This  Manitou  or  Guardian  Spirit  resembles  the
beneficent  and  genial  giant  of  the  Eastern  Provinces,
Glooscap.  The  name  is  also  rendered  Nenabojo  or
Nanibojou.  (One  of  Longfellow's  models  for
"Hiawatha"  was  "  Manabozo.")  He  is  still  the
protecting  spirit  of  navigators  and  fishers,  and
through  all  this  northland  are  hosts  of  brave  ones,
both  red  man  and  pale-face,  for  him  to  guide  and
guard.  The  Indian  considers  him  the  progenitor  of
his  race,  though  some  highly  educated  ones  of  the
present  time  agree  with  modern  savants  in  the  belief
that  their  ancestors  were  Egyptians,  who  during  the
course  of  centuries  made  their  way  across  Behring
Strait.  Their  picture-writing,  physiognomy,  and
some  racial  characteristics,  are  held  up  as  proofs  of
this  theory.^  In  their  traditions  Bible  history  is  cu-
riously mingled  with  Norse  mythology  and  legend,
the  latter  handed  down  and  passed  on  from  their
brethren  of  the  Eastern  Provinces.  Those  brothers
"  from  the  land  of  light  and  morning"  (vide  Long-

1  The  Jessup  expedition  has  recently  returned  from  North-
western Siberia,  bringing  one  hundred  cases  of  specimens.
The  object  of  their  investigations  was  to  prove  that  the  North
American  Indians  are  of  Asiatic  origin.
^78       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES

fellow)  heard  from  their  ancestors  the  weird  tales  of
early  explorers  in  "  Amerique  du  Nord."

Nenawbozhoo  called  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth
his  "  nephews,"  and  taught  them  how  to  make  uten-
sils, boats,  "  sugar  from  trees,"  and  other  useful  arts.
