ext in dignity." Owing to the superstitious notions of the
people, the chiefs are still feared on account of the magical powers
ascribed to them; it is firmly believed they can, at will, inflict
diseases, cause misfortunes of every kind, and even death itself;
and so strong is this impression, that they will not even pass in a
direction where the shadow of a chief, or "man of medicine," might
fall on them, "lest," say they, "he should bear us some ill-will and
afflict us with some disease."

These conjurors, nevertheless, are the greatest bunglers at their
trade of any in the Indian territory; they practise none of the
clever tricks of the Sauteux sorcerers, and are perfectly ignorant
of the medicinal virtues of herbs and plants, with which the Sauteux
and other Indians often perform astonishing cures. The Takellies
administer no medicine to the sick; a variety of ridiculous
gesticulations, together with singing, blowing, and _beating_ on
the _patient_, are the means they adopt to effect their end; and
they, not seldom, effectually cure the patient of "all the ills of
life." Whether they effect a cure or not, they are sure to be well
recompensed for their expenditure of wind, an article of which they
are not sparing: they, in fact, exert themselves so much that the
perspiration pours from every pore. The only real remedy they use,
in common with other Indians, is the vapour-bath, or sweating-house.
The house, as it is termed, which is constructed by bending twigs of
willow, and fixing both ends in the ground, when finished, presents
the appearance of a bee-hive, and is carefully covered to prevent the
escape of the vapour; red-hot stones are then placed inside, and water
poured upon them, and the patient remains in the midst of the steam
thus generated as long as he can bear it, then rushing out, plunges
into the cold stream. This is said to be a sovereign remedy for
rheumatism, and the natives have recourse to it in all cases of severe
pain: I myself witnessed its efficacy in a case of paralysis.

The salubrity of the climate, however, renders disease of every kind
extremely rare, except such as are caused by the excesses of the
natives themselves. The venereal is very common, and appears to have
been indigenous. At their feasts they gorge themselves to such a
degree as to endanger their lives; after a feast many of the guests
continue ill for a considerable time, yet this does not prevent them
from gormandizing agai