SW_HJ1830_023

but no other injury is offered, and, except a frightful yelling noise, no-thing is spoken. The design of these frightful representations is, to personify and imi- tate the bad spirit, and to remind the Indians of the necessity to amend their ways, and avoid all wrong things. After this concert of heathenish superstition has continued for seve-ral days, they assemble again round the wooden image* near the coun- cil house, and sacrifice a dog, first decorating him with strings of wam- pum, fine ribands, and some paintings; and after hanging him on the image, burn him to ashes, on a fire kindled near him for the purpose. On some extraordinary occasions, they eat the flesh of the dog, and a white dog is always preferred, as being deemed a more acceptable of- fering. While the dog is consuming, they dance round the fire, making a dreadful yelling and whooping, and during the process of the dance, about one pound of tobacco, of a particular kind, rubbed fine, which they consider as peculiarly agreeable to the Great Spirit, is thrown on the fire, in the smoke whereof, their aspirations, as they suppose, as- cending, they believe are heard by the Great Spirit, and are offered, together with their dancing, under a profession of pleasing him. During this ascension of the smoke, a Chief whom they call their minister, and who appears to have the command and superintendence of this ceremony, addresses the Great Spirit in a speech, the purport of which is an acknowledgment for favours received, thanks for pre- servation in times past, and imploring his continued care and protection. *About the year 1802 this image, decaying at the ground, fell down. This circum-stance occasioned very considerable agitation among them, to know in what manner to dispose of it, without giving offence to the Great Spirit; as they considered it to be his representative. Some were for taking it into the woods, and leaving plenty of provi-sions beside it. Others were for erecting another in its stead, and some were for dis-carding such a representation entirely. A son of Cornplanter, the Chief, who had got his ideas a little expanded by an edu-cation among white people, reasoned with them on the subject, and told them that it had grown up in the woods like other trees of the forest; that they had cut it down, and made it into the form of a man, but it was still nothing but a block of wood, and had no power or sense, and, therefore, could not represent the Great Spirit, as they imagined; and if they would give it up to him, he would dispose of it. To this they reluctantly consented, and on conditions only, that he would take all the responsibility of any harm happening the nation in consequence thereof. Accordingly he tumbled it into the river, and let it swim down, the Indians carefully viewing the process, to see whether any evil would befall him. Some time after, several of them passing along the river, discovered it lodged on an island, about eleven miles below its former station, at which they appeared struck with astonishment, and considerably alarmed, but let it remain as they found it.