﻿COUNCILS 
  AND 
  CEREMONIES 
  OF 
  ADOPTION 
  OF 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  INDIANS 
  347 
  

  

  prior 
  migrants 
  or 
  conquests 
  and 
  so 
  had 
  more 
  clans. 
  Those 
  added 
  

   after 
  the 
  confederacy 
  was 
  formed 
  long 
  had 
  no 
  representation, 
  the 
  

   number 
  being 
  made 
  permanent 
  in 
  a 
  measure. 
  Most 
  of 
  these 
  prin- 
  

   cipal 
  chiefs 
  had 
  assistants, 
  distinguished 
  yet 
  as 
  those 
  who 
  stand 
  

   behind. 
  In 
  treating 
  of 
  this, 
  Mr 
  Hale 
  was 
  often 
  perplexed 
  by 
  the 
  

   name 
  of 
  the 
  Ball 
  clan, 
  which 
  is 
  but 
  another 
  for 
  one 
  division 
  of 
  the 
  

   Turtle 
  tribe. 
  In 
  modern 
  condolences 
  one 
  woman 
  often 
  has 
  the 
  sole 
  

   nomination 
  of 
  a 
  chief, 
  but 
  where 
  several 
  are 
  to 
  be 
  consulted 
  the 
  

   subject 
  may 
  be 
  canvassed 
  up 
  to 
  the 
  latest 
  moment, 
  and 
  thus 
  I 
  have 
  

   seen 
  them 
  running 
  from 
  house 
  to 
  house. 
  The 
  passage 
  of 
  time 
  has 
  

   brought 
  some 
  variation 
  in 
  representation. 
  It 
  is 
  clear 
  also 
  that 
  at 
  

   times 
  there 
  have 
  been 
  more 
  than 
  50 
  Iroquois 
  sachems, 
  but 
  the 
  

   additional 
  ones 
  probably 
  had 
  a 
  somewhat 
  different 
  character 
  and 
  

   may 
  have 
  been 
  the 
  result 
  of 
  temporary 
  needs. 
  They 
  do 
  not 
  appear 
  

   in 
  the 
  condoling 
  song, 
  and 
  may 
  be 
  classed 
  as 
  pine 
  tree 
  chiefs. 
  

  

  Of 
  the 
  power 
  of 
  principal 
  chiefs, 
  commonly 
  called 
  sachems, 
  we 
  

   have 
  different 
  accounts. 
  Roger 
  Williams 
  said 
  : 
  

  

  Their 
  Government 
  is 
  Monarchicall 
  ... 
  A 
  Prince's 
  house 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  

   is 
  farre 
  different 
  from 
  the 
  other 
  house, 
  both 
  in 
  capacity 
  or 
  receit 
  ; 
  

   and 
  also 
  the 
  flnenesse 
  and 
  quality 
  of 
  their 
  Mats 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  Beside 
  their 
  

   generall 
  subjection 
  to 
  the 
  highest 
  Sac 
  hints, 
  to 
  whom 
  they 
  carry 
  

   presents, 
  and 
  upon 
  any 
  injury 
  received, 
  and 
  complaint 
  made, 
  their 
  

   Protectors 
  will 
  revenge 
  it 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  The 
  most 
  usuall 
  Custome 
  amongst 
  

   them 
  in 
  executing 
  punishments, 
  is 
  for 
  the 
  Sachim 
  either 
  to 
  beat, 
  or 
  

   whip, 
  or 
  put 
  to 
  death 
  with 
  his 
  own 
  hand, 
  to 
  which 
  the 
  common 
  sort 
  

   most 
  quietly 
  submit; 
  though 
  sometimes 
  the 
  Sachim 
  sends 
  a 
  secret 
  

   Executioner, 
  one 
  of 
  his 
  chief 
  est 
  Warriours 
  to 
  fetch 
  of 
  a. 
  head. 
  

  

  This 
  was 
  among 
  the 
  Algonquins 
  of 
  New 
  England, 
  and 
  the 
  

   Jesuits 
  gave 
  a 
  similar 
  account 
  in 
  Canada 
  in 
  161 
  1. 
  

  

  There 
  is 
  the 
  Sagamo, 
  who 
  is 
  the 
  eldest 
  of 
  some 
  powerful 
  family, 
  

   who 
  is 
  also 
  consequently 
  the 
  chief 
  and 
  conductor 
  of 
  this. 
  All 
  the 
  

   young 
  people 
  of 
  the 
  family 
  are 
  at 
  the 
  table 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  suite 
  of 
  this 
  

   one 
  ; 
  it 
  is 
  for 
  him 
  also 
  to 
  keep 
  some 
  dogs 
  for 
  the 
  chase, 
  and 
  some 
  

   canoes 
  for 
  travelers, 
  and 
  provisions 
  and 
  reserves 
  for 
  bad 
  times 
  and 
  

   journeys. 
  The 
  young 
  people 
  wait 
  upon 
  him, 
  hunt, 
  and 
  pass 
  their 
  

   apprenticeship 
  under 
  him, 
  unable 
  to 
  own 
  anything 
  before 
  being 
  

   married. 
  

  

  In 
  southern 
  New 
  York 
  many 
  chiefs 
  had 
  little 
  authority. 
  A 
  

   Dutch 
  account 
  says 
  : 
  

  

  In 
  each 
  village, 
  indeed, 
  is 
  found 
  a 
  person 
  who 
  is 
  somewhat 
  above 
  

   the 
  others, 
  and 
  commands 
  absolutely 
  when 
  there 
  is 
  war 
  and 
  when 
  

  

  