divine men, who never informed the people of his seeking for rain, but
at the change, or full of the moon, unless there was some promising sign
of the change of the weather, either in the upper regions, or from the
feathered kalender; such as the quacking of ducks, the croaking of
ravens, and from the moistness of the air felt in their quills;
consequently, he seldom failed of success, which highly increased his
name, and profits; for even when it rained at other times, they ascribed
it to the intercession of their great beloved man. Rain-making, in the
Cheerake mountains, is not so dangerous an office, as in the rich level
lands of the Chikkasah country, near the Missisippi. The above Cheerake
prophet had a carbuncle, near as big as an egg, which they said he found
where a great rattlesnake lay dead,[36] and that it sparkled with such
surprizing lustre, as to illuminate his dark winter-house, like strong
flashes of continued lightning, to the great terror of the weak, who
durst not upon any account, approach the dreadful fire-darting place,
for fear of sudden death. When he died, it was buried along with him
according to custom, in the town-house of Tymáhse, under the great
beloved cabbin, which stood in the westernmost part of that old fabric,
where they who will run the risk of searching, may luckily find it; but,
if any of that family detected them in disturbing the bones of their
deceased relation, they would resent it as the basest act of hostility.
The inhuman conduct of the avaricious Spaniards toward the dead
Peruvians and Mexicans, irritated the natives, to the highest pitch of
distraction, against those ravaging enemies of humanity. The intense
love the Indians bear to their dead, is the reason that so few have
fallen into the hands of our physicians to dissect, or anatomise. We
will hope also, that from a principle of humanity, our ague-charmers,
and water-casters, who like birds of night keep where the Indians
frequently haunt, would not cut up their fellow-creatures, as was done
by the Spanish butchers in Peru and Mexico.
Not long ago, at a friendly feast, or feast of love, in West-Florida,
during the time of a long-continued drought, I earnestly importuned the
old rain-maker, for a sight of the pretended divine stone, which he had
assured me he was possessed of; but he would by no means gratify my
request. He {87} told me, as I was an infidel, literally, “one who
shakes hands with the accursed speech,” and did not believe its being
endued with a divine power, the sight of it could no ways benefit me;
and that, as their old unerring tradition assured them, it would suffer
very great damage in case of compliance, he hoped I would kindly
acquiesce; especially, as he imagined, I believed every nation of people
had certain beloved things, that might be easily spoiled by being
polluted. I told him I was fully satisfied with the friendly excuse he
made to my inconsiderate request; but that I could scarcely imagine
there were any such beloved men, and beloved things, in so extremely
fertile, but now sun-burnt soil. Their crops had failed the year before,
by reason of several concurring causes: and, for the most part of the
summer season, he had kept his bed through fear of incurring the
punishment of a false prophet; which, joined with the religious regimen,
and abstemious way of living he was obliged strictly to pursue, it
sweated him so severely, as to reduce him to a skeleton. I jested him in
a friendly way, saying, I imagined, the supreme holy fire would have
proved more kind to his honest devotees, than to sicken him so severely,
especially at that critical season, when the people’s food, and his own,
entirely depended on his health; that, though our beloved men never
undertook to bring down seasonable rains, yet we very seldom failed of
good crops, and always paid them the tenth basket-full of our yearly
produce; because, they persuaded our young people, by the force of their
honest example, and kind-hearted enchanting language, to shun the
crooked ways of _Hottuk Kallákse_, “the mad light people,” and honestly
to shake hands with the old beloved speech—that the great, supreme,
fatherly Chieftain, had told his _Loáche_ to teach us how to obtain
peace and plenty, and every other good thing while we live here, and
when we die, not only to shun the accursed dark place, where the sun is
every day drowned, but likewise to live again for ever, very happily in
the favourite country.
He replied, that my speech consisted of a mixture of good and ill; the
beginning of it was crooked, and the conclusion straight. He said, I had
wrongfully blamed him, for the effect of the disorderly conduct of the
red people and himself, as it was well known he fasted at different
times for several days together; at other times ate green
tobacco-leaves; and some days drank only a warm decoction of the button
snake-root, without allowing {88} any one, except his religious
attendant, to come near him; and, in every other respect, had honestly
observed the austere rules of his religious place, according to the
beloved speech that _Ishtohoollo Elóa Aba_ gave to the _Loáche_ of their
forefathers: but _Loak Ishtohoollo_ was sorely vexed with most of their
young people for violating the chastity of their neighbours wives, and
even among the thriving green corn and pease, as their beds here and
there clearly proved; thus, they spoiled the power of his holy things,
and tempted _Minggo Ishto Elóa_, “the great chieftain of the thunder,”
to bind up the clouds, and withold the rain. Besides, that the old women
were less honest in paying their rain-makers, than the English women
behaved to their beloved men, unless I had spoken too well of them. The
wives of this and the other person, he said, had cheated him, in not
paying him any portion of the last year’s bad crop, which their own bad
lives greatly contributed to, as that penurious crime of cheating him of
his dues, sufficiently testified; not to mention a late custom, they had
contracted since the general peace, of planting a great many fields of
beans and pease, in distant places, after the summer-crops were over, on
the like dishonest principle; likewise in affirming, that when the first
harvest was over, it rained for nothing; by that means they had
blackened the old beloved speech, that _Ishtohoollo Eloa_ of old spoke
to his _Loáche_, and conveyed down to him, only that they might paint
their own bad actions white. He concluded, by saying, that all the
chieftains, and others present, as well as myself, knew now very well,
from his honest speech, the true cause of the earth’s having been so
strangely burnt till lately; and that he was afraid, if the hearts of
those light and mad people he complained of, did not speedily grow
honest, the dreadful day would soon come, in which _Lóak Ishtohoollo_
would send _Phutchik Keeraah Ishtò_, “the great blazing star,” _Yahkàne
eeklénna, Loak loáchàché_, “to burn up half of the earth with fire,”
_Pherimmi Aiúbe_, “from the north to the south,” _Hassé oobèa perà_,
“toward the setting of the sun,” where they should in time arrive at the
dreadful place of darkness, be confined there hungry, and otherwise
sorely distrest among hissing snakes and many other frightful creatures,
according to the ancient true speech that _Ishtohoollo Aba_ spoke to his
beloved _Loáche_.
Under this argument, I will also mention another striking resemblance to
the Jews, as to their TITHES—As the sacerdotal office was fixed in the
tribe {89} of Levi, they had forty-eight cities allotted them from the
other tribes. And Moses assures us, in _Deut._ xiv. 28, 29, that those
tribes paid them also once in three years, the tithe, or tenth of all
they possessed, which is supposed to be about the thirtieth part of
their annual possessions; by which means they were reasonably
maintained, as spiritual pastors, and enabled to fulfil the extensive
and charitable application of their dues, as enjoined.
It hath been already hinted, that the Indian prophets undertake by the
emanation of the divine spirit of fire, co-operating with them, to bring
down proper rains for crops, on the penalty of loosing their own lives;
as the Indians reckon that a regular virtuous life will sufficiently
enable their great beloved men to bring blessings of plenty to the
beloved people; and if they neglect it, they are dangerous enemies, and
a great curse to the community. They imagine his prophetic power is also
restrictive as to winter-rains, they doing more hurt than good; for they
justly observe, that their ground seldom suffers by the want of
winter-rains. Their sentiments on this head, are very strong; they say,
_Ishtohoollo Aba_ allows the winter-rain to fall unsought, but that he
commanded their forefathers to seek for the summer-rain, according to
the old law, otherwise he would not give it to them. If the seasons have
been answerable, when the ripened harvest is gathered in, the old women
pay their reputed prophet with religious good-will, a certain
proportional quantity of each kind of the new fruits, measured in the
same large portable back-baskets, wherein they carried home the ripened
fruits. This stated method they yearly observe; which is as consonant to
the Levitical institution, as can be reasonably expected, especially, as
their traditions have been time out of mind preserved only by oral echo.
Modern writers inform us, that the Persees pay a tithe of their revenues
to the chief Destour, or Archimagus of a city or province, who decides
cases of conscience, and points of law, according to the institution of
Zoroaster—a mixture of Judaism and paganism. Their annual religious
offering to the Archimagi, is a misapplication of the Levitical law
concerning tithes, contrary to the usage of the American Aborigines,
which it may be supposed they immediately derived from the Hebrews; for,
as the twelfth tribe was devoted to the divine service, they were by
divine appointment, maintained at the public expense. However, when we
consider that their government was {90} of a mixed kind—first a
theocracy—then by nobles, and by kings—and at other times by their
high-priest, it seems to appear pretty plain, that the Deity raised,
preserved, and governed those people, to oppose idolatry, and continue,
till the fulness of time came, the true divine worship on earth, under
ceremonial dark shadows, without exhibiting their government in the
least, as a plan of future imitation. Besides, as Messiah is come,
according to the predictions of the divine oracles, which represented
him under various strong types and shadows, surely christians ought to
follow the copy of their humble Master and his holy disciples, and leave
the fleecing of the flock to the avaricious Jews, whose religious
tenets, and rapacious principles, support them in taking annual tithes
from each other; who affect to believe that all the Mosaic law is
perpetually binding, and that the predicted Shilo, who is to be their
purifier, king, prophet, and high-priest, is not yet come. The _law of
tithing_, was calculated only for the religious œconomy of the Hebrew
nation; for as the merciful Deity, who was the immediate head of that
state, had appropriated the Levites to his service, and prohibited them
purchasing land, lest they should be seduced from their religious
duties, by worldly cares, He, by a most bountiful law, ordered the state
to give them the tithe, and other offerings, for the support of
themselves and their numerous families, and also of the widow, the
fatherless, and the stranger.
I shall insert a dialogue, that formerly passed between the Chikkasah
Loáche and me, which will illustrate both this, and other particulars of
the general subject; and also shew the religious advantages and
arguments, by which the French used to undermine us with the Indians.
We had been speaking of trade, which is the usual topic of discourse
with those craftsmen. I asked him how he could reasonably blame the
English traders for cheating _Tekapê húmmah_, “the red folks,” even
allowing his accusations to be just; as he, their divine man, had
cheated them out of a great part of their crops, and had the assurance
to claim it as his religious due, when at the same time, if he had
shaked hands with the straight old beloved speech, or strictly observed
the ancient divine law, his feeling heart would not have allowed him to
have done such black and crooked things, especially to the helpless, the
poor, and the aged; {91} it rather would have strongly moved him to
stretch out to them a kind and helping hand, according to the old
beloved speech of _Ishtohoollo Aba_ to his _Hottuk Ishtohoollo_, who
were sufficiently supported at the public expence, and strictly ordered
to supply with the greatest tenderness, the wants of others.
He smartly retorted my objections, telling me, that the white people’s
excuses for their own wrong conduct, were as false and weak as my
complaints were against him. The red people, he said, saw very clearly
through such thin black paint; though, his sacred employment was equally
hid from them and me; by which means, neither of us could reasonably
pretend to be proper judges of his virtuous conduct, nor blame him for
the necessary effect of our own crimes; or urge it as a plea for
cheating him out of his yearly dues, contrary to the old divine speech,
for the crops became light by their own vicious conduct, which spoiled
the power of his holy things. So that it was visible, both the red and
white people were commonly too partial to themselves; and that by the
bounty of the supreme fatherly Chieftain, it was as much out of his
power, as distant from his kindly heart, either to wrong the beloved red
people, or the white nothings; and that it became none, except mad light
people, to follow the crooked steps of _Hottuk Ookproose_, the accursed
people.
As there was no interruption to our winter-night’s chat, I asked him in
a friendly manner, whether he was not afraid, thus boldly to snatch at
the divine power of distributing rain at his pleasure, as it belonged
only to the great beloved thundering Chieftain, who dwells far above the
clouds, in the new year’s unpolluted holy fire, and who gives it in
common to all nations of people alike, and even to every living creature
over the face of the whole earth, because he made them—and his merciful
goodness always prompts him to supply the wants of all his creatures. He
told me, that by an ancient tradition, their _Loáche_ were possessed of
an extraordinary divine power, by which they foretold hidden things, and
by the beloved speech brought down showers of plenty to the beloved
people; that he very well knew, the giver of virtue to nature resided on
earth in the unpolluted holy fire, and likewise above the clouds and the
sun, in the shape of a fine fiery substance, attended by a great many
beloved people; and that he continually weighs us, and measures out good
or bad {92} things to us, according to our actions. He added, that
though the former beloved speech had a long time subsided, it was very
reasonable they should still continue this their old beloved custom;
especially as it was both profitable in supporting many of their
helpless old beloved men, and very productive of virtue, by awing their
young people from violating the ancient laws. This shewed him to be
cunning in priestcraft, if not possessed of a tradition from the Hebrew
records, that their prophets by the divine power, had, on material
occasions, acted beyond the stated laws of nature, and wrought miracles.
My old prophetic friend told me, with a good deal of surprize, that
though the beloved red people had by some means or other, lost the old
beloved speech; yet _Frenshe Lakkàne ookproo_, “the ugly yellow French,”
(as they term the Missisippians) had by some wonderful method obtained
it; for his own people, he assured me, had seen them at New Orleans to
bring down rain in a very dry season, when they were giving out several
bloody speeches to their head warriors against the English Chikkasah
traders. On a mischievous politic invitation of the French, several of
the Chikkasah had then paid them a visit, in the time of an alarming
drought and a general fast, when they were praying for seasonable rains
at mass. When they came, the interpreter was ordered to tell them, that
the French had holy places and holy things, after the manner of the red
people—that if their young people proved honest, they could bring down
rain whenever they stood in need of it—and that this was one of the
chief reasons which induced all the various nations of the beloved red
people to bear them so intense a love; and, on the contrary, so violent
and inexpressible an hatred even to the very name of the English,
because every one of them was marked with _Anumbole Ookkproo_, “the
curse of God.”
The method the Chikkasah prophet used in relating the affair, has some
humour in it—for their ignorance of the christian religion, and
institutions, perplexes them when they are on the subject; on which
account I shall literally transcribe it.
He told me, that the Chikkasah warriors during three successive days,
accompanied the French _Loáche_ and _Ishtohoollo_ to the great beloved
house, where a large bell hung a-top, which strange sight exceedingly
surprized {93} them; for, instead of being fit for a horse, it would
require a great many ten horses to carry it. Around the inside of the
beloved house, there was a multitude of he and she beloved people, or
male and female saints or angels, whose living originals, they affirmed
dwelt above the clouds, and helped them to get every good thing from
_Ishtohoollo Aba_, when they earnestly crave their help. The French
beloved men spoke a great deal with much warmth; the rest were likewise
busily employed in imitation of their _Ishtohoollo_ and _Loáche_. At one
time they spoke high, at another low. One chose this, and another chose
that song. Here the men kneeled before the images of their she-beloved
people; there the women did the like before their favourite and beloved
he-pictures, entreating them for some particular favour which they stood
in need of. Some of them, he said, made very wild motions over their
heads and breasts; and others struck their stomachs with a vehemence
like their warriors, when they drink much _Ookka Homma_, “bitter
waters,” or spirituous liquor; while every one of them had a bunch of
mixed beads, to which they frequently spoke, as well as counted over;
that they loved these beads, for our people strictly observed, they did
not give them to their _Loáche_ and _Ishtohoollo_, as the red people
would have done to those of their own country, though it was very plain
they deserved them, for beating themselves so much for the young
people’s roguish actions; and likewise for labouring so strongly in
pulling off their clothes, and putting them on again, to make the
beloved physic work, which they took in small pieces, to help to bring
on the rain. On the third day (added he) they brought it down in great
plenty, which was certainly a very difficult performance; and as
surprizing too, that they who are always, when opportunity answers,
persuading the red people to take up the bloody hatchet against their
old steady friends, should still have the beloved speech, which
_Ishtohoollo Aba Eloa_ formerly spoke to his beloved _Loáche_.——Thus
ended our friendly discourse.
ARGUMENT VIII.
Their FESTIVALS, FASTS, and RELIGIOUS RITES, have also a great
resemblance to those of the Hebrews. It will be necessary here to take a
short view of the principal Jewish feasts, &c. They kept every year, a
sacred feast called the Passover, in memory of their deliverance from
Egyptian {94} bondage. Seven days were appointed, _Lev._ xxiii.—To these
they added an eighth, through a religious principle, as preparatory, to
clear their houses of all leaven, and to fix their minds before they
entered on that religious duty. The name of this festival is derived
from a word which signifies to “pass over;” because, when the destroying
angel flew through the Egyptian houses, and killed their first-born, he
passed over those of the Israelites, the tops of whose doors were
stained with the blood of the lamb, which they were ordered to kill.
This solemnity was instituted with the strongest injunctions, to let
their children know the cause of that observance, and to mark that night
through all their generations.
Three days before this sacred festival, they chose a lamb, without spot
or blemish, and killed it on the evening of the fourteenth day of Abib,
which was the first moon of the ecclesiastical, and the seventh of the
civil year; and they ate it with bitter herbs, without breaking any of
the bones of it, thus prefiguring the death of Messiah. This was the
reason that this was the chief of the days of unleavened bread, and they
were strictly forbidden all manner of work on that day; besides, no
uncircumcised, or unclean persons ate of the paschal lamb. Those of the
people, whom diseases or long journies prevented from observing the
passover on that day, were obliged to keep it in the next moon.
On the fifteenth day, which was the second of the passover, they offered
up to God a sheaf of the new barley-harvest, because it was the earliest
grain. The priest carried it into the temple, and having cleaned and
parched it, he grinded or pounded it into flower, dipt it in oil, and
then waved it before the Lord, throwing some into the fire. The Jews
were forbidden to eat any of their new harvest, till they had offered up
a sheaf, the grain of which filled an omer, a small measure of about
five pints. All was impure and unholy till this oblation was made, but
afterwards it became hallowed, and every one was at liberty to reap and
get in his harvest.
On the tenth day of the moon Ethanim, the first day of the civil year,
they celebrated the great fast, or feast of expiation, afflicted their
souls, and ate nothing the whole day. The high-priest offered several
sacrifices, and having carried the blood of the victims into the temple,
he sprinkled it upon the altar of incense, and the veil that was before
the holiest; and went {95} into that most sacred place, where the divine
Shekinah resided, carrying a censer smoking in his hand with incense,
which hindered him from having a clear sight of the ark. But he was not
allowed to enter that holy place, only once a year, on this great day of
expiation, to offer the general sacrifice both for the sins of the
people and of himself. Nor did he ever mention the divine four-lettered
name, YO HE WAH, except on this great day, when he blessed the people.
Because the Israelites lived in tabernacles, or booths, while they were
in the wilderness; as a memorial therefore of the divine bounty to them,
they were commanded to keep the feast of tabernacles, on the fifteenth
day of the month Tisri, which they called _Rosh Hosanah_, or
_Hoshianah_, it lasted eight days; during which time, they lived in
arbours, (covered with green boughs of trees) unless when they went to
worship at the temple, or sung _Hoshaniyo_ around the altar. When they
were on this religious duty, they were obliged each to carry in their
hands a bundle of the branches of willows, palm-trees, myrtles, and
others of different sorts, laden with fruit, and tied together with
ribbons; and thus rejoice together with the appointed singers, and vocal
and instrumental music, in the divine presence before the altar. On the
eighth day of the feast, one of the priests brought some water in a
golden vessel, from the pool of Siloam, mixed it with wine, and poured
it on the morning-sacrifice, and the first fruits of their latter crops
which were then presented, as an emblem of the divine graces that should
flow to them, when Shilo came, who was to be their anointed king,
prophet, and high-priest—The people in the mean time singing out of
Isaiah “with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.”
Let us now turn to the copper colour American Hebrews.—While their
sanctified new fruits are dressing, a religious attendant is ordered to
call six of their old beloved women to come to the temple, and dance the
beloved dance with joyful hearts, according to the old beloved speech.
They cheerfully obey, and enter the supposed holy ground in solemn
procession, each carrying in her hand a bundle of small branches of
various green trees; and they join the same number of old magi, or
priests, who carry a cane in one hand adorned with white feathers,
having likewise green boughs in their other hand, which they pulled from
their holy arbour, and carefully place there, encircling it with several
rounds. Those beloved men have their heads {96} dressed with white
plumes; but the women are decked in their finest, and anointed with
bear’s-grease, having small tortoise-shells, and white pebbles, fastened
to a piece of white-drest deer-skin, which is tied to each of their
legs.