Though the Indians kill and eat bears, they are very much afraid of the ghosts of the bears after they are dead.  They are more afraid of a bear after it is dead than when it is alive.  So, whenever an Indian has killed a bear, he always begs the dead bear’s pardon.  Each of these Indians now politely begged pardon of the bear.  The old woman who had adopted Mr. Henry for her son took the bear’s head in her hands and kissed it.  She called it her grandmother, and asked it not to do them any harm.  The Indians told the dead bear that a white man had killed it.  Of course, the dead bear did not say anything.

Though they called the bear their grandmother, they made haste to take off its skin.  They were glad to find that Grandma Bear was very fat.  It took two persons to carry home the fat.  Four more were loaded with the meat of this nice old relative of theirs.

But still wishing to fool the bear’s ghost, they carried the head also to their tent.  They put all kinds of silver trinkets on the head, and many belts of wampum or shell beads on it.  In order to please the ghost of Grandmother Bear still more, they laid the head on a kind of table that they made for it, and placed a large quantity of tobacco near its nose.

The next morning a feast was made to please the bear’s ghost.  The head of the bear was lifted, and a new blanket was spread under it.  All the Indians lighted their pipes, and blew tobacco smoke into the bear’s nose.  Wawatam made a speech to the bear’s spirit.  He told it they were very sorry to have to kill their friends.  But he said it could not be helped, for, if they did not do this, they should starve to death.

The speech being over, the whole party ate heartily of the bear’s flesh.  After three days they even took down the head itself, and put it into the kettle.  Thus they ate their grandmother up, but they did it very politely.

THE GREAT TURTLE.

Among the Indians there are priests or medicine men who pretend to cure diseases.  They also pretend to talk to their gods and other spirits.  They have many ways of deceiving the Indians.

Mr. Alexander Henry, while a prisoner among the Indians, was present when the tribe he was with asked advice of the Great Turtle, which is one of the gods they believe in.

The Indians had heard that there was an English army coming against them.  They were very much afraid, because they had killed or taken prisoner all the English in Fort Mackinaw.  They wished to send messengers to make peace with the white men, but they were afraid the white men would kill their messengers.  In this state of mind, they asked the Great Turtle what they would better do.

They first built a large house or wigwam.  In the middle of this they set up five posts, and covered these posts with moose skins.  This made a little tent in the middle of the large wigwam.