I30 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



unusual occasion, he restricted himself to a few hours in each of 

 the last two days of the council. We were told by young Parker, 

 who took notes of his preaching, that his subject matter on Tuesday 

 abounded with good teachings, enforced by appropriate and happy 

 illustrations and striking imagery. After he had finished, the coun- 

 cil took a short respite. Soon, however, a company of warriors 

 ready and eager to engage in the celebrated " corn dance," made 

 their appearance. They were differently attired ; while some were 

 completely enveloped in a closely fitting and gaudy colored garb, 

 others, though perhaps without intending it, had made wonderfully 

 close approaches to an imitation of the costume said to have been 

 so fashionable in many parts of the state of Georgia during the last 

 hot summer, and which is also said to have consisted simply of a 

 shirt collar and a pair of spurs. But in truth, these warriors, with 

 shoulders and limbs in a state of nudity, with faces bestreaked with 

 paints, with jingling trinkets dangling at their knees, and with 

 feather war-caps waving above them, presented a truly picturesque 

 and romantic appearance. When the center of the council house 

 had been cleared, and the musicians with the shell rattles had taken 

 their places, the dance commenced; and for an hour and a half, 

 perhaps two hours, it proceeded with surprising spirit and energy. 

 Almost every posture of which the human frame is susceptible, 

 without absolutely making the -feet to be uppermost, and the head 

 for once to assume the place of the understanding, was exhibited. 

 Some of the attitudes of the dancers were really imposing, and the 

 dance as a whole could be got up and conducted only by Indians. 

 The women in the performance of the corn dance, are quite by 

 themselves, keeping time to the beat of the shells, and gliding along 

 sideways, scarcely lifting their feet from the floor. 



It would probably be well if the Indians everywhere could be 

 inclined to refrain at least from the more grotesque and boisterous 

 peculiarities of this dance. The influence of these can not be pro- 

 ductive of any good ; and it is questionable whether it would be 

 possible, so long as they are retained, to assimilate them to any 

 greater degree of civilization or to more refined methods of living 

 and enjoyment, than they now possess. The same may be said of 

 certain characteristics of the still more vandalic war dance. This, 

 however, was not introduced at the council. 



A part of the proceedings of Friday, the last day of the council, 

 bore resemblance to those of the preceding day. Jemmy Johnson 

 resumed his preaching, at the close of which the corn dance was 

 again performed, though with far more spirit and enthusiasm than 



