﻿COUNCILS 
  AND 
  CEREMONIES 
  OF 
  ADOPTION 
  OF 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  INDIANS 
  425 
  

  

  were 
  adjourned 
  to 
  the 
  next 
  day. 
  When 
  the 
  Cherokees 
  came 
  to 
  a 
  

   council 
  in 
  New 
  York, 
  they 
  were 
  surprised 
  at 
  the 
  lateness 
  of 
  the 
  

   hour, 
  having 
  a 
  belief 
  that 
  " 
  at 
  noon 
  the 
  day 
  was 
  too 
  far 
  advanced 
  

   for 
  a 
  work 
  of 
  peace." 
  When 
  Kirkland 
  reached 
  the 
  Seneca 
  castle 
  

   in 
  the 
  evening, 
  they 
  deferred 
  his 
  business 
  till 
  morning, 
  saying 
  " 
  it 
  

   was 
  not 
  their 
  custom 
  to 
  receive 
  a 
  message 
  of 
  peace 
  in 
  the 
  dark- 
  

   ness 
  of 
  the 
  night, 
  but 
  in 
  the 
  light 
  of 
  day." 
  Generally, 
  however, 
  

   Iroquois 
  councils 
  were 
  held 
  in 
  the 
  afternoon 
  or 
  evening, 
  except 
  

   those 
  of 
  a 
  religious 
  nature, 
  and 
  they 
  seldom 
  meet 
  now 
  for 
  busi- 
  

   ness 
  before 
  noon 
  in 
  New 
  York, 
  though 
  they 
  do 
  in 
  Canada. 
  Huron 
  

   councils 
  were 
  usually 
  in 
  the 
  evening, 
  often 
  continuing 
  all 
  night. 
  

   The 
  Iroquois 
  preferred 
  the 
  afternoon, 
  unless 
  for 
  private 
  sessions. 
  

   A 
  custom 
  of 
  little 
  prominence 
  was 
  mentioned 
  in 
  1774, 
  in 
  con- 
  

   nection 
  with 
  a 
  council 
  with 
  Col. 
  Guy 
  Johnson. 
  The 
  Onondagas 
  

   came 
  to 
  him 
  and 
  said: 
  

  

  That 
  all 
  our 
  late 
  appointed 
  Chiefs 
  may 
  be 
  made 
  known 
  to 
  you, 
  

   (we) 
  do 
  now 
  introduce 
  them, 
  that 
  you 
  may 
  be 
  well 
  acquainted 
  with 
  

   those 
  to 
  whom 
  our 
  affairs 
  are 
  committed 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  This 
  Brother 
  is 
  our 
  

   old 
  custom, 
  which 
  has 
  been 
  always 
  used 
  to 
  acquaint 
  those 
  who 
  get 
  

   the 
  management 
  of 
  Indians, 
  with 
  the 
  names 
  and 
  characters 
  of 
  our 
  

   great 
  men. 
  This 
  we 
  did 
  on 
  former 
  occasions. 
  We 
  did 
  it 
  with 
  

   Sir 
  William, 
  and 
  now 
  we 
  do 
  it 
  with 
  you. 
  O'Callaghan, 
  8 
  1506 
  

  

  The 
  closing 
  of 
  a 
  council 
  might 
  be 
  elaborate 
  or 
  simple, 
  with 
  form 
  

   or 
  without. 
  When 
  Conrad 
  Weiser 
  was 
  at 
  Onondaga 
  in 
  August, 
  

   1743, 
  his 
  business 
  was 
  satisfactorily 
  concluded:. 
  

  

  After 
  all 
  was 
  over, 
  according 
  to 
  the 
  Ancient 
  Custom 
  of 
  that 
  Fire, 
  

   a 
  Song 
  of 
  Friendship 
  and 
  Joy 
  was 
  sung 
  by 
  the 
  Chiefs, 
  after 
  this 
  

   the 
  Council 
  Fire 
  on 
  their 
  side 
  was 
  put 
  out. 
  I 
  with 
  the 
  same 
  Cere- 
  

   mony 
  put 
  out 
  the 
  Fire 
  on 
  behalf 
  of 
  Assaryquoa 
  and 
  Onas, 
  and 
  they 
  

   departed. 
  Hazard, 
  4:668 
  

  

  This 
  is 
  commonly 
  termed 
  covering 
  the 
  fire, 
  and 
  hence 
  is 
  the 
  

   propriety 
  of 
  the 
  Canadian 
  term 
  of 
  fire-keepers 
  for 
  the 
  Onondagas, 
  

   from 
  their 
  power 
  in 
  councils. 
  A 
  religious 
  council 
  is 
  closed 
  by 
  

   simply 
  removing 
  the 
  wampum. 
  

  

  The 
  Iroquois 
  were 
  mindful 
  of 
  the 
  old 
  rule 
  to 
  " 
  welcome 
  the 
  

   coming, 
  speed 
  the 
  parting 
  guest." 
  When 
  Le 
  Moyne 
  left 
  Onondaga 
  

   in 
  1654 
  he 
  not 
  only 
  had 
  a 
  farewell 
  feast, 
  as 
  was 
  customary, 
  but 
  

   " 
  half 
  a 
  league 
  from 
  there 
  we 
  found 
  a 
  troop 
  of 
  old 
  men, 
  all 
  peo- 
  

  

  