﻿COUNCILS 
  AND 
  CEREMONIES 
  OF 
  ADOPTION 
  OF 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  INDIANS 
  403 
  

  

  Interment 
  in 
  New 
  York 
  was 
  usually 
  of 
  a 
  simpler 
  character, 
  but 
  

   it 
  was 
  understood 
  that 
  there 
  should 
  be 
  some 
  public 
  expression 
  of 
  

   general 
  sympathy. 
  To 
  family 
  sorrow 
  was 
  added 
  a 
  kind 
  of 
  minor 
  

   condolence 
  of 
  an 
  official 
  character. 
  The 
  Relation 
  of 
  1657 
  describes 
  

   one 
  of 
  these 
  at 
  Onondaga: 
  

  

  After 
  the 
  dead 
  man 
  is 
  buried, 
  and 
  his 
  tomb 
  is 
  heaped 
  up 
  with 
  

   food 
  for 
  the 
  sustenance 
  of 
  his 
  soul, 
  and 
  a 
  kind 
  of 
  sacrifice 
  had 
  been 
  

   made 
  by 
  burning 
  a 
  certain 
  quantity 
  of 
  corn, 
  the 
  ancients, 
  the 
  friends 
  

   and 
  relatives 
  of 
  the 
  deceased 
  are 
  invited 
  to 
  a 
  feast, 
  where 
  each 
  

   brings 
  his 
  presents 
  to 
  console 
  those 
  most 
  afflicted. 
  It 
  is 
  thus 
  that 
  

   they 
  did 
  in 
  the 
  presence 
  of 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  fathers 
  of 
  our 
  company, 
  who 
  

   represented 
  at 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  ceremonies 
  the 
  person 
  of 
  Monsieur* 
  the 
  

   Governor. 
  An 
  Ancient 
  of 
  the 
  most 
  considerable, 
  proceeding 
  gravely, 
  

   cried 
  in 
  a 
  lugubrious 
  tone: 
  Ail 
  Ail 
  Ail 
  Agatondichon: 
  Alas! 
  

   Alas 
  ! 
  Alas 
  ! 
  my 
  dear 
  relatives, 
  I 
  have 
  neither 
  spirit 
  nor 
  word 
  with 
  

   which 
  to 
  console 
  you. 
  I 
  can 
  do 
  nothing 
  but 
  mingle 
  my 
  tears 
  with 
  

   yours, 
  and 
  lament 
  the 
  severity 
  of 
  the 
  disease 
  which 
  treats 
  us 
  so 
  ill 
  : 
  

   Ail 
  Ail 
  Ail 
  Agatondichon! 
  I 
  am 
  yet 
  consoled 
  at 
  seeing 
  Onnontio 
  

   and 
  the 
  rest 
  of 
  the 
  French 
  weep 
  with 
  us; 
  but 
  courage, 
  my 
  rela- 
  

   tives 
  ! 
  let 
  us 
  not 
  sadden 
  longer 
  a 
  guest 
  so 
  honorable, 
  let 
  us 
  dry 
  the 
  

   tears 
  of 
  Onnontio 
  by 
  drying 
  our 
  own 
  ; 
  here 
  is 
  a 
  present 
  which 
  will 
  

   dry 
  the 
  source 
  of 
  them. 
  This 
  present, 
  which 
  he 
  made 
  at 
  the 
  same 
  

   time, 
  was 
  a 
  beautiful 
  collar 
  of 
  wampum, 
  which 
  was 
  followed 
  by 
  

   presents 
  and 
  condolences 
  from 
  all 
  the 
  others, 
  the 
  liberality 
  of 
  the 
  

   women 
  being 
  no 
  less 
  than 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  men 
  on 
  this 
  occasion. 
  The 
  

   ceremony 
  is 
  ended 
  by 
  a 
  feast, 
  from 
  which 
  they 
  take 
  the 
  best 
  morsels 
  

   for 
  the 
  sick 
  people 
  of 
  distinction 
  in 
  the 
  town. 
  

  

  While 
  the 
  greater 
  condolence 
  was 
  for 
  the 
  chiefs 
  and 
  interested 
  all 
  

   the 
  nations, 
  the 
  minor 
  one 
  might 
  be 
  used 
  for 
  any 
  person 
  and 
  was 
  

   of 
  a 
  more 
  local 
  nature. 
  In 
  the 
  same 
  year 
  the 
  Onondagas 
  expressed 
  

   their 
  sympathy 
  for 
  the 
  French 
  in 
  turn 
  : 
  

  

  They 
  have 
  always 
  since 
  rendered 
  the 
  same 
  offices 
  which 
  they 
  use 
  

   toward 
  their 
  most 
  faithful 
  friends. 
  The 
  chiefs 
  among 
  them 
  having 
  

   come 
  with 
  mournful 
  cries 
  to 
  console 
  us 
  for 
  the 
  death 
  of 
  two 
  of 
  our 
  

   Frenchmen, 
  he 
  who 
  brought 
  the 
  presents 
  of 
  condolence, 
  addressing 
  

   the 
  Father 
  Superior, 
  said 
  to 
  him: 
  The 
  Ancients 
  of 
  our 
  country, 
  

   being 
  accustomed 
  to 
  dry 
  each 
  others 
  tears, 
  when 
  they 
  are 
  afflicted 
  

   by_any 
  misfortune, 
  we 
  come, 
  Achiendase', 
  to 
  perform 
  for 
  you 
  this 
  

   duty 
  of 
  friendship. 
  We 
  weep 
  with 
  thee 
  because 
  misfortune 
  can 
  not 
  

   touch 
  thee 
  without 
  piercing 
  us 
  by 
  the 
  same 
  stroke 
  ; 
  and 
  we 
  are 
  

   unable, 
  without 
  extreme 
  sorrow, 
  to 
  see 
  thee 
  so 
  ill 
  used 
  in 
  our 
  land, 
  

   after 
  having 
  left 
  thine 
  own 
  where 
  thou 
  wast 
  perfectly 
  at 
  thy 
  ease 
  

   . 
  . 
  . 
  This 
  present 
  is 
  to 
  level 
  the 
  earth 
  in 
  which 
  I 
  have 
  put 
  them, 
  

  

  