"not to impose upon people to frighten them." However, they are in general kind & extremely indulgent to those thus infected: they seem to consider it as an infliction & are desirous of doing all they can to assist. There are however many exceptions: but these again depend upon the circumstances &c. attending them. One of my best hunters here is thus tormented, or at least thus torments himself; & very often desires his friends in compassion to put a period to existence the first symptoms he may shew of cannibalism. A young girl lately maried, & scarcely worth a _Filip_, so small & diminutive, was this winter seized with this phrensy--the consequence was that the men durst not leave the tent for any (50) any length of time, being obliged to assist the women in holding & preventing her from biting or eating any of the children, & perhaps herself. They bethought of a sacrifice i.e. cropping her hair & short-- --she recovered & is now well. She says "I do not recollect any single one circumstance of all that "is told me.--I thought I was always on the tops of the Trees." There is another one of my in- dians thus affected too. The indians say it is a punishment (from some of their _familiars_ of course) for so lightly esteeming their ceremonies; nay indeed & ridiculing them often. This fall he began: there were but 2 men of them together (with each his family)--Things bore a most dismal aspect;--at last the wife of the other, who by-the-bye is said to a little affected that way too, told him one day that he sprang forward to seize one of _his own_ children, to "keep quiet, for thou dog if a Gun hath no effect on thee, my " axe shall--I shall chop thee up into slices:--thou hast then better be quiet." This kept him indeed quiet for some time: how they are now I cannot say, not hav- ing heard of them from the beginning of Decr (now Apl. 20th). They appear most inclined to prey _first_ upon their own family: & they also think that fire arms are absolutely unable to injure them--"a ball cannot injure _Ice_: to destroy "_Ice_, it must be _chopped up_: & the _heart then is all Ice_." They sometimes, indeed frequently recover with the warm weather "for the sun then _animates_ all nature"!!!--There are many other instances of a like kind in their tendency or consequences, but different in their proceedings that I cannot bring to mind at present: I men- tion several of these to shew you the different manner they are infected--in the mean time I shall relate you others not less entertaining. There are several Spirits of whom these people are much afraid, but four principally, they being the most malignant & little accepting of _excuses_ however great & urgent they may be for the non performance of _their_ sacrifices. These are the _North, Ice, Skeletons & the Crazy woman_, or foolish, mad, jealous, woman. "Not very many years ago an indian had entered his conjuring _hut_.