sw.WTnM INDIAN TIMP.I'.S nj' IIIK T,()\VF.ll MISSISSIPPI V,\I.IJ;V 1 '2 1 



yiiim;: siiviiucs nrt* oflcii seen tn s('|i;ii:il(' llit'iiisch cs willi IIh- yoiinj; k'tIs. of 

 wliiili llicic ;irt' (|iiil»' luclty niu-s. mikI ji<i iiMn tlit' iici^ililKdiii;; [uairics niitl walk 

 iilmiil liy the liulit of tlio stars, soino covered with (Iccrslviiis, others in covc^riii^.'s 

 of IJiiihiiiii!/. Our Freiiciiiiieii tlieiiiselves liave soiiietiiues played their part, 

 also ill tlieso iioi-tnnia! promenades. There in tlu> darkness of the ni;:ht on the 

 fresli irrass tete-A-tetes and seeret eonferen<'es are lield with wiiit-ii none is ilis- 

 pleased. On separalin;;. the yonn;; man ^ives liis j;oddess a little vermilion, 

 a head neekhici*. a c()ii[ier or iron hraeelet, or some other similar tjille, and slie 

 is saiistied beyond all expression. 



The feast of the tuu of importance hists not only one day. but for as many as 

 the provisions collected in the tun suHice for keepinji tlie ceremony and the 

 assemblasre. In all the savage nations similar feasts are held, either at the 

 approach of the liarvest or when their peo[)le come back concjnerors over their 

 enemies. In all these feasts there is little variation, but the ceremony of the 

 calumet and that of the jiost are of all the most common. .mihI an^ celebrated 

 e\erywhere as I have described them." 



The (lances, vvliicli coiistitule such an important jnirt of each feast, 

 are also described by Penicaiit in the followino: terms: 



Their dances are as follows (pi. 4. rt) : The women dance with the men and 

 the l»oys with the .skirls. These dances are always by 20 or 30 together — 

 as many boys as girls. A married man is not pernutted to dance with the' 

 girls nor boys to dance with the women. After they have lighted a great 

 torch, which is ordinaril.v the drj- trunk of an old ]iine. which is ))urnt in 

 order to light the grand square of the village, and another opposite the 

 cabin of the great chief, the dance master at the head of a hundred men 

 and women, to the sound of a little drum and the voices of the s])ectators, 

 begins the dance at sunset, and each one dances in his turn imtil midnight. 

 After this the men retire to their homes with their wives and leave the place to 

 the Itoys and girls, who dance from midnight until broad dayli.ght. They give 

 themselves to this pleasure many times, each one in turn. Their dance is almost 

 like the new- cotillon dc France, with this difference: That when a youth has 

 danced in that manner with the girl at his side or in front of him, he is jier- 

 mitted to lead her to the end of the village, into one of the gx'oves on the prairie, 

 where he dances another cotillion with her a la Mi-ssissiinennc, when they return 

 to the village square to dance in their turn as before. They continue their 

 dances thns until broad daylight, so that in the nuirning the bfiys esjiecially ;iri.' 

 like disinterred bodies, as much through loss of sleep as through being fatigued 

 with dancing with the girls.'' ^ 



Tn another place he says: 



It is ordinarily the great chief w'ho orders the dance feasts, which last eight 

 or ten days in succession, more f>r less, in all the villages of his dominion. These 

 feasts are ordinarily undertaken when the great chief has need of some pro- 

 visions, such as fiour, beans, and other such things, which they place at the door 

 of his cabin in a heap the last day of the feast.'" 



The power of the great chief was so extensive that he no doubt 

 occasionally ordered special feasts, but it is probaljle that most of 

 these referred to by Penicaiit were the regular monthh' festivals 

 recorded by Du Pratz. 



" Duniont. Mem. Hist, snr La Louisiano, i, 195-208. 

 '' I'enicaiit in Margry,' D^couvertos, v, 447. 

 ' Ihid.. 449. 



