INDIAN SACRIFICE AND CEREMONIES. 289 



of planting their corn. A dog is killed, at 

 this season of the year as a sacrifice to the 

 Great Spirit, and being all assembled on 

 the occasion, one of the chiefs delivers a 

 solemn address. He usually begins, by ob- 

 serving that they were all placed on the earth 

 by the Great Spirit, and that their forefathers 

 celebrated the like ceremonies, and after enu- 

 merating, perhaps, some of their war exploits, 

 he implores the assistance of the Great Spirit, 

 asking Him to command the sun to shed his 

 rays on the corn that is planted, that it may 

 take root, and grow up, so that they may gather 

 in the fruits of the earth. During the time of 

 this address, the fire is consuming the sacrifice, 

 and as the flame ascends, he occasionally pours 

 incense on it, which arises as a perfume, from 

 a preparation that they make of aromatic herbs, 

 dried, and pulverized. The chiefs of these 

 heathen nations lately met in council, to de- 

 liberate on the subject of education, and par- 

 ticularly requested Mr. Brandt to use his 

 influence with those who had encouraged and 

 defrayed the expenses of educating the Mo- 

 hawk children, to make known the wish of the 

 different tribes, located with the Mohawks, and 

 the Oneidas, to have their children educated 



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