the Mis- 
souri. 
The ethnological in- 
formation there gather- 
ed was as little trust- 
worthy as that concern- 
ing the geography of 
the more distant parts. 
Lor example, it is said that in the country belonging to 
the Pawnees, and the Pawnawnees, nations inhabiting 
some branches of the Messorie river, mandrakes are fre- 
quently found, a species of root resembling human beings 
of both sexes; and that these are more perfect than such 
■■ as are discovered about the Nile in Nether-Ethiopia. 
"A little to the northwest of the heads of the Messorie 
and the St. Pierre, the Indians further told -me, that 
there was a nation rather smaller and whiter than the 
neighboring tribes, who cultivate the ground, and (as far 
as I could gather from 
their expressions), in ^ 
some measure, the arts. 
To this account they 
added that some of the 
nations, who inhabit 
those parts that lie to 
the west of the Shining 
Mountains, have gold 
so plenty among; them ■ 
that they make their 
. most common utensils 
of it. These mountains 
(which I shall describe 
more particularly here- 
after) divide the waters 
that fall into the South 
Sea from those that run 
, into the Atlantic. 
"The people dwelling 
near them are supposed 
to be some of the differ- 
ent tribes that were 
tributary to the Mexi- 
can kings, and who fled 
from their native coun- 
try to. seek an asylum in 
these parts, about the 
time of the conquest of 
Mexico by the Span- 
iards, more than two 
centuries ago." After a 
brief discussion of the 
reasons which may have 
led these supposed im- 
migrants, and the Win- 
nebagoes, to leave their 
southern home for tl.v^ 
north. Carver speaks at > 
some length of the 
Shining or Rocky 
Mountains, just men- 
tioned. 
"That range of moun- 
tains, of which the Shining Mountains are a part, begin 
at Mexico, and continuing northward on the back or at 
the east of California, separate the waters of those 
numerous rivers that fall either ir.to the Gulph of Mexico 
or the Gulph of California. Im-ohi thence continuing 
their course still northward, between the sources of the 
Mississippi and the rivers that run into the South Sea, 
they appear to end in about forty-seven or forty-eight 
degrees of north latitude; where a number of rivers arise, 
and empty themselves either into the South Sea, into 
Hudson's Bay, or into the waters that communicate be- 
lt ween these two seas. 
"Among these mountains, these that lie to the west oC 
' Ihe river St. Pierre, are called the Sliining Mountains, 
' from an infinite number of crystal stones, of an amazing 
"Size, with 'which they are\ covered, and v/hich, when the 
Sun shines full tipon them, sparkle so as to be seen at a 
very great distance. 
"This extraordinary range of moimtains is calculated 
to be more than three thousand miles in length, without 
any very considerable intervals, which I believe surpasses 
anything of the kind in the other quarters of the globe, 
rrobably in future ages they may be found to contain 
miore riches in their bowels than those of Indostan and 
Malabar, or that are produced on the Golden Coast of 
Guinea ; nor will I except even the Peruvian mines. To 
the west of these mountains, when explored by future 
Cclumbuses or Raleighs, may be found other lakes, 
nvers and countries, full fraught with all the iiecessaries 
A MAN AND WOMAN OF THE NAUDOWESSIE. 
From Carver's "Travels Through the Interior Parts of North America.' 
Edition 1778. 
or luxuries of life; and where future generations may 
fmd an asylum, whether driven from their country by 
the ravages of lawless tyrants, or by religious persecu- 
tions, or reluctantly leaving it to remedy the incon- 
veniences arising from a superabundant increase of in- 
habitants; whether, I say, impelled by these, or allured 
by hopes of commercial advantages, there is little doubt 
but their expectations will be fully gratified by these rich 
and unexhausted climes." 
The pages which Carver devotes to a description of 
A MAN AND WOMAN OF THE OTTIGAUMIES. 
From Carver's "Travels Through the Interior Parts of North America. 
the unknown country to the west, are inserted in his 
account while he was sojourning with these Crees and 
Assiniboines, at the Grand Portage. There were more 
than three hundred people in the camp, and as they waited 
for the traders who did not come, their stock of pro- 
visions began to run low ; and the coming of the traders 
was awaited with an impatience that increased day by 
day. 
It was during this season of waiting that Carver had 
an opportunity to witness one of those prophecies by a 
priest, or medicine man, which even in modern times 
have puzzled many cool and clear heads ; and though the 
story of what he saw is long, yet it may be worth while 
t(j give his account of it in full. It appears that one day 
while all were expressing their hopes for the early 
arrival of the traders, and were sitting on the hill look- 
ntg over the lake, in the hope that they might be seen, 
Ihe chief priest of the Crees informed those who were 
\yith him that he would endeavor to obtain information 
from the Great Spirit as to when the traders would 
arrive. Carver gave little heed to the suggestion, 
siipposing it to be merely a juggling trick; but the chief 
ot the tribe advised him that the priest had made this 
offer chiefly for the purpose of allaying his anxiety, and 
at the same time to convince Carver of his ability to talk 
with the Great Spirit. 
"The follow'ing evening was fixed upon for this spiritual 
conference. "When everything had been properly pre- 
pared, the king came to me and led me to a capacious 
tent, the covering of 
which was drawn up, 
so as to render what 
was transacting within 
visible to those who 
stood without. We 
found the tent sur- 
rounded by a great 
number of the Indians, 
but we readily gained 
admission, and seated 
ourselves on skins laid 
on the ground for that 
purpose. 
"In the centre I ob- 
served that there was a 
place of an oblong shape, 
which was coinposed of 
stakes stuck in the 
ground, with intervals 
between, so as to form 
a kind of chest or coffin, 
large enough to contam 
the body of a man. 
These were of a middle 
size, and placed at such 
a distance from each 
other, that whatever lay 
within them was readily 
to be discerned. The 
tent was perfectly illu- 
minated hy a gtreat 
r-'mber of torches made 
of splinters, cut from 
the pine or birch tree, 
which the Indians held 
in their hands. 
"In a few minutes 
the priest entered ; 
when an amazing large 
elk's skin being spread 
on the ground, just at my feet, he laid himself down 
upon it, after having stript himself of every garment ex- 
cept that which he, wore close about his middle. Being 
now prostrate upon his back, he first laid hold of one 
side of the skin, and folded it over him, and then the 
other ; leaving only his head uncovered. This was no 
sooner done, than two of the young men who stood by 
took about forty yards of strong cord, made also of an 
elk's hide, and rolled it tight around his body, so that 
he was completely swathed within the skin. Being thus 
bound up like an Egyp- 
tian mummy, one took 
him by the heels and 
the other by the head, 
and lifted hiixi over the 
pales into the inclosure. 
I could now also dis- 
cern him as plain as I 
had hitherto done, and 
I took care not to turn 
my eyes a moment from 
the object before me, 
that I might the more 
readily detect the arti- 
fice, for such I doubted 
not but that it would 
turn out to be. 
"The priest had not 
lain in this situation 
more than a few sec- 
onds, when he began 
to mtitter. This he con- 
tinued to do for son.ie 
. time, and then by de- 
grees grew louder and 
louder, till at length lie 
spoke articulately ; how - 
ever, what he uttered 
was in such a mixed 
jargon of the Chippc- 
way, Ottawaw, and Kil- 
li.stinoe languages, that 
I could understand but 
very little of it. Having 
continued in this tone 
for a considerable, while 
he at last exerted his 
voice to its utmost 
ritf'h, sometimes raving 
and sometimes praying, 
till he had worked him- 
self into such an agita- 
tion that he foamed at 
his mouth. 
"After having remained near three-quarters of an hour 
in the place, and continued his vociferation with un- 
abated vigor, he seemed to be quite exhausted, and re- 
mained speechless. But in an instant he sprung to his 
feet, notwithstanding at the time he was put in, it ap- 
peared impossible for him to move either his legs or 
arms, and shaking off his covering, as quick as if the 
bands with which it had been bound were burned asunder, 
he began to address those who stood around, in a firm 
and audible voice. "My Brothers," said he, "the Great 
Spirit has deigned to hold a talk with his servant at my 
earnest request. He has not, indeed, told me when the 
persons we expect will be here, but to-morrow, soon after 
the sun has reached his highest point in the heavens, a 
canoe will arrive, and the people in that will inform us 
wdien the traders will come." Having said this, he 
Edition 1778. 
