Page:The History of the American Indians.djvu/409

 the North American Indians.

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��When the Indians have finilhed their captive tragedies, they return to the neighbouring town in triumph, with the wild (hrieking noife of de- ftroying demons : there, they cut the fcalps into feveral pieces, fix them on different twigs of the green leaved pine, and place them on the tops of the circular winter houfes of their deceafed relations whofe deaths (if by the hand of an enemy) they efteem not revenged till then, and thus their ghofts are enabled to go to their intermediate, but unknown place of reft, till, after a certain time, they return again to live for ever in that tract of land which pleafed them beft, when in their former ftate. They perform this fuppofed religious duty with great folemnity, attended by a long train of rejoicing women, chanting with foft voices, their grateful fong of triumph to To He Wah \ while the favoured warriors echo their praifes of the giver of victory, with awful notes, and intermix with them the death whoo-whoop. They dance for three days and nights, rejoicing before the divine prefence, for their victory ; and the happinefs of fending the fpirita of their killed relations from the eaves of their houfes which they haunted, mourning with fuch painful notes as Koo-Koo-Koo, like the fuffering owls of night in pinching winter, according to their creed. In their dance, they reprefent all the wild -cat movements they made in crawling to furprife the enemy, and their wolfifh conduct in killing with fafety, or the whole en gagement, when they could no way attack by furprife. Now, they lift up one foot, then put it down flowly on tip-toe in a bent pofture, looking (harply every way. Thus, they proceed from tree to tree, till the fuppofed enemy be either defeated by ftratagem, or open battle. Then they ftrut aboi}t in parade, and the chief will tell the people he did not behave like a blind white man, who would have rufhed on with his eyes (hut, impro vident of danger ; but having wifely confidered that his bare breaft was not bullet proof, he cunningly covered himfelf from tree to tree, and by his fkilful conduct vanquifhed the hateful enemy, without expofing his own valuable life to danger. All people praife, or blame another's conduct, in proportion to the parity or difparity it bears to their own ftandard, and no tion of virtue.

In the time of their rejoicings, they fix a certain day for the warriors to be crowned ; for they cannot fleep found or eafy, under an old title, while anew, or higher one is due. On that long-wifhed for day, they all appear on the field of parade, as fine and cheerful as the birds in fpring. Their mar tial

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