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Delaware Medicine Man.
For several days, Capt. Wolff, the chief of our Delawares, had been ailing, this
morning I noticed some unusual preparations in their camp, on inquiring I was told that,
in the woods, Capt. Wolff, who was very sick, was undergoing the Indian ceremony of
"incantation," by one of the tribe, who was "a great medicine man."
The ceremony was conducted in secret, but I found out afterwards the place, and from the
mode which was explained to me, I understood the rite perfectly. A small lodge, composed
of the branches of trees, high enough for a man to sit upright in, was built; in this the
patient was placed in a state of perfect nudity. "The Medicine Man," who is
outside, takes a "pipe," filled with "kinnikinick and tobacco," and
hands it in to the patient. While the Medicine Man recites the "all powerful
words," the patient puffs away until the lodge is filled with smoke; when the poor
devil is almost suffocated, and exhausted, he is taken out, wrapped in his blankets, and
conveyed to his own lodge.
Feeling anxious about him, I went in to see him about an hour afterwards; I found him
in a high state of febrile excitement, which had, no doubt, been increased by his
extraordinary treatment; he complained of dreadful headache and pain in his back. He
thought he was going to die. I told him if he would submit to my advice I thought I could
cure him—he consented, and I administered ten grains of
calomel, and four hours afterwards half oz. of Epsom salts. He is now considerably
relieved; and I think by the morning he will be well. Indigestion was the cause of his
suffering. I made him some of the arrowroot, which thanks to your usual foresight I found
stowed away in my trunk. I shall reserve it for similar occasions.
Col. Fremont has not yet arrived.
Our quarter master has suddenly discovered that his commissariat is empty, and talks of
sending to Fort Riley for fresh supplies to-morrow; if he does I will forward a package of
letters to you, which please preserve from public eye.
Two Delawares and a muleteer are now preparing to go to "Fort Riley" for
supplies. Capt. Wolff is better; by evening I hope he will be perfectly well. I think if I
had not treated him he would have probably died. Another "incantation" would
certainly have killed him. I shall continue to write to you. Most probably we shall be
detained here a week longer; it is now the 20th October, and I am afraid Col. Fremont is
seriously ill; you will, of course, have heard of his return, and I shall look forward to
receive by him happy tidings from all those I love.
Professor Espy's Theory of Rain
I have had occasion to observe that the immense clouds of smoke which filled the
atmosphere continually during the time the prairies were on fire, were condensed during
the cold of the night, sometimes forming rain, but always heavy dew, which I did not
observe before the prairies were burning.
I think Prof. Espy says that artificial rain can be produced by smoke from large fires,
and from the observations I have made I coincide in that theory.
It is not unlikely that the Indians, who have from the earliest knowledge of the
prairie country annually set the high rank grass on fire, did it to afford artificial
moisture for the immense tracts of buffalo grass plains, an which subsist hundreds of
thousands of buffalo, elk, and deer. No rain falls at certain seasons, and without dew the
grass would be all burnt up by the scorching heat of the sun.
The Indians, I believe, practically put into operation the theory of Espy—knowing
from experience that smoke is condensed into dew.
On the Kansas River the dew fell very heavily. I found it necessary while doing guard
to cover myself with my India-rubber poncho, to prevent my clothes from becoming saturated
with water.
Last night our camp was visited with a heavy storm of rain and sleet; it was bitter
cold. It rained considerably yesterday, but the temperature was not lower than 65º. The
wind increased during the night, and one sudden gust blew our cotton tent completely over,
exposing us to the peltings of the merciless storm of sleet. Several of us essayed to
raise the tent, but the ground had become saturated with moisture, and afforded no hold
for our tent-pins, and we consequently lay down, wrapped ourselves in our India-rubber
blankets, and bewailed our fate.
We presented an interesting picture when the daylight came. Many of our clothes, which
were lying loosely in the tent, were blown some distance from camp, and we were all
drenched to the skin. The weather cleared off at sunrise and around a large camp-fire we
dried our clothes and passed jokes on each other ' s distressing appearance. Winter seems
to have suddenly set in; the thermometer indicated, at sunrise, 34º ("por
peccados," as the Spaniards say.) Many of our animals pulled up their
picket-pins, and sought shelter in the woods. My pony is missing, among others, and on myself
and on no one else devolves the delightful duty of finding him. I have put on, for the
first time, my waterproof boots, as I have a wet road, and, probably, a long distance to
walk , before I find my horse. He is safe enough on the creek; the Indians saw him while
hunting up theirs.
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