or they all appear armed with
tomahawks. These they brandish in the air, to signify how they intend
to treat, or have treated, their enemies. They affect such an anger or
fury on the occasion, that it makes a spectator shudder to behold
them. A chief leads the dance, and sings the warlike deeds of himself
or his ancestors. At the end of every celebrated feat of valour, he
strikes his tomahawk with all his might against a post fixed in the
ground. He is then followed by the rest, each finishing his round by a
blow against the post. Then they dance all together, and this is the
most frightful scene. They affect the most horrible and dreadful
gestures, threatening to beat, cut, and stab each other. To complete
the horror of the scene, they howl as dreadfully as in actual fight,
so that they appear as raving madmen. Heckewelder's description agrees
herewith. He remarks, that "Previous to going out on a warlike
campaign, the war dance is always performed around the painted post.
It is the Indian mode of recruiting. Whoever joins in the dance is
considered as having enlisted for the campaign, and is obliged to go
with the party."--_Heck. Hist. Acc._ p. 202. The description which
Charlevoix gives of what he calls the "_dance of discovery_" among the
Iroquois, agrees so fully with the above account of the war dance,
that we may presume it is the same, and that his is a new name for an
old thing.

Charlevoix describes another dance, which he calls the _dance of fire_.

This last author describes another dance which is not mentioned by any
other traveller; it is called, he says, the _dance of the bull_, and
is thus described by him: "The dancers form several circles or rings,
and the music, which is always the drum and the chickicoue, is in the
midst of the place. They never separate those of the same family. They
do not join hands, and every one carries on his head his arms and his
buckler. All the circles do not turn the same way, and though they
caper much, and very high, they always keep time and measure. From
time to time, a chief of the family presents his shield: they all
strike upon it, and at every stroke he repeats some of his exploits.
Then he goes, and cuts a piece of tobacco at a post, where they have
fastened a certain quantity, and gives it to one of his friends,"
&c.--_Charlevoix_, ii. 72.

The _dance of the green corn_, referred to in the text, or, more
properly speaking, "the ceremony of thanksgiving for the