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181 7

When the national council directed concerning the feast of first fruits, as mentioned in the former part of this sheet, the messengers who were authorized to attend to it in their respective towns, appointed each seven men, one from each clan to order and make arrangements for the feast. These appointed seven others to hunt, and again four others to carry the meat on their fetching it, to different parts of the town to be cooked. seven men & women also fasted the seven days then hunters were out i.e. the seven days before

the feast. The tongue for sacrifice as noted formerly.

 The mixt was boiled with new corn, and brought to the Town house on the night before or on the morning of the seventh day of the hunting & fasting. This was the first day of the

feast. About 9 OClock the sacrifice was offered. This being done & the seats prepared, about 12 O Clock all partook of the new food. For very aged people, instead of new corn boiled, they made a kind of mush for them to eat with the meat. The priest gave thanks before they eat. (This they also did before eating even at common meals.) The priest also prayed that a blessing might rest on the new food & render it healthful during the year. The company were then engaged in dancing till near night, when they again partook of their new food, as before.

Soon after dark all fell prostrate and continued silent while the priest offered up a prayer. This being closed, all slept till day break, when the swim directors called them all to rise & pray/ Each one called those of his own clan. Each clan now, kept separate. All stood, and lifted up their hands, holding the palm toward the east, while the priest, observing the

same position, prayed for them.