fathers, to the giver of the corn, and
the meat, and the victory over their enemies, they deliberated in
what manner that object could be best accomplished. The first thing
was to provide plenty of meat for a sacrifice, and with this view the
best hunters were dispatched to the forest, in quest of those animals
supposed to be most acceptable to the mighty guest. The women were
directed to prepare _tasmanane_ and pottage in the best manner. All
the idols were brought out, examined, and put in order. As a grand
dance was always supposed to be an agreeable entertainment to the
Great Spirit, one was ordered, not only for his gratification, but
that it might, with the aid of a sacrifice, appease him, if he were
angry with them, and induce him to stay his hand, rather than slay
them. The priests and _powwows_ were called, and set to work to
determine, if possible, what this remarkable event portended, and what
the possible result might be. They came habited in their robes of
magic, skins of black bears, the head, nose, ears, teeth, as also the
legs, with the long claws, appearing the same as when the animal
lived, with a huge pair of buffalo-horns upon the head, and a large
bushy tail projecting from behind. Some were frightfully painted, some
had the skin of an owl drawn over their heads, and some had snakes
wreathed around their bodies. To them, and to the chiefs and wise men
of the nation, the women and children, and the men of inferior note,
were looking up for advice and protection. And now, filling their
gourds with water from the stump of a fallen cypress, they began their
work of incantation, by muttering over the magic water a charm that
had hitherto been of potent influence, and words that called upon many
spirits to assist in effecting the wishes of the masters of the spell.
The spirits answered not, and the priests became so distracted with
fears at the unusual deafness of those who had given them their power,
that they increased the fever of apprehension they should have
assisted to calm. The gourds, with the charmed water, fell from their
hands, and, though the dance was commenced with fervour and
enthusiasm, yet, such was the alarm, that it did not possess the
regularity and order with which the Great Spirit through songs,
dances, and sacrifices, must be approached.

While in this situation, those men in canoes who had approached
nearest to the strange object returned, and declared that it was a
great house pa