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45 same house; and all the people assembled at the door of the council house. During the forepart of the night, the women danced, which four musicians, each in his turn sang for them. After this all retired to sleep. Early the next morning the seven men whose duty it was to provide new fire made it in the usual way, by whisking the end of a stick swiftly round in a sacked, partly filled with a certain weed till the weed took fire. This was kindled and kept burning with seven kinds of wood viz. Black jack, Locust, Post oak, Sycamore, Red bud, Plum. and Red oak. Lower, dry limbs were broken from the above trees, for the fire. None must be picked off of the ground.
The same morning also, at day break, the seven appointed to cleanse the houses etc. commenced their business. They swept the council house in every part, and took out all the old ashes. They repaired the altar of earth for sacrifice. This was in the centre of the house raised about a foot above the common earth and rounded on the top. This they swept, and covered with new clean earth. They then white washed anew the three white seats, and their upright wide backs, and also all the other white seats, and the bench standing near the altar, on which the goards to be used on the occasion were put, They also whitewashed those goards, and the pot in which the articles for purification were to be boiled, and also all the joists and posts of the house. They then took the new fire, and kindled it on the altar, and sat on the pot. They then walked round the fire, four times, now to them saying you' you, and then raising a whoop. After this ceremony, they took the white goards and went to a spring of living water (T. Smith) filled their goards -- returned -- walked once round the fire, -- poured the water into the pot, and put the goards again on the white bench. They then went to the priest, and told him that the pot was ready. The priest and his right hand man then