334 The Natural Historic 



nothing but a sort of stamping, which they continue for 

 several Hours together, till they are all of them in as gTeat 

 a sweat as if thej had been dipped in the Eiver. 



During these Dances the Spectators do not neglect to fill 

 their Bellies with the Provisions that are there, more or less 

 of them being continually eating: When the Dancing is 

 ended, every Youth that is so disposed, takes hold of the Girl 

 he fancies to be his Bedfellow for that Xight, few Ceremonies 

 being used upon that head amongst them. 



At these Festivals and publick Assemblies they give a tradi- 

 tional Relation of what happened amongst them for many 

 Years past, to their young Men; having no other Method to 

 record what their Ancestors have done, or known only by 

 Tradition from Father to Son, and their Hierogliphichs, 

 being entire Strangers to Letters or Learning. 



They have another sort of Feast where their Priests or 

 Conjurers pretend to converse familiarly, and demand divers 

 strange things from Spirits by their Invocations, and the 

 Magical Charms which they make use of. This Peast they 

 celebrate in the open Fields, where a large Circle is made ; 

 all the Indians that come to it are variously painted and 

 adorned with rich Feathers of divers Colours; they have 

 singing and dancing at this as at the others : After they have 

 sung and danced for a quarter of an Hour, and turned about 

 three times, they run like distracted Men into the Woods ; then 

 the Women continue the rest of the Day in Tears, and as 

 melancholy as possible, then in a Rage they cut the Arms of 

 the young Girls with sharp Shells of Fishes, 'till the Blood 

 follows, which they cast into the Air, with loud Shreeks and 

 Cries. 



Those 



