OF NORTH CAROLINA. Z^b 



Their dances are of cUfFereiit natures ; and for 

 every sort of dance they have a tune, whicli is al- 

 lotted for that dance ; as, if it be a war dance, they 

 have a war-like song, wherein they express, with 

 all the passion and vehemence imaginable, what 

 they intend to do with their enemies ; how they 

 will kill, roast, sculp, beat, and make captive, such 

 and such numbers of them ; and how many they 

 have destroyed before. All these songs are made 

 new for every feast ; nor is one and the same song 

 sung at two several festivals. Some one of the 

 nation, which has the best gift of expressing their 

 designs, is appointed by their king and war cap- 

 tains to make these songs. 



Others are made for feasts of another nature ; 

 as, when several towns, or sometimes difierent na- 

 tions have made peace with one another ; then 

 the song suits both nations, and relates how the 

 bad spirit made them go to war and destroy one 

 another ; but it shall never be so again ; but that 

 their sons and daughters shall marry together, and 

 the two nations love one another, and become as' 

 one people. 



They have a third sort of feasts and dances, 

 which are always when the harvest of corn is ended 

 and in the spring. The one to return thanks to 

 the good spirit for the fruits of the earth ; the other, 

 to beg the same blessings for the succeeding year. 

 And to encourage the young men to labor stoutly 

 in planting their maiz and pulse, they set a sort 

 of an idol iu the field, which is dressed up exactly 

 ul3 



