Harmon's journal. 



71 



on, till we had been to more than half a dozen. 

 At all these, we ate a little, and smoked our 

 pipes ; for, my interpreter informed me, they 

 would be greatly affronted, and think that we de- 

 spised them, if we refused to taste of every thing 

 which was set before us. Hospitality to strangers, 

 is among the Indian virtues. — During several days 

 that we remained with these people, we were 

 treated with more real politeness, than is com- 

 monly shown to strangers, in the civilized part of 

 the world. 



While I was at the camp of the Natives, I 

 was invited to attend and see them dance. The 

 dancers were about thirty in number, and were all 

 clothed with the skins of the Antelope, dressed, 

 which were nearly as white as snow ; and upon 

 their heads they sprinkled a white earth, which 

 gave them a very genteel appearance. Their 

 dance was conducted in the following manner. A 

 man, nearly forty years of age, rose with his tom- 

 ahawk in his hand, and made, with a very distinct 

 voice, a long harangue. He recounted all the 

 noble exploits which he had achieved, in the sev- 

 eral war-parties with which he had engaged his 

 enemies ; and he made mention of two persons, in 

 particular, whom he first killed, and then took off 

 their scalps ; and for each of these, he gave a 

 blow with his tomahawk against a post, which was 



