When death overtook anybody the grief of the female relations was carried to great excess.  They not only cut their hair, cried and howled, but they would sometimes, with the utmost deliberation, employ some sharp instrument to separate the nail from the finger and then force back the flesh beyond the first joint, which they immediately amputated.  “Many of the old women have so often repeated this ceremony that they have not a complete finger remaining on either hand” (Mackenzie).

[Illustration:  CARIBOU SWIMMING A RIVER]

The Amerindians of North America were religious and superstitious, and had a firm faith in a world of spiritual agencies within or outside the material world around us.  Most of them believed in the existence of “fairies",—­woodland, earth, mountain, or water spirits—­whom they declared they could see from time to time in human semblance.  Or such spirit or demi-god might assume for a time or permanently the form of an animal.  To all such spirits of earth, air, and water, or to the sacred animals they inhabited, sacrifices would be offered and prayers made.  Great importance was attributed to dreams and visions.  They accustomed themselves to make long fasts, so that they might become light-headed and see visions, or hear spirit voices in a trance.  To prepare their minds for this state they would go four or five days without food, and even abstain from drinking.

Undoubtedly their “medicine men” developed great mesmeric powers, and this force, combined with rather clumsy juggling and ventriloquism, enabled them to perform a semblance of “miracles”.  The Iroquois offered much opposition to Christianity, thinking it would tame their warriors too quickly and affect their national independence; but by the greater part of the Amerindians the message of the Gospel brought by the French priests was eagerly received, and the converts became many and most sincere.  Their reverence for the missionaries and belief in them was increased when they saw how effectually they were able to protect them from too-rapacious white adventurers, fierce soldiers, and unscrupulous traders.

The Miamis of Lake Michigan held the symbol of the cross in great respect.  A young Frenchman who was trading with them got into a passion and drew his sword to avenge himself for a theft committed on his goods.  The Miama chieftain, to appease him, showed him the cross, which was planted in the ground at the end of his lodge, and said to him:  “Behold the tree of the Black Gown; he teaches us to pray and not to lose our temper,”—­of course, referring to the missionary in the black gown who had been amongst them.  Before the cross was planted here these Miamis kept in their houses one or more bogies, to which they appealed in times of distress or sickness.  One of these was the skull of the bison with its horns.  Another was the skin of the bear raised on a pole in the middle of the hut and retaining the head, which was usually painted green.  The women sometimes died of terror from the stories told them by the men about these idols, and the Jesuits did a great deal of good by getting them abolished in many places.