purity, which would provoke the disfavor of the god presiding over the des-
tinies of the sahnon, and would cause a failure of the season's run of fish.
The ' ' Ta-man-a-was " is a tutelary or guardian spirit or god who is supposed to see to the welfare of its subject and to give warning of approaching events of a portentious character. Every person having a tamanawas is not necessarily a doctor or medicine man or woman, but every medicine man must have a' ta- manawas. These personal gods were not considered to possess equal attributes — some were supposed to be endowed with greater qualities than others. Some individuals claimed that their gods could disturb the elements of nature ; that is, could cause storms to arise, the lightnings to flash and the thunders to rumble, and other disturbances as well.
These people believe in the immortality of the soul ; they believe in a spirit life and in a spirit land; they believe that the spirits of other animals go to the spirit land as well as that of men. Their conception of the spirit land is quite beautiful and pleasing. There it is always spring or summer ; the fields are per- petually green, flowers blooming; fruit ripening, and running waters diversify the scenery of the beautiful landscapes, with always an abundant supply of game, and of course the inhabitants are in a continuous state of felicity.
They believe that when a person becomes very sick the spirit leaves the body and seeks the shores of the spirit land, and unless it is recaptured and returned to its original tenement, the person will of course surely die. In such cases the services of a skillful tamanawas doctor are engaged, and an assistant is fur- nished him to accompany him on his journey of discovery to the land of the dead. The assistant is given a baton, ornamented in the upper part with plumes of birds and claws of beasts. The doctor manipulates his assistant until he has him mesmerized ; also the baton, which is in a continuous state of agitation ; he then places himself in a trance state, meanwhile keeping up a vigorous chant, and they start on their excursion to the shadowy shores. If they should be for- tunate enough to find the absconding spirit, the doctor seciires it and brings it back with him, oftentimes keeping it over night, and restoring it to the patient next day. Should the patient recover it is proof of the gi'eat powers of the doe- tor, but if on the contrary, the patient pass away, it is evidence that the spirit ran away the second time. And so strong is the regard of the Indian for the coyote (wolf) that he will not kill one of them to this day.
Among all the Indians of the Old Oregon country, four tribes stand out with distinguished prominence. The Platheads of the Bitter Root valley in the Rocky mountains were distinguished for their religious convictions and practice, and continued peace with the white men. The Nez Perces were also remarkable for their attachment to religious teaching, but were equally noted for their courage and sense of justice. The Cayuses were as much noted for their dishonesty and treachery as their neighbors were for good conduct. The Snakes (Shoshones) were the irreclaimable vagabonds. If the white man got a favor from them he had to first pay for it and then execute the contract by a demonstration of superior force. Speaking of the moral character of the Flatheads and Nez Perces, Bonne- ville says that they exhibited strong and peculiar feelings of natural religion ; and that it was not a mere supposititious fear like that of most savages — they evince abstract notions of morality, a deep reverence for an overruling spirit, and a respect for the rights of their fellowmen. They (the Flatheads) hold that
