Page:The History of the American Indians.djvu/111

 Their religious feflivals, fafts, &c. 90

the outfide of the facred fquare, a plentiful variety of all thofe good things, with which the divine fire has blefied them in the new year ; and the reli gions attendants lay it before them, according to their Rated order and reputed merit. Every feat is ferved in a gradual fucceflion, from the white and red imperial long broad feats, and the whole fquare is foon covered : frequently they have a change of courfes of fifty or fixty different forts, and thus they continue to regale themfelves, till the end of the feflival ; for they reckon they are now to feaft themfelves with joy and gladnefs, as the divine fire is appeafed for paft crimes, and has propitioufly fanctified their weighty harveft. They all behave fo modedly, and are pofTefTed of fuch an extra ordinary conftancy and equanimity, in the purfuit of their religious myfte- ries, that they do not (he\y the lead outward emotion of pleafure, at the firft fight of" the fanctified new fruits ; nor the lead uneafinefs to be tafting thofe tempting delicious fat things of Canaan. If one of them acted in a contrary manner, they would fay to him, Che-Hakfet Kaneha, " You refemble fuch as were beat in Canaan." This unconcern, doubtlefs proceeded originally from a virtuous principle -, but now, it may be the mere effect of habit : for, jealoufy and revenge excepted, they feem to be diveded of every mental pafiibn, and entirely incapable of any lading affection.

I mail give an inftance of this. If the hufband has been a year abfent on a vifit to another nation, and fhould by chance overtake his wife near home, with one of his children (kipping along fide of her ; inftead of thofe fudden and ftrong emotions of joy that naturally arife in two generous breads at fuch an unexpected meeting, the felf-intereded pair go along as utter ftrangers, without feeming to take the lead notice of one another, till a con- fiderable time after they get home.

The Indians formerly obferved the grand fedival of the annual expiation of fin, at the beginning of the firft new moon, in which their corn became full- eared, but for many years pad they are regulated by the feafon of their har- veft. And on that head, they mew more religious patience than the Hebrews formerly did ; who, indead of waiting till their grain was ripe, forced their barley, which ripened before any other fort they planted. And they are perhaps as fkilful in obferving the revolutions of the moon, as ever the Israelites were, at lead till the end of the fird temple j for during that period, indead of meafuring time by aftronomical calculations, they

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