NO. 2 SMITHSONIAN EXPLORATIONS, I918 IO3 



native religion. Its use in both connections among- the tribes of 

 Mexico was noted by the earliest Spanish writers after the Conquest 

 and by such later investigators as Lumholtz and Fuchs. It was noted 

 in Texas as early as 1760. 



In continuation of his study begun years ago, before the Peyote 

 religion had reached its present high development or territorial ex- 

 tension, Mr. ]\Iooney, on invitation of the tribes, transmitted by 

 delegates from the Councils, made observation of the ceremony and 

 of the medical use of the plant, and had filled out a number of 

 individual questionnaires relating to the same subject, among the 

 Kiowa, Comanche, Apache, Caddo, Cheyenne, and Arapaho, being 

 everywhere received with the most generous hospitality and given 

 every opportunity for observation and investigation, by reason of his 

 long-standing friendship with the tribes and his known interest in 

 the subject. 



FIELD-WORK AMONG THE IROQUOIS 

 Mr. J. N. B. Hewitt, ethnologist, of the Bureau of American Eth- 

 nology, resumed his work in Ontario, Canada, on the textual and 

 literary criticism of the many texts which he had previously recorded 

 relating to the establishment of the Federation or League of the 

 Five Tribes (or Nations) of the Iroquois, and especiall}' to the 

 organic institutions of this league. By the accession of the Tusca- 

 rora in 1722 these Indians became the Six Nations of the Iroquois. 

 The larger and more detailed part of these texts was dictated by 

 his late friend, the blind Seneca federal chief. John Arthur Gibson, 

 one of the best-informed ritualists and expounders of the principles 

 and the institutions of the so-called League of the Iroquois ; the 

 remainder, consisting of dififering versions of the matter just men- 

 tioned and also of much additional and supplemental material in the 

 form of texts, was recorded from the dictation of other competent 

 informants, among whom may be mentioned the late Onondaga 

 federal chief. John Buck, who was at the time of his death the 

 federal Fire-Keeper ; the present Cayuga federal chief emeritus. 

 Abram Charles : and Chief Prophet Joshua Buck, all versed in the 

 varying traditions of the motives and plans of the founders of the 

 League or Federation and the decrees and ordinances promul- 

 gated by them for its establishment. 



