The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1864-11-19
MISCELLANY.
The Dsvenports OutdOne.

4uo 00FOAVS4t VUtuVAOs
A correspondent OF the London Morning
Post says that the Davenport Manifestation"
Of tying and untying Is an old trick
among the Indians OF the northwest coast
of America. He was travelling in 1874, and
met certain Thomas Mckay, who had
been in the Hudson Bay Company's service.
This Mckay told the following story OF an ad-
venture OF his some years betore
There was camp of Nisqually Indians
near ours, and among them was famous med
icine lnan or cOnluter, you would Gail hlll'
That cnap could tell every tning that was go
ing 10 happen for hundred years 10 come,
belleve; 50 Mr.. Ogden determined to consult
him. Well, we ali went TO his lodge, which
was made the same rs the Sioux make theirs,
with poles covered with buffalo skins. His as
well as the Others, was round, in the shape OF
sugar-loaf, about Twelve ieef high, and at the
top OF il he had got u parcel OF bells. There
was nothing in the lodge when we went in
only him sauatGed ia the middle of il. and a
bundle OF buffalo robes lying against the wall
OF the lodge. These we afterwards lifted M.
and were quite sure that no one was under
them. Mr. Ogden told him that we had come
TO consult him as great medicine man about
something that ne wanted TO know. He was
almost naked, having nothing on but an old
bIffAl0 robe over his shoulders and q clotn
about mis- loins.
After Mr.. Ogden had spoken he went
through lot OF lnaneuyers aud antics, Wnich
ne called making medicines; and then, al
though 1t was perfect calm, mol ureatn Vi
vino moving, the lodge commenced rocking
violently lrom sids TO side, al times almost
prOsLrale, as if it were blown GoWn by q gale
OF wind. and th9n rising up and going down
rwL. do on "a no
we're Changing and cIashing, and making ter
ribe row; tnen all OF sudden everything
became perfectly still, and be told us to 20
outside and see what was on the top of the
lodge. When we went outside we looked
immediately for some one near the lodge, but
there was not soul, and no one could have
been hid, for 1t was on quite bare piece of
prairie, and not a bush near tive looked on
top OF the lodge, as he had told us, and there
was white crow, which certainly had not
been there when We Weut into 1t.
so we returned TO him and told him what
We had seen; then he said, Now tie me up as
close as you can, SO that cannot get away,
and take your own rope for we thought it
was bit OF humbug, and were going to use
his old ropes, so we got our own good lassoes
and larrats (horsehair ropes,) and took his
buffalo robe off him and tied him up; first, we
tied his hands behind his back; he was squat
ted on his hams and heels, and we tied his
legs together, and his hands to his legs; then
we tied rope round his body, and tied him
all OF heap as it were, and knotted the ropes
at every turn, SO that one would think it
would take man at least 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 a rope He
asked us to put his knife near him; this we
did, laying 1t down about a yard from him, as
he was lying looking like ball of net. He
told us TO go out of his lodge, and not to
look In again until we heard the bell ring.
When we got out we looked on The top of
the lodgefor the white crow, and had hardly
noticed that it was gone before we heard the
bell. We rushed in, and there was the old beg
gar seated 10 the middle of the lodge as we had
seen him a. first, with his buffalo robe on and
looking as i nothing had happened to him, and
on his shoulder was the white crow.
he then told US to go out again, and this
time we we're out perhaps five minutcs-but
when we went into the lodge again, there he
was tied up looking like the same ball of net
as we had left him the first time. But the
white crow was not TO be seen. gt&
He Did US then to unite him, which we did
and precious long time it took us TO do II, for
he was so firmly tied and knotted up. After
he was free he sat for a short time, apparently
70 recover his strength, and then began maxi
ing medicine again; whereupon, as before, the
lodge waved. the bells rang, the white crow
came 10 and flew in rapid fight, circIing round
the old mans head, aud when all became still,
again perched itself upon his shoulder.
Then he said, Now you may ask me what
you want to know SO Mr.. Ogden said, we
wish to know when Mr.. NJ lavish and his par
ty will be here The answer was, Ca the
third day from this, at half an hour before sun
set, you will see him and his party coming down
the bill The next question was Where is he
now" The answer, They are encamped I'D
on a certain creek naming it. stiaI
He was then asked, what has DELAYED them
so longT and he answered that they had been.
delayed by snow. ~ ~ 1T
Is Well, sir, on the third day from that. lust
about half an hour before sunset, sure enough 4
there we saw the parry coming down the hill.
and when they got into camp they told us thai
three days before they had been encamped up
on the creek that was named by the old man.
and that they had been delayed in The noun
tatns four days by snow '5aq M