They assemble three nights previous to their annual feast of love; on the fourth night they eat together. During the intermediate space, the young men and women dance in circles from the evening till morning. The men masque their faces with large pieces of gourds of different shapes and hieroglyphic paintings. Some of them fix a pair of young buffalo horns to their head; others the tail, behind. When the dance and their time is expired, the men turn out a hunting, and bring in a sufficient quantity of venison, for the feast of renewing their love, and confirming their friendship with each other. The women dress it, and bring the best they have along with it; which a few springs past, was only a variety of Esau’s small red acorn pottage, as their crops had failed. When they have eaten together, they fix in the ground a large pole with a bush tied at the top, over which {113} they throw a ball. Till the corn is in, they meet there almost every day, and play for venison and cakes, the men against the women; which the old people say they have observed for time out of mind. Before I conclude this argument, I must here observe, that when the Indians meet at night to gladden and unite their hearts before YOHEWAH, they sing _Yohèwà-shoo Yohèwà-shoo_, _Yohewàhshee Yohewàhshee_, and _Yohewàhshai Yohewàhshai_, with much energy. The first word is nearly in Hebrew characters, יהושע, the name of Joshua, or saviour, _Numb._ xiii. 8. That ע is properly expressed by our double vowel _oo_, let it be observed, that as בעל is “a ruler,” or “commanding”—so the Indians say _Boole Hakse_ “strike a person, that is criminal.” In like manner they sing _Meshi Yo, Meshi Yo, Meshi He, Meshi He, Meshi Wah Meshi Wah_; likewise, _Meshi Hah Yo_, &c.; and _Meshi Wàh Háh Meshi Wàh Hé_, transposing and accenting each syllable differently, so as to make them appear different words. But they commonly make those words end with one syllable of the divine name, _Yo He Wah_. If we connect this with the former part of the subject, and consider they are commonly anointed all over, in the time of their religious songs and circuiting dances, the words seem to glance at the Hebrew original, and perhaps they are sometimes synonymous; for ומו signifies oil; the person anointed משח, _Messiah_, and he who anointed משיחו, which with the Indians is _Meshiháh Yo_.