The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1864-11-23
An INDIAN tMedicIRe Mans
Tricks.

a correspondent Vi Auc Aou0Vu -HO' a.
iag Post says that the Davenport "mani-
festation" of tying and untying is an old
trick amoog the indians of the northwest
coast Of America. He was travelling IL
( Oregon in 1914, aud met a certain Thom'
as Mckay, who had been in the Hudson
Bay Compang's service. This Mckay
told the following story Of an adventure
of his some years before:
"There was camp of Nisqnany Indi-
ans near ours, and amongst them was
famous medicine maa or coDjurer, as you
would call him. That chap could tell
everything that was going to happen for
a hundred years to come, [ believe; so
Mr. Ogden determined to connslt him
/ Well, we all went to his lodge, which was
made the same as the Sioux made theirs,
with poles covered over with Buffalo
skins. His as well as others, vas round,
in the shape Of sugar-loaf, about twelve
/ feet across, and about twelve feet high,
and at the top Of it he had got parcel
of bells hang. There was nothing in the
lodge when We went in only himself
souatted in the middle of it, and bundle
of buffalo robes lying against the wall of
the lodge. These We afterwards lifted
up, and we're quite SIRE that no one was
hid under them. Mr.. Ogden told him
that We had come to consult him as a great
medicine man about something that We
wanted to know. He was almost naked,
having nothing on but buffalo robe over
his shoulders and cloth about his lo!ns.
4" After Mr. Ogden had spoken be went
through a le. of maneuvers aud autics,
which he called making mediciEe ) and
then, although it was a perfect calm, not
breath of wind moving, the lodge com
menced rocking violently from side to
side, at times lying almost prostrate, as if
it was blown down By gale Of wind, and
then rising up and going down on the
other side, aud all this time bells we're
clashing, and making terrible row then
all of sudden everything became per
fectly still, and he told rs to go outside
and see what was en- top of the lodge
When We went outside we looked imme-
diately for some one near the lodge, but
there was aot soul, and no one could
have been hid, 70, it was On quite bare
piece of prairie and not bash near it.
We looked on the top of the lodge, as he
had told as, and there was white crow,
which certainly had net been there when
We went into it.
$50 We returned to hin and told him
what We had seen; then be said; Nov
tie me up as close as you can, so that |
cannot get away, and take your own
ropes; for We thought it was a bit Of
humbug, and we're going to use his old
ropes, SO we got our good lassoes and lar
rets (horse hair ropes) and took his buff
falo robe off him, and tied him up. First
We tied his hands behind his baek-he
was squatted on his hams and heels-and
we tied hls legs together, and his hands
to his legs; then we tied rope round
his body and bound him up in q heap asit
were, aud knotted the ropes at every turn,
so that one would think it would take
man at leas. half an hour to cast him
adrift. Well, then somebody proposed
that we should tie him in the net this
was seine net that We had at the camp;
SO We rolled him up in it, knotted the
ends together, and also secured them
again with rope. He ,hen asked US to
put bis knife near him; this We did, lay
ing it down about yard from him, as he
was lying looking like ball of net. He