and Freniers, two French
traders of reputation, both considered as intelligent and enlightened
men; they were the fathers of the two half-breed traders, with whom we
were acquainted. The story is given with all the particulars that
might be wished for; the name of the owner of the boat was Benjamin La
Goterie, a name well known in that country. The story has been current
ever since. The traders, who appear to credit it, state that it was
impossible for the prophet to have visited the spot and returned
without his absence being known, as the distance exceeds one hundred
miles; from whom he received his intelligence they never knew. As to
the Dahcotahs themselves, they never considered it possible that it
might be a knavery of the prophet's, but attributed it altogether to
his mystic lore.

"On another occasion, Tatankanaje acquired great reputation in
consequence of a prediction that he would lead a war party; that, on
the day which he appointed, and at a particular spot which he
described, he would fall in with a camp of fifteen Assiniboin lodges;
that he would attack and defeat them, kill a certain number of the
enemy, and make a stated amount of prisoners: he predicted, in like
manner, the loss of lives which would attend this victory. The event
justified, as it is said, the prediction; not only as to the general
results, but even as to the circumstances of time, place, number of
killed and wounded on both sides, and amount of prisoners taken from
the enemy. Of course, so valuable a prophet was constantly resorted to
for the recovery of stolen property, or of goods that were lost, for a
knowledge of the fate of persons that were travelling, for the cure of
diseases, and for all such other important points, upon which the
credulity both of civilized and savage man induces them to lend a
willing ear to the impositions of knaves. Of his talent in recovering
property, we regret that we can only mention a circumstance in which
the object at stake was very trifling. Some one had ventured to steal
away the prophet's bridle; it was concealed in a lodge that formed one
in a camp of one hundred lodges. The prophet took a mirror in his
hand, and walked round the village, until, as he said, he saw the lost
bridle reflected in his mirror: he entered the adjoining lodge, and
recovered his property.

"Not only do they prophesy, but they perform tricks of legerdemain,
all which they ascribe to the success of their incantations. We