﻿COUNCILS 
  AND 
  CEREMONIES 
  OF 
  ADOPTION 
  OF 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  INDIANS 
  355 
  

  

  The 
  preliminary 
  ceremony, 
  called, 
  At 
  the 
  Wood's 
  Edge 
  

  

  1 
  Greatly 
  startled 
  now 
  have 
  I 
  been 
  today 
  

  

  By 
  your 
  voice 
  coming 
  through 
  the 
  woods 
  to 
  this 
  clearing. 
  

   With 
  a 
  troubled 
  mind 
  have 
  you 
  come 
  

   Through 
  obstacles 
  of 
  every 
  kind. 
  

  

  2 
  Continually 
  you 
  saw 
  the 
  spots 
  where 
  they 
  met, 
  

   On 
  whom 
  we 
  depended, 
  my 
  children 
  

  

  How 
  then 
  can 
  your 
  mind 
  be 
  at 
  ease? 
  

   Ever 
  you 
  saw 
  their 
  footprints, 
  

  

  3 
  Those 
  of 
  your 
  forefathers. 
  And 
  even 
  now 
  

   Almost 
  might 
  the 
  smoke 
  have 
  been 
  seen 
  

  

  Where 
  together 
  they 
  smoked. 
  How 
  can 
  your 
  mind 
  

   Then 
  be 
  at 
  ease, 
  when 
  weeping 
  you 
  come 
  on 
  your 
  way? 
  

  

  4 
  Great 
  thanks, 
  therefore, 
  we 
  give, 
  that 
  safely 
  

   You 
  have 
  arrived. 
  Now 
  then 
  together 
  

  

  Let 
  both 
  of 
  us 
  smoke. 
  For 
  all 
  around 
  indeed 
  

   Are 
  hostile 
  powers, 
  which 
  are 
  thinking 
  thus 
  : 
  

  

  5 
  I 
  will 
  frustrate 
  their 
  plans. 
  Here 
  are 
  many 
  thorns, 
  

   And 
  here 
  falling 
  trees, 
  and 
  here 
  the 
  wild 
  beasts 
  wait. 
  

   Either 
  by 
  these 
  might 
  you 
  have 
  died, 
  my 
  children, 
  

   Or 
  here 
  by 
  floods 
  might 
  you 
  have 
  been 
  destroyed, 
  

  

  6 
  My 
  children 
  ; 
  or 
  here 
  by 
  the 
  hatchet 
  

   Raised 
  in 
  the 
  dark, 
  outside 
  the 
  house. 
  

   Every 
  day 
  by 
  these 
  are 
  we 
  wasting 
  away. 
  

   Or 
  by 
  deadly 
  and 
  invisible 
  

  

  7 
  Disease 
  might 
  you 
  have 
  been 
  destroyed, 
  

   My 
  children. 
  Great 
  thanks, 
  therefore 
  now, 
  

   That 
  safely 
  you 
  have 
  traversed 
  the 
  forest. 
  

   For 
  painful 
  would 
  have 
  been 
  the 
  results 
  

  

  8 
  If 
  you 
  had 
  perished 
  by 
  the 
  way, 
  or 
  startled 
  

   One 
  had 
  said 
  : 
  Lo 
  ! 
  bodies 
  are 
  lying 
  yonder 
  ; 
  

   Yea, 
  and 
  those 
  of 
  chiefs 
  ! 
  And 
  they 
  would 
  think 
  

   In 
  dismay, 
  it 
  was 
  startling, 
  my 
  children. 
  

  

  9 
  Our 
  forefathers 
  made 
  the 
  rule, 
  

  

  And 
  they 
  said 
  : 
  Here 
  shall 
  they 
  kindle 
  a 
  council 
  fire, 
  

   Here 
  at 
  the 
  forest's 
  edge, 
  they 
  will 
  condole 
  each 
  other 
  

   With 
  very 
  few 
  words. 
  But 
  they 
  have 
  referred 
  

  

  