COUNCILS AND CEREMONIES OF ADOPTION OF NEW YORK INDIANS 429 



council might see them, and here have the matters in remembrance, 

 in confirmation of which they were delivered. Bartram, p. 60 



He also gave an account of the opening of this, with judicious 

 comments : 



This afternoon the chiefs met in council, and three of them spoke 

 for nearly a quarter of an hour each, two of these while speaking, 

 walked backward and forward in the common passage, near 2 thirds 

 of its length, with a slow even pace, and much composure and grav- 

 ity in the countenance ; the other delivered what he had to say sit- 

 ting in the middle, in a graceful tone exhorting them to a close in- 

 dissoluble amity and unanimity, for it was by this perfect union 

 their forefathers had conquered their enemies, were respected by 

 their allies, and honoured by all the world; that they were now met 

 according to their antient custom, tho' several imminent dangers 

 stood in their way, mountains, rivers, snakes and evil spirits, but 

 that by the assistance of the great Spirit they now saw each others 

 faces according to appointment. This the interpreter told me was 

 the opening of the diet, and was in the opinion of these people abun- 

 dantly sufficient for one day, since there is nothing they contemn so 

 much as precipitation in publick councils ; indeed they esteem it at 

 all times a mark of much levity in any one to return an immediate 

 answer to a serious question however obvious, and they consequently 

 spin out a Treaty, where many points are to be moved, to a great 

 length of time. Bartram, p. 58 



Loskiel gave an account of the council at Onondaga, which Spang- 

 enberg attended in 1745 : 



On each side six seats were placed, each containing six persons. 

 No one was admitted besides the members of the council, except a 

 few who were particularly honored. If one rose to speak, all the 

 rest sat in profound silence, smoking their pipes. The speaker 

 uttered his words in a singing tone, always, rising a few notes at the 

 end of each sentence. Whatever was pleasing to the council was 

 confirmed by all with the word nee, or yes. And at the end of each 

 speech, the whole company joined in applauding the speaker by 

 calling ho ho. Loskiel, p. 138 



This cry of approbation is often noticed and described. It is 

 sometimes written Jo-hah but pronounced Yo-hah. William Marshe's 

 account is good, though it appears in his journal as Jo-bab, an evi- 

 dent error. In his journal of the council at Lancaster in 1744, he 

 said: 



The Indians thereupon gave the cry of approbation; by this we 

 were sure the speech was well approved by the Indians. This cry 



