SwANOWN] INDIANS OF THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES 757 



As for their dancing, were there masters of that profession amongst them 

 as there are with us, they would dearly earn their money; for these creatures 

 take the most pains at it that men are able to endure. I have seen thirty odd 

 together a dancing, and every one dropped down with sweat, as if water had 

 been poured down their backs. They use those hard labors to make them able 

 to endure fatigue and improve their wind, which indeed is very long and 

 durable, it being a hard matter in any exercise to dispossess them of it. 



At these feasts, they meet from all the towns within fifty or sixty miles round, 

 where they buy and sell several commodities, as we do at fairs and markets. 

 (Lawson, 1860, pp. 285-287.) 



This account covers the Tuscarora as well as the Siouan tribes, 

 but the following description of a Waxhaw festivity is from direct 

 observation of a ceremony among the latter : 



[The dogs having been ejected from the "state house" of the tribe] the com- 

 pany was summoned by beat of drum ; the music being made of a dressed deer's 

 skin, tied hard upon an earthern porridge pot. Presently in came five men 

 dressed up with feathers, their faces being covered with vizards made of 

 gourds; round their ancles and knees were hung bells of several sorts; having 

 wooden falchions in their hands, (such as stage fencers commonly use) ; in this 

 dress they danced about an hour, showing many strange gestures, and brand- 

 ishing their wooden weapons as if they were going to fight each other; often- 

 times walking very nimbly round the room, without making the least noise 

 with their bells, a thing I much admired at; again turning their bodies, arms 

 and legs, into such frightful postures, that you would have guessed they had 

 been quite raving mad: at last, they cut two or three high capers and left 

 the room. In their stead came in a parcel of women and girls, to the number 

 of thirty odd, every one taking place according to her degree of stature — 

 the tallest leading the dance and the least of all being placed last ; with these 

 they made a circular dance, like a ring representing the shape of the fire they 

 danced about. Many of these had great horse bells about their necks. — They 

 had musicians, who were two old men, one of whom beat a drum, while the 

 other rattled with a gourd that had corn in it to make a noise withal. To 

 these instruments they both sang a mournful ditty; the burthen of their song 

 was, in remembrance of their former greatness, and numbers of their nation, 

 the famous exploits of their renowned ancestors, and all actions of moment 

 that had, in former days, been performed by their forefathers. 



At these festivals it is, that they give a traditional relation of what hath 

 passed amongst them, to the younger fry, these verbal deliveries being always 

 published in their most public assemblies, serve instead of our traditional notes 

 by the use of letters. Some Indians, that I have met withal, have given me a 

 very curious description of the great deluge, the immortality of the soul, with 

 a pithy account of the reward of good and wicked deeds in the life to come; 

 having found amongst some of them, great observers of moral rules, and the 

 law of nature; indeed, a worthy foundation to build Christianity upon, were 

 a true method found out and practiced for the performance thereof. 



Their way of dancing is nothing but a sort of stamping motion, much like 

 the treading upon founder's bellows. This female gang held their dance for 

 above six hours, being all of them of a white lather, like a running horse, that 

 has just come in from his race. My landlady was the ringleader of the Ama- 

 zoiis, who when in her own house, behaved herself very discreetly and warily 

 in her domestic affairs; yet, custom had so infatuated her, as to almost break 

 her heart with dancing amongst such a confused rabble. During this dancing, 



