Page:The History of the American Indians.djvu/120

 io8 On the defcent of the American Indians from the Jews.

communicative power of their holy things, health and profperity are certain* hut on failure, they are to expect a great many extraordinary calamities,, fuch as hunger, uncommon difeafes, a fubjedtion to witchcraft, and cap tivity and death by the hands of the hateful enemy in the woods, where the wild fowls will eat their flefh, and beafts of prey deftroy the remaining bones, fo as they will not be gathered to their forefathers becaufe their ark abroad, and beloved things at home, would lole their virtual power of averting evil. He concludes, by advifing them to a flricb obfervance of their old rites and cuftoms, and then every thing fhall go well with them. He foon orders fome of the religious attendants to take a fufficient quantity of the fuppofed holy fire, and lay it down on the outfide of the holy ground, for all the houfes of the various aflbciated towns, which fometimes lie feve- ral miles apart. The women, hating (harp and grave leflbns, fpeedily take it up, gladly carry it home, and lay it down on their unpolluted hearths, with the profped of future joy and peace..

While the women are running about, and getting ready to drefs the fandified new-fruits on, the facred fire, the Archi-magus fends a religious attendant to pull fome cufTeena,.or yopon, belonging to the temple j and having parched it brown on the altar, he boils it with clear running water in a large earthen pot, about half full '.; it has fuch a. ftrong body, as to froth above the top by pouring it up and down with, their confecrated veffels, which are kept only for that ufe : of this they drink now and then, till the end of the feftival, and on every other reli gious occafion from year to year. Some of the old beloved men, through a religious emulation in fanctifyJng themfelves, often drink this,, and other bit ter decoctions, to fuch excefs,. as to purge themfelves very feverely when they drink it, they always invoke YO, HE WAH.

If any of the warriors are confined at home by ficknefs, or wounds, and are either deemed incapable oc unfit to come to the annual expiation, they are allowed one of the old confecrated conch-fhells-full of their fanftifying bitter cuffeena, by their magi. The. traders hear them often difpute for it, as their proper due, by ancient cuftom : and they often repeat their old religious ceremonies to one. another, efpecially that part which they imagine moft affefts their prefent welfare- i the aged are fent to in- ftruft the young ones in thefe particulars. The above allowance, fcems to. be. derived from the divine precept of mercy, in allowing a fecond palT-

over.

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