Their laws of descent are quite intricate. They follow the female line,
and as the children always follow the tribe of the mother, and the
man never is allowed to marry in his own tribe, it follows that the
father and son are never of the same tribe, and hence the son can never
succeed the father, because the sachemship runs in the tribe of the
father. It really is quite surprising to find such permanent original
institutions among the Iroquois, and still more surprising that these
institutions have never seen the light. If I can construct a table of
descents with any approach to accuracy, I will send it down to the
Historical Society. The idea at the foundation of their law of descent,
is quite a comment upon human nature. The child must be the son of
the mother, though he may not be of his mother’s husband—quite and
absolutely an original code.
The object of this council was to “raise up sachems” in the place of
those who had died. It would require more room than twenty letters
would furnish to explain what we saw and heard—the mode of election
and deposition—the lament for the dead—the wampum—the two sides of
the council fire, &c. &c., and the other ceremonies connected with
raising up sachems; also the dances, the preaching, the feast.
We were well received by the Indians, and they seemed disposed to give
us whatever information we desired on the religious system of the
Iroquois, their marriage and burial rites, &c. Faithfully,