The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1847-07-18
eat deal Of interest was manifested lin this game


and another one after him. who bucked the first
eathern belt, with brass bells fastened upon it, He
In turn stopped to the second and fastened a string of
deer hoofs to his ANGLES. third came out with
deer hoofs fastened to his ANGLES likewise fourth
NTH, sixth and so until twenty thirty the
floor All these painted and danced before drum
OF Seneca manufacture, which gave steady. monoto-
Their gestures were extremely wild Sometimes they
would point to the earth sometimes toward each other
ana again toward the sky their countenances all the
time wearing an expression which it would be impossible
TO describe They continued this part the prelude
about half an hour. After IL concluded. speech
was made by middle aged man, relating. supposed
TO what was yet to be done.
After this speech finished a very old man arose |
and taking up gourd filed with shot nd hay ing long
feather fastened to the end handed il to little boy
whom he called out, and to whom he delivered short
speech The little fellow down on bench set out for
that purpose before the drum as the drum
began It's beating accompanied by two voices the
youngter who was charged with the speech sprung TO
his feet and rafting the gourd vehemeny against
ground, in few moments returned TO his seat Other
rafting Instruments were given TO little boys standing
around, by speeches from the old presentment
who took their seats by the first, and the
SIC began capered over the floor in funny at
ttudes. This continued for fifteen twenty minutes
After short time, six with hatchets in their
hands, whose handles mounted with silver, and
stood before the drummer three abreast One of them
held in his hand at the same time singular instrument
viz slender stick about foot long slit At the end in
which stuck round stiff piece of paper fringed with
pink ribbon, which he held elegantly. These all
eagle feathers in their hair and had their faces painted
with black and red lines and Others broad
under the eyes and on the checks They danced before
the drummer steadily at first and afterwards wit quicker
steps changing places with great screaming
once in while like hungry panhers This performance
was closed by an old who struck on a beam with
stick in order to command silence when the old fellow
made long talk Other performances of n kindred
character gone through with closed each time by
some venerable father who thereupon delivered his
speech Great respect was shown to the old men And
here 1t would be well anywhere else say that
not drop spirituous quorthat bane that evil that
destruction of the Indian allowed the
ground
The prelude being finished the dance itself was begun
by the women at shutdown who danced around two of
three fires built ia through the length of the build
ng-they moved one after another in circular line.
The music faster than before and much louder made
Bending their ha S
apparent humility They danced with their close
together and scarcely lifted from the ground slow at
first then faster; sometimes back to back sometimes
face to face and again side to side could Gimp
Sos some quite pretty feet, really small and delicate
This part being done, the men Joined with them, and
they all danced together around the three fires po
stion being first a man, second woman, third man,
fourth woman, and throughout This dance re-
CURED numerous variations Of very graceful cha
racter especially where the turned and faced the
women. with light and easy movements. A wild song
sung by the during this portion of the
mony, interrupted at times by astounding yels. The
women were dressed oil alike that is in the style hav
ing beaded moccasns their feet finely deer
skim broad cloth eggins piece Of cloth about two
yards wide, and several yards long, wrapped around
their waists and this calico frock ruied Mt the
bottom, and extending within foot of the ANGLE Over
all fine piece Of silk other goods thrown They
wore numerous ornaments and had their faces painted
with red. The dressed with shaws around
their heads, paint their beads their
rings their fingers and in their noticed only
who had ring in his They leg
gins the the women, only they much larger
and ooser Their shirts made of cotton linen hung
down the leggns and their feet covered with
moccasns some beaded, others not Their outside gar
the hunting shirt made differently that
of almost every other tribe, having waistband in it,
which is seldom the with Indian dress.
must here remark the effect which paint has on the
Indian countenance 1t gives the men wild and fierce
expression and TO the women look Of (what may cal
interesting pain.
Dances of a similar character to those heretofore
al M nj nj ninhf
when the wizards as they called in English entered
one at each door. Their first appearance rather
frightfu but changed to the ridiculous closer
examination. The men, who performed this part, had
their bodies bare to the waist; and, their faces
shuck-mask fastened, with tongue hanging out
which little bell was suspended that rung unsteady.
They also had short tails with small bells fastened
them. In this manner rugged the wizards danced IKE
around the fires first here then there for consider
able time to the infinite amusement of spectators Anon
they would leap into the air. then down again. and pitch
at another like wild cats. After caporng about to
their complete satisfaction, they botn sprung through
the same door into darkness and disappeared
Dancing continued until two clock In the morning OF
the 18th and ceremonies ended for the time All the
then retired to their respective for
and wandered forth beneath the stars to mediate on
the long studied theme-whence the red mans origin
and where his destiny! Here small nation
y enough to constitute name dwinded almost into
thing and living in this land having departed
from their ancestral home halowed by ancestral dust
Few and feeble yet cnging almost with the intensity OF
dying mans clutch to the customs Of their fathers in
old old times worshpping the Great Spirit under the
canopy of skies their fathers had worsbpped
yet melancholy to think of it, How long will it DE before
these ceremonies all ended forever How long be-
fore the last Seneca Indian shall have sung his last song
and persisted from human sight! Not long No, not
bng
About twelve o'clock this day, game of ball be-
GAM in which both and men, and boys and girls
joined The ball thrown high into the air and the
struggle then, who should succeed in carrying
throwing beyond certain stake set up the ground
for that purpose The wrestling for the ball between
the young and the singular indeed for n
civilized age yet the former exceedingly tender in
thah I'm fiy and ltlaC
| Of the girls were beautiful to This game being
terminated old walked backwards and forwards
talking in low serious and gutteral tone for some
time Soon after this the wizards appeared again and
drove the assembly into the house They scarcely
seated before of the most hideous visagcs by
mask that had conceived of, made their appear
The Of these masks destitute of their
usuol clothes excepting the leggns which old
dirty They wore large buffalo skins wrapt around Their
| forms. and fastened around them with coarse hug,
belt and in such a manner as to produce an ugly hum
| to their backs These masks were made Of something
piable and painted red all over with the exception
the eye-hoes, whose edges yellow. Long coarse
horse hair hung their foreheads in loose and hor
rid manner, through which their eye. balls geame,
| like fire. Their bare, and painted red
| az II they had been dipped in blood Their finger
nails were frightfuy long, and in his hand eac
carried turtle shell, filed with pebbles and havin
wooden handle. Before the audience the
tumbled through each door and falling on their back
ratified the turtle shells vehementy against the walls
About a hundred persons Immediately fell into dane
around the fires but those who remained the bench
es or unoccupied on the floor tormented almost
death by these Internal looking beings. who took som
persons upon their backs and danced with them
down; others they rolled in the dirt, making strange
hollow noise them all the time through their noses
They will continue tormentng in this way until som,
GIT Is made them, (say tobacco any thing watcverJ
when they are satisfied After they had terrified the I'M
sophisticated audience sufficiently they took their bare
hands and scattered hot embers In every direction hng
ing up burning Goals with perfect impunty so far as
could see. They then selected each nm individual one
| woman and the other girl, on whose heads they
rubbed the and blew their brcsths
repeating wild words This is called "bapsing with the
good spirit and with fire After performing TINS cere-
mony, they both tumbled eemseves out of the door,
rolling their eyes back upon the people ana ran OH out
| Of sight
| At hafpast one in the afternoon dancing begun in
the same manner $ the 18th, and continued until
| nearly night at which time left for home.
On the 10th went to the council house again
The dancing was conducted with scarcely any vara-
ton from the ceremonies OF the 18th TO the hour Of
o'clock In the afternoon at which time another game OF
ball was played in which the men only were engaged
AS before there goal to be passed and hard strg
les were made for the ball Great interest was mani
nariiaa In the hut Ii