Page:The History of the American Indians.djvu/123

 T^heir religious feftfo ah t fafts, &c. ill

cuftom. As they know the ftated time, the joyful found prefently reaches their longing ears : immediately they fly about to grapple up a kind of chalky clay, to paint themfelves white. By their religious emulation, they foon appear covered with that emblem of purity, and join at the out- fide of the holy ground, with all who had fanctified themfelves within it, who are likewife painted, fome with ftreaks, and others all over, as white as the clay can make them: recufants would undergo a heavy penalty. They go along in a very orderly folemn proceilion, to purify themfelves in running water. The Archi-magus heads the holy train his waiter next the beloved men according to their feniority and the warriors by their reputed merit. The women follow them in the fame orderly manner, with all the children that- can walk, behind them, ranged commonly according to their height ; the very little ones they carry in their arms. Thofe, who are -known to have eaten of the unfanctiried fruits, bring up the rear. In this manner the proceffion moves along, finging ALELUIAH to YO HE WAH, &c. till they get to the water, which is generally contiguous, when the Archi-magus jumps into it, and all the holy train follow him, in the fame order they obferved from the temple. Having purified themfelves, or warned away their fins, they come out with joyful hearts, believing them felves out of the reach of temporal evil, for their pad vicious conduct : and they return in the fame religious cheerful manner, into the middle of the holy ground, where having made a few circles, fin-ging and dancing around the altar, they thus finifh their annual great feftival, and depart in joy and peace. .

Ancient writers inform us, that while the Scythians or Tartars were hea thens, their priejls in the time of their facrifices, took fome blood, and mixing it with milk, horfe-dung, and earth, got on a tree, and having ex horted the people, they fprinkled them with it, in order to purify them, and defend them from every kind of evil : the heathens alfo excluded fome from religious communion. The Egyptians excommunicated thofe who ate of animals that bore wool, or cut the throat of a goat*. And in ancient times, they, and the Phoenicians, Greeks, &c. adored the ferpent, and ex pelled thofe who killed it. The Eaft-Indians likewife, drive thole from the


 * Lanatis animalibus abftinet omnis

Menfa j nefas ijlic fastum jugulare capejlae.

JUVENAL, Sat. xv.

fuppofed

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