Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 7.pdf/190

184 to wear the same appearance as the slave, and as garbs and insignia were perishable, or subject to be wrested from them, it seems that they determined to put on different and, of course, as they were superior, more beautiful heads. And perhaps the circumstance, that their slaves were to accompany them, and serve them in another world—the land of spirits—was considered by them an additional reason, why they should imprint indelibly, even on their very existence, a sure indication and record of their own superiority; lest perchance, the master might be mistaken for the slave, and to the slave might be awarded the privileges of the master; lest the proud master, who in this world was accustomed to grant his servant life, or bid him die, might, by mistake, in Heaven be compelled, himself, to suffer and to serve; might be compelled to dig the spirit-roots and gather spirit-berries, from the bogs and briers of heaven, and to bare [sic] around the Portages or paddle along the Rivers, the ghost of his own, nobleman's canoe, for a vile slave; lest, in the fair land of spirits, his free-born shade might be, through mistake, compelled to bare such like ignoble spirit burthens, and toil, and sweat, and tremble, at the will of a vile creature of the Great High Chief of Spirits, whom he before had been accustomed to command; lest such misfortunes might come upon him, by the too great natural resemblance, between himself and his slave, it is probable that he was more strongly induced to lay aside the servile-looking head, which silly nature gave him, and put on a more beautiful one of his own wise fashioning. If this be not correct, it is at least surely very much in the character of man; and if it be, it is not confined to the Flatheads, alone, nor is it peculiar to the ignorant and uncultivated barbarian. The actions of civilized and enlightened barbarians, speak with the same import. This operation of flattening the head, is performed when the