The Daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1845-1850, 1846-04-30
A REMARKABLE INDIAN CUSTOM

A REMARKABLE INDIAN CUSTOM.
In Dunn's Travels in Oregon, an entertaining
work recently published the following account
is found, OF remarkable peculiarly Of the reli
gious customs of the Indians in that territory
which we have never before seen described
The chief, who is supposed to possess the
"right divine" of governing, and to be the inter-
mediate agent between the great solar spirit. the
Creator and Supreme Ruler, and his creatures
here below, retires at times, whenever he fam
cies himself summoned by the divine call from
the tribe without giving them any previous in.
tlmation OF his mission; and takes up his abode in
the lonely woo and mountains, taking cIandes
timely with him small stock OF dried salmon for
sustsnance. Wien he is missed by his family,
the report is spread abroad, and then il is known
that he has gone 10 hold familiar converse with
the Great Spirit, who will, within a short time
descend to give him an interview Intelligence
has been procured. from the Indian who saw
him on that day, to his route and the district
OF the woods and hills TO which he is likely TO
conhne his wanderings; and sacred boundary
line IS drawn round this district, within which il
Is a crime OF PROCLAMATION to pass, on hunting or
hshing excursions pain of DEATH Should an
unlucky Indian even meet this compound OF chief
and priest in his excursions, he is sure to be put
TO death, either by the chief himself-for he must
be perfectly passive in the infuriated chiefs
hands-or should the Chief ia his distracted
mood not attack him, he must on his return to
the tribe, acknowledge his guilt, and resign him
self voluntary victim Should he conceal The
fact OF his meeting the chief, and should the
chief on his return charge him with the fact.
then ne would undergo the most shocking tor.
ture.
The duration Of the chiefs absence on hi, mis-
ciOn 10 irnor ,,la loo =.
haust his small stock OF food, even with the utmost
economy. II is often three weeks When hun.
ger plnches him (and he generally selects the
most desert and dreary region destitute of escu
clint fruits or roots) his Imagination becomes in
f1amed, and what before was religion or SUPER
siiton, becomes now frenzy; during which the
idncled interview with the Great Spirit occurs.
lie returns at last to the village, the most hide.
Gus object in nature, with matted hair, shrunken
cheeks, bloodshot eyes, and parched lips-his
blanket. which is his only covering, all hanging
IN shreds about him, torn by boughs and BRAN.
bes-hls face all begrmmed with filth. ANNA
TED with all the unnatui al lerocity OF demoniac
His return is by night, and as uncertain as his
departure. He does not first arrive generally AT
his own house, but rushes TO some other. accord
ing to the blind caprice Of his wildness ano in
stead OF entering it by the door, he ascends the
roof-tears off one OF the cedar-board coverings
circle; he then springs upon one of the full
grown inmates, like a Vanished wof-wrenches
with his teeth a Touthfu of his flesh. from his
hDlbs or body, which he convulsivey bolts down.
without any process Of masticaton but barely
ch"pping the lump once or twice for the puroose
OF easier deglutition No resistance is made, Tor
the sufferer thinks he has been ordered by the
Great Spirit to yield up part OF his flesh and
blood as sort OF peace or sin offering to the
priest.
The chief then rushes to another house IN the
same way, and makes the same hurried repast,
tie continues this process along other houses:
uutil IN few hours he becomes exhausted, from
the quantity OF living flesh that he has devoured
tie IS then taken home in state of torpor and
mus remains, like an over orged beast OF prey,
for couple of days. After his resuscitaton he
IS langud and sckly, and, as he must not partake
oil the usual food for certain time alter he has
got his hill OF the humin sacrifice, he goes on but
slowly to convalescei ce.
have been, more than once, in close connec-
ton with one OF these chiefs, after his resiora-
ton; and his breath was like an exhaa,ion from
the grave. The wounds inflicted by his bite,
though held as sacred trophies, often proved NOR.
tai Their mode of cure is this: They apply
eagle-down as styptic to check the hemorrhage,
and then apply plaster made of pine tree gum.
Several OF the wounded and consecrated persons,
alter we established our tort, finding their own
mode Intellectual, came to our surgeon (applying
10 me first as interprete) TO have their ranking
sores healed. They used to present most hide
Gus appearance being jagged and torn, and often
showing the clear lamentations of the human
teeth and besides the fetor issuing from them
was most noxious. The wife OF one Of our men,
and daughter OF a chief who practIced this abom.
ination, told me that her father, on his return to
the village, after his sojourn in the woods and
mountains, met ain Indian, on whom he flew, ard
whose side he continued to bite and devour until
his bowels protruded. The Indian made no re.
slstance; and when the chief ran off he crawed
10 the village, and though every effort was made
TO heal his wounds they were found to be too
mortal for human remedy. lie died SOON after
wards, in their idea coEsecrated person. So
much importance and pride do these indians at
tach TO these decorations, that the youngsters,
who have not the good fortune TO be thus SCARED,
apply lighted gunpowder to their limbs, and use
other means to produce holy cash.