54 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 190 



further consolations and these represented all the things the deceased 

 would use during life. One was called his robe ; others, his canoe, his 

 paddle, his net, his bows, his arrows, and so on. After this, the rela- 

 tives of the deceased considered themselves perfectly satisfied (JE 10: 

 217-221 ).«» 



In the past, the murderer had also to endure a punishment. The 

 dead body was stretched upon a scaffold and the murderer had to lie 

 under it and receive upon himself all the putrid matter which exuded 

 from the corpse. A dish of food was placed beside him and this was 

 soon filled with filth and corrupt blood which fell into it. To get the 

 dish pushed back a little the murderer had to give a present of seven 

 hundred wampum beads (hassaendista) . The murderer remained in 

 this position as long as the relatives wished. Finally, he made 

 another rich present (akhiataendista) . If, after all this, the relatives 

 of the dead man revenged the death, all punishment fell on them 

 and they had to give presents even to the relatives of the first mur- 

 derer (JR 10 : 221-223) .^^ 



Inflicted wounds also were healed only by giving presents, as belts 

 and hatchets. The value of these presents varied according to the 

 seriousness of the wound ( JR 10 : 223) . 



The presents given to the Frencli for the murder of one of their 

 number were as follows. The first present of the chiefs was to open 

 the door of the Jesuits' house to them and the second, to allow them 

 to enter. After they had entered, the first present was "the wiping 

 away of tears" : "We wipe away your tears by this gift so that your 

 sight may no longer dim when you cast your eyes on this country 

 which has committed the murder." Next came the present called "a 

 beverage" : "This is to restore your voice wliich you have lost, so that 

 it may speak kindly." The third was to calm the agitated mind. The 



*" The names of these presents resemble the names of the 14 burdens or matters in the 

 Iroquois Condolence Ceremony (see note 58, p. 45). Its resemblance is perhaps not acci- 

 dental ; the 10th burden Is called the "20 matters," the 20 strings of wampum that are the 

 penalty for murder (Fenton 1946 : 120 ; Hewitt 1944 : 75). 



A procedure similar to that described for the Huron and that of the Iroquois Condolence 

 Ceremony Is recorded by Sir William Johnson for a council meeting between Iroquois and 

 Whites concerning a murder (Beauchamp 188(5 : 90). 



^ Finley describes a similar Wyandot procedure. He states that after the defeat of the 

 Wyandot by the Iroquois, murder was frequent, and to stop it, the council of the tribe 

 decreed to put to death every murderer (Finley 1840 : 62). He goes on to say : 



When the sentence of guilt was passed, the body of the murdered person was 

 taken and placed on a smooth piece of bark, supported by a scaffold of forks and 

 poles, 2 or 3 feet from the ground, and so fixed that all the matter from the putrefy- 

 ing carcass should drop from a certain place. The murderer was then tied, and so 

 firmly pinioned to the ground by tugs and stakes, as not to be able to move in the 

 least. A gag was then put Into his month, so as to keep it open, which was so placed 

 as to receive the drops from the putrefying body. In this position he lay, without a 

 moment's respite, until death came to his relief; and this, the chief said, would be 

 from 10 to 15 days. A few were put to death in this way, which so effectively broke 

 up the practice of killing and robbing, that it is hardly ever known for an Indian to 

 touch the property of another, even In the woods, unless hunger compels him to take 

 some meat to subsist upon. [Finley 1840 : 63.] 



