The ceremonies did not commence till the approach of night.  To give light inside the house several fires were kindled round the tent.  Nearly the whole village assembled in the house, Alexander Henry among the rest.  It was not long before the priest appeared, almost in a state of nakedness.  As he approached the tent the skins were lifted up, as much as was necessary to allow of his creeping under them on his hands and knees.  His head was scarcely within side when the edifice, massive as it has been described, began to shake; and the skins were no sooner let fall than the sounds of numerous voices were heard beneath them—­some yelling, some barking as dogs, some howling like wolves; and in this horrible concert were mingled screams and sobs of despair, anguish, and the sharpest pain.  Articulate speech was also uttered, as if from human lips, but in a tongue unknown to any of the audience.

After some time these confused and frightful noises were succeeded by a perfect silence; and now a voice, not heard before, seemed to manifest the arrival of a new character in the tent.  This was low and feeble, resembling the cry of a young puppy.  The sound was no sooner distinguished than all the Indians clapped their hands for joy, exclaiming that this was the Chief Spirit, the Turtle, the Spirit that never lied!  Other voices, which they had distinguished from time to time, they had previously hissed, as recognizing them to belong to evil and lying spirits, the deceivers of mankind.

Then came from the tent a succession of songs, in which a diversity of voices met the ear.  From his first entrance, till these songs were finished, we heard nothing in the proper voice of the priest.  But now he addressed the multitude, declaring the presence of the Great Turtle, and the spirit’s readiness to answer such questions as should be proposed.  The questions were to come from the chief of the village, who was silent, however, till after he had put a large quantity of tobacco into the tent, introducing it at the aperture.  This was a sacrifice offered to the spirit; for the spirits were supposed by the Indians to be as fond of tobacco as themselves.  This done, the chief desired the priest to enquire:  Whether or not the English were preparing to make war upon the Indians? and whether or not there were at Fort Niagara a large number of English troops?

The priest was heard to put the questions, and then the tent shook and rocked so violently that Henry expected to see it levelled with the ground.  But apparently answers were given, after which a terrific cry announced, with sufficient intelligibility, the departure of the Turtle.  Subsequently the priest interpreted the Great Turtle’s answers, which gave a great deal of information regarding the disposition and numbers of the English soldiers, and the presents which Sir William Johnson was preparing for the Ojibwes; and which finally approved the wisdom of the embassy proceeding on its way.