COUNCILS AND CEREMONIES OV ADOPTION OF NEW YORK INDIANS 435 



succeeding ceremonies depended on the nature of the business. 

 At the council at Onondaga in November 1655, with Chaumont 

 and Dablon, the reply of the Iroquois was prefaced : 



By six airs or chants, which had nothing savage and which ex- 

 pressed very naively, by the diversity of tones, the different pas- 

 sions they wished to represent. The first song said thus : O, the 

 beautiful land,, the beautiful land, which is to be inhabited by the 

 French. Aagochiendaguese commenced alone in the person of an 

 Ancient who was taking his place, but always in the same way as 

 though he himself had spoken ; then all the others repeated, both its 

 nOte and its letter agreeing marvellously well. 



In the second chant the chief intoned these words: Good news! 

 very good news' The others repeated them in the very same tone. 

 Then the chief continued, It is all good, my brother, it is every way 

 good that we speak together, it is wholly good that we have a 

 heavenly speech. 



The third song had a grace given it by a very melodious refrain,, 

 and said: My brother, I salute thee; my brother, thou art welcome. 

 Ai, ai, ai, hi. 0, the beautiful voice! O, the beautiful voicte that 

 thou hast! Ai, ai, ai, hi. O, the beautiful voice, 0, the beautiful 

 voice that I also have! Ai, ai, ai, hi. 



The fourth song had another grace by the cadence which these 

 musicians kept, striking with their feet, their hands, and their pipes, 

 against the mat, but with such good accord that this noise so well 

 regulating made a harmony sweet to hear ; these are its words r 

 "My brother, I salute thee: it is all good; unfeignedly I accept the 

 heaven which thou hast made me see ; yes, I agree to it, I accept it. 



They sang for the fifth time saying: Adieu to war, adieu to the 

 ax; up to the present time ive have been insane, but henceforth we 

 zvill be brothers: yes, indeed we zvill be brothers. 



The last song had the words : To-day the great peace is made. 

 Adieu to war, Adieu to arms: for the whole affair is beautiful 

 throughout ; thou dost uphold our cabins when thou comest with us. 



These songs were followed by four beautiful presents. Relation, 

 1656 



After these a Cayuga chief made a half hour's speech, ending 

 with a song. The account goes on : 



All present sang with him, but with a different and heavier tone, 

 striking their mat in cadence, during which this man danced in the 

 midst of all, stirring himself in a strange fashion, and sparing no 

 part of his body, so that he made gestures with his feet, with his 

 hands, with his head, with his eyes, with his mouth, keeping time so 

 well with his own song and that of the others, that this appeared 

 admirable. This is what he sang: A, a ha Gaiandere, gaiandere, 



