SwANTONl INDIA^^S OF THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES 747 



Beverley's description of the costumes of these men has been quoted 

 elsewhere (p. 478) . He says of their function : 



The Conjurer is a Partner with the Priests, not only in the Cheat, but in the ad- 

 vantages of it, and sometimes they oflSciate for one another. When this Artist is 

 in the Act of Conjuration, or of Pauwawing, as they term it, he always appears 

 with an air of Haste, or else in some Convulsive posture, that seems to strain all 

 the faculties, like the Sybils, when they pretended to be under the Power of In- 

 spiration. (Beverley, 1705, bk. 2, p. 45.) 



Turning to ceremonials, we may quote the following from Smith: 



Their devotion was most in songs which the chiefe Priest beginneth and the 

 rest followed him : sometimes he maketh invocations with broken sentences, by 

 starts and strange passions, and at every pause, the rest give a short groane. 



It could not bee perceived that thfey keepe any day as more holy than other : 

 but only in some distresse, of want, feare of enimies, times of triumph and 

 gathering togither their fruits, the whole country of men, women and children 

 come togither to solemnities. The manner of their devotion is sometimes to 

 make a great fire in the house or fields, and all to sing and dance about it, 

 with rattles and shouts togither, 4 or 5 houres. Sometimes they set a man in 

 the midst, and about him they dance and sing, hfe all the while clapping his 

 hands as if he would keepe time. And after their songs and dauncings ended, 

 they goe ot their feasts. [This is the sort of performance illustrated by Harlot 

 and described as "their manner of prainge with rattels abowt the fyer" (pi. 96).] 



They have also divers conjurations. One they made when Captaine Smith 

 was their prisoner (as they reported) to know if any more of his countrymen 

 would arrive there, and what he there intended. The manner of it was thus. 

 First they made a faire fire in a house. About this fire set 7 Priests setting him 

 by them, and about the fire, they made a circle of meale. That done, the 

 chiefe Priest attired as is expressed, began to shake his rattle, and the rest 

 followed him in his song. At the end of the song, he laid downe 5 or 3 graines 

 of wheat, and so continued counting his songs by the graines, till 3 times thfey 

 incirculed the fire. Then they divide the graines by certaine numbers with 

 little stickes, laying downe at the ende of every song a little sticke. In this 

 manner, they sat 8, 10, or 12 houres without cease, with such strange stretch- 

 ing of their armes, and violent passions and gestures as might well seeme 

 strange to him they so conjured, who but every h'oure expected his end. Not 

 any meat they did eat till, late in the evening, they had finished this worke: 

 and then they feasted him and themselves with much mirth. But 3 or 4 dales 

 they continued this ceremony. (Smith, John, Tyler ed., 1907, pp. 110-111.) 



Spelman says regarding the social gatherings and dances: 



When they meet at feasts or otherwise they vse sprorts much like to ours 

 heare in England as ther daunsinge, which is like our darbysher Hornepipe a 

 man first and then a woman, and so through them all, hanging ail in a round, 

 ther is one which stand in the midest with a pipe and a rattell with which 

 when he beginns to make a noyes all the rest Gigetts about wriinge ther neckes 

 and stampinge on y* ground. (Smith, John, Arber ed., 1884, p. cxiv.) 



Beverley : 



Their Singing is not the most charming that I have heard, it consists much 

 in exalting the voice, and is full of slow melancholy accents. However, I 

 must allow even this Musick to contain some wild Notes that are agreeable. 



