Narrative of the Canadian Red River Exploring Expedition of 1857 : and of the Assinniboine and Saskatchewan Exploring Expedition of 1858 . ty theIndians assemble at the Mission and expect to be assistedby material contributions; these failing, they lose confi-dence and heart, and the influence which the missionarymay have succeeded in acquiring is soon lost when theydisperse in search of the means of sustaining life. Thepresent congregation numbers about forty-five when theentire body of Christians attached to the Mission are as-sembled. They belong to the Swampy Crees, and hunton the lower Wi
Narrative of the Canadian Red River Exploring Expedition of 1857 : and of the Assinniboine and Saskatchewan Exploring Expedition of 1858 . ty theIndians assemble at the Mission and expect to be assistedby material contributions; these failing, they lose confi-dence and heart, and the influence which the missionarymay have succeeded in acquiring is soon lost when theydisperse in search of the means of sustaining life. Thepresent congregation numbers about forty-five when theentire body of Christians attached to the Mission are as-sembled. They belong to the Swampy Crees, and hunton the lower Winnipeg. Mr. Macdonald divides the Indians who hunt north-eastand north of the Lake of Woods from those who in-habit the shores, islands, and the country east and south-east of that beautiful lake. The former belong to theMuskeg nation (Muscaigoes) or Swampy Crees, the latterto the great Ojibway nation. The Swampys have a tra-dition that at a remote period they drove the Ojibwaysfrom the lower Winnipeg to the country bordering on theLake of the Woods, and since that time they have main-tained their footing in the conquered I SWAMPY CONJURORS. 113 The heathen Muskegs or Swampys address their in-vocations to the Evil Spirit, but they acknowledge theexistence of a Supreme and Good Being. The Bishopof Euperts Land had an opportunity of witnessing theidolatrous worship of the conjurors of the Swampys on theLower Winnipeg in 1852. He describes the scene in thefollowing words : — There were two or three tents. Ientered the largest, and there found the son of Wassa-cheese sitting in solitary state. I was about to sit downwhere I saw some articles expanded, and where at first Ithought he had prepared a seat for me ; but I found, ona second look, that these were the idols of the chamberof imagery, the instruments of his art as conjurer, andthe feast spread out for spirits. I asked him to explainhis magic art, which he said he would if I would givehim some flour. I gave him i
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