Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1888-05-09
OJIBBW.A CONJUEsETeS.
Feats That ExcelIed Those of the PrOfesse,
Spirit Mediums.

During two years residence in AL
banv district of that mysterious coun-
try between Lake Superior and Hud-
sons bay, as medical officer of the
Hudson's Bay Fur company, l was
brought in frequent contact with the
medicine men of the Ojibbwas, and
had many opportunities OF witnessing
the incantatons and ceremonies
peculiar to their sacred, calling.
One ''medicine man." Wa-au-poos
(the RabbiD by name, and whose
adopted brother | eventually became,
Influenced by my ''mash-ki-ki-wau-
boo (black medicine water-coffee)
and narratives Of the deeds of "wau-
ste-nau Kit-che mo-ko powahs" (fa-
nous civilized necromancers), occa-
sionally developed sufficient con fidence
to enlighten me regarding various
secrets of his craft, and he impressed
me with fact, subsequently confirmed
in my own person, that physical or
mesmeric power is not necessarily
natural gift, but one that may be sue
cessfully cultivated by acts that pro-
duce, temporarily, disordered condi-
tons of the brain.
A favorite feat of his. as prelimin-
airy to some special incarnation, was a
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 wit
messed at the hands of civilized per-
formers.
Not only would he allow himself to
be bound hand and foot after the
usual manner, but his entire body to
be enveloped and his arms pinioned
immovably to his sides, and the mo-
ment 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 inextri-
cable 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 threatened to spout from
beneath the ridges of imprisoned
flesh.
l executed 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 (''me6icine wigwam') whose
sole furnishing was huge drum orna-
mented with cabalstic devices, that
hung from the interlocking supports
at the apex of the structure.
Scarce was he concealed from view
when a low chant, echoed by muff1ed
accompaniment upon the drum, be-
gan. Gradually the voice of the wiz
ard rose higher and higher, the music
sounded louder and more rapidly, I'M
til one became piercing shrek, the
other 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 it's former cadence and
measure, and at the same time sounded
a multitude of voices of various crea-
lures of forest and plain, beneath our
feet, in the grove at our back, and
high over head-not singly and in sue
cession, but several together, forming
a chorus as it were. Beetles, katydids,
grasshoppers, bees, and variety of
insects buzzed, whirred and chirped,
and birds, many of them rare to the
region, sung and uttered their accus-
toned 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 followed by third medley made
up of the sounds of small quadrupeds,
like marmots, hares, and squirrels, the
piping and croaking of frogs, hooting
of owls, and cries of various species OF
wild fowl.
All this time the chant and its monot-
onous accompaniment ever droned
from within the medicine tent" 1t
was the most magnificent specimen of
if ventriloquismit was.
that ever came to my knowledge.
Finally. when the sounds had all
ceased. Wa-au-poos appeared at the
entrance of the tent freed from his
bonds, which he declared had been re-
moved and borne away by Pa-ah-kuk,
the "Great Game Medicine; and
though diligent search was made they
could nowhere be found Youths Com
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