He treated me very kindly, and | ceptor a fupply of the best provifeemed friendly to my defigus, and fions they can procure, he will very defirous to have me come condefcend to inftruct them in out there. medicine, and learn them the fongs and dances that are peculiar to themfelves. And at the time they are admitted into the dance, they have to give each of the conjurers a blanket or shirt, or fomething equivalent. The Indians frequently have other dances, in which any one is allowed to take a part; but no one is admitted into this, upon cheaper terms. Then after serving a number of years in this way, if there is not like to be too many of their order, they will inftruct them in the black-art, and receive them into their number, for about one hundred dollars. But this revenue arifing from their difciples is not all: No one dares refufe them a fhare of any thing they have, if they do but ask for it. They are not chiefs, and have nothing to fay in public council; but they are fuperior to chiefs. The most of the chiefs have fome little refpect paid to them by the common people, and they may do fomething by advice and perfuafion; but they have no authority or power to enforce their commands; and they receive no emoluments; and commonly fuffer as much from indigence as any in the nation. With few exceptions, the only honor put upon them, that is worth mentioning, is, that they are allowed to transact national affairs, and their voice allowed to be decifive in councils. But in all their decitions they muft take care that they do not offend their conjurers; as they ftand in as flavish fear of them as any of the common people. So that thefe vile impoftors are, in fact, the lords and governors of the nation. In craft, influence The leaders of the dance I have mentioned, may be called conjurers or doctors. They are never without large bags of medicine, and their conjuring apparatus; and are fuppofed, by the Indians, to poffefs great fkill in medicine, and great power in bewitching. Sicknefs and ill fuccefs in hunting are commonly afcribed to their agency.' is believed that they are able to oifon or bewitch people at any diliance; or to afford relief to thofe who are poifoned or bewitched; which they fuppofe to be the difficulty with the moft who are fick; and if any die without applying to one of these men, their death is ufually attributed to this caufe. It is fuppofed, likewise, that they are able to heal the fick, where the Great Spirit does not interfere. In fhort, life and death, in most inftances, are confidered to be at their difpofal. In cafes of extreme illness, they often fend great diftances for the moft noted, and give them whatever they afk, that is at their difpofal, which is commonly a large fum, befides ftoring them with a plenty of provifions, efpecially with liquor. It is not uncommon for one of this defcription to require a horfe, faddle and bridle before he will undertake to effect the cure. And if he does not fucceed in the attempt, in order to give fatisfaction, he has only to report the Great Spirit killed him. Their pupils, before they can be admitted into their dance, are required to encamp one winter at lealt near one of their order, for the purpofe of receiving their education. Then, when they carry their pre and authority, I think they have hardly been out-done by the Popes of Rome. These are a fet of enemies that I was not aware of. I obtained the chief of my information refpecting them from Mr. Anderfon and my interpreter at the Miami, whofe teftimony I am warranted to rely on. It has likewife been confirmed to me by others. I have underftood that Mr. Elliot and Mr. Brainard gave fome account of these men in their journals, but I have never read Mr. Elliot's; and it is fo long fince I have read that part of Mr. Brainard's, that I have forgot what he has faid refpecting them-I think it is not reafonable to fuppofe that the chiefs will be generally difpofed to be friendly to the preaching of the gofpel among them, when they come to find that it is addressed to them as well as others; as those who pride themselves in being the firft in the nation, and the most fit to give inftructions, will doubtlefs be the laft to receive them. But if I mistake not, the conjurers will be much the most bitter, active and fuccefsful oppofers; for if they have but half an eye, they will perceive at once that their craft is in danger. Surely, no Miffionary, who views things as I do, will ever encounter and withstand the united influence of these enemies of all righteoufnefs, and the overbearing influence of fpirituous liquor, without a firm and ftedfaft faith in Him, who has fubdued principalities and powers, and is able to fubdue all things to himfelf. God grant that I may foon experience thofe unknown degrees of grace which are neceffary to fit me for the arduous conflict! I have converfed with traders and interpreters from most of the different nations in this country, and from what I can learn, there are none but what acknowledge that there is a Great and Good Spirit, who has made all things and that there is a bad spirit.— But what feems remarkable, is, that moft, if not all their prayers and facrifices are offered to the bad fpirit. The reason they af fign for it is, that the good Spirit will not hurt them; and that the bad fpirit will, if they do not make ufe of thefe means to pacify him. It feems that they are literally, worshipers of devils; and I have no doubt but they receive fpecial affistance from them. According to report, the exploits of the conjurers in their dances, could not be performed without the evil agency of invifible beings. However fome may fneer at the idea, I think that it is not unfcriptural; and they cannot be rationally accounted for in any other way. These exploits are performed only in the night.What they are, I fhall not undertake to fay, as I was not prefent to fee them. While I was there, the chief of their time was taken up in conjuring over their medicine and in rattling and drumming, finging and dancing. Each of thefe dancers had fking of fur-animals filled with pulverized medicine, which they would puff into each other's faces as they were dancing. This had very different effects on different perfons. My interpreter informed me that, when it first strikes the face of the newly received members, they fall down motionlefs and remain for ten or fifteen minutes with fearce any signs of life. As they were admitted at the beginning of the dance, I was not witness to this myfelf; but when I came there they look. preter at the end of a bark hut, within four or five rods of them, where I had a fair profpect.While I was ftanding there I recollect to have feen one of the conjurers walking about for fome time, and looking at me, but I paid no attention to him till I faw him advancing very fast towards me, with a countenance that befpake bad intentions. He was just enough in liquor to feel in folent and courageous. The near ed like death, and would fall as | foon as it reached them, unless held up; but they would commonly rife again within the fpace of one or two minutes. On the old ones, who were moft experienced, it appeared to have much lefs effect. They did not fall; but they conducted much like perfons ftrangled with fnuff. I was told by my interpreter, that when drunken Indians, who did not belong to the dance have ventured in among them, and acci-er he advanced, his countenarace dentally received fome of the med- affumed a more threatening afpe&t. icine, it has very near coft them By the time he came within a their lives. From all this I con- rod of me, while approaching me cluded that it was compofed of with greater speed, he railed out very poifonous materials; and at me, flourishing his fift, and that the different effects which it charged me with defpifing them, had on different perfons, was ow- and with coming there to make ing to habit. The dancers ap game of them. I must acknowlpeared to be about 150 in num- edge, with fhame, that I was ber, and very gaily dreffed. Their daunted at the firft fhock, being parade was upon a beautiful emi-off from my guard; but on looking nence upon the bank of the river. The turf was taken off of their dancing ground, which was about twenty feet in width and forty in length. In the middle ftood a red poft with a white feather in the top, round which the conjurers took their ftand, who feemed to be musicians to the reft, who were dancing round them. On cach fide they had bark roofs erected, under which they fmoked their pipes and refreshed themfelves when fatigued. The moft of them had begun to be intoxicated, and fome of them were very noify and quarrelfome; but when they attempted to fight, the reft would hold them till they got pacified, or till they got them drunk enough to fleep. The Indians who did not belong to the dance, were feated round at fome diftance from the reft, and were merely fpectators. I took my ftand by the fide of my inter to God for grace and strength, and recollecting that this enemy could not raife his hand without his agency, I was immediately ftrengthened. As foon as the words were interpreted to me, I replied that he was miftaken, and that what he faid was not true, that I had a great regard for the Indians and had come out in a friendly manner to vifit them, in order to do them good-that I had been invited there by one of his people, but that I had not come there with the leaf intention of making fport of them. This, however, did not fatisfy him, for he immediately added, that he fuppofed that I thought that he was poor, and that he did not know much; but he faid that he had property at home, and that he thought himself as good as a white man. I replied, that I had a good opinion of the abilities of the Indians, and that me. my in he had no reafon to think that I was difpofed to undervalue them, as I had come out to live with them, to be one of their people, if they were willing to receive But he faid that he did not want to have me ftay there; and obferved that when the French came into this country the Wyandots and fome others embraced their religion, but that they had not, and did not like it, and had always continued in their own way; and added, that the Great Spirit had made him an Indian, made him red, and made him every way juft as he was, and placed him there on that ground; and faid that he meant to remain just as he was; and that he did not mean to hear to me. He added further, as I understood terpreter, that they did not pray; but, pointing to the dance, faid that that was the way that they did. I fuppofe his meaning was, that they did not pray to the Good Spirit, but to the bad fpirit, as that is undoubtedly the cafe when they are conjuring. I told him that I was waiting to have a council with the chiefs; and if they were not generally difpofed to have me ftay, I fhould go away immediately. And I obferved that, if I did ftay, he or any other one would be at liberty to do juft as they pleafed about embracing my religion. He held up his medicine bag, and faid he fuppofed I thought that that was a bad thing, and that their way was a bad one; but he faid that bag was a good thing, and that there was nothing bad in it; and that their way was a very good one, and much better for them than ours. But he faid if we thought our religion was fo much better than theirs, he wanted to know why our people did not teach it now. to their forefathers, when they firft came into this country. He faid if our people had begun with the Indians then, that they might have learned our religion, and been all of our way now. But he faid that their forefathers were all dead and gone; and they had continued in their way fo long, that they could not turn about I told him that our people did do fomething to chriftianize the Indians then, that lived near them; and that they had been doing fomething fince; but that wars between us and them, and awant of ministers, with many other difficulties had prevented them from being able to do much till of late. He then related to me the fhameful, and horrid fto1y, refpecting the poor innocent Moravian Indians on the Mufkingum, who were inhumanly murdered, in the late revolutionary war, by a band of our American volunteers. And he added that they might expect to experience fomething fimilar if they received me amongst them. I replied that we were as angry with thofe cru el murderers as they could be, but that it was difficult to keep wicked men from doing mischief in time of war. I obferved, however, that as we were at peace with our red brothers, they had rothing now to fear, as our good people did not wish to hurt them, and our bad people would not be fuffered to do it in time of peace. To cut the business fhort, as he was difpofed to be tedious, I offered him my hand, and told him I must leave him, as I was in a hurry to go up the river-that if I remained there, and he wished to have any more talk with me, he must come to fee me; and added that, notwithstanding all he had faid, if I came there to live, I meant to treat him well; if not with contempt. The most of the chiefs, though not conjurers, belonged to the dance, and I obferved that thefe took a more active part in it than others.— Little Otter belongs to the dance, likewise, but he appeared to take a lefs active part, and he treated what I had to fay with much more respect. When fpeeches are delivered to them, it is ufual for moft of the chiefs and old men, to give their huōh at the end of every paragraph, or interpretation. It feems to be always a fign of attention, and when breathed out ftrong, of approbation.When fuch parts of the address were interpreted to them as accorded with their notions of things, fuch as, that there is a God who made all things, and that we must not murder, steal, cheat or lie, &c. they gave the fign of attention that I have mentioned, though with a degree of To other parts of the addrefs, they appeared to pay very little attention, and almoft wholly withheld the fign of it. We were much disturbed the moft of the time by the hallooing, fcreaming and laughing of a multitude of their young men, who were playing ball round the houfe. This fhows the difficulty of teaching a diforganized people. Friday the 14th, in the afternoon I got them affembled at the mouth of the river. After a fhort introduction I delivered the Truftees' address to them; which I endeavoured to make as plain and familiar to them as poffible. I had read it, and explained it to my interpreter before; but fear-backwardness. ing that that would not be fafficient, I took care now, to read him but a few lines at a time, and then, to exprefs the ideas in a language better adapted to his capacity, and more agreeable to their modes of fpeaking. I think the addrefs was much too long, i. e. that it contained too many ideas on that fubject, to them fo uninterefting, to be delivered to Indians at once, but this made it much longer. Little Otter was too unwell to attend that afternoon. I was glad that I had explained the bufinefs to him before; and I apprehend that he heard the most of it now, as he lay in a flag camp, that was clofe to the door of the bark houfe that it was delivered in. From what I could difcover, the leading ones who were prefeat, were difpofed fo treat the matter with neglect, Before I began the addrefs, I marked out on the ground, a map of lake Erie, the fate of NewYork and Connecticut-divided the latter into towns, and defcribed a great houfe in the middle of each, where our people met to worship God, and hear his minifters-defcribed another at Hartford for the General Acciation; and, for convenience, another ac New-Haven for the Legislature, and a fill greater one at the city of Washington for Congrefs. This |