The Arkansaw traveler., 1888-03-17
OJIBBWa uaGIC.
BY G. ARCHIE srocKwELL, F. Z. s.

During two years residence in All bany district of that mysterious coun- try between Lake Superior and Hud- sons Bay, as medical officer of the Hudson Bay Fur company, l was brought in frequent contact with the povdhs or "medicine men" of the Ojibbwas (properly OtchipWe0, and had many opportunities of witnessing the incantations and ceremonies pecu- liar to their sacred calling.
 As among other savage raceJ, the healing art is a component part of a religious belief derived from an ex- haustive demonology. All agencies are of the supernatural, and the world and it's surroundings are held to be per meated by spirits, good, indifferent and evil, who regulate the acts of na- ture and determine the fortunes of men, and who also hold some mysteri- ous and indefinable relationship to each other and to one supreme power or great spirit.
 One "medicine man," Wa-au- -poos (the Rabbit) by name, and whose adopted brother eventually became, influenced by my mdsh- ki- kt- aOau- poo (black medicine water-coflee) and narratives of the deeds of Wau- see-nau kit- it-che-mo-ko poWahs (famous civi- lized necromancers), occasionally de- veloped sufficient confidence to en- tighten me regarding various secrets of his craft; and he impressed me with fact, subsequently, confirmed in my own person, that psychical or mesmeric power is not necessarily a natural gift, but one that may be suc- cessfully cultivated by acts that pro- duce, temporarily, disordered condi- tions of the brain.
 A favorite feat of his, as prelim- mary to some special incantation, was a modification of the so-called "cabi- net act" that obtains so generally among the fraternity of professed mediums, but as he performed it, it was every way superior to anything ever witnessed at the hands of civilized performers.
 Not only would he allow himself to be bound hand and foot, after the us- ual manner, but his entire body to be enveloped, and his arms pinioned i'm movably to his sides; and the moment blanket or robe was thrown over him, he would bound to his feet, and toss bonds and covering high in air, in one knotted, almost extricable, bunch.
 On one occasion, little after noon- day, the theatre being bit of prairie overlooking the lake near Cat Island house, pinioned hlm even more elab- orately than usual, drawing the thongs of green moose hide so tightly that blood threatened to spout from be- heath the ridges of imprisoned flesh.
 1 executed a variety of knots, twists and turns taught by former seafaring experience; and he passed from my hands only to be lifted into small skin tent ("medicine wigwam'O whose sole furnishing was huge drum orn- amented with cabalistic devices, that hung from the interlocking supports at the apex of the structure.
 Scarce was he concealed from view, when low chant echoed by a untitled accompaniment upon the drum began. Gradually the voice of the wizard rose higher and higher, the music sounded louder and more rapidly, until one be- came piercing shriek, the other q furious, frantic roll; and in the midst of it all was heard a whistling sound as of fierce wind sweeping by, though the air was still and dead.
 When these ceased, the chant was recommended in its former cadence and measure, and at the same time sounded multitude of voices of various crea- lures of forest and plain, beneath our feet, in the grove at our back, and high overhead; not siDgly and in succession, but several together, forming chorus, as it were. Beetles, katy-dids, grass hoppers, bees, and variety of other insects buzzed, whirred and chirped, and birds, many of them rare to the region, sang and uttered their accus- toned notes.
 Then came the larger creatures :; . bears growled, wolves howled, scapits stags believed and roared, dogs and foxes parked, caribou clattered hoofs and horns, moose sstalked," and the cat-tribes spat and swore. These were followed by third medley made up of the sounds of small quadrupede, like marmots, hares and squirrels, the piping and croaking of frogs, hooting