

COUNCILS AND CEREMONIES OF ADOPTION OF NEW YORK INDIANS 409 



with a sneer said, — " Why here is not whisky enough for a name 

 to float in." But no movement being made to get more, he drank 

 it off, and proceeded with a sort of pagan orgies, to give me a 

 name. It seemed a semicivil, semireligious ceremony. He walked 

 around me again and again, muttering sounds which the interpreter 

 did not venture to explain; and laying hand on me pronounced me 

 " Con-go-gu-wah," and instantly, with great apparent delight, took 

 me by the hand as a brother. Stone, p. 348 



Schoolcraft gave the Onondaga account of early adoption, before 

 it had become a mere privilege or compliment, but was a part of 

 national policy, strengthening rather than weakening themsehes by 

 war: 



Their plan was to select for adoption from the prisoners, and cap- 

 tives, and fragments of tribes whom they conquered. These cap- 

 tives were equally divided among each of the tribes, Avere adopted 

 and incorporated with them, and served to make good their losses. 

 They used the term, W ' e-hait-zvat-sha, in relation to these captives. 

 This term means a body cut into parts and scattered around. 

 Schoolcraft, p. 29 



While a little girl, Mary Jemison was adopted by two Seneca 

 women in the place of their dead brother. The song she heard has 

 quite a modern sound, but follows as given by her biographer. 

 Several women stood round, and one mournfully sang: 



Oh, our brother ! alas ! he is dead — he has gone ; he will never 

 return ! Friendless he died on the field of the slain, where his bones 

 are yet lying unburied ! Oh, who will not mourn his sad fate ? No 

 tears of his sisters were there ! He fell in his prime, when his arm 

 was most needed to keep us from danger ! Alas ! he has gone, and 

 left us in sorrow, his loss to bewail! Oh, where is his spirit? His 

 spirit went naked, and hungry it wanders, and thirsty and wounded 

 it groans to return ! Oh, helpless and wretched our brother has 

 gone ! No blanket nor food to nourish and warm him ; nor candles 

 to light him, nor weapons of war! Oh, none of these comforts had 

 he ! But well we remember his deeds ! The deer he could take on 

 the chase ! The panther shrunk back at the sight of his strength ! 

 His enemies fell at his feet ! He was brave and courageous in war !- 

 As the fawn he was harmless ; his friendship was ardent ; his temper 

 was gentle ; his pity was great ! Oh, our friend, our companion, is 

 dead ! Our brother, our brother ! alas, he is gone ! But why do we 

 grieve for his loss ? In the strength of a warrior, undaunted he left 

 us, to fight by the side of the chiefs ! His war whoop was shrill ! 

 His rifle well aimed laid his enemies low; his tomahawk drank of 



