The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1888-05-16
CONJURHR OF THE oJIBBwAs.
Feats That Exceiied Those of the PROBES
sed Spirit Mediums.
From Youths companion.l

hod spirit
From Youths Companion.l
During two years residence in the Al
bany district of that mysterious coun-
try between Lake Superior and Hudson
bay, as medical officer of the Hudson
Bay Fur Company, L was brought in
frequent contact with the medicine
men" of the Ojibbwas, and had many
opportunities Of witnessing the mean
tations and ceremonies peculiar to their
sacred calling.
Our medicine man," Wa-au-poos
(the Rabbit) by name, and whose
adopted brother / eventually became,
influenced 10y my mash-ki-ki-wau- boz" y
(black medicine water-coffee) aud mar
ratives of the deeds of "wau-ste- nau
kit-che moko powahs" famous civilized
necromancers), occasionally developed
sufficient confidence to enlighten me
regarding various secrets of his craft.
and he impressed me with fact, sub
sequently confirmed In my own person,
that physical or mesmeric power is not
necessarily natural gift, but one that
may be successfully cultivated by acts
that produce, temporarily, disordered
conditions of the brain.
A favorite feat of his, as a prelimi-
nary to some special incarnation, was
modification of the so-called cabinet
act" that obtains so generally among
the fraternity of protested mediums;
but as he performed it it was every way
superior to anything l ever witnessed
at the hands of civilized performers.
Not only would he allow himself to
be bound hand and foot after the usual
manner, but his entire body to be en-
veloped and his arms pinioned immov-
ably to his sides, and the moment
q 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 inextricable bunch.
On one occasion, little after noon
day, the theater being bit of prairie
overlooking the lake near Cat Island
House, L pinioned him even more
deliberately than usual, drawing the
thongs of green moose hide so tightly
that blood threated to squirt from be-
meath the ridges of imprisoned flesh.
/ executed variety of knots, twists
and turns taught by former seafaring
experience; and ne passed from my
hands only to be lifted into a small
skin tent ('medicine wigwam") whose
sole furnishing was huge drum orna-
mented with cabalistic devices, that
hung from the interlocking supporters
at the apex of the structure.
Scarce was he concealed from view
when low chant, echoed by muffled
accompaniment upon the drum, began.
Gradually the voice of the wizard rose
higher and higher, the music sounded
xor,lIr l.
came a piercing shrek, the other a
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 re-
commenced in its former cadence and
measure, and at the same time sounded
q multitude of voices of various crea-
lures of forest and plain, beneath our
feet, in the grove at our back and high
overhead-not singly and in succession,
but several together, forming a cho-
rus, as it were, beetles, katydids, grass
hoppers, bees, and a variety of other
insects buzzed, iwhirred and chirped,
and birds rare to the region sung and
uttered their accustomed notes.
Then came the larger creatures:
bears growled, wolves howled, wapiti
stays beloved and roared, dogs and
foxes barked, caribou clattered hoofs
and horns, moose talked, and the cat
tribes spat and swore. These were fol-
lowed 10y third medley made up of the
sounds of small quadrupeds, like mar
mots, hares, and squirrels, and piping
and croaking of frogs, hooting of owls,
and cries of various species of wild
fowl.
All this time the chant and the mon
otonous accompaniment ever droned
from within the medicine tent" 1t was
the most magnificent specimen of ven
triloquism, if ventriloquism it was, that
ever came to my knowledge.
Finally, when the sounds had all
ceased, Wa-au-poos appeared at the en-
trance of the tent freed from his bonds,
which he declared had been removed
and borne away by Pa-ah-kuk. the
Great Game Medicine;" and though
diligent search was made they could
nowhere be found.
Don't BE Too Trustful.