THE WEST SHORE.
117
send them back to their own country. The spirits told
him the strangers were great warriors, and if sent away
would not heed the warnings of the spirits, and would
surely return. The Mdieino Man wo again very des
pondent, but the Great Spirit told hira the spirits could
gut rid of his enemies, but he must promise for his
tribes implicit obedience to their divine will for all time
to come. He was told that mouutain lions, cougars,
panthers, wolves and all kindred animals were spirit,
that for the people of his tribe to kill or partake of tho
flesh of any of them, would be considered rebellion
against the Great Spirit, and that if this injunction were
ever violated the animals would appear in great num
bers, and eat np every Bannack and Shoshone Indian in
the land. He was then told to go to his home and re
turn as soon as possible with all his people, when an
other great oounoil would be held He again entered
the dark and dismal forest, and following the bright
star as before, reached the Indian oouucil mount before
the dawning of another day.
The Medioine Man related the strange Btory of his
journey, told them of the promises exacted of him, and
ordered all the warriors, old men, womon and children
gathered together on the mount as soon as ixwsiblo.
Some of the warriors denounced him, saying that no In
dian could see the Great Spirit and talk with him,
when he touched a stone, and it took fire, molted and ran
like water. The Indians then believed in him, and
started on their mission to gather the people together,
Several "suns" later they were all collootod on tho
mount to go to the land of spirits. This journey was
also made in the night, and when the opening was
reached nothing could be seen save animals silting
around on their haunches, and the Indians again doubt
ed him and commenced making preparations to put him
to death, when he called piteously to the Groat Spirit,
who appeared before them and addressed to them words
of caution and wisdom. He exacted a promise from all
the Indians in council not to go to war any more with
out first securing the advice and instruction of the
spirits, which would be imparted to the Medicine Man
and his successor for all time to come, and in return
promised that their prayers to be restored to their ooun
try would be fulfilled. Then the Medicine Man was
lifted hieh into the air, and bis companions ecxm lost
sight of him in the darkness. He was carriod above tho
tree-tops to a high, rocky mountain in the valley. He
was ordered to touch the pinnacle with his finger, and
when he did bo it instantly ignited and burned fiercely.
He was carried back and told to dopart with his people
immediately to the mount on which they had held their
previous councils. On thoir journey a bright light
cleamed through occasional openings in the forest, and
the return waa easv and rapid. On reaching tho mount
all beheld the mountain of fire, with melted rock run
nina down it side like red water. The fire increased;
adiaoent hilla and cliffs smelted and rolled into the val-
ley; the foreata were rapidly conaumed, and in a short
time the Talley waa a lake of fire aa far aa the eye could
see. iue invading warriors woro totally destroyed.
After many " moons" tho lava ooolod, but it was several
hiiowm" More tho LroU Iwgnu to apoar again on
tho foothills, and game and fish became plentiful. The
valley was left barren by the Great Spirit, and when
others of tho destroyed race catno and saw what a terri
ble calamity had Mullen those who had preceded them,
they hastened back to tho land whence they came.
The Shoshones and llannaoka are to this day firm
believers in the truthfulness of this tradition, and point
proudly to tho great lava beds as indisputable evidence
of tho fact Tho injunction never to kill or eat of the
flesh of mountain lions, panthers, wolves or kindred ani
mals is strietly obeyed by the members of these trilas.
It may bo that when tho eruptions took place some ex
traordinary Indian among thorn deceived the ignorant
raooa, and impressed them with the idea that ho hail
oonvorsed with the Groat Spirit on soma important
event in thoir history, from which this strango tradition
originated. li. W. JoNltri.
Til it native Newfoundland deor is the oarilou, or
reindeer, a aooimen superior to those of Lapland or
Norway, and sometimes weighing as much as six hun
dred pounds. These door inhabit the interior of tho
island, not in hundreds, but in thousands; soiuo who
have soon their armies in the marching season think in
hundreds of thousands. Tho interior Isting a wilder
ness, they find no interruption, save now ami again when
an explorer pushes his way serosa tho region, which,
through tho summer, they make their homo. 1 ho
marching time of tho herds is as regular as tho season.
When snow covers tho ground in the northwestern sr
tioti of the island they turn their faces toward tho south,
and by steady marches along thu leads, resell the south
western, or less severe part of tho island, whore, through
the winter mouths, they can get browse and lichens.
Parties who have camd near the main lead in march
ing time, havo loft on record that tho door do not move
in very largo Ixslies, as that would prevent them grim
ing freely, hut that they march in herds of irom twenty
to two hundred; that one such laxly Is connected with
another by means of a sort of picket, and that each de
tachment is led by a tall stag. It is glorious sight for
tho huntsman, from his eminence, to see body after Ixxly
of those bright-eyed, niinlilo-footed animals bending
thoir oourso in truo parallel lines, either toward the
north or tho south, with tho regularity and order of
mass of soldiers.
Ciiemation Pol-run IN AusK.-Most of the In-
dians of Alaska Isdiove in cremation. No dead Indian
is taken out through the door, but through the roof or
side of tho house. Tho body is then plrwnl on s pile of
logs, while tho Msiplo stand round and dn j I eating
time with carved poloa while the body burns. When
all is consumed, the ashea are put In a box ami placed
in one of the dead bouse built near tlie town lor the
purpose of holding the ashea of each partieuUr family.