(48) "--we do every thing in our Power to drive him away from us, but still he hovers about us & we can- "not avoid him. You are very fortunate--you live as you please, never care for him nor does he molest "you."--Such I am told are the _sentiments_ of these people in General. I look upon this as a sort of mania, a fever, a distemper of the brain. Their eyes (for I have seen thus perplexd) are wild & uncommonly clear--they seem as if they glistened--It seems to me to lodge in the Head. They are generally rational except at short, sudden intervals when the paroxysms cease them: their motions then are various & diametrically contrary at one time to what they are the next moment--Sullen, thoughtful, wild look & perfectly mute:--staring in sudden convulsions, wild incoherent & extravagant language. There was one a few years back infected with this not far from where I was at the time: the accounts given of him, tho' I shall not vouch for their truth are thus. One night towards the latter end of December he began staring at his daugh- ter with an extraordinary intenseness: "My daughter! I am fond of thee! I love "thee extremely"--"I know thou dost" replied the woman abashed, for she was then very young"--Yes! I love thee--I think I could eat a piece of thee, I love thee "so much". The Girl exclaimed at his rashness--there were but 3 of them the father, daughter & her husband. When it was dark he put himself stark-naked & uttering a strong tremulous noise, & his teeth chattering in his head as if thro' cold, rose up & walked out of the Tent & laid himself curled as a dog in a heap upon the wood that his daughter had that day bro't to the door. Here he remained all night in- spite of what they could do. A little before day he returned. Thus did he every night for about a month & every time slept out naked; nor would he eat, excepting at times a little raw flesh. In the day time he was more composed, but his face &c. bore the appearance of one possessed of the Devil. He recovered & became as usual, composed, & good natured--I knew them all well, but had no dealings with them from the year before (1812)--A young indian a few years back had _one_ of the above Dreams. He became very uneasy & thoughtful finding it recur so very frequently: & he would have willing undergone any torments any death rather than become an anthropophagi: he also frequently desired his friends upon any, the least appear- ance of these symptoms in him to kill him. "For if you do not kill me 'till I have eaten of _human_ "flesh, you'll perhaps not be able to do it afterwards; but my Children! Oh! my children! "how grieved am I to leave ye! but it must be so--I have no alternative." "Spare me "not, my friends I conjure you"! He had been a good hunter & a peaceable indian, & of course much loved by his friends: this business depressed them a great deal. At last the time approach-