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291 can learn the October New moon - the Great moon. Their autumn commenced not much before the unclear of our October, it could not have consisted of more than two months, because December and January were thus winter months, deemed more sacred than any others, But to return, from the Corn Tassel I learned that the physic dance, anciently, was held annually about the corn merriment of autumn. The priest who directed and officiated at these feasts, was called U li stu li (one who has his head covered always wearing his cap or bonnet while officiating) and also U na hwi sa nu hi, (one who renews heart and body, i.e. cleanses from bodily and spiritual defilements.) He was also the great preacher, & instructor of moral duties. As the priest who officiated at this feast was called the renewer of heart and body, and as the people were supposed to be more pure immediately after this feast than at any other period, we may infer the general design of the feast, viz, to make expiation for all the error and defilements of the past year, so as to commence the new year fully in the Divine favours and defilements of the past year, so as to commence the new year fully in the Divine favour, that you might defend them from all sickness and unforeseen evils. This is agreeable to the statements of Corn Tassel. But here it may be enquired, Why is it not then called "the feast of Expiation or cleansing. Why is it called the physical dance, or feast? My reply is this in the Cherokee language, the word rendered physic (no we ti) signifies both what heals diseases, expiates guilt, and cleanses from moral pollution. Thus suppose one is defiled by a dead body, the purifying water by which he is cleansed is called no wo ti, physic. Suppose a house is defiled, and Cedar boughs & are brought to cleanse it, these are called also nu wa ti or physic. Therefore the feast might with equal propriety be called the feast of expiation, or if atonement, as the medicine or physic feast. And the more so, because the ancient Cherokees supposed that fatal diseases generally were unclear directly by God, for some offence in some of them, of course when they feared such diseases, they resorted, not so much to what we call medicine, as to what would atone for their faults, and cleanse from all defilements as these, and not bodily indisposition, were the cause of fatal diseases. I fear I have not given you a full description of this feast. The most clear explanation you will find under the head of "Ceremonies for keeping of fever & other fatal diseases." That is correct, as far as it goes. Whipping the houses, singing the yo wa &c.) but some