The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1877-03-23
NUMBER 9.
4 M-4RVELLOUS SToRT.
INDIANS WHO SINK THEIR CHILDREN IL
AIR TIGHT ENVELOPES DURING
THE WINTER.

western shores of Lake Superior around
Chan-wo mi gan Bay, and the mouth of the
river Mus -ke-zibi, | often heard of the
strange and hitherto unpublished custom
of a secluded tribe of Indians north of Yer
million Lake, who in winter sink their chill
dren under the deep waters of the lake in
their vicinity, and in the spring raise them
up from the bottom of the lake alive and
well, after being six months dormant and
unconscious.
The Chippewa Indians who related this
circumstance to me were all respectable in
their way, an0 are generally a trustworthy
aud truthful people, being mostly Chiis-
tians, having been instructed bv Bishop
BarIaga, of pious memory Hence when
they Informed me of the custom AMONG the
Rabbit Indians of censgning about one
third of their tribe to a kind of ton,h f,,.
SIX months, IN order that the other two
thirds might be saved from death by star
walton, though | regarded what heard as
almost incredible, | could not but paw some
attention to statement so frequently made
by so many persons otherwise credible.
The manner IN which the thing is done.
as they stated, is in this way: The children
from the age Of three years To that of four-
teen, at the approach of winter are enclosed
within air tight vessels or bars made ont
OF the bark of the birch tree, OF vetula alba.
and after the ''Mokock," :" as il is called is
sealed over and made iRlpervjous to water
1t is sunk with its living freight into The
bottom Of the Lake Owas, where il remains
until spring, when it is drawn up and the
dormant pappoose found sound and well
and after little shaking the child is soon
restored TO Consciousness. The Owassoes
live chiefly on rabbits, the skins of which
animals are their only clothing and in the
winter, when the SHOWS are deep and The
rabbits scarce, this low tribe would starve
II necessity had not taught themto have re-
70 . ha
their children to save their provisions.
The writer of this narrative REGARDED the
statement as fabulous at first for thnuob
every Indian he consulted expressed his
belief that the children of the wild tribe
were all buried in the lakes during the win
ter and hooked up safely again in the
spring, yet none OF those who So confidently
naIrated.the story certified that one of them
had been present when the operation of
sealing up the children in the s.Nokocks,,
or their enlargement therefron took place.
But the writer happened to be present AT a
wedding Of the head chief of The Chime
was, Na-ga nup's daughter, Lady LOUISE.
to one Boyle, a scion of one Of the tribes of
Galway, and at his marriage feast. lasting
whole week, were present two trappers
from the rabbit-eating Indians aforesaid.
who, upon being asked If the story about
the sinking of the children into the lake To
save the food they would consume was fab
ulOus answered. gravely. '.kauin,' NO,
They assured us that 800 of their young
people were then under~the water since
November, and that they expected they
would be all safe and well about the middle
of May, when they wouid be able to supnly
them with food. They then described how
the "MOkocks" were prepaI ed how the
air was excluded by the burning-of div
leaves within them, how the children were
ordered TO inhale full breath OF ali, how
Dfh hsrof, ha. l.
and rendered water pIoof by coating of
gum and rosin, and how thev were sunk
into the lake. to repose there TIL Spring
Not satisfied with the testimony OF these
two witnesses, confirmed by the solemn
clouds of smoke arising like incense from
their large stone pipes, your correspondent
came to the resolution of testing in person
the truth Of these. strange uarrations of SO
many respectable Indians, Christian aud
Pagan. Accordingly. the next day beiuf,
the 18th of January 1872. your correspondent
accompanied by a son of Na-ca nun. the
chief, son of the head medicine man.
Ma-co day be nos, and Antoine Dave. a
half breed, took the six best dogs we could
pick up. with plenty of dried meat and pro-
visions for men and dogs, aud started nm
der the guidance of the two Rabbit Indians
for their home in the far North I'm less
than four days We made the Journey of over
800 miles, for the surface of the snow WAS
or three days, and. under The influence of
the frost, become ice. Not in all nature is
there anything more desolate and melae
choly than travelling ia those savage regions.
where for miles and miles not a living thi-,o
Is seen nor sonnd heard, excep. the crash
of a limb Of tree under its weight of snow.
or the thud of the fall If a large mass from
the picturesque arches formed by the inter
weaving tops of huge pines. Even the
barking OF pack Of hungry wolves. the
growling of bear, on the roaring of a lion
would be preferable to the stiffness of death
which prevails in all that region.
This article would be zoo long were 10
describe the details af our journey to ths
region of the Rabbit OF OwaSsoe Indians.
But, to sum up, | must say that we f,uud
the statement of our Indian inforr,a,,ts
confirmed in every particular. The Rabbit
indians suffer severely from famine They
enclose the yonth of the uibe in air tight
envelopes, called 'iMokoeks," " shared some
what like large egg. They ijsh up ilc>.
eases IN the spring. and most af tlf,,se en-
closed ali but few-say per cent ara
alive and well after their resnsci:a.ion.
There can be no doubt about the facts
here stated.
We publish the above somewhat re-
markable story precisely as ii comes from
the writer, who is evidently more accns
toned to the practical details of life on the
frontier than 10 describing them in print.
1t is not the work of - professional writer
of sensatiOns--Ed. San Francfsc call
WHEN Dom Pedro and his wife were i'm
Naples they put up at the Hotel Wa-hirr-
ton. This builciug WAS formerly 7 favorita
palace of the Kings of Naples when they
wished to enjoy the sea h;ecze. "a a Suiatner
lopnge without the formality of the greet
palaces OF the kingdom. Ia was al this
place that tie Empress OF Brazil, when =
young lady liked tn reside. ID was 'tee
she took tier first farewell of Naples = "a
She became the affi ,ncesi bride of ihe Ein-
pcror. aud en- baked IL lie Bias iiia'. fri-
gst" that Conveyed bei Ia her futute u,a-
rial spouse. JlgoB her rec .ut arri al 81 .hs
ity She vent direct 2" the 'Irner Iol al res
ido 'ce. eXaniin ined all the assartrs.snls. su,s
ret7,ceG Lsl farsiils aAiks