414 . NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 





proceedings. Five days of preaching followed : that is, the meet- 

 ing opened about 10 a.m., always closing at noon. Four days suf- 

 ficed in 1905. Sose-ha-wa gave the reason for the early hour and 

 it belongs to other religious meetings, though not always observed. 

 He said : " Our religion teaches that the early day is dedicated to 

 the Great Spirit, and that the late day is granted to the spirits of 

 the dead. It is now meridian, and I must close." It is said by some 

 that the Great Spirit rests or goes to sleep at that hour. 



At Onondaga the preaching was preceded by an eloquent invo- 

 cation, in which thanks were given to the Great Spirit, the Four 

 Persons, the Thunders who were their grandfathers, the sun, moon 

 and earth for their varying blessings. The preacher sat in one 

 chair, rising and leaning on it while speaking, and his assistant in 

 another held the white wampum. This was carefully wrapped up 

 at the close. Soon after came the great feather dance and a con- 

 fession of sins on repentance wampum. The rest of the day was 

 devoted to pleasure. This council being held in August was fol- 

 lowed immediately by the green corn dance, lasting several days, 

 but it was sometimes held in connection with mourning councils, 

 and Morgan's report is of the three days' preaching in October 

 1848. The ceremonies he did not describe beyond saying that the 

 opening was in the usual way, and with short speeches. 



Three persons at first appeared to Handsome Lake and a fourth 

 was to join them later. Sose-ha'-wa did not describe the coming 

 of the last, but assumed his presence as one of the four messengers, 

 termed Ki-yae-ne-ung-qua-ta-ka or four persons of the Onondagas. 

 In the preaching of 1894 there are more particulars, the three per- 

 sons telling him he would see the fourth three days later and that 

 his coming back to earth depended on where he met him. The day 

 came and they said : 



You now see the fourth angel. You shall meet him. "When 

 you meet him he will ask if you ever heard old people say that 

 the palefaces killed a certain person. They met him, and he asked 

 Handsome Lake if he ever heard of a person who was killed a long 

 time ago. He answered, I have heard old people say that such a 

 one was killed. The man said, I am the person ; and he showed 

 all the marks made on him in killing him. He said to Handsome 

 Lake, The white people abused me, and they think they have killed 

 me. I say that I am not dead, but 1 have gone back home, because 

 not one person believed me. So I will say that they shall not enter 

 heaven. 



