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the time in drinking whiskey, quarrelling, fisty-cuffs; and not unfrequently, one or more persons are stabbed. In all my intercourse with the Cherokees, I never saw, or heard of, two sober men fighting, stabbing, or quarrelling with, each other, who were full blooded Indians; but when excited by spirituous liquors, they are turbulent, quarrelsome, and easily offended.

Dances.

Common Dance.

This dance is more frequently performed than any other, and can therefore be distinguished by the appellation of "common." The other dances which I shall describe, have each an appropriate name.

To procure a "common dance", nothing is necessary but a proclamation by the chief of a town, stating that a dance will take place in a certain number of nights at the council house or ground. It seldom happens that a failure occurs for the want of company; but if there should be a scarcity of whiskey, ([[ ]],) the ceremony is