Whilst I was talking with these men, and passing through the villages of the Oneidas, Senecas and Tuscaroras, I observed that there was no church or any building set apart for religious purposes and I asked the Seneca how this happened, as in the other Iroquois reservations that I had seen, the church usually was in a prominent position near the centre of the settlement. He said that I was amongst men who were called Pagan Indians, and that the Grand River Iroquois were divided into two classes, Christians and Pagans. The former were settled upon a part of the lands a few miles distant. He also told me that they always kept themselves distinct from the converts, and were careful to follow their ancient belief and maintain, as far as possible, the ceremonies and religious customs of their ancestors. I asked a Cayuga, who had joined us, and who was one of the leading men of his tribe, if he would tell me to what extent, and in what form, their Pagan worship was practised. I also mentioned, that I wished for information with regard to the Iroquois belief in a Supreme Being. It was ascertained by the Jesuit missionaries, that a belief in one over-ruling Power was found to exist among them, and in this respect they differed from all other American Indians, with whom it seemed to be conclusively ascertained, that their worship only consisted of propitiations of the various powers that they believed had influence for good or evil in connection with matters around them. It was found by the priests, that the chief obstacle in enabling the savages to comprehend the meaning of their teaching, was the want of capacity in the minds of the Indians to understand the nature of a Power who controlled all movements of the heavens and earth. It was consequently interesting to meet an Indian who could intelligently explain this unusual peculiarity of the Iroquois belief. This Cayuga, in reply to my questions, said, “We all believe in the Great Spirit whom we call How-wan-ni-yu, and we have four feasts in every year made to him. Those at the New Year and at the Harvest time are the greatest. We meet at the Long House[45] dressed, as was the custom in former times, with skins and feathers, and have our faces painted. In the middle of the room we place our offerings of wheat, fruit, tobacco, and flesh, according to what we can give, and the season of the year. Round this pile of offerings we have a dance. After this is over, our principal chief makes a speech and tells us about the goodness and nature of How-wan-ni-yu. Then we have another dance, after which another chief makes a speech, and so on, until all the speeches are finished. Then all the offerings are divided amongst us and the meeting ends.”