﻿HISTORY 
  OF 
  THE 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  IROQUOIS 
  I4I 
  

  

  tive 
  apparel. 
  The 
  neat 
  and 
  handsome 
  moccasin 
  long 
  survived 
  

   and 
  beaded 
  work 
  is 
  still 
  used. 
  At 
  one 
  time 
  elaborate 
  bone 
  combs 
  

   were 
  much 
  employed, 
  and 
  early 
  writers 
  mention 
  stockings 
  and 
  

   mittens. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  household 
  the 
  large 
  wooden 
  pestle 
  and 
  mortar 
  are 
  still 
  

   found, 
  being 
  preferred 
  in 
  mealing 
  corn, 
  for 
  very 
  good 
  reasons. 
  

   Basket 
  sieves, 
  stirring 
  sticks 
  and 
  other 
  things 
  are 
  still 
  used, 
  but 
  

   the 
  wooden 
  spoon 
  has 
  had 
  its 
  day. 
  

  

  Two 
  early 
  games 
  were 
  those 
  of 
  lacrosse 
  and 
  the 
  dish 
  or 
  bowl, 
  

   /the 
  latter 
  now 
  called 
  the 
  peach-stone 
  game. 
  Both 
  these 
  are 
  wide- 
  

   spread 
  and 
  of 
  high 
  antiquity. 
  The 
  latter 
  is 
  for 
  great 
  occasions, 
  

   but 
  has 
  a 
  modification 
  for 
  domestic 
  use, 
  which 
  may 
  be 
  quite 
  as 
  

   old. 
  The 
  snow 
  snake 
  is 
  of 
  uncertain 
  age, 
  having 
  no 
  mention 
  in 
  

   early 
  writings, 
  as 
  several 
  minor 
  games 
  have 
  not. 
  The 
  musical 
  

   instruments 
  were 
  and 
  are 
  the 
  flute, 
  kettledrum 
  and 
  various 
  kinds 
  

   of 
  rattles. 
  

  

  Sepulture 
  was 
  rarely 
  on 
  the 
  surface, 
  the 
  body 
  being 
  usually 
  

   bound 
  in 
  a 
  crouching 
  posture 
  and 
  placed 
  upright 
  in 
  a 
  pit, 
  but 
  

   ways 
  of 
  burial 
  varied 
  greatly 
  and 
  sometimes 
  curiously. 
  Some 
  

   memorial 
  often 
  marked 
  the 
  spot. 
  Pits 
  were 
  also 
  dug 
  to 
  hold 
  

   grain, 
  and 
  many 
  open 
  ones 
  may 
  yet 
  be 
  seen. 
  They 
  are 
  some- 
  

   times 
  mistaken 
  for 
  graves. 
  Bone 
  pits 
  were 
  rare, 
  though 
  much 
  

   used 
  by 
  the 
  Neutrals 
  and 
  Hurons. 
  

  

  During 
  the 
  historic 
  period 
  wampum 
  came 
  into 
  use 
  in 
  many 
  

   ways, 
  but 
  was 
  hardly 
  known 
  in 
  the 
  interior 
  before. 
  Wooden 
  

   masks 
  have 
  an 
  age 
  of 
  over 
  two 
  centuries 
  and 
  are 
  still 
  made. 
  

   Worship 
  has 
  varied 
  greatly, 
  and 
  consists 
  mainly 
  of 
  singing 
  and 
  

   dancing. 
  The 
  great 
  Iroquois 
  feast 
  was 
  that 
  once 
  termed 
  a 
  turn- 
  

   ing 
  of 
  the 
  head, 
  when 
  dreams 
  were 
  related 
  and 
  the 
  wildest 
  follies 
  

   committed. 
  This 
  at 
  last 
  became 
  the 
  white 
  dog 
  feast, 
  now 
  almost 
  

   obsolete. 
  There 
  are 
  many 
  minor 
  feasts, 
  mostly 
  of 
  thanksgiving. 
  

   Belonging 
  to 
  these 
  are 
  many 
  dances, 
  original 
  and 
  adopted, 
  of 
  

   which 
  Morgan 
  has 
  given 
  a 
  long 
  list, 
  enumerating 
  32, 
  with 
  

   descriptions 
  of 
  many. 
  

  

  As 
  with 
  all 
  unlettered 
  nations, 
  the 
  story-teller 
  was 
  a 
  man 
  of 
  

   importance, 
  giving 
  pleasure 
  in 
  many 
  an 
  idle 
  hour. 
  His 
  tales 
  of 
  

  

  