SWANTON] INDIAN TRIBES OF THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY 135

the post, and relate their bravest feats of arms; after which they make presents
to the ambassadors. The next day they are permitted for the first time to
walk about the village, and every night they make entertainments for them,
which consist of nothing more than dances. When they take their departure
the master of ceremonies supplies them with all the provisions they may want
for their journey, and this is always at the expense of private persons.a

 From Le Petit:
 When any foreign nation comes to treat of peace with the Natchez savages
they send their couriers to give notice of the day and hour when they shall
make their entrance. The great chief orders the masters of ceremony to
prepare all things for this grand occasion. They begin by naming those who
during each day should support the strangers, for the expense never falls upon
the chief, but always on his subjects. Then they clear the roads, they sweep
tlie cahins, they arrange the seats in a large lall.b which is on the imoundl of
the great chief by the side of his cabin. His throne, which is on an elevation,
is painted and ornamented, and the bottom is furnished with beautiful nmats.
 On the day that the ambassadors are to make their entrance, all the nation
assembles. The masters of ceremony place the princes, the chiefs of the vil-
lages, and the old chiefs of quality near tih great chief on particular seats.
When the ambassadors arrive, and are within 500 steps of the great chief,
they stop and chant the song of peace. The ambassage ordinarily consists
of 30 men and 6 women. Six of those who have the best figures and tlhe finest
voices march in front: they are followed by the others who chant in like manner,
regulating the cadence with the sicicorct. The six women are the last.
 When the chief has directed them to approach they advance, those who have
the calumets chant and dance with much agility, now turning around each
other, and now presenting themselves in front, but always with violent move-
ments and extraordinary contortions. When they have entered the circle
they dance about the chair on which the chief is seated, they rub him with
their calumets from his feet even to his head, and after that go back to find
those who belong to their suite. Then they fill one of their calumets with
tobacco, and holding the fire in one hand, they advance all together before the
chief and smoke it; they direct the first puff of smoke toward the heavens,
the second toward the earth, and the others around the horizon, after which
they without ceremony present the pipe to the princes ant to the other chiefs.
 The ceremony having been finished, the ambassadors, as a token of alliance,
rub their hands on the stomach of the chief, and rub themselves over the whole
body, they then place their calumets before the chief on small forks, while the
person among the ambassadors who is particularly charged with the orders
of his nation, delivers a harangue which lasts for an entire hour. When he
has finished they make a sign to the strangers to be seated on the benches
arranged near the great chief, who responds to them by a discourse of equal
length. Then the master of ceremonies lights the great calumet of peace, and
makes the strangers smoke, who swallow the tobacco smoke. The great chief
inquires of them whether they arrived safely-that is, whether they are well-
and those who are around them go one after the other to discharge the saome
office of politeness, after which they conduct them to the cabin which has been
prepared for them, and where they are feasted.
 That same evening at sunset the ambassadors, with the calumet in their
hands, go with singing to find the great chief. and having raised him on their
shoulders, they transport him to the quarter in which their cabin is situated.

 a Charlevoix in French, Ilist. Coll. La., 169-170, 1851. b Not mentioned elsewhere.