388 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



directly where the smoke arises, if, perhaps, they have any business 

 for the council to consider. 



These are the words of our law, — of the Six Nations of Indians 

 (Ongwehonwe). 



What is the purpose of the smoke ? It is this — that the chiefs 

 must all be honest ; that they must all love one another ; and that 

 they must have regard for their people, — including the women, and 

 also our children, and also those children whom we have not yet 

 seen ; so much they must care for, that all may be in peace, even the 

 whole nation. It is the duty of the chiefs to do this, and they have 

 the power to govern their people. If there is anything to be done 

 for the good of the people, it is their duty to do it. Hale. Book of 

 Rites, p. 169 



It will be observed that the usual name of Kinosioni, the long 

 house, appears but once in the songs, being replaced, as has been 

 said, by the earlier term of Kayanerenhkowa, the Great Peace. 

 Another word appears less formally, Kanaghstajikowa, the great 

 building, and once in an additional document, Ongwehonwe, real or 

 original men, is used for the Five Nations^being one of their com- 

 mon names. The Great Peace was an expressive name tor the first 

 days, of the confederacy as it was then but little more than an agree- 

 ment not to tight each other, but to amicably arrange mutual diffi- 

 culties. 



According to Mr Hale the number of wampum bunches differs in 

 Canada from that in New York, though this may be a slight over- 

 sight on his part. He said : 



The wampum beads were variously disposed in these strings, ac- 

 cording to the topic which they were intended to recall. For in- 

 stance, the most mournful subject — the reference to the death of 

 the late chief — was indicated by a string entirely black. The com- 

 plete consolation of the shining sun was figured by a string or knot 

 of pure white beads. In some of the strings the white beads pre- 

 dominated, and in others the black. They varied also in their 

 length, and in the number (from one to three strings) appropri- 

 ated to each topic. The style of recitation was somewhat remark- 

 able. It was neither singing nor ordinary speaking, but a mode of 

 utterance evidently peculiar to this part of the ceremony. He spoke 

 in brief sentences, each commencing with a high, sudden, explosive 

 outburst, and gradually sinking to the close, where it ended ab- 

 ruptly, in a quick, rising inflection. The whole was plainly a set 

 form of phrases, which the speaker was reciting with a sort of per- 

 functory fervor. Occasionally there was a brief response — a low 



