.MTA1Mg.NzA0NzY

157 50 153 day, watching the pot, fire &c The people having all assembled a little before sunset, were now seated with most profound silence in the town house. The priest and his right hand man occupied the middle white seat in the holy place, and the seven men (counsellors chosen for the occasion), also mentioned, and the speaker, occupied the two seats on the night and left. There all spent the night in wakefulness, but all were still & solemn as if in the house of death or mourning.

The next morning, just as the sun rose, the priest prayed with his face toward the east. He then took some of the water from the pot, in which the herbs have been boiling all night, and gave to each of the seven men above named.   The clans being separate, each in its own side of the house, these men gave them this drink, each man giving to the individuals of his own clan.  All drank of it and then fasted till afternoon. The priest & seven counsellors fasted till near sunset.
All continued at the town house except as the went home for victuals, & returned. That night they might lie down, sleep as occasion required. None must drink any other but spring water. During the two succeeding days the people continued at the town house, drinking the   herb tea, as they pleased, but observed peculiar stillness.
On the morning of the fourth day, the prayer, and fast of the first were repeated, and the drink given out as at first to, and by the seven men. The fifth  and sixth days were then as the second and third, only on the morning of the sixth, the seven counsellors directed all the men who had guns to hunt. The first buck they killed, the person who shot it, stepped forward, cut off the end of his tongue, wrapped it in leaves of the year before, and put it away for a burnt offering. The eat killed was taken at night to the town house
On the morning of the seventh day, the priest prayed, gave out the drink, as on the first and fourth days, and all fasted till near sunset. The meat, taken on the sixth day, having

been soaked, and a supper prepared by the women, the victuals was brought forward, - put on a long table, and the people seated by it. The priest then went to the fire, and standing with his face toward the setting sun - put the deer tongue on the fire, sprinkled on a powder of old tobacco, and prayed to know whether that disease they feared would be kept away or not. His right hand man, his speaker and seven counsellors stood with him to observe the ominous fire.