there maintains the sacred fire, for the happiness of all those of his race who arrive there. I have spoken of it in my Oregon Missions, p. 350.12
Fire is, in all the Indian tribes that I have known, an emblem of happiness or of good fortune. It is kindled before all their deliberations. " Having extinguished the enemy's fire," signifies with them to have gained the victory. They attribute to fire a sacred character, which is remarkable everywhere in their usages and customs, espe cially in their religious ceremonies. They generally maintain mysterious ideas concerning the substance and phenomena of fire, which they consider supernatural. To see a fire rising mysteriously, in their dreams or otherwise, is the symbol of the passage of a soul into the other world. Before consulting the manitous, or tutelary spirits, or before addressing the dead, they begin by kindling the sacred fire. This fire must be struck from a flint, or reach them mysteriously by lightning, or in some other way. To light the sacred fire with common fire, would be considered among them as a grave and dangerous transgression.
The Chippewas of the North kindle a fire on every new tomb, during four successive nights. They say that this symbolical and sacred light illumines their solitary and obscure passage to the country of souls. The following is the origin of this sacred and funereal fire among this people. I received the legend from the mouth of our worthy Watomika.
A little war-party of Chippewas met some enemies in a large and beautiful plain. The war-whoop was instantly shouted, and the contest commenced. Their chief was a valiant and distinguished warrior. On this occasion he surpassed himself in bravery, and a great number of his
12 Longfellow has embodied this legend of Chipiapoos in his poem, "Hiawatha," but ascribes it to a plagiarist, who copied Father De Smet's narrative without the least credit.-Editor [Of 1859 Ed. De Smet's Potawatomi letter was written January, 1847; Schoolcraft's five-volume work, 1853-56; Hiawatha, 1854-551.