We may remark in passing that the word “medicine,” as used among the North American Indians, has a very much wider signification than it has with us.  It is an almost inexplicable word.  When asked, they cannot give a full or satisfactory explanation of it themselves.  In the general, we may say that whatever is mysterious is “medicine.”  Jugglery and conjuring, of a noisy, mysterious, and, we must add, rather silly nature, is “medicine,” and the juggler is a “medicine man.”  These medicine men undertake cures; but they are regular charlatans, and know nothing whatever of the diseases they pretend to cure or their remedies.  They carry bags containing sundry relics; these are “medicine bags.”  Every brave has his own private medicine bag.  Everything that is incomprehensible, or supposed to be supernatural, religious, or medical, is “medicine.”  This feast, being an unusual one, in honour of strangers, and in connection with a peculiar and unexpected event, was “medicine.”  Even Crusoe, since his gallant conduct in saving the Indian child, was “medicine;” and Dick Varley’s double-barrelled rifle, which had been an object of wonder ever since his arrival at the village, was tremendous “medicine!”

Of course the Indians were arrayed in their best.  Several wore necklaces of the claws of the grizzly bear, of which they are extremely proud; and a gaudily picturesque group they were.  The chief, however, had undergone a transformation that well-nigh upset the gravity of our hunters, and rendered Dick’s efforts to look solemn quite abortive.  San-it-sa-rish had once been to the trading-forts of the Pale-faces, and while there had received the customary gift of a blue surtout with brass buttons, and an ordinary hat, such as gentlemen wear at home.  As the coat was a good deal too small for him, a terrible length of dark, bony wrist appeared below the cuffs.  The waist was too high, and it was with great difficulty that he managed to button the garment across his broad chest.  Being ignorant of the nature of a hat, the worthy savage had allowed the paper and string with which it had been originally covered to remain on, supposing them to be part and parcel of the hat; and this, together with the high collar of the coat, which gave him a crushed-up appearance, the long black naked legs, and the painted visage, gave to him a tout ensemble which we can compare to nothing, as there was nothing in nature comparable to it.

Those guests who assembled first passed their time in smoking the medicine pipe until the others should arrive, for so long as a single invited guest is absent the feast cannot begin.  Dignified silence was maintained while the pipe thus circulated from hand to hand.  When the last guest arrived they began.