NORTH AMERICA. 
44 9 
accommodating many hundred people ; conftrudted 
and furniffied within, exactly in the fame manner as 
thofe of the Cherokees already defcribed, but much 
larger than any I had feen of them : there are peo- 
ple appointed to take care of it, to have it daily 
fwept clean, and to provide canes for fuel, or to 
give light. 
As their vigils and manner of conducing their 
vefpers and myflicai fire in this rotunda, are ex- 
tremely fingular, and altogether different from, 
the cuftoms and ufagcs of any other people, I 
Jfhall proceed to defcribe them. In the firfc place, 
the governor or officer who has the management 
of this bufinefs, with his fervants attending, or- 
ders the black drink to be brewed, * which is a 
deeo6tion or infufion of the leaves and tender 
fhoots of the C affine : this is done under an open 
fhed or pavilion, at twenty or thirty yards dif- 
tance, diredtly oppofite the door of the council- 
houfe. Next he orders bundles of dry canes to 
be brought in ; thefe are previoufly fplit and 
broken in pieces to about the length of two feet, 
and then placed obliquely croffways upon one 
another on the floor, forming a fpiral circle 
round about the great centre pillar, rifing to a 
foot or eighteen inches in height from the ground ; 
and this circle fpreading as it proceeds round 
and round, often repeated from right to left, 
every revolution encreafes its diameter, and at 
length extends to the diftance of ten or twelve 
feet from the centre, more or lefs, according to 
the length of time the affembly or meeting is to 
continue. By the time thefe preparations are 
accomplifhed, it is night, and the affembly have 
taken their feats in order. The exterior extre- 
mity or outer end of the fpiral circle takes fire 
G g and 
