Siberia, prepare a feast, when they are to name a child. If it be a boy, the ceremony is performed in the presence of men alone, excepting the mother of the child, and in the presence of women only, excepting the father, if it be a girl. Every family have retained the names which have been delivered down to them by their ancestors; sometimes, however, when a widow is married again, the name of the deceased is transferred to her new husband. Old men are generally by the young called fathers, and those of the same age brothers. La Roche tells us that the children of some Tartar tribes, who had been converted to Christianity, were allowed to go only a week by the names which they received at the Baptismal Font; because they dreamt that the spirits of their fathers were offended at the changing of their names. JUGGLERS AMONG THE NORTH AMERICAN IN- These jugglers, according to the Bishop of Meaux, make a profession of corresponding only with what they call the benefical Genii, and who boast of knowing by their means whatever passes in the most distant countries, and whatever shall come to pass in the most distant ages. They pretend to discover the use and nature of the most hidden diseases, and to have the secret of curing them; to discern in the most intricate affairs what resolution it is best to take; to explain the most obscure dreams; to obtain success in the most difficult undertakings, and to render the gods propitious to warriors and hunters. These pretended good Genii are, like all the Pagan deities, real devils, who receive homages that are due only to the true God, and whose deceits are still more dangerous than those of the evil Genii, because they contribute more to keep their worshippers in blind ness. It is certain, that among their agents the boldest are more respected. With a little artifice, therefore, they easily impose on those who are brought up in superstition. Although they might have seen the birth of these impostors, if they take a fancy to give themselves a supernatural birth, they find people, who believe them on their word, as much as if they had seen them come down from heaven, and who take it for a kind of enchantment and illusion, that they thought them born at first like other men. Their artifices are, in general, so gross, and so common, that there are none but fools and children who are imposed upon by them. But when they act as physicians, their skill is never doubted for the greatest credulity is found in every country, concerning the recovery of health. It has been asserted by persons whose words could not be suspected, that when these impostors shut themselves up in their stoves to sweat, and this is one of their most common preparations to perform their tricks, they differ very little from the Pythonesses, as the poets have represented them on the Tripod. They are seen to become convulsed, and possessed with enthusiasm, to acquire tones of the voice, and to do actions which appear to be beyond the strength of nature. It is also asserted, that they suffer much on these occasions; so that there are some who do not readily engage, even when they are well paid, to give themselves up in this manner to the spirit that agitates them. After coming out of these violent sweats, they go and throw themselves into cold water, even when it is frozen, without receiving any damage. This is a matter which physic cannot account for; however, it is certain that there is nothing supernatural in it. 16* THE PONOMOOSI OR PROPHETS AMONG THE KAMSCHADALES, CORIAKS, &c. We are assured by Santini, Abernethy, and La Roche that sever 1 tribes in the north-east parts of Asia have their prophets whom they call Ponomoosi. This deceitful order, they tell us, predict their fate in battle and their success in the chase; and this knowledge they pretend to have received from their deities. They retire into the forest, where they fast for several days. During this time they beat a drum, cry, howl, sings, and smoke. This preparation is accompanied with so many furious actions that one would take them for evil spirits. These fortune-tellers are visited at night by their relations, who bring them intelligence of every thing that happens in the villages during their absence. By these means they are enabled, on their return from their dens, to impose upon the credulous; because the first part of their prophecy consists of giving an account of all those who married, died, and returned from the chase since they departed. They seldom fail in giving a correct statement of these and other things, as their private informants are equally interested in the success of their prophecy, from an expectation of being remunerated. "The Ponomoosi of the Coriaks, says Abernethy, are an inferior order of priests, who declare the will of their deities, and act as their interpreters; but in offering sacrifices, the Ponomoosi are never their priests. Their chief employment is to practise physic, in which they are sometimes successful, and to foretell the consequence of their wars and the chase. They practice physic on principles founded on the knowledge of simples, on experience, and on circumstances, as they do in other conutries. To this knowledge they always join a great deal of superstition and imposture." The following account of a conjurer is given us by Captain Lyon. This is also another sort of impostors, no less ridiculous than the former, and differing merely in name. "All light being excluded, the sorcerer began chanting with great vehemence. He then, as far as I could perceive, began turning himself rapidly round, and in a loud, powerful voice vociferated for Tornga (the name of his familiar spirit) with great impatience, at the same time blowing and snorting like a walrus. His noise, impatience, and agitation, increased every moment, and he at length seated himself on the deck, varying his tones, and making a rustling with his clothes. Suddenly, the voice seemed smothered, and was so managed as to sound as if retreating beneath the deck, each moment becoming more distant, and ultimately giving the idea of being many feet below the cabin, when it ceased entirely. His wife now informed me, that the conjurer had dived under the ship, and that he would send up Tornga. Accordingly in about a minute, a distant blowing was heard, very slowly approaching, and a voice, which differed from that we had at first heard, was at times mingled with the blowing, until at length both sounds became distinct, and the old woman told me Tornga was come to answer my questions. I accordingly asked several questions of the sagacious spirit, to to each of which I received an answer by two loud slaps on the deck, which I was given to understand were favorable. A very hollow, yet powerful voice, certainly much different from that of the conjurer's, now chanted for some time; a jumble of hisses, groans, shouts, and gobblings like a turkey, succeeded in rapid order, when the spirit asked permission to retire. The voice then gradually sank from our hearing as at first, and a very in istinct hissing succeeded, (in its advance it sounded like the tone produced by the wind on the base chord of an Eolian harp,) this was soon changed to a rapid hiss like that of a rocket, and the conjurer with a yell announced his return." Santini tells us that prophets of the same kind are held in great veneration among different tribes in Tartary; but that they do not use so many ridiculous ceremonies in their predictions. ORATORS AMONG THE NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS. Among the Indians every tribe and every village have their orators as well as priests, physicians, and jugglers. In the public councils and in the general assemblies they have a right to plead the cause of criminals and plaintiffs. An European would scarcely believe their fluency of speech and the loftiness of their ideas. They speak for a long time and to the purpose. Nothing can be more pleasing than to witness the interest which the orator takes in defending those who employ him. On some occasions the women employ an orator who speaks in their names, if they imagine that their liberties are encroached on. No person would think that the Indians in their original state, when they had no possessions, either public or private, nor any ambition to extend their power, should have so many affairs to be thus adjusted. It is true, that the Indians, as well as the rest of the human family negociated and carried on a kind of traffic among themselves, and especially with the Europeans since they became acquainted with each other. Under such circumstances, therefore, we need not feel astonished that they had also their courts of justice. They had, besides, some new treaties to conclude, to renew offers of service and mutual civility, to court alliances, and to join invitations in making war. Any business of this description, we are told, was conducted with dignity, great attention, and ability. |
