O4 ~ -REPoRT—1890.

shamans had always more than one helper. The principal duty of the
shaman was to cure the sick. Disease may be due to a foreign body enter-
ing the body of a person, to disobeying certain rules, to the temporary
absence of the soul, or to witchcraft. In all of these cases the help of the
shaman is needed. The most important among the paraphernalia of the
shaman is a headdress made of a mat, which is worn in his incantations.
The mat is about two yards long by one yard wide. The corners of one
of the narrow ends are sewed together, and it is put on as a headdress,
the whole length of the mat hanging down the back of the shaman.
Before putting it on they blow on it and sprinkle if with water which
had been poured over magic herbs. As soon as the shaman puts on
the headdress he ‘acts as though he was crazy,’ 7.e., he puts himself
into a trance by singing the song he had obtained from his guardian
spirit at the time of his initiation. He dances until he perspires freely,
and finally his spirit comes and speaks to him. Then he lies down next
to the patient and sucks at the part of the body where the pain is. He
is supposed to remove a thong or a feather from it, which was the cause
of the disease. As soon as he has removed it he leaves the hut, takes
off his mat, and blows upon the object he has removed from the
body, which then disappears. It is stated that in his dances he some-
times sinks into the ground down to his knees.

If the disease is produced by witchcraft or by disobedience to certain
regulations, the shaman, during his trance, goes into the lower world, 2.e.,
underground, in order to consult with his guardian spirits. After a while
he returns to the upper world and announces the cause of the sickness,
saying that a woman passed by the head of the patient, or that the
shadow of a mourner fell upon him, or giving some other imaginary
cause of sickness. The most elaborate performance is the bringing back
of absent souls. The Shushwap believe that while a man is alive the
shaman is able to see the soul. After death the soul becomes invisible,
although its movements may be heard. Therefore the shaman will some-
times lie down, the ear on the ground, and listen. If he hears a noise
of a passing soul without seeing anything he will say: ‘ So-and-so has
died. I heard his soul, but did not see it passing by.’ If he sees it, it is
a sign that the person to whom the soul belongs is sick, but may recover
‘f his soul is restored to him. Then the shaman puts on his mat and
begins his incantation. As soon as he has succeeded in summoning his
spirit he sets out with him in search of the lost soul. While he is
unconscious he runs and jumps, and is heard te speak to his spirit. He
will say, for instance, ‘ Here is a chasm; let us jump across it!’ He
actually gives a jump and says, ‘ Now we have passed it,’ &c. Finally
he meets the soul, and is seen to have a severe fight with it until it 1s
finally overcome. Then he returns in company with his spirit to the
upper world, and throws off his mat as soon as he comes back. He
restores the soul to the sick person by laying it on the crown of his head.

Sickness due to witchcraft is treated in the following way: When a
shaman hates any person and looks at him steadfastly, he sends the latter’s
soul underground, to sunrise or sunset. The anger of a shaman may be
aroused, for instance, by a young man who prides himself of his courage,
and in order to show his undaunted spirit paints his face with figures,
representing stars, sun, moon, birds, or any other designs that are con-
sidered becoming to the most powerful men of the tribe. After the soul
has left the body of the young man another friendly shaman is called.
He begins at once to sing all the songs of the shamans of the tribe. It