Wisconsin tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1847-1854, 1848-09-01

cured, and set by the grave. No one must
taste the good things thus provided but the
nearest relatives of the deceased, of the same
sex. nor must they until it has been prepar-
ed and set by the grave for hours. But it
may be inquired Why is all this done -
| answer: 1t takes the deceased four days
and nights to go to the Spirit Land. The
equipments for the employ ment of that coun-
try are placed in the grave with him, so that
when the body gets there, he will be prepared
to enter at once upon his duties. The fire
and refreshments are kept up four days, so
that he may not be under the necessity OF
building fire and cooking on the way, but
will have them with him, and he will not
therefore be delayed in his journey. And
that he may be cheered and made happy on
his lone pilgrimage, his friends behind him
spend the four days, and much OF the nights,
IN beating drum, singing and dancing. And
tits rarely during that time that you will
hear the least sigh or note of mourning.
But after that time has expired, no white
prison, who has not been an ear witness,
can conceive the heart rending walings of
the female friends. They will retire with
out the encampment, in the stiffness of the
evening, and, at different points, simutane-
ously raise the most unearthy sounds of
grief that ever struck my ears. This is
sometimes continued for weeks. But the
males are stole philosophers. No tear ever
vets their cheek; no sigh escapes their lips
no expression of grief ever distorts their
countenances, 1t is not manly to exhibit
emotion on any occasion bu7 in war. But.
IN noticing the condition of women in anoth-
er number. | shall have occasion to refer to
this subject, in part, again. So this may
suffice for the present.
They have no watchings with the dead.
Ii one dies in the vicinity of a trading post,
they usually get permission to lay the corpse in
the ware house during the night, where it re-
mains unattended. | knew several to be
badly disfgured by the rats, while | was
among them. These animals seem to have
preference for human flesh over all other,
and it IS difficult TO keep them away from
dead body if they can possibly gain access
to it.
They give but little medicine internally.
In many instances their medicine men adopt
IA wisercourse than ours do: they take the
medicine themselves, or pretend to do So Con
jury prevails TO ii great extent among them.
One case came under my observation, and
my interpreter told that it by no
means rare one. A man was very sick.
The Doctor was called, who was satisfied
on seeing the patient, that he could save him
only with great difficulty. He would require
! the best blanket, and ample portion of
! something very good to eat. The friends
must keep up an incessant beating of the
drum, of peculiar measure. A Accordingly
the blanket was given him, the food was pre-
pared aud set before him, the friends kept a
continual uproar with the drum, and the
Doctor having satisfied his appetite, produced
his medicine bag, and therefrom took two
snal pieces of bone, about an inch and a
half long, and SWALLOWED them! Now there
WIS GREATNESS silence, excepting the drum,
and the mans fate was soop to be determined.
II the doctor produced the Identical bones
he had swallowed, in the space of half an
hour, the man would recover; if not he must
die. But in this case the bones were euqcua-
ted, and the man recovered.
1t will be seen from this how much they
are under the influence of designing men,
and how easily they are deceived by them.
II. NJ. +.
Dodgeville, Aug, 164S.
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