Here! I am again digressing, which is everlastingly the case with me when not in the humor of scribbling. I should have mentioned first (because as you may see, I have begun this story in the middle instead [of] at either of the two ends) that when they want to dream of these things, as well as of any other particular thing, they must fast, and lay down to sleep, keeping their minds as free as possible from any other thoughts whatever, and wholly bent and employed on that particular one alone.
I also should have observed in the proper place that the door [at which] the votary is introduced [through] is exactly in the middle of these rivers, there being twenty on each side of the door. The use [or] intent of the other five doors I never thought to enquire, and must leave you to guess as well as myself 'till such times as I can get this matter explained.
[Songs and Notes]
Their songs are delivered in notes, impressed or drawn on bark, in the form of hierlographics, and thus taught. And being hierlographics, (and not very dissimilar to those anciently used by the egyptians, nay indeed, I have reason to think from what I have seen of both, that any learned man being perfectly acquainted with the one could trace a great deal in the other, but this opinion I hazard from my own ignorance), no two are alike. It therefore requires him to learn them, that is any [every] one of them. For those notes are not like ours, marked with regular bars so that one gamut serves for all. But with them, each one may be said to be itself a gamut. However, I have reason to think that they are regular and uniform. For many years ago, when I was still scarcely more than a boy, I remember throwing away the contents of one these medicine bags in which there were several strips of bark covered with these notes. An Indian happened to be by. He took one up and with the point of his knife, placing it on one of these, began to sing moving the knife regularly as children do when they begin to learn their a, b, c.
This surprised me a little at the time, for the Indian was a stranger and had but lately arrived from his own lands that were several hundred miles off. After laughing at and ridiculing him, as is the custom with us, I asked how he could make them out?
"The same," said he, "as you do to reckon (read) your papers. See this one is (meant for) the Thunder, that the Earth. But I only know a few of these songs. The possessor of this bag knew a great deal. He was a great medicine man, [a] doctor."
As far as I can learn, every different root, herb, plant, mineral, spirit (or whatever you may please to term this latter) has each [its] respective songs. And [these] they must sing, were [their] voices like that of a choked pig, when [they] employ them for one of themselves, or [teach] them to another. When they sing, those of their familiars who instructed this song, [whether] to the one who sings, as having learnt it from himself ([the] familiar) or having been handed to him, [the familiar] is said to attend, invisibly of course, and perform that which he promised this (medicine, supposing it is one) should effect. {This is a long and complex job, and I doubt much if I can get through with it without more of my blundering. But I shall risk blunders, omissions, and repetitions.} Hence it is they always sing when they attend on a desperately sick person amongst themselves, though very rarely when they administer to the white.
[Treatment of the Sick]
When any one is very sick, and that they be called upon, or perhaps, though rarely ordered in their dreams by their familiars, they sing, blow and suck alternately and with such violence that one would think they wanted to to blow them to the d——l, or swallow them down their throats. But no, it is to force in the medicine of which they have generally a mouthful masticated into a pulp, or something near salve, sometimes. The suction business is to draw out the Devil: the medicine, bone, stone, iron, brass, stick, or whatever they imagine it is, that occasions the disease.
If the complaint lies in any particular part, to that part it is they apply themselves most and sometimes only—supposing the hip [or] knee, for there they imagine it is a worm or maggot gnawing them. But if the complaint is universal, that is the whole system be sick and debilitated, it is then the pit of the stomach and the temples, rubbing sometimes the wrist, the palms of the hands and opposite the heart. This is very frequently done. And in the intervals the songs and rattler [are sung and played] together. And often a short speech or prayer [is made] to that one of their Familiars whom they think will be most propitious on the occasion, or he from whom they hold such, or such instruction.