Amongst other superstitious notions, not the least prevalent is that of the Manitoo’s exercise of his power over the dead, whom he orders to appear to them, and acquaint them with what passes at a distance, in respect to their most important concerns; to advise them what they had best do, or not do; to forewarn them of dangers, or to inspire them with revenge against any nation that may have insulted them, and so forth.

They have no idea of his spirituality, or even of the spirituality of that principle, which constitutes their own vital principle.  They have even no word in their language that answers to that of soul in ours.  The term approaching nearest thereto that we can find, is M’cheejacmih, which signifies Shade, and may be construed something in the nature of the Manes of the Romans.

The general belief amongst them is, that, after death, they go to a place of joy and plenty, in which sensuality is no more omitted than in Mahomet’s paradise.  There they are to find women in abundance, a country thick of all manner of game to humor their passion for hunting, and bows and arrows of the best sort, ready made.  But these regions are supposed at a great distance from their’s, to which they will have to travel; and therefore it’s requisite to be well-provided, before they quit their own country, with arrows, long poles fit for hunting, or for covering cabbins, with bear-skins, or elk-hides, with women, and with some of their children, to make their journey to that place more commodious, more pleasant, and appear more expeditious.  It was especially in character for a warrior, not to leave this world without taking with him some marks of his bravery, as particularly scalps.  Therefore it was, that when any of them died, he was always followed by, at least, one of his children, some women, and above all, by her whom in his life he had most loved, who threw themselves into the grave, and were interred with him.  They also put into it great strips, or rolls of the bark of birch, arrows, and scalps.  Nor do they unfrequently, at this day, light upon some of these old burying-places in the woods, with all these funeral accompanyments; but of late, the interment of live persons has been almost entirely disused.

I never could learn whether they had any set formulary of prayer, or invocation to the great Manitoo; or whether they made any sacrifices of beasts or peltry, to any other Manitoo, in contradiction to him, or to any being whom they dreaded as an evil genius.  I could discover no more than what I have above related of the ceremonies in honor of the sun.  I know, indeed, they have a great veneration for the moon, which they invoke, whenever, under favor of its light, they undertake any journeys, either by land or water, or tend the snares they have set for their game.  This is the prayer they occasionally address to it: