wanting Ladies living with the white who confer full share of their favors on some of the in-
dians; & from one of these I fancy it is he got these shoes; but to hide the business imput-
ed them to Folly, which served him a double end. If I can see that Chap I shall be very
particular in my inquiries of him—I know him well. This brings to my mind the
White Stag or Hind, Sertorius had in his exile & during his wars with his country as
mentioned by Plutarch. Indeed—to be candid, I find a very great affinity between the
ideas & notions of these people & those of the Greeks & Romans &c. &c. And by these, much,
far much better, than by the incongruous hypothesis of the learned might be traced the
origin of these people; & I am far from taking the task to be difficult: would weonly divest ourselves of our own prejudices & take the proper plan this great Enigma,
if I may so explain myself, would be not perfectly cleared I allow, but a rational
clew afforded to the unravelling of it. I have read many of these hypo-
thesis but they are so filled with inconsistencies that I could scarcely believe men could
employ so much time in them ..... I could say something else instead of the conclusion
of this last sentence.  A Gentleman, & an Englishman too, but I forget his name, would
wish to insinuate that these people are from a different origin with ourselves i.e.
Adam; & to prove his hypothesis he begins by an anatomising hogs! (See the Encyclopae-
dia, not by Rees, but Fitz-Patrick I believe) This puts me in mind of some of the
Newtonian Systems i.e. there is no such thing in nature a Cold—we must
say an absence of Heat! why cannot we as well say there is no such thing as dark-
ness, but merely an absence of light, or reverse either, & either will be as reasonable
—most strange reasoning is this indeed!
    Confession. These People have a notion that confession saves them
from many accidents & also preserves the lives of the Sick, or rather restores them to
their wonted health &c. I have not learned the  origin of this; when, why, or wherefore, but it
seems to be very remote, to have sprang with their mythology. I shall it make a point to enquire
very particularly into this; & for this, as well as other things, at different quarters, to find & detect
errors &c. but all, however, that I have written in these pages, tho' there may be some difference
in the recital & perhaps a few stragling circumstances, are, I have great reason to think
fundamentally the same throughout among these people....... When any one
of them is particularly affected with diseases out of the common course of nature here,
or, tho' the disease may be precisely the same as all others, yet from certain circumstan-
ces, individually, or a combination of them, they say he is Oh-gee-nay in Cree,
or On-gee-nay in Sauteux (the On- pronounced as in french & not English), by which
it would seem as if they meant he was afflicted or chastised for his own sins, or those of some
of his or her, near relatives, i.e. father, mother &c. if children: if grown up & married persons,
for their own.  Whether they only imagine this, or are informed of it by conjuring, private infor-

information from their Familiars, or from the Symptoms of the Sick person &c. &c. I cannot say,
but the thus afflicted person must confess his Sins publickly. Now in these confessions as in
all their other discourses or conversations (initiating & giving of medicines, excepted) they use no
circumlocution, no secret or enigmatical word or term, to screen themselves; but all is de-
livered in plain terms & before every one that chuses to hear: These confessions are ter-
rible things; & they seem far more sincere & complete than those of many catholics.
—They have wonderful retentive memories, & no scene, no crime from their earliest
years unto that day do they hide. But Great God! what abominations!—one would
scarcely imagine the human mind capable of inventing such infamously dia-
bolical actions as some do commit: murder, incest, & other things if possible an
hundred fold more debasing the human Soul. Whether they repent of these things neither
can I say, but it would appear as if they were the acts of a contrite & most humbly
penitant Soul. I have never had an opportunity of hearing these from their own mouths,
but other indians have told me of them, & tho' before their families sometimes, have never
omitted one single circumstance from the suggestions of the idea down to the very
last conclusion. When I heard of these things at first, I would not beleive them; but hearing
them come so circumstantially I trembled for the Land I sojourned in "lest it should
vomit me out as the land of Canaan did its inhabitants" "or be swallowed up in
its destruction as Sodom & Gomorrah"! It is true they are not all so; no, I
am told there are but few, & in charity I hope it is; otherwise what will be my
fate seeing I am in a certain degree partaker with them! Surely the inha-
bitants of such a land, at best, cannot look for more than mere present enjoy-
ment. When I reflect seriously on all these things as I sometimes do, revolv
ving them in every different manner in my mind it is beyond the power of
words to express my feelings. Poor unfortunate blind Creatures! That it is
from Blindness they commit these things. I am fully persuaded, because I am equally confi-
dent that they do not attach that same degree of criminality to them we, from the re-
vealing of the Scriptures to us, do: some, they consider in the light of trifles; some natural; some
weaknesses: but all tend to the gratification of most Bestial appetites, whatever may
have been the original cause, curiosity, or otherwise. However, I received a piece of infor-
mation in one of these, & it was circumstantially  detailed, that has cleared a point to
me I could never solve: & Tho I enquired of both Wool & Bob, they were not wiser than my-
self. Indeed, without the trial or experiment, it seems impossible to say certainly
where the cause lies: now I know it, if ever an opportunity offers, or that it pleases God I
again revisit my own lands I shall be able to speak to a certainty. As I cannot write
Latin, I shall say no more of it at present.—
A few years back an indian at the next Post above this died: he had been a long time sick, &

& from this conceived himself ongenay & accordingly prepared for his Confession.
Having received the details at 2 & 3d hand I shall endeavour to give part of them to you as near theirStile as I can; but really I find myself very inadequate to the task: there is a certain
Poetic Sublimity in their language on such like occasions as will not easily meet with credit
from those (the better informed) of the civilized world unacquainted with these people. Even
amongst ourselves there are but few; for few can judge of the beauties of a language & most of
those few have too hi a notion of their own mighty superiority to stoop to regular conver-
sation with them: But to return: after having revealed all, or most part of his Sins to
the company in general he thus addressed his family in particular—"You see my Chil-
"dren my distressed state: I cannot move nor stir without assistance, & I feel strengthened
"in my lungs (breast, heart) merely as it were by Permission of my Dreamed (some parti-
"cular one he meant) "to divulge my offenses to the Gods (or God) publicly, before you
"you all, to deter you from the same vices (wickednesses). I was once a young man also, the
"same as you are now, healthy & vigorous; nothing appeared difficult nor dangerous to me—
"I lived as became a man, & prospered accordingly; but I thought that this proceeded from my
"own Power only: had I so continued, all had been well! but no, I unfortunately heard
"speake of Such indians (meaning this place, as my informants tell me), how powerful
"they were in their medicines, the extraordinary feats they performed. I envied them, &
"thought that I required but that knowledge more to render me perfect (immortal) &
"happy:—I undertook a voyage to that place: I found that the  bare truth had been
"scarcely told me—I burned with anxiety to becoming as knowing as themselves & I
"was gratified. Had I rested here, all had yet been well; but in learning their me-
"decines I also learned of them those vices, those sins, that by their practice have
"reduced me to this wretched situation. My Sons!  take example from your father!
"be good, charitable, & peaceable indians as I was at the first set off of my life, & employ the
"same means, indulge use the same  anxiety to avoid, that I did to procure, that information
"that hath reduced me so far below the level even of a dog. Never forget this, never in-
"dulge even the least desire of such acquisitions; for if you once begin you will be
"deluded by their flattery to that destruction I have found. But you are young men! &
"unless you find grace you also will be deluded & lost as I am"! I have heard a good
deal said of this indian's confession & exhortations to his Sons—they were not lost. He
himself lived but a short time & seemed much comforted by it.
  There is a tribe of Athabasca that go by the name of Beaver Indians. From
the tenets of their religion I am told that when laying under any malediction, be-
wichisms, &c. or conceive themselves so, they make a vow that the first animal the shall
kill they will do So—they do not fail, but immediately proceed in quest of another which by this
diabolical action they think they will soon find & kill. They do not touch the animal afterwards as

as those Beasts among the Crees & Sauteux do, but leave it lay as a sacrifice: they consider it as a
duty imposed upon them; but the others do it from mere beastiality. "Such a one did so, bro't home
"part of the meat, & we all of us eat it—O! the Dog!" said an indian not long ago to me.
    Lest I may not soon have another opportunity of writing on these Subjects to you I shall
add a few more fragments. An indian here, passing for a great Doctor was applied to
(& is still) by many to attend upon them. "Several of these he retrieved from death: One
"of his dreamed, I beleive the North, was not pleased & told the Doctor 'never to administer
"'his medecines to those he had doomed to death.' The Dr replied it was hard & unchari-
"table seeing he could prolong their days a little. ' Well! for every one that thou dost
"'deprive me of, I shall take one of thy children'; & the Dr lost 8 or 9. (I cannot
"now remember well); but he is now grown more cautious". But this Dr is himself a
beast. "Being unable to stand from sickness he told 2 of his wives 'Take ye me one
"'under each arm to my sweat-heart.—I feel myself dying & dont chuse thus to
"'go': & he actually did. Remember, I am told this; but I have reasons to beleive it.
—He is an incestuous beast: otherwise I find him a good indian & what is most
strange, sensible beyond many of his equals.—
    I have got a caracature here of the Devil carrying off a Taylor. I asked one
of my indians if any of their familiars resembled him & how they were,—the reply was "Yes,
"he resides in the North (at the Pole I suppose) & has a vast number of young men: The
"indians report of some finding their tracks that are very numerous & exactly resemble the
"tracks of the Grey Deer (carriboeuf); but neither him nor his young men are very wick-
"ed: North, Ice, Skeleton, & Folly are the most wicked & ill inclined of all those
we dream of, or enter the conjuring box"!—
    Of their Feasts, I cannot say more than any common observer—I have been in-
vited, & partaken of many of them, but I never thought of enquiring into their origin, the
causes &c. of them. But from the little I could learn or rather understand from the
speeches made at all of them, & what I have learnt  in regard to other things, I think
may say without dreading contradiction, that as there are songs, ceremonies &c.
appropriate to every one of their Gods or Familiars or Devils, there also feasts made for
each according to the whim, dream, or some other circumstance of the one who makes them.
   We denominate these Feasts, & from their own Term it would seem they so mean;
but I consider this again as a premature interpretation which I have not leisure to
explain: I consider them rather as sacrifices—indeed they may perhaps rather
be esteemed as partaking of both. I have somewhere above said that they are obligedto make an annual sacrifice to some of their Gods as the non-performance passes not
off with impunity—these therefore are obligatory, or compulsory sacrifices; but besides these
they also have Free-will sacrifices. These Feasts or sacrifices are not universally of

of Flesh:—they have them of Flesh, Grease, dried berries, rum, &c. &c. and few of these
Feasts are made without the one who makes it offers a certain (very small, only a few mouths-
ful) to him whom it is in honor of, or intended for, which he most commonly puts into
the fire, in or on, the Ground. Some of them are very grand & ceremonius:—the titbits of the animal only, as the head, heart, & liver, tongue, & paws when of a Bear: It is
only the Great men that are allowed to eat of these: Others again, besides the above, the
brisket, rump & ribbs; & very seldom a woman is allowed to partake of them, parti-
cularly if it is un festin à tout manger, i. e. to eat the whole; tho'  there may be
sufficient for 2 or 3 times the number of Guests, all must be eaten before day; tho' in
certain cases the Feaster is obliged, & commonly does, take part back, providing a
knife, a bit of tobacco, or something else attend with the dish. In these great
Feasts the feaster makes one or several Speeches before we begin to eat, & one again
after all is done,  & sometimes sings, beats the drum & speeches during the whole
time of the feast, never partaking of a morsel himself. At Some of them there is
dancing to be performed: I happened to be called to one of these many years ago
—it was the principal parts of a bear; & the Paunch had been filled with the
liver, heart & fat with blood, minced, & much resembling that dish the Scotch
term haggish: we were all very hungry & tho' we gormandized (it cannot be
called eating) there yet remained full 2/3ds. The Feaster was uneasy & said he would
have been proud had we eaten all, for in that case his Dreamed would have been
propitious: we were obliged to dance also; but when I could stow no more I gave him
my knife & a bit of Tobacco & walked off leaving him to settle with his God as well
as he could; but indeed I was not very scrupulous then, otherwise I had most
certainly avoided many of them, tho' it is oftentimes dangerous if there be not
method or qualification in the refusal. Their feasts of rum are often to some
one of the 4 wicked ones, praying them to be propitious & not allow themselves to be
influenced by the wicked sollicitations of envious indians. Many years ago I
happened to be out a hunting a few miles from the house & came unexpectedly
upon the lodge of a few indians I had that day given rum to. I heard one of
them harangue, & drew up cautiously to listen—He entreated the rain, snow &
frost to have pity upon their young ones (that they might kill) &c. I commu-
nicated this a few years after to a couple of Gentlemen—one of them longer
in the country than myself denied it & enquired of his wife who had lived a
long time with the indians—she corroborated his denial—I perceived the
cause, & told him that it was because they do not chuse that we become too well
informed of all their ceremonies: it was to no effect, & I had almost a mind to credit
the woman too myself, but by insinuation I find I am perfectly right. Thus it

it happens in almost every thing else: a thing that does not meet with our approbation, or be a
little beyond the Sphere of our limited information, we immediately deny or condemn; whereas by
taking proper measures to enquire or inform ourselves not only those things themselves but others
far more interesting, & sometimes too of the greatest moment, whether to ourselves or others, are rendered
probable, reasonable, certain. Hence it is also that many upon receiving a piece of informa-
tion there rest themselves as upon a Rock of certainty. Now either of these I consider
equally blameable as they lead to distrust, doubt, & sometimes to a complete refutation or asser-
tion of facts that very oftentimes cast a stain or stigma sometimes upon a whole people.
& without any other foundation than as might be said that all Powerful Veto.—
    They have feasts for the dead, most commonly berries,—or in countries where it is made,
Sugar: generally yearly a bark box of perhaps 2 or 3 Gallons is placed in the grave, upon
it , or well hid in some private nook, if they are afraid, or do not chuse, it be taken
—I ought rather to have said these are sacrifices; but independent of these they have Feasts
also, & feasts of Baptism. Feasts inshort for almost every occasion. Besides these
they have smoking feasts: these are to deliberate.—I shall, should it please God I live,
make it a point to enquire particularly into the origin of all these.—
    June 5th. These last 3 days have been busy & turbulent ones for me—it is now
considerably past midnight (& of course the 6th June) but my indians are drinking
&  I cannot think of going to bed Till they do I shall employ my few remaining
leisure moments ('till next year, please god I live so long) in giving you an
account of a conjuring bout I with some difficulty got an indian to make
last night (June 4th).—In the evening the hut was prepared at some dis-
tance from the houses on account of the stink as the Spirits cannot, or will
not endure any pollution—The hut consisted of 10 poles about 7 feet out
of Ground, well stuck in, & somewhat better than 3 feet diameter—the
Poles were secured with 2 hoops: they were covered with 2 Parchment skins
(of Moose) well bound with many rounds of strong leather line: thetop was covered with a dressed skin & secured also, to prevent its being
carried off (by the wind)—About 10P.M. (still broad day light with
us) we drew up with the conjuror, smoked & chatted some time. after
this he took his drum (much resembling a tambourine) & with a
stick gently struck it all the time he made a speech: I was almost
touching him (all seated) but from the noise of the drum & his low voice,
for the man has a dreadful complaint on his lungs, I could only gather
"Take pity upon me; take pity upon me; hear & come: let me not
speake in vain, nor become abashed—show me charity" &c. &c.—it was
a moderate & decent prayer. After this they (for there were several men) began

began to sing, using the drum & rattler—they sang among others the moose, horse,
Bear, & Dog Songs; about a dozen in number, when he prepared by taking off his
clothes, all to his cloute, & asked who should tie him, I replied that I would,
but was afraid of hurting him: another conjuror did beginning with his
fingers between the 2 joints nearest the hand nearly as I can describe
it—thus giving a double turn to the line between each
finger, & the line was new Mackerel, small, which I happened to have
in my pocket by accident.—I drew up to inspect & observing the fin-
gers to swell upon his complaining of the tightness I felt a good deal for
him. After this his blanket was wrapped round him & tied in such a
manner, lengthways, crossways & every way, & a good knot I tied at
each meeting of the cords; for I assisted in this, that I could have laid
any wager that it was beyond the Power of Spirits themselves, thus tied, to
eradicate themselves; & his hands were under his hams—as he could no
more move than fly, of himself, the other conjuror & I put him to the
door, but behold! it was with difficulty we could just get his
head in, the entry being too narrow by about 10, or 12 ins. screwing
& jaming considered. "It will do, it will do" said the conjuror—"cover
me now"—his back was covered with a blanket & we all retreated
to our seats, myself about 4 feet distant—The others took the drum
& began to sing. I could not help but laughing in myself & pitying the
boldness of their vanity,—but I had soon occasion to think other-
wise & had I not predetermined that reason should conduct me throughout the
whole  of this, I cannot say how far in the other extreme I might have gone.
But to return: the conjuror desired the others to sing, they began a short song,
I believe it was that of the Stone, & the man entered in an instant! I was
struck dumb with astonishment; for he appeared to me to
slide in by something that was neither invisible nor descernible—I heard some-
thing that for the life of me I cannot account for, & that's all: from the time
we covered him (25.'  Past 10 P.M) to the time we had done hunting for the
twine that tied his fingers, not quite 5 minutes elapsed, & not 1 1/2 minutes
before his blanket & the cords were thrown out to us!—Not one of them,
apparently (i.e.  one knot) untied!—My astonishment & apprehen-
sions of his being entirely carried off from us were such, that I was nearly
springing up to haul him out, for fear of his being for ever lost. The others
continued singing a few other songs & I had the utmost anxiety in hearing repeated-
ly call out as if in the greatest apprehensions himself "enough! enough! e-

Enough of ye I say"; & frequently for the space of some minutes repeating the same,
& now & then calling out "do not Thou enter." The Stone was the first one known
to us, by his song; for every one almost that entered sang his song, to which those
(the indians) on the outside would keep chorus. A vast number entered, I verily
beleive upward of an hundred; for upwards of that number of times the frame
shook back-&-forwards and very smartly as if to fall; & among the first
were some truly terrible characters. I have almost entirely converted myself
from these foolish ideas of Ghost & hobgoblins, but I assure you in truth
that I more than once felt very uneasy. The Ice entered—he made a noise
extremely resembling that made by a person shivering with cold, loud, &
hoarse & liquid. The Devil himself also entered in propria persona, in
a very authoritative & commanding manner: I assure you there was no
laughing nor gigling outside, all the time he sang & spoke. The Turtle
spoke as an old Jocular man. "I hate the french; for in their travels
"when they find me, they kill me & eat me:—I shall answer none of their questions"
but this was a joke; for he laughed. "Speake out Turtle, speake out, louder that
"we hear the", said those without "—I would too, replied he, but my voice is
"so strong I must contract it thus otherwise ye could not endure the sound
"of it." "Hop! continued he, I must imitate the drunk", which he did
to the great diversion of us all & concluded with snoring, the natural
end of all drunken feasts & then became quiet, on which another voice
(which I also perfectly heard & understood as well the Turtle herself) cried
out--"see! see! if she does not look like a frog  stretched out" & this
raised a proper laugh both in & out. The Dog entered, & spoke perfectly
plain & distinct, & with a more elegant & harmonious voice I ever heard
in my life. Bears of 3 or 4 different sorts, the horse, moose, Skeletons,
spirits of departed & still living friends entered; but none but the
latter & above mentioned were to be understood by any but the conju-
ror himself. On the entering of one "that is my (adopted) Son" said
an Indian seated by me & called out his name to which he readily
answered besides questions: this young man & a girl, both living,
spoke very plain (you must observe that it is not their bodies, but their
Souls or Spirits that enter)—Children almost at the instant of birth,
Dwarfs, Giants; but this latter did make a noise indeed. We all
laughed very heartily when the horse entered; for it appears he passed too
near the Turtle who called out as the horse was flying about (in the inside)
singing & rattling his rattler, "I wish you would take care of yourself & not tread

"tread on one" in allusion to his diminutive size in comparison with that of
horse. It is somewhat surprising that every one that entered, whether he spoke plain,
or was interpreted—their First words were your lands are distressed—keep
not on the Gnd River—sickness, sickness; "but from amongst ye here  I shall
select only a few aged ones" said one of the latter,  but in a voice no one but the
conjuror could understand—as he went out however the Conjuror paid him a most
bawdy compliment—we all laughed & asked what was the matter "pah! no-
thing. I am only afraid of him said the Conj.—One of them that entered
apparently the Devil himself for he spoke & acted en veritable maitrestartled us all a great deal & enquired authoritatively & angrily, "what
"want ye of me?—speake? "—Upon several hurried enquiries put
to him he said that some things I saw & heard in my house this win-
ter, were by Mr Frobisher, who expired so dreadfully in 1819—"he
"is a skeleton (Pah-kack); & it is he who built this house—he comes
"to see"—!!! Tho' I did certainly both hear & see, several times this winter,
& once in particular, about 2.a.m. yet I do not feel much inclined to add
faith to this assertion of Davy's—I must have something more substantial.
But I am much inclined to doubt master Davy's assertions & consider this & several others
of his sayings at former Periods in the same light as those he delivered at many of
Grecian temples; for I have every substantial reason to consider him as the same identical Gen-
tleman: however, a short time hence will decide: The Turtle said we should
have a good deal of rain; but not a very great deal & a very hi wind, & as soon as
the Sun should appear, "at its setting an indian (naming him by a very extraor-
dinary & bawdy features in his person) should arrive & bring us meat; but thisyou will eat of course, & I shall go without"—{"Beware of yourselves—Tomorrow
night you shall drink & be drunk: drink & leave the house as soon as you
"can; for there are from that wind (by which he designated the South)
"who if they drink with ye, ye shall become pitiful" alluding to two
blackguard half breed brothers, who proud of the bravery of their deceased father are
ever & anon insulting & domineering over the other indians: it is worthy of remark
that an aged man in the course of this last winter was advertised of the Same, &
repeatedly pressed not to drink at the house on their accord}. This is now
the 6th (June) the Sun appears, but the wind is very hi, & we have frequent
showers of rain & snow.—About midnight the Conjuror addressed me &
asked if I wished to see any of them (the Spirits)—I accepted the offer & thrust
my head underneath, & being upon my back I looked up & near the top
observed a light as of a Star in a Cloudy night about 1 1/2in. long & 1 broad; tho'

tho' dim, yet perfectly distinct. Tho' they all appear as lights, some larger & others smaller,
this one was denominated the Fisher Star; the name by which they designate the Plough, I
believe we call it, or Great Bear, from the supposed resemblance it bears to that animal,
the fisher. When I was entering, several of the Indians on the outside called out
to the Spirits "Gently! Gently! It is our Chief who wishes to see ye:—do
"him no evil" &c.—I had my apprehensions. A little after one P.M. one of
my men looked in, with several Indians, & saw several small lights about
as large as the Thumb nail. A few minutes before 2 P.M. being day light
they gave another shaking to the frame & made their exit.
The above is an account of only a small part, for I am too much pressed
for time—I cannot therefore enter into particulars, nor a larger detail; nor give
you my opinion further than a few words. I am fully convinced, as much so
as that I am in existance, that Spirits of some kind did really & virtually
enter  some truly terrific, but others again quite of a different character.—
I cannot enter into a detail  by comparisons from ancient & more modern history,
but I found the consonance, analogy, resemblance, affinity, or whatever
it may be termed so great, so conspicuous that I verily beleive I shall never
forget the impressions of that evening; but above all things that sticks most
forcibly in my mind is the unbound Gratitude we owe, & ought to shew,
every instant of our existance to that almighty Power that deigned to sacrifice
his only Son for us for our Salvation! Oh my God! let me never for-
get this!—& teach me to thank thee not only with my lips
but with every action of my life! x x x x x x x x &c. &c.—
Here I must close & in a few minutes Seal up this for your peru-
sal, sincerely wishing I may find an opportunity, safe, of conveying it
to you—How earnestly I wish Robt had been present & understood
the language—This would convince the most skeptic.—
To Mr Wm Nolan, Wm Henry G. Nelson

Note: Read these Pages among yourselves, & lend them
not out of the house—