AMERICAN ABORIGINAL PIPES AND SMOKING CUSTOMS. 563 



herb, wliich tliey often use iustead of it, wlieu they enter into an alli- 

 ance. When they treat of war the whole pipe and ornaments are red. 

 Sometimes it is red only on one side, and by the disposition of the 

 feathers, etc., one acquainted with their customs will know after first 

 siglit what the native who presents it intends or desires. Smoking the 

 calumet is also a religious ceremony ux)on some occasions, and in all 

 treaties is considered as a witness between the parties.'" 



"On July 1, ITG,"), a Frenchman arrived'' in the colony of ISTew York 

 " from the Illinois with a pipe and speech from thence to the Kick- 

 apoos and Mosquattamis. * * * Then they spoke on several pipes 

 and belts. Pondiac (Algonquin) gave a large pipe with a belt of 

 wampum tied to it.'"' 



In ITGO "the Onondaga speaker lighted a calumet of peace which 

 Sir Wilham (Johnson) left in their hands many j'ears ago for that use, 

 and handed it to the western Indians, after which the speaker, with a 

 bunch of wampum, addressed himself to the western nations."^ This 

 pipe was probably the same one referred to as presented to the Indians 

 on February 23, 1756. 



Carver also describes the calumet and its decorations, but adds 

 nothing to the description of its appearance beyond what has already 

 been set forth. lie refers to the diflerent methods employed in deco- 

 rating the calumet and the fact of the Indians' ability to tell at first sight 

 to what tribe it belongs. He is more explicit, however, in describing the 

 ceremony of the smoke. "The assistant or aid-de-camp of the great 

 warrior, when the chiefs are assembled and seated, fills the pipe with 

 tobacco mixed with herbs, taking care at the same time that no part of 

 it touches the ground. When it is filled he takes a coal that is thor- 

 oughly kindled from a fire which is generally kept burning in the midst 

 of the assembly and places it on the tobacco." Having done so, "he 

 presents it to the hereditary chief, who, having taken two or three 

 whiffs, blows the smoke from his moutli, first toward heaven and then 

 around him upon the ground."^ It is then presented to the others of 

 the council by the bearer, and they only touch it with their lips. 



Eeferring to the Southern tribes, the Talapouches and Alibamons, 

 Bossu, in 1768, speaking of their meeting persons, says when you land 

 they give you the hand in presenting the calumet, and when you have 

 smoked they ask the subject of your travels.'' 



The head priest, he says, "with a dignified step, daily went forward 

 before the sun rose with the calumet in his hand and blew the first 

 mouthful of smoke toward it.'"* The equipment of these Indians for war 

 was of the simplest character — "a bearskin for abed, a beef [buffalo ?j skin 



' Robert Rogers, A Concise Account of North America, pp. 223, 224, London, 1765. 

 2 Documents Relating to the Colonial History of New York, YII, pp. 780, 782, 783. 

 ^Idem, YII, p. 863. 



'' Jonathan Carver, Travels through the Interior Parts of North America, p. 224, 

 New York, 1838, from the third London edition. 



"^M. Rossu, Nonveau Voyages aux Indcs Occidentales, II, l^. 17, Paris, 1768. 

 •' Idem, I, p. 43. 



