.MTA1Mg.NzA0NzA

From Newberry Transcribe
Jump to navigation Jump to search

139 p.44 141 represent life and the others death. He then raised his hands by as high as possible, and then let them fall as slowly, praying all the time. If the bead representing life seemed to work between his thumb and finger with more life than the other all was well. Thus he proceeded with the beads on each string and having concluded, he threw the beads into the stream and ordered the people to follow them, and all bathe. This they did as follows, the women went in with their clothes on, and the children went a short distance below, and then men a little above the place they had sat. All must dive four times with their head upstream, & towards the east, (so quickly as not to wipe the water from their faces) and then turn and dive Three times down stream, making seven times in all. They must go entirely under water, and none must be excepted, not even children. The Two right hand men also bathed. During the time the people were bathing the priest put a root on the table for each person, and then set his diamond stone on the table also,

 On coming out of the water the women changed their clothes to the company came from the stream the oldest man was first to the table, walked around it four times, then stopped wet his right hand forefinger with spittle, drew it down the side of the diamond, then putting it to The top of his forehead, drew it down over his nose, lips, and chin, to the pit of his stomach, Then took a root , walked round the table once, and then departed directly to the house aforementioned not looking behind him, not to the right or left. In this manner all the men, and then all the women proceeded, according to age, till all had left the water & returned back to the house. The right hand men then folded the skins, and proceeded with them to the house, being followed, as before by the priest. The people entered the house, as in the morning, but the right hand men took the beads, deer skins etc into the house for sacrifice, and laid them on a bench. These men having their altar of earth, & fire of seven kinds of bark prepared, the priest offered a sacrifice, consisting of the end of a deers tongue, & a little mush, would lie on the end of a knife. While these were burning he prayed, & sprinkled on the fire a powder of old tobacco. After this the priest made known to his right hand men the result of all the operations and enquiries of the day; and the first right hand man then directly went to the people in the other house, and made known to them the communication of the priest, not however naming the individuals to die within three months, but stating simply the number. But if none were to die, he told them that all those present, would be present at their next meeting in three months. The women then brought the victuals into this room where the people were, and