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JOURNAL

OFA

TO

NORTH-AMERICA.

bs OF A
Py OF a'G.E
— a |

NOR TH-AMERICA.

Undertaken by OrDER of the

2 EN CHK INS.
CON TAILTLNIN G

The Grocrapuicat Defcription and Natural
Hiftory of that Country, particularly

PA oe. ASDO-A,

TOGETHER WITH

An Account of the Customs, CHARACTERS,
Rerticion, Manners and TRADITIONS

of the original Inhabitants.
Ina Series of Letters to the Duchefs of LuspicuiEres.

Tranflated from the French of P. pr Co

4,
> ma

Vol. i

iL ON Dy ON:
Printed for R. and J. Popee: t. 4 in Pall-Mall..
alee thc 20

on ;
ey

we men rer eeu
Lid Abdechk bo

cH OF,

’ . a
. :
ie sidednl Lieigns

St sth’ OF <siod

a

i
} donee ai Fi

* ‘

‘ x € ESCRIPTION of Lake Erie. Voyage as far as

4 « ay" . “A ; at :
ox " ;
beg tl q is) eR , ; I H E
\ ee a " m
x a e . ~T
t ; a) .

€ ON T'E’N T's

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co) Bia 9 WS

a Se Re Om. rg
Bah 7

'eEecOoND VOLUME,

mee
XA

ET ee RK VE..

“te

~ Detroit or the Narrows. . Project for a Settle-
ment in this Place. Caufe of its Failure. Coun-
cil called by the Commandant of Fort Pontchar-
train, and the Subject of it. Of the Games of the
Indians * Rage I

Ler PE R xvi

_ Some Particulars relating to the Charafler, Cujtoms,

and Government of the Indians 19

LETTER XIX,

| v oyage from the Narrows to Michillimakinac. De-
Seription of the Country, Of the Marriages of the
evindians §4'" : : 39

LETTER

4 CONTENT of

blaze
7

Spee Malpttet e

LE@TER XX.

Voyage to the Bay. Defcription of it, mr “ pg
Courfe thither. Irruption of the Spaniards into —
the Country of the Miflouri Indians, and and De-—

» feat. Dances a she Indians «yes PA <a

, LETTER XX.
\ : Departure from. Michillimakinac. Ob/ervations on

the Currents in-the Lakes. Charaéter of the In-
dians of Canada.’ Their good and ill Qualities 77

4

4 LETTER: XX ee

Voyage to the River St. Jofeph. Ob/ervations with
re[pet? to the Rivers which fall into Lake Michi-
gan on the caftern Side. Of Father Marquette’s

: River, and of the Origin of this Name. ~ Of the”

} Games of the Indians. Some particulars of the

) Character of thefe Nations A Bs

De aad hl | XXIL

3 Sequel of the Charaéier of the ie and of their
Manner of living ~ Co es

Be: es XXIV.

Of the Religion and Traditions of the Indians ee:
Canada rs ‘ tie

a

L, Betis alk XO 26
Sequel of the Traditions of the Indians 165
‘LETiI Ee.

(CONTENTS w

LETTER XXVI.

Departure om the Fort of the ‘River St. Jofeph.
Seen v the Theakiki: What paffes at the
“Death of the Indians; of their Funerals and
Tombs. Of their Mourning and Widowbood.

OF the Feftival of the Dead 183

1B eT. ER XXVII.

Peder jo Pimitiouy. Of the River of the Llinois ;
Reception of Prifoners of War amongft that People.
Manner of burning them. Some particulars of their
Manner of living | 197

Poe TT ER XXVIUL.

— Vayag e from Pimiteouy #o Cafkafquias. Cour/e of
i 5 River of the Wlinois. Of the Copper Mines.
, Of the Miffouri. Of the Mines of the River
Marameg.. Defcription of Fort Chartres, and
of the Mi iffion of Kafkafquias. Of the Fruit-
trees of Louifiana, Defcription of the Miffiffip-
pi above the llinois. Different tribes of that Na-
tion. Some Traditions of the Indians. Their No-
tions about the Stars, Eclipfes and Thunder. Their
. ._ Manner of calculating Time : 215

| ey 1 ER XNIX:

Of the Colony of the Illinois. Voyage to Akanfas.
Defcription of the Country 445

ey kk. XXX

Voyage from the Akanfas to the Natchez. Defcrip-
tion of the Country. Of the River of the Yafous.
Of the Cujftoms, ania see and Religion of the

ae

for ET Er R

} | ANatchez

/

/

+ OED EE Eg ra ee
the a aN ca \
\ ; AGM Kise SA

vill” c) or N! T EY NY TO n
LATER XXXL
Voyage from the. Natchez to New! Orleans. |

- “feription of the Country and of feveral Ind 4
crate with bat a sie nc . ange ee

| “ ec

Lon, F + tk Mg XXXU ie

Voyage gen” ihe ‘Orleans to the Mouth of the

Miffiffippi. D piripian of that River t to the. Seac
Reflections on is FATT S. poe sf ae vey 289

bya
“Cte Tete XXXII ee

Deferionion of Balog: OF the. Plant Cafina eh on

Apa-Cachina. Of Myrtle-wax, of the Mobilep
_ of the Tchattas, of the Bay of St. Bernard,, ~
Voyage from Biloxi to New Olea Ay the Way —
of Lake Pontchastrainy. .v, 4 hi eae fd

a

Le Toh ae ‘XXXIV. weer

rége to the Gulph af Bahama. Shrove ‘
the Adour. Return to Louifiana, . long the C ey
Ue jos lorida. eet of that Cog i i

Losin! et
LET T E R “XXXV. fot A baa r

Voyage from Biloxi to ss Frangois in Sn Pe
omingo . . \ BN a ae |
LETT SY XXXVI Se

Deleription of Cape Francois Fn Stes Domini,

Return to sent and the Authors Saar “th .
cae eS RR

JOURNAL

RG aA

Ww OY AGE

Made by Order of the French King through

NORTH AMERICA.

LETTER XVII.

Defcription of Lake Erie. Voyage as far as De-
-troit or the Narrows. Projeé for a Settlement
in this Place. Caufe of its Failure. Council called

by the Commandant of Fort Pontchartrain, and
the Subject of it. Of the Games of the Indians.

Fort eaaahiee in the Narrows, June 8, 1721.

Wie av. °
| Set out on the a of laft month from the

entrance of lake Erie after fealing my laft let-
ter, and though it was then late I made three
leagues farther that day with the advantage of a
favourable .wind and the fineft weather in the
world. The courfe is by coafting along the north

' fhore amounting to a hundred leagues. The way:
turning off towards the fouth from Niagara is.
or, ii, Be : ‘much

SO

110 se
much more agreeable but longer by o one half, Lake
Erie is a hundred leagues in length from eaft to
weft. Its breadth from north to fouth is thirty —
-leagues, or thereabouts. The name it bears is.
that of an Indian nation of the Huron language,
which was formerly feated on its banks, and who
have been entirely deftroyed by the Iroquoife.
Erie in that language fignifies Cat, and in fome
accounts this nation is called the Cat nation. ‘This
name comes probably, from the large quantity of
thefe animals formerly found in this country. They
-are no larger than ours and their fkins are reckoned
very valuable. Some modern maps have given
lake Erie the name of Conti, but with no~better
fuccefs than the names of Condé, Tracy, and
Orleans which have been given to the lakes Hu-
ron, Superior and Michigan, |
‘ On the 28th I advanced nineteen leagues, and
found myfelf oppofite to a river called, La grande
Riviere, or the Great River, which runs from the
eaftward in 42 deg. 15 min. ‘The largeft trees
however were not as yet covered with leaves. Ex-
cepting this circumftance, the country appeared
to me extremely beautiful. We made little way
the 29th, and none at all the 30th. We embark-
ed again on the morrow before funrife, and ad-
vanced a good way. The 1ft. of June being the
day of Pentecoft, after having failed up a beauti-
ful river for the fpace of: an “hour, which has its
rife as they fay at a great diftance, and runs be-
-twixt two fine meadows; we paffed over a earry-
ing place of about fixty paces in breadth, in or-
der to avoid turning round a point which 1s called
the long Point; itis a very fand} y fpot of ground,
and naturally bears a great quantity of vines. The
follow-

} 06

? /

t~)

following days I faw nothing remarkable, but

coafted along a charming country, hid at times by
very difagreeable profpects, which however are
of no great extent. Wherever I went afhore I
was quite enchanted by the beauty and variety of
a landfeape, which was terminated by the nobleft
forefts in the whole world. Add to this, that
every part of it {warms with water fowl; I cannot
fay whether the woods afford game in equal pro-
-fufion; but 1 well know that on the fouth fide

_ there is a prodigious quantity of Buffaloes.

Were we always to fail as I then did, with a

ferene fky in a moft charming climate, and on:

water as clear as that of the pureft fountain; were
we fure of finding every where fecure and agree-

able places. to pafs the night in, where we might |’

enjoy the pleafure of hunting at a {mail expence,
‘breathe at our eafe the pureft air, and enjoy the
profpect of the fineft countries in the univerfe,
we might poffibly be tempted to travel to the end
. of our days. I recalled to memory thofe ancient

Patriarchs’ who had no fixed place of abode,

who lived in tents, who were in a manner the
matters of all the countries they paffed through, and
who enjoyed in peace and tranquillity all their
productions, without the plague inevitable in the

poffeffion of a real and fixed eftate. How many

oaks reprefented to me that of Mamre? how
many fountains put me in mind of that of Jacob?

each day a new fituation chofen at pleafure; a

neat and commodious houfe built and furnithed
with all neceffaries in lefs than a quarter of an
hour, and floored with a pavement of flowers,
continually {pringing up on a carpet of the moft
beautiful green; on ail fides fimple and natural
beauties unadulterated and inimitable by any art.

| | Ba J

let

If thefe pleafures fometimes fuffer a Tittle. ites

ruption, whether by hard weather or fome other
unforefeen accident, it is only to render them more ~
fenfibly felt at a fecond enjoyment. rae c ee Tene

Were I inclined to moralize I might add, that

thefe alternatives of pleafure and difappointment,

which I have already undergone fince my fetting

out, are very proper to make us fenfible that there

is no kind of life more capable of placing this —

maxim conftantly before our eyes, that we are no

more than pilerims on the earth, and that we
have no right.to ufe but as paflengers, the good
things of this world; that the real wants of man
are very few in number, that little is fufficient to

_ purchafe contentment, and that we ought to take

in good part thofe evils and croffes which furprize
‘us, fince with the fame rapidity they make way
Sor a mixture of better fortune. Laftly, how

many things contribute in.this way of life to make |

us fenfible of our dependance on the divine pro-

vidence, which in order to-produce this mixture

’ of good and evil, makes not ufe of the paffions
of men but. of. the viciffitudes of feafons,. which
may entirely be forefeen, and the caprice of the ele-
ments which we ought to look for: and confe-
quently what a multitude of ‘opportunities of me-
riting by our confidence in, and refignation to the
divine will? It is ‘generally faid that long voyages
are feldom attended with a large crop of divine
grace; nothing however is more proper to produce
it than this fore of life.

On the fourth we s ftopt a good part of the day
‘On a point which runs north and fouth three leagues,
and which is called Pointe Pélée, or Bald Point.

It is however well enough wooded on the weft
fide,

-

a tins

ies Bie that of the eaft is a fandy track pro-
Pes ducing » nothing but red cedars, of an indifferent
growth and in {mall quantities. The white cedar

is of more general ufe than the ie the wood of
which is ealily broken, and is only fit for making
-fmall pieces of furniture. It is a notion in this

©. “country that women with child fhould not ufe it in
~ bufks. The leaves of this tree yield no odour but

_the wood does. Quite the reverfe happens in the
white cedar. There are a greatmumber of bears
in this country, and more than four hundred of
thefe animals were killed lait winter on Pointe

_ Pélée alone.

On the fifth towards four o’clock in the after-
noon we perceived the land on the fouth fhore,
and two little iflands which lie very near it. Thefe
are called Rattlefnake iflands, and we are told
they are fo infefted with thefe reptiles that the air
is infected with them. We entered the Narrows
an hour before funfet, and pafitd the night above
a very beautiful ifland, called L’ifle de Bois Blanc,
6! Whitelwood ifland: From Long-point to the

~ Narrows the courfe is always weft ; from the entry

- of the Narrows to the ifland of St: Clair, which —
is five or fix leagues, and thence to Lake Huron
“it bends fivouhae towards the eaft; inclining to
the fouth ; thus the whole of the Narrows, which
are thirty-two leagues long, lies between 42 degrees

* 120r15 minutes, and 43 degrees and a half north
latitude. Above the ifland of St. Clair, the Nar-
rows widen and form a lake, which has either re-
ceived its name from the ifland, or given it its
own. It is about fix leagues long and as many
broad in fome ee

iv

5; B 2 le

aes

It is - pretended that this is the fineft part af all,

Canada, and really if-we may. judge by appear-

ances, nature feems to have refufed it nothing that

can contribute to make a country delightful ; hills,

meadows, fields, lofty forefts, rivulets, fourmatia :

. rivers, and all of them fo excellent in their kind,
and fo happily blended, as to equal the moft ro-

mantic wifhes ;\the Jands however are not all e-—
qually proper te every fort of grain, but moft
are of a wonderful fertility, and I have known

fome produce good wheat for eighteen years run-
ning without any manure, and befides all of them
are proper for fome particular ufe. The iflands
feem placed on purpofe for the pleafure of the
profpect ; the river and lake abound in fifh, the
air is pure, and the climate Be idea and ex-
tremely wholfome,

Before you arrive at the fort, which ftands on ©

the left, a league below the ifland of St. Claire,
you find on the fame fide two pretty populous vil-

Jages very near each other ; the firft is inhabited —
by the Tionnontatez a tribe of the Hurons, and

the fame who after having wandered to and fro for
a long time, firft fettled at the balls of St. Mary,
and at Michillimakinac; the fecond is inhabited
by the Poutewatamie Indians. On the right,
fomewhat higher is a third village of the Ou-
tawais, infeparable companions. of the Hurons
from the time that both of them were driven from
their country by the Iroquois ; there are no chrifti-
ans at all among thefe laft, and few if any amongft
the Poutewatemies ; the Hurons are all chriftians,
but have no miffionaries ; it is faid they will admit
of none, but this is only true of a few of their
principal men who have not much religion,

; : Vo.

-

ey eae
ar ini (

who do not fuffer the others to be heard, who

have been a4 long time defirous of having miffi-

onaries fent them.

\

It is a long time fince the importance of the

place, ftill more than the beauty of the country

about the Narrows has given ground to with,

that fome confiderable fettlement were made in

this p!ace; this has been tolerably well begun fome
fifteen years fince, but certain caufes of which I
am not informed, have reduced it almoft to no-
thing ; thofe who are againft it alledge firft, that
it would bring the trade for the northern furs too
near the Enelifh, who as they are able to afford

their commodities to the Indians cheaper than eve,

would draw all that trade into the province of
New York. Secondly, that the lands near the
Narrows are not fertile, and that the whole furface
to the depth of nine or ten inches confifts of fand,
below which is hard clay impenetrable to the wa-
ter; from whence it happens that the plains and
interior parts of the woods are always drowned ;
that every where you fee nothing but diminutive |
ill-erown oaks, and hard walnut-trees, and that

the trees having their roots always under water

their fruits ripen very late. Thefe reafons have
not. been unanfwered ; it is true that in the neigh-
bourhood of fort Pontchartrain the lands have a
mixture of fand, and chat in the neighbouring
forefts there are bottoms almott conftantly under
water ; however thefe very lands have produced
wheat eighteen years fucceffively without the leaft
manure, “and you have no great way to go to find
the fineft foil in the world. With refpect to

woods, without going a great way from the fort,

I have feen as J have been walking fuch as ic)
vie with our nobleft forefts.

B 4 As

K

( g ) i vie } on

As for what has been faid that by making. nll ay

tlement at the Narrows, we fhould bring, the i
trade too much within reach of the Englith ;
there. 1s not a man in Canada who does not agree,

that we can neyer fucceed in hindering the Indians

from carrying them their commodities, let them
be fettled where they will, and with all the pre-

cautions we can poflibly take ; except by caufing ©

them to find the fame advantage. in trading wich
us, as in the province of New York. 1 have
many more things to acquaint your grace of, but

thefe difcuffions would carry me too far; we fhall

talk over the matter fome day at our sashes

On the 7th of June, which was the day after
my arrival at the fort, Mons. de Tonti who com-
mands here, a fembled the chiefs of the three vil-
lages I have juft mentioned, in order to com-
municate ‘to them the orders he had received from
the Marquis de Vaudreuil; they heard him calmly
and without interruption ; when he had- done
{peaking the orator of the Hurons told him in
few words, that they were going to confult about
what he had propofed to them, and would give
him their anfwer in a fhort time; it is the cuftom

\of the Indians never to give an immediate an{wer
F on an affair of any confequence. Two days after

they aflembled in great numbers at the com-
mandant’s, who was defirous that I fhould be pre-
fent-at this council, together with the officers of

othe garrifon. Safteratfi, whom we French call

king of the Hurens, and who is in fact hereditary
chief of the Tionnontatez, who are the true Hu-
rons was alfo prefent on this occafion; but as he
is ftill a minor he came only for form fake ; his

uncle who governs in his name, and who is

called regent, {poke in » quali ity of orator of the
nation 3

¥

~

}

Sg |
nation ; 3; now the honour of fpeaking i in the name
of the whole is generally given to fome Huron
when any of them happens to be of the council.
The firft view of thefe aflemblies gives you no
great idea of the body; imagine to yourfelf ma-

dam, half a fcore favages almoft ftark naked with

their hair difpofed in as many different manners
as their are different perfons in the affembly, and
all of them equally ridiculous ; fome with laced
hats, all with pipes in their mouths and with the
moft unthinking faces. It is befides a rare thing to
hear any one utter fo much as a fingle word in a
quarter of an hour, or to hear any ene made
even in a monofyllable ; not the leaft mark of di-
ftinction, nor any re ipect paid to any perfon what-
foever. We fhould however be apt to change our
opinion of them a hearing the refult of their
deliberations.

The bufinefs in-debate on this occafion, related
-to two points which the governor general had
very much at heart; the firft was to perfuade the
three villages fettled at the. Narrows, to agree that
no more brandy fhould be fold them, which
had been exprefly prohibited by the council of
the marine. The fecond was to. engage a'l the
nations to unite with the French, to deftroy the
Outagamies, commonly called Foxes, who had
been favoured with an indemnity fome years before,
and who had begun their robberies anew. Monfieur

.de Tonti firft caufed to be repeated to them by

his interpreters in a few words, what he explained
more at large in the firft aflembly, when the Hu-
ron orator made anfwer in the name of the three

_ villages ; he made no exordium but came at once

to the point, he fpoke a great while and with
much gravity, paufing at each article to give thme
to

™~

'

C0). (ie
to the interpreters to explain in French what he fe
had been faying in his own language. y

His mien, the tone of his voice, and the man-
ner of his delivery, though without any geftures
or inflections of the body, appeared to me ex-
-tremely noble and calculated to perfuade, and

_what he faid muft have been very eloquent, fince
after being ftript. of all its ornaments in the
| mouth of the interpreter, who was only a man
of common parts, we were all perfectly charmed
with it; and I do aflure you, madam, that had’

he continued to {peak for two whole hours I could
have heard him ‘with the greateft pleafure. Ano-
‘ther proof that the beauty of his difcourfe came
not from the interpreter is, that this man never
could have dared to take upon him to tell us from
himfelf ali he faid to us; I was even fomewhat
furprized at his boldnefs in repeating fo faithfully

.as he did ‘certain points which could not fail to be

difagreeable to the commandant. When the Hu- |
ron orator had ended, Onanguicé chief and orator
of the Poutewatemies fpoke in a few words, and
after a very ingenious manner, to all that the
other had more largely expatiated upon, coricluding
to the fame purpofe, as he had done ; the Outawais
fpoke not at all, but feemed to approve of what
had been faid by the others.

The refult was that the French might ufe their
pleafure with refpect to the felling of brandy to
the Indians ; but they had done “well had they.
never fupplied them with any ; and it is impoffible
to imagine any thing ftronger than what the Hu-
ron orator faid whilft he was laying open the dif-
‘orders occafioned by this beverage, and the mif-
chiefs it had done to all the Indian nations in ge-
: neral

| bs es aaa |
neral,. T he moft zealous miffionary could not
have faid more ; he added however that they were
now fo much accuttomed to it that they could no
longer be without it; by which it was eafy to
guels that fhould the French refuie them, they
would certainly have recourfe to the Englith:
that with refpect to the war with the Outegamies

- nothing could be determined, except in a general

council of all the nations who acknowledge Onon-
thio, (fo the Indians call the French king) for
their tather; that no doubt they would all agree
in thinking the war neceflary, but that they would ,
with great difficulty be brought to place any con-
fidence in the French, who after having once be-
fore united them to -affift in exterminating the
common enemy, had granted them peace without
ever confulting with their allies,-and without its
being poffible to find out any reafon for fuch a
proceeding.

The day after I vifited the two Indian towns
near the fort; I began with that of the Hurons
where I found all the matrons, and amongft them
the grand-mother of Safteratfi in much affli€tion
for being fo long deprived of every fpiritual fuc-
cour ; many circumftances which I learned at the
fame time confirmed me in the opinion I had be-
fore fometime adopted, that certain private in-
terefts were the fole obftacles to the defires of thefe
goed chriftians; it is to be hoped that the laft
orders of the council of the marine will, remove
all thofe obftacles ; Monfieur de Tonti affured me
he was going to fer aboutit in an effectual manner.

Thofe who were my guides in this village af-
fured me, that were it not for the Hurons the
other Indians of the Narrows muft die of hunger ;

this

get mein:
this is certainly not the faule of the land where ~
they are fettled; were they to cultivate it ever fo
little they would find at leaft fufficient for their
fubfiftance ; fithing alone would fupply them with
“a good part, and this exercife is far from being
) very laborious, but after having once tafted brandy
- _ they think only of amaffing of furs to purchafe
wherewithal to intoxicate themfelves. The Hu-
rons who are wifer, more laborious and more ac-
cuftomed to hufbandry, being alfo endued with a -
greater fhare of forefight entertain more folid |
thoughts, and by means of their induftry are ina
condition not only to fubfift without being, be-
holden to any one, but alfo to furnifh a fupply to
their neighbours ; this however is not done entirely
an from fentiments of humanity, for we muft by no
means reckon amongft the number of their good
qualities that of difintereftednefs.

~

~

I was ftill better received amoneft the infidel
Poutewatamies than amoneft the chriftian, Hu-
rons ; thefe Indians are the fineft men in all Ca-
nada, and are befides of the {weeteft natural temper,
and have been always our very good friends.
Onanguicé their chief treated me with a polite-
nefs which gave me full as high an opinion of his
sood fenfe as the difcourfe he had made in the
council; he is a perfon of undoubted worth, and
entirely in our intereft. het

As I was returning through a quarter of the ia
Huron village, I perceived a number of thefe In-

- dians, who feemed much heated at play; I ap-

proached them and found that the game they were”

| paing at was what they call the game of the
ee platter; this 1s the game to which the Indians © _

| are addicted above all others, they fometimes

) lofe their reft, and in fome degree their very

fenfes

AG: 7g”)

fenfes at. it; they ftake all they are worth,

and feveral of them are known ‘to continue - at”

it till they have ftript themfelves ftark naked
and loft all their moveables in their cabbins;
fome have even been known to ftake their liberty.
for a certain time; this circumftance proves be-
yond all doubt how paffionately fond they are of
it; there being no people in the univerfe more
jealous of their liberty than our Indians,

The game of the platter or bones, is played
between two perfons only ; each perfon has fix or
eight little bones, which I at firft took for apricot
ftones, thefe being of the fame fize and fhape ;
but upon viewing them nearer I found they had
fix ‘unequal faces, the two largeft of which are
painted, the one black and the other of a ftraw
colour; they fling them up into the air, ftriking
at the fame time again{t the ground or table with
a round hollow difh, in which they are contained,
and which muft firft be made to fpin round; when
they have no difh they content themfelves with

throwing the bones up into the air with the hand ;

if all of them after falling to the ground prefent
the fame colour, the player wins five points, the
party is forty, and the points won are difcounted in

_«proportion to the gains on his fide ; five bones of a

colour give only one point for the firft time, but the
fecond the winner {weeps the board; any lower

number goes for nothing.

He who wins the party ftill continues to play ;
the lofer yields his place to another who is named
by the markers on the fame fide; for, they take
fides at the beginning of the game, fo that a
whole village is fometimes concerned in the party,

: “ and

a“

ya aoe \

Cy

‘and even fometimes one village plays againft ano-

ther ; each fide chufe thetr own marker who reé«
tires when he pleafes, which happens only when
things do not go fo well on his fide. At each
throw that is played, efpecially if it bea decifive
one, they make a prodigious fhouting ; the eo
ers feem poflefied, and the fpectators are fcarce
more matters of themfelves ; both make a thoufand —
contorfions, addrefs themfelves to the bones, load
the genii of the adverfe party with imprecations,
and the whole village rings with their howling ; if
all this is ineffeCtual to retrieve their ill-luck the
lofers are at liberty to put off the party till to-—
morrow, at the expence of a very flender repaft
to the affiftants.

They then prepare to return to the combat,
each invoking his tutelary genius and throwing in

_ honour of him fome tobacco into the fire ; ; they

implore of him above all things happy dreams:
the moment day appears they fall to play, when
if the lofers take it into their head that the furni-
ture of their cabbin is the caufe of their ill-luck,
they begin with changing it intirely ; great parties
generally laft five or fix days, and oftentimes the.
night occafions no interruption; however as all

the fpectators, at leaft fuch as are concerned in

the game, are in fuch an agitation as to be tranf-

ported out of themfelves to fuch a degree that

they quarrel and fight, which never happens to
the Hiurons except on thefe occafions, or when
they are drunk; we may eafily ouels whether
when the party is ended, both do not ftand fufi-
ciently in need of reft.

It happens fometimes that thefe parties at play
are € prefcribed by fome of their phyficians, or at
k the

~

| C85) .

the requeft of fome fick perfon; a dream is often
” fufficient caufe for either; this dream is always un-
derftood for a command of fome genius, and then
they prepare for the party with prodigious care ;
they aflemble feveral different nights to make an
-eflay, and to fee who has the happieft hand ata
throw ; they confult their genius, they faft, and
married perfons obferve the ftricteft continence
and all to obtain a favourable dream ; every morn-
ing they relate thofe they have had, and make a
collection of all fuch things of which they happen
to have dreamed, and which they imagine able to
bring good luck to their fide, which they put into
litele bags and carry about with them. If any
one has ihe reputation of being fortunate, that is
according to the notions of thefe people, of ha-
ving a more fortunate genius, or one that is more
inclined to do good, they never fail to make him
approach him who holds the platter; they go
fometimes to feek this perfon at a great diftance,

_and if through old age or fome infirmity he is

unable to walk they carry him on their fhoul-
ders.

They have often preffed the miffionaries to be
prefent at thefe games, from a perfuafion that their
tutelar genii are more powerful than all others. It
happened one day in a Huron village that a fick
woman having caufed one of their prielts to be called,
who are alfo their phyficians, this quack prefcribed

for her the game of the platter, and appointed a vil-

lage different from his own to play ; fhe immediately
fent to afk permiffion of the chief of this village;
this. was granted, the party was played and the
game being ended, the patient returned the players

a great alee thanks for the cure, which as fhe
| faid

"produces a vaft number of fimple of fovereign

. (eho |
faid they had procured her: fo far however from
being better fhe was on the contrary much worfe,
but they are obliged to feem fatisfied even when
they have leaft caufe to be fo. a0e ee

The refentment of this woman and of her re-
Jations fell upon the miffionaries for refufing to be
prefent at the party, notwithftanding all the foli-

citations that had been made to them for this pur-

ofe, and from their chagrin at the little com-
plaifance they fhewed on this occafion, they rea
proached them with faying, that ever fince their
arrival in she country, the genii of the Indians had
had no longer any power; the miMfionaries took
advantage of this confeffion to fhew thefe infidels
the weaknefs of their divinities, and the fuperi-
ority of the God of the chriftians ; but as it fel-

dom happens on fuch occafions that people are dif-
ofed to hear reafon, thefe barbarians anfwered —

coolly, ‘* You have your gods and we have ours,

} only it is our misfortune that durs are the leaft |
_ © powerful of the two.”

The Narrows is one of the countries where a
botanift might make the greateft number of dif-
coveries. 1 have already obferved that all Canada.

virtue; it is not doubted that the {nows con-
tribute much to this, but there is in it befides fuch
a variety of foil, which joined to the mildnefs of
the climate, and the eafe with which the fun
warms this country which is more open than the
reft, gives ground to believe that the plants have
more virtue in this than in any other part of it.

One

| ae 19)
One of my guides lately made a trial of the
virtue of an herb which is to be met with every

where, and the knowledge of which 1s exceeding’

neceflary to travellers, not for any good qualities
- it poffeffes, for Ihave never as yet heard any attri-
buted to it, but becaufe too much care cannot be
-taken to avoid it; this is called, L’berbe a la puce,

or Flea-wort, but this name is not expreffive
enough to fhew the effects it produces. Thefe are

more or lefs fenfible according to the conftitution

of thofe it happens to touch; there are even fome |

perfons on whom it does not operate at all; but
fome perfons merely by looking upon it are feized
with a violent fever, which lafts more than fifteen

days, and is accompanied with a very troublefome
fcab, attended with a prodigious itching all over
the body ; it operates on others only when they
touch it, and then the patient appears as if entirely
covered over with a leprofy: and fome have been
Known to have had their hands quite fpoiled with
it. Noremedy is as yet known for it but patience ;
after fome time it gos entirely off.

There grows alfo at the Narrows citron trees in

the open fields, the fruit-of which in fhape and
colour refemble thofe of Portugal, but they are
{maller and of a difagreeable flavour; they are ex-
cellent candied. The root of this tree is a mortal
and moft fubtle poifon, and at the fame time a
fovereign antidote againft the bite of ferpents. It
muft be bruifed and applied inftantly on the
wound: this remedy is immediate and infallible.
On both fides of the Narrows the country is faid
to preferve all its beauty for ten leagues up the
country ; after which you’ meet with a fmaller
number of fruit trees and fewer meadows. But

WoL. EH °. C after

{

(48...)
after travelling five or fix leagues farther inclining
to lake Erie, towards the fouth-weft, you difcover
smmenfe meadows extending .above a hundred
Jeagues every way, and which feed an immenfe

quantity of thofe buffaloes, whereof I have more
than once made mention.

Tam, &c,

LET TER.

me TT-E R © XVI.

Some Particulars relating to the Character, Cuf-
toms, and Government of the Indians.

rt all
‘_ ’ £

The NORA y ' Sune 145, 17ab,
Madam, f me
-FTER I had clofed my laft letter and given

it te a perfon who was going down to Quebec,
I made myfelf ready to purfue my voyage, and ac-
cordingly embarked next day; but I have not
been able to get over, and through the neglect of
thofe who conducted me, am returned back to
fort Pontchartrain, where I very much fear being
obliged to remain feveral days longer. ‘Thefe are
difappointments we muft lay our account with, in
travelling with Canadians who are never in a hur-
ry, and who are very carelefs in taking their mea-
fures. But, as we are to make the moft of every
thing, I will take the opportunity of this delay, to
divert you with beginning fome account of the
government of the Indians, and their manner of
proceeding in the difpatch of public bufinefs: by
this means, you will more eafily underftand many
things, which I fhall have occafion to mention to

you in the fequel.
C2 fy

-~

( 20 )

I fhall, however, be as brief as pofible on this
head : firtt,. becaufe every thing relating to it is
not aga interefting ; in. the fecond place, be-
caufe I would not willingly write you any thing, but
what is fupported on the credit of good witnefles ;

and it is no eafy matter to find people whofe fince- -

rity is beyond all fufpicion, at leaft of exaggerating
things; or who cannot be accufed of having too

flightly believed what has been told them; or laft-

ly, who have judgment fufficient to tale things
in their true point of view; which requires one to
have made a long ftay in the country, and to have
converfed much with the inhabitants. fhall
therefore give you nothing of my own on this ar-
ticle ; for which caufe, 1 fhall not obferve any exact

order,'in what I fhall fay ; but you will eafily col- | |
lect together, and make a juft whole of the paflages _

J fhall give you in my letters, in proportion as I
fhall be informed of them,

oe a mle abe tee Madam, that the nearer we

view our Indians, the more good qualities we dif-
cover inthem: moft of the principles which ferve
to regulate their conduct, the general maxims by
which the ey govern themfelves, and the effential part
of their character, difcover nothing of the barba-
rian. Befidesthofe ideas, though wholly indiftinét,
which they ftill preferve of a Supreme Being, thile

veftiges, now almoft nearly effaced, of a religious

worfhip, which they feem formerly to have “paid
this fovereign ruler; and the weak traces which we
remark in their moft indifferent actions of the anci-

ent belief, and of the primitive religion, might. re-

ftore them more eafily than 1s imagined to the true
path, ‘render their converfion to chriftianity eafier
than is commonly found, and which is~attended

with greater obftacles, even in the moft civilized

nations.

Leak.)

nations. In effect, does not ‘experience teach ws;
that politenefs, knowledge, and the maxims of
ftate, produce in thefe laft an attachment to, and
prejudice in favour of their falfe tenets; that all
the zeal and abilities of the evangelical labourers,
can with difficulty furmount them ; and that grace
_ muft of neceffity act more powerfully on the minds
of enlightened infidels, who are almoft always
blindéd by their prefumption, than on thofe who
oppofe to it their narrow capacities only.

Moft part of the people on this continent have
a fort. of Ariftocratical government, the form
of which is extremely various: for though each.
town has a chief of its own, independant:
of all the reft of the fame nation, and whofe
fubjects are dependant on him in very few parti-~
culars; there is, notwithf{tanding, no affair of any
confequence refolved upon, but by the advice
of the Elders. ‘Towards Acadia the Sagamos were
more abfolute, and it does not appear that they
Were under any obligation, as the chiefs are almoft
every where elfe, of making largefies to their fub-
jects ; on the contrary, they exacted a kind of tri-
bute from them; and difintereftednefs was by no
means efteemed a royal virtue amongit them. But
it feems the difperfion of thefe Acadian Indians,
and perhaps too their commerce with the French,
have introduced confiderable changes into their an-
cient form of government; whereof Lefcarbot and
Champlain are the only authors, who have given
us any particular account. ; |

Sevetal nations have each of them three princi-
pal families or tribes, which feem to be as old as
their firft origin. They have all, however, one
common ftock; and there is one at leaft that is

/ Bie looked

en
al

es dee ¥.,'
looked upon as the firft, and which has a fork of
pre-eminence over the other two, in which thofe
of this tribe are treated as brothers, whereas
amongft themfelves they treat one another as cou-
fins. Thefe tribes are mixed, without being con-

founded, each of them having a diftinét chief in ©

every village: and in fuch affairs as concern the
whole nation, thefe chiefs affemble to deliberate
upon it. Every tribe bears the name of fome ani-
mal, the whole nation having alfo its own, whofe
name it takes, and whofe figure is their bearing, or,
enfigns armorial; and when they fign any treaties,
it is always by drawing thofe figures upon them,

except when for particular reafons ey caufe fub- |
ftitute fome other.

Thus, the Huron nation is the nation of the
porcupine: its firft tribe bears the name of the
bear, or of the roe-buck, authors varying on this

head; the other two have the wolf and tortoife

for their animals ; laftly, every town has its own

particular animal; and it is probably this variety
which has mifled the authors of fome accounts:

‘It is alfo proper to obferve, that befides. thefe dif-

tinctions of nations, tribes, and towns, by animals, —
there are alfo others founded on fome cuftom, or
particular event: as for inftance, the Tionnonta-
tez Hurons, who are of the firft tribe, commonly
call themfelves the tobacco nation; and we have a
treaty in which thefe Indians, who were then fettled

at Michillimakinac, have put for their mark the
figure of a beaver.

The Iroquois nation has the fame animals with
the Euron, of which it appears to be a colony, with -
this difference, that the family of the tortoife is fplit
into:two branches, called the great and little tor-

toile. |

eS

Sage.

toife. The chief of each family bears its names
and in all public deeds he is known by no other.
The fame thing happens with regard to the chief of
a nation, as well as of every village: but befides
this name, which is only a fort Wa reprefentative
appellation, they have another, which diftinguifhes
them more particularly, and which is properly 2.
mark of dignity: thus, one ts called the moft
noble, another the moft ancient, and fo forth.
Laltly, they have a third which is perfonal ; but
I fhould be apt to believe, that this cuftom pre-
vails only amongft thofe nations where the office of
chief is hereditary.

Thee titles are always impofed with great cere-
mony ; the new chief, or, in cafe he is too young,
he who reprefents him, is to make a feaft, beftow
prefents, pronounce the elogium of their predecef-
for, and fing his fong. There are, however,
fome perfonal names in fo much veneration, that no
one dares to appropriate them to himfelf, or which
aré at leaft a long time before they are renewed 5

when this is done, it is called raifing the perfon to
life who formerly bore it:

In the northern parts, and wherever the Algon-
quin tongue prevails, the dignity of chief is elec-
tive; and the whole ceremony of election and in-
ftallation confifts in fome featts, accompanies with
dances and fongs: the chief. elect likewife never
fails to make the panegyrick of his predeceffor, and
to invoke his genius. Amongft the Furons,
where this dignity i is hereditary, ‘the fucceffion is
continued through the women, fo that at the death
- of a chief, it is not his own, but his fifter’s fon who
fucceeds him or,-in default of which, his neat-
eft relation in “the female line. When the whole

€ 4 branch

fe.) GaN) ty

branch happens to be extinct, the nobleft matron
of the tribe or in the nation chufes the perfon fhe
approves of moft, and declares him chief. The
perfon who is to govern muft be come to’ years
of maturity ; and when the hereditary chief is not
as yet arrived at this period, they appoint a re-.
gent, who has all the authority, but which he holds
in name of the minor. Thefe chiefs generally have
no great marks of outward refpect paid them, and
if they are never difobeyed, it is becaufe they
know how to fet bounds to their authority. It is
true that they requeft or propofe, rather than com-
mand; and never exceed the boundaries of that
{mall fhare of authority with which they are
vefted. Thus it is properly reafon which governs,
and the government has fo much the more influ-
ence, as obedience is founded in liberty; and that
they are free from any apprehenfion of its degene-
rating into tyranny. '

Nay more, each family has a right to chufe a
counfellor of its own, and an affiflant to the chief,
who is to watch for their intereft; and without
whofe confent the chief can undertake nothing.
Thefe counfellors are, above all things, to have an

eye to the public treafury-, and it is properly they _

who determine the ufes it is tobe putto. They are
invefted with this character in a general council, —
but they do not acquaint their allies with it, as they
do at the elections and inftallations of their chief.
Amongft the Huron nations, the women name the
counfellors, and often chufe perfons of their own fex.

This body of counfellors or affiftants is the
higheft of all; the next is that of the elders, con-
fifting of all thofe who have come to the years
of maturity. I have not been able to find is :

! at

C729) -
what this age is. ‘The laft of all is that of the war-
riors; this comprehends all who are able to bear ,
arms. This body has often at its head, the chief of —
the nation or town; but he muft firft have dif-~
tinguifhed himfelf by fome fignal action-of brave-
ry; if not, he is obliged to ferve as a fubalt tern,
that is, asa fingle centinel ; ; there ae no degrees
in the militia of the Indians.

‘Tn Fat, a large body may have feveral chiefs,
this title being given to all who ever commanded ;
but they are not therefore the lefs fubject to
him who leads the party; a kind of general, with-
out character or real authority, who has power
neither to reward nor punifh, whom his foldiers
are at liberty to abandon at pleafure and with im-
punity, and whofe orders notwithftanding are fcarce
ever difputed: fo true it is, that amongift a people
_-who are guided by reafon, and infpired with fenti-
ments of honour and love for their country, in-
dependance is not deftructive of fubordination ;
and, that a free and voluntary obedience is that on
which we can always rely with the greateft cer-
tainty. Moreover, the qualities requifite are, that
he be fortunate, of undoubted courage, and per-
fectly difinterefted. It is no miracle, that a per-
fon poffefied of fuch eminent qualities fhould be
obeyed.

The women have | ‘the chief nities amonett
all the nations of the Huron language ; if we ex-
cept the Iroquois canton of Onneyouth, in which
it is in both fexes alternately. But if this be
their lawful conftitution, their practice is feldom
agreeable to it. In fact, the men never tell the
women any thing they would have to be kept
fecret 5 and rarely. any affair of confequence is com-

municated

CON a ( 26) )
municated to them, though all is done in thei*

name, and the chiefs are no more than their

lieutenants. What I have told your grace of the
grandmother of the hereditary chief of the Hurons
of the Narrows, who could never obtain a miffi-
onary for her own town, is a convincing proof
that the real authority of the women is very

{mall: I have been however affured, that they

always deliberate firft on whatever is propofed
in council; and that they afterwards give the re-
fult of their deliberation to the chiefs, who make
the report of it to the general council, compofed
of the elders; but in all probability this is done
only for form’s fake, and with the reftrictions I
have already mentioned. The warriors likewife
confult together, on what relates to their par-
ticular province, but can conclude nothing of im-
portance which concerns the nation or town ; all
being fubject to the examination and controul of
the council of elders, who judge in the laft re-
fource.

It muft be acknowledged, that proceedings are

carried on in thefe affemblies with a wifdom and —

a coolnefs, and a knowledge of affairs, and I
-may add generally with a probity, which would
have done honour to the areopagus of Athens, or

to the fenate of Rome, in the moft glorious days of

thofe republics: the reafon of this is, that nothing |

is refolved upon with precipitation ; and that thofe
violent paffions, which have fo much difgraced

the politics even of Chriftians, have never prevailed |
amongft the Indians over the public good. In-

terefted perfons fail not, however, to fet many
fprings in motion, and apply an addrefs.in the
execution oftheir defigns, we could hardly believe
barbarians capable of; they alfo all of them pof-

dels’

Mie ~

ear) | , i
fefs, in the moft fovereign degree, the art of con-
: hich their real intentions: but generally fpeak-
, the glory of the nation and motive of ho-
i a are the chief movers in all _enterprizes.
What can never be excufed in them is, that they
often make honour confift in fatiating a revenge
which knows no bounds; a fault which Chrifti-
anity alone is able to correct, and in which all our
politenefs and religion are often unfuccefsful.

Each tribe has an orator jin every town, which
orators are the only perfons who have a liberty ,
to fpeak in the public councils and general affem-
blies: they always {peak well and to the purpofe. |
Befides this natural eloquence, and which none.
who are acquainted with them will difpute, they |
have a perfect knowledge of the interefts of their
employers, and an addrefs in placing the beft fide
of their own caufe in the moft advantageous light, ‘
which nothing can exceed. On fome occafions, “the s
women aap an orator, who {peaks in their name, _ Sa
or rather acts as their interpreter.

Nations who may be faid to poffefs nothing,
neither public nor ‘private, and who have no am-
_ bition to extend their territory, fhould, in appear-
ance, have few affairs to fettle with one another. , i
But the mind of man, naturally reftlefs, is inca- © a
pable of remaining inactive, and is very fagacious :
in cutting out bufinefs for itfelf, What is certain,
is, that our Indians are eternally negociating, and
have always fome affairs or other on the tapis :
fuch as the concluding or renewing of treaties, offers
of fervice, mutual civilities, making alliances, in-
vitations to become parties in a war, and laftly,
compliments of condolance on the death of fome

chief or confiderable perion. pierre -
AMERICAN ETHWC ed eM é t be

=

: : 1896
- LIBRARY

Ree ae

OD pate CaS

es 5302) )
ed with a dignity, an attention, and, I may add,
with a capacity equal to the moft important affairs ;

- and theirs are fometimes of greater confequence

than they feem to be: for thofe, who are depu-

ted for this purpofe, have commonly fecret inftruc-

tions ; 5 fo that the outward motive of their deputa-
tion is no more than a veil which covers their
real defigns.

The nation, which has made ths firft figure in
Canada, for two centuries paft, is that of the Iro-
quois: their fuccefs in war has given them a fu-
periority over moft of the others, which none of
them are, any longer, in a condition to difpute with
them ; and from being pacifick, which they for-
merly were, they have become very troublefome

.and pragmatical. But nothing has contributed —

more to render them formidable, than the advan-
tage of their fituation, which they prefently difco-
vered; and whereof they have made all poffible
advantage. As they were fituated between us and
the Englith, they foon found that both would be
under the neceftity of keeping well with them ; and,
indeed, it has been the chief care of both colonies,
fince their eftablifhment, to gain them ‘over to
their own party, or, at leaft, to perfuade them to’
ftand neuter : and as they were perfuaded that if ei-
ther of thefe nations fhould entirely get theafcendant
over the other, they muft foon be “fabjected them-
felves; they have found the fecret of ballancing
their fuccefs; and if we reflect that their iwliole
force united has never exceeded five or fix thou-
fand combatants, and that it is a great while fince
they have diminifhed more than one half, we
muft needs allow, they muft have pe infinite
abilities and addrefs.

With:

:

ah ee ae Me
With refpect to particulars and the interior go-
‘vernment or police of towns, affairs are reduced
to few articles, and are foon concluded. The au-

“thority of the chief feldom or never extends to

thefe ; and, generally fpeaking, perfons in any de-
gree of credit, are entirely taken up about the pu-
blic bufinefs. A fingle affair of however little im-

_ portance, is long under deliberation ; . every thing

being conducted with much coolnefs and phlegm,
and nothing being decided till all who are defirous
have been acquainted with it. If a prefent has
‘been given underhand to any of the elders, to
make fure of his fuffrage, you are fure to ob-
tain it, if the prefent has been accepted of. It has
fearce ever been known, that an Indian has failed
in an engagement of this fort; but it is no eafy
matter to bring them to accept of it, nor does he
‘ever receive with both hands. Young perfons enter
early into the knowledge of affairs, which natu-
rally renders them grave and ripe, at an age in
which we are ftill children; this interefts them,
from their tendereft infancy, in the public weal,
and infpires them with an emulation which is fo-
mented with great care, and from which there is
nothing that might not be hoped for.

The greateft defect in this government is, that
they have fcarce the fhadow of criminal juftice
among them; though, to fay truth, it is far from
being attended with the fame bad effects it would
certainly be amongft us: the great fpring of
our paffions, and the chief fource of thofe difor-
ders which are the moft pernicious to civil foci-
ety, to wit, private intereft, having fcarce any
power over men who never think of hoarding,

and give themfelves very little concern about to-
, morrow,

We

(go)

We may alfo juftly reproach them with the way.

in which they bring up their children: they do
_ not fo much as know what it is to correct them.
Whilft they are little, they fay they have no reafon;
and it never enters into the head of an Indian, to
think that the judgment is improved by punifh-

ment; when they are come to years of difcretion,

they pretend to be mafters of their own actions,
and therefore accountable to none. ‘They carry
thefe maxims to fuch a height, as to fuffer them-
felves to be maltreated by intoxicated perfons, with-
out fo much as defending themfelves for fear of
hurting them. Why fhould we do them any evil,
fay they, when you talk to them of the ridicu-
loufnefs of this behaviour; they know not what
they do? |

In a word, thefe Indians are perfectly convinced,
that man is born free, and that no power on earth
has a right to infringe his liberty, and that nothing
can compenfate the lois of it: \ and it. has been
found a very difficult matter to undeceive even the
Chriftians among them, and to make them under-
{tand how, by a natural confequence of the corrup-
tion of our nature, which is the effect of fin, an un-
bridled liberty of doing mifchief differs very little
from obliging them to commit it, becaufe of the
ftrength of the byafs which draws us to it; and
that the law which reftrains us, caufes us to ap-

proach nearer to our original ftate of liberty, whilt —

It appears to take it from us. Happy for them,
experience has not made them feel in many things
all the power of this tendency which produces fo
many crimes elfewhere. Their underftandings be-
ing narrower than ours, their defires are fill more
fo: reduced to defire what is neceflary ‘only,
for which providence has fufficiently provided, ee

| Ci _ have

Sar

Cat)

have fcarce fo much as the notion of fuperflui-

ties,

After allthis, toleration and impunity is a very
great diforder; as is alfo that want of fubordina-
tion in public as well as domeftic life, in which
every one does what feems good in his own eyes;
where father, mother, and children often live, like fo
many perfons who have met by chance, and linked
together by no fort of tye; where young perfons
manage the affairs of the family, without confulting
their parents about them any more than if they
were mere ftrangers; where the children are
brought up in abfolute independance, and where
they are early accuftomed to liften neither to the —
voice of nature, nor to the moft indifpenfible
duties of fociety. |

If in thofe nations who are governed with more
wifdom, and who are reftrained by the bridle of a
holy religion, we notwithftanding fometimes fee
{uch moniters as difhonour humanity, they at leaft
excite the horror of others, and expofe themfelves

to the lafh of the law; but what is in this cafe

the crime of an individual, becomes the crime of
the nation, when it is fuffered to go unpunifhed,
as parricide itfelf is amongft the Indians; and
were it {till more rare than it is, this impunity,
however, is fuch a ftain as nothing can efface, and

which favours entirely of the barbarian. There

are, however, in all this fome exceptions, of which |
{ fhall prefently fpeak ; but, generally fpeaking,
the genius and character of our Indians is fuch as

I have been defcribing it.

|

: They are not only perfuaded, that a perfon who
is not in pofieffion of his reafon is not refponfible

for

2

for his actions, at leaft, that he deferves no punith-
ment; but they imagine likewife that it is beneath
the dignity of a man to defend himfelf againft a
woman or a child: provided, however, as I
fhould be apt to imagine, that there is no danger
of life being loft, or any rifque of being maimed;
in which cafe, their way is, if poffible, to fave
themfelves by flight. But, fhould an Indian kill
another in his cabin, being drunk, which they of-
ten pretend to be when they harbour any fuch de-
figns, they content themfelves with bewailing the
dead: It was a great misfortune, fay they, but
as for the murderer he knew not what he did.

If the thing was done in cold blood, they fup-
pofe without difficulty that the perfon who com-
mitted it, muft have had very good reafons before
he proceeded to this extremity. If it is clear he
had none, it belongs to thofe of his own cabin,
as being the only perfons concerned, to punifh
him; thefe have power to punifh him with death,
but this they rarely do, and even then without any-__ -
form of juftice, fo that his death does not fo much
look like a legal punifhment as the revenge of fome
individual; and fometimes a chief is glad of this
opportunity to get rid of a bad fubject. In a
word, crimes are punifhed in fuch a manner as

zi neither to fat'sfy juftice nor eftablifh the public
tranquillity and fecurity.

~ A murder, in which feveral cabins fhould be af-
fected, would notwithftanding always have trouble-
fome confequences, and would often be fufficient
to fet a whole town, and even a whole nation in
a combuftion: for which reafon, in fuch ‘acci-s
dents the council of the elders leave nothing un-
ae done in order to accommodate matters timeoufly 5

“a

"a8 9

and in cafe of fuccefs it is commonly the publick
who makes the prefents, and takes all the neceffary.
fteps with the offended family... The prompt pu-
nifhment of the criminal would at once put an
end to the affair, and the relations of the deceafed
are at liberty to do their pleafure on him, if they
can get him in their hands ; but his own cabbin
think it inconfiftent with their honour to facri-
fice him, and often the village do not think pro-
nv to compel them to it.

I have read in a letter of Father Brebeuf, who
lived a long time among the Hurons, that thefe
Indians were wont to punifh murderers in this
manner. ‘They extended the dead body on poles
fixed to the roof of a cabbin, and the murderer

- was obliged to fit feveral days fucceffively directly

oe

under it, and to receive all that fell from the car-
cafs, not only on himfelf but alfo on his provifions, -
which were placed near him, except by means of fome
confiderable prefent made to.the cabbin of the de-
funct, he obtained the privilege of faving his diet
from the pollution of this poifon; but the Mif-
fionary does not tell us whether this was done by
publick authority, or was only by way of reprifal,

_ which thofe it concerned made ule of after getting

the affaffin in their power.

Be this as it will, the way moft in ufe amongtt
all the Indians to indemnify the relations of a man
who has been murdered, is to replace him by
means of a prifoner of war: in this cafe the cap-
tive is almoft always adopted, enters into pof-
feffion of all the rights of the deceafed, and foon

_ caufes the perfon whofe place he fills to be forgot-

ten. There are, however, certain odious ee
WoL. if; D which

Cig os :
which are punifhed with death on the fpot, at
leaft among fome nations; fuch as wichcraft. .

Whofoever is fufpected of this crime can never
be fafe any where; they even caufe him undergo,
when they can lay hold on him, a kind of rack, in
order to oblige him to name his accomplices, af-
ter which he is condemned to the fame punifhment
with the prifoners of war; but they firft afk the
confent of his family, which they dare not refufe.
Thofe who are leaft criminal are knocked in:the -
head, before they are burned: thofe who difho-
nour their families, are treated much in the fame
manner, and it is generally their own cia that
does juftice upon them.

Amongft the Hurons who are very much gi-
ven to thieving, and who perform it with a dexte-
rity which would do honour to our moft expert
pick -pockets, it was lawful, on difcovery of the
thief, not’ only to take from ‘him what he had fto-
Jen, but alfo to carry off every thing in his. cab-
bin, and to ftrip himfelf, his wife, and children
ftark naked without their daring to make the leaft
refiftancee And further in order to. fhun all
fuch conteftation which might arife on this head,
certain points were agreed upon from which they
never deviated. For example, every thing found,
were it but amoment after it was loft, belonged
to the finder, provided the former proprietor had
not before reclaimed it; but on difcovery of the
leaft difhonefty on the part of the former, they
obliged him to make reftitution, which occafioned
fometimes diffentions, which were with difficulty
put an end to: the following is an inftance of this
fort fingular enough.

A

C195

A good old woman had for all her worldly

goods, but one collar of Wampum, worth about |

ten crowns of our money, and which fhe carried
about with her every where in a little bag, One
day as fhe was at work in the fields, fhe chanced to
hang her bag on a tree; another woman who per-
ceived it and had a great defire to filch her collar
from her, thought the prefent a favourable occafion

for feizing it, without being liable to be accufed of

theft: fhe therefore kept her eye continually upon
it; and, in about the {pace of an hour or two, the
old woman having gone into the next field, fhe

flies to the tree; feizes the bag, and falls a crying

how lucky fhe had been to find fo valuable a
prize. The old woman turns immediately about

_and fays the bag belonged to her, and that it was

~

fhe who had hung it. on the tree, that fhe had nei-
ther loft it nor forgot it, and that fhe intended to
take it down, when her work fhould be over ;_ her
adverfary made anfwer, that we are not to judge
the intentions, and that having quitted the field
without taking down her bag, fhe was deemed in
law to have forgot it.

After many conteftations between thefe two wo-
men, who never fpoke fo much as one difobli-
ging word the whole time; . the affair was brought
before an arbiter who was the chief of the vil-
lage: ‘‘ according to the rigor,”’ fays he, ‘ the
** bag is the property of the finder; but the cir-
“© cumftances of the thing are fuch, that if this
“© woman would not be taxed with avarice, fhe
** ought to reftore it to the claimant, and be
** fatisfied with fome little prefent, which the o¢
“© ther cannot in reafon refufe her.”? Both pat-
ties acquiefced in this judgment; and it is pro-

Dive per

-

RD A. oR eos Prien ’ ry : oe ri + ge i aaancnna se

onli Ranh

Og )
per to obferve that the fear of being accufed of
avarice had full as much power on the minds of
the Indians, as the fear of punifhment could have —
had ; and that thefe people are generally. govern-
ed by the principles of honour more than by any
other motive whatever.

What I am now going to add, will give your
Grace a new proof of this. I faid a little above,
that in order to prevent the confequences of a mur- -
der, the public takes upon itfelf the charge of
making the proper fubmiffions for the guilty, and
indemnifying the interefted. Would you believe
that this very circum{tance has more power in pre-
venting thefe diforders than the moft fevere laws ? ©
nothing is, however, more true:’ for as thefe fa-
tisfactions coft much to men whofe haughtinefs is
beyond all expreffion, the criminal is the more fen-
fible of the mortification which he fees the publick
fuffers on his account, than he could poffibly be
of his own; and their zeal for the honour of
their nation, is a much more powerful curb on
thefe barbarians than the fear of death, or any o-
ther punifhment whatfoever.

_ Befides, it is certain that impunity has not al-
ways prevailed amongft them to the degree it has
done lately ; and our firft miffionaries found fome
traces of the ancient feverity, with which they knew
how to reftrain crimes ftillh remaining. ‘Theft in
particular has always been looked upon as a {tain
wiich difhonoured a family ; and every individual
had a right to wath off the fcandal of it in the
blood of the criminal. Father Brebeuf perceived
one day a young Huron who was difpatching a

girl; he ran up to him in order to hinder him,
and

i ee (47+) |

and afked him what it was that could provoke
him to this violence. ‘* It is my fifter,” anfwer-
ed the Indian, ‘‘ fhe is a thief, and 1 am going
** to expiate by her death, the difhonour fhe has
‘* brought upon me and all our family.’ My
letter is juft called for. I conclude with affuring

you, that

Tam, &c. ;

Lis LEIDER

¢ 89 3)

PET TE R RIX:

Voyage from the Narrows to Michillimakinae. De/-

fcription of the country. Of the marriages of the

Indians.

Michillimakinac, Fune 30, 1721.

Dada:

T was on the 18th of this month I at length

took my leave for good and all of fort Pont-
chartrain at the Narrows, a little before funfet.

I had fcarce advanced a league in my way: before
a {torm accompanied with a deluge of rain, obli-

ged me to make to land well foaked, where we

paffed the night in a very uncomfortable manner, —

All I was able to get forward the next day was to
traverfe lake St. Clair, which is about four leagues
long ; the country appeared to me very good on
both fides. At half way you leave on your left
a river 120 feet in breadth at its mouth; this
has got the name of the river of the Hurons,
thefe Indians having taken fan@tuary here during
the war with the Iroquois. On the right and al-
- moft oppofite is another river, the mouth of which
is twice as wide, and which is navigable for four-
_ {core leagues without any rapid current, a rare
~ thing in the rivers of this country: they could not
tell me its name, :
D 4 | The

*

( ye 3

The courfe from the fort at the Narrows to the
end of this traverfe is eaft, north-eaft ; from thence
you turn to the north by way of the eaft, and fo
round till you come to the fouth for four leagues,
at the end of which you find on your right a vil-
lage of the Miffifaguy Indians, feated on a fertile
foil at the entry of three magnificent meadows, and
in the moft charming fituation that can be; from

thence to lake Huron I reckon twelve leagues,

the country continuing always moft delightful.
This is.a noble channel as {traight as a line and
bordered with lofty forefts, interfperfed with fine
meadows with many iflands fcattered up.and down
in it, fome of which are confiderably large ; the
courfe through it is always north one quarter eaft,
and in the entrance of lake Huron the courfe is
due north for twelve leagues more.

Croffing lake St. Claire, 1 had in my canoe a
young Indian who was fti ‘ong and vigorous, and
on the ftrength of whofe arms ‘L relied a good deal,
when I granted him his paffage on his afking it ,
he was however of very little fervice to me, to
make amends he diverted me highly till a ftorm
that came on juft over our heads begun to make
me uneafy. This young man fell a dreffing him-
felf before he embarked, and at every three ftrokes
of his oar, took_up his looking glafs to fee whe-
ther the motion of his arms had-difcompofed the
ceconomy of his drefs, or whether the fweat had
not changed the difpofition of the red and other
colours with which he had daubed his face.

I dont know whether he expected to arrive at
the village of the Miffifaguys before night, in or-
der to be prefent lone feaft ; but we were not
able to get fo far. The ftorm increaled as we ie

. almo

ee Gear)
almoft clofe to an ifland fituated at the end of the
lake, where we were obliged.to ftop. Our young
Indian feemed not much mortified at the difap-

- pointment, thefe people feldom taking any thing

of that fort much to heart; perhaps ne had no
other intention in drefling himfelf than the va-
nity of being admired by us ; but if this was his
defign, all his care was labour in vain, as I had
feen him in his own likenefs but two days before,
when I thought he looked much better than with
all that ridiculous dawbing that had coft him fo
much trouble ; few of the women here paint their
faces, butall the men, and efpecially the young
fellows are mighty fond of this decking, there are
fome of them who will fpend half a day in dawb-
ing themfelves in this manner, only that they may
have the pleafure of ftrolling from door to door
“in order to be admired, and return afterwards ex-
tremely well fatisfied with themielves, though not
a word has been {poke to them.

We entered lake Huron the 21ft about ten
o'clock in the forenoon, where we had foon the
pleafure of fifhing for fturgeon. On the morrow
in fpite of the thunder which rumbled the whole
day, but which was fatished with threatening us ;
I advanced near twenty-five leagues in the lake,
but the 23d a thick fog, which hindered us from
feeing four paces before our canoe, obliged us to

fhorten fail, becaufe we were failing on a ledge of

rocks, which in many places has fcarce half a foot
water on it ; this rock extends a great way into the
lake and is ten leagues in length ; our Canadians
call it the low countries. The day following we
made the bay of Saguinam, five or fix leagues
broad at the mouth and thirty deep; from thence
to Michillimakinac the profpect is extremely dif-

azreeable,

1"

: ( 42 ) |
axreeable, no more vines, ftrageling fhrubby
woods, and very little game. Ten leagues beyond
the bay of Saguinam you perceive two very large
rivers, a league diftant from each other, and four or
five leagues tarther a creek called, Aus eau Tonnerre,
or Thunder Creek, three leagues over at the mouth,
“but of no great depth within land. Michillima-
kimac lies in 43 deg. and 30 min. north lat. and
the courfe which is thirty leagues long from the
mouth of the Narrows, coafting along the weft-
ern fhore of lake Huron is almoft due north. I
arrived the 28th in this poft which is much fallen
to decay, fince the time that Monfieur de la Motte
Cadillac, carried to the Narrows the beft part of
the Indians who were fettled here, and efpecially
the Hurons; feveral of the Outawaies followed
them thither, others difperfed themfelves amongit
the beaver iflands, fo that what is left is only a
forry village, where there is notwithftanding ftill
carried on a confiderable fur-trade, this being a
thoroughfare or rendezvous of a number of Indian
nations.

The fort is ftill kept up as well as the houfe of
the miffionaries, who at prefent are not diftreffed
with bufinefs, having never found the Outawaies
much difpofed to receive their inftructions, but
the court judges their prefence neceffary in a place
where we are often obliged to treat with our allies,
in order to exercife their functions on the French,
who repair hither in great numbers. I have been
affured that fince the fettlernent of the Narrows,
and the difperfion of the Indians which has fol-
lowed upon it, feveral northern nations that were
wont to bring their Furs to this place, have-fince
found the way to Hudfon’s bay by the river Bour-
bon where they trade with the Tnoglifh ; but Mon-

fieur -

!

Kas )
fieur de la Motte could not forefee this incon.»
veniency as we were then in poffeffion of Hudfon’s
bay.

The theron of Michillfmakinae is moft ad-
vantageous for traffic. This poit ftands between.
three great lakes ; lake Michigan which is three
hundred leagues in circuit, without mentioning the
great bay which falls into it; lake Huron which is
three hundred and fifty leagues in circumference,
and is in form of a triangle; and lake Superior,
which is five hundred leagues round ; all three are
navigable for the largeft fort of boats, and the
two firft are feparated only by a {mall ftrait,
which has alfo water fufficient for the fame veffels,
which may alfo without any obftacle fail all over
lake Erie ‘as far as Niagara. It is true that there is
_ no communication between lake Huron and jake
Superior, but by a channel two and twenty leagues
long, and very much incommoded with rapid cur-
rents, which do not hinder canoes from going to
Michillimakinac, loaded with all the commodities
which lake Superior and its fhores afford.

This lake is two hundred cae in length from
eaft to weft, and in feveral places fourfcore_leagues
broad from north to fouth; the whole fouth coatt
is fandy and pretty ftreight ; it would be danger-
ous to be furprized by a north wind on it, and
the north fhore is much more commodious for
navigation, it being entirely lined with rocks,
which form little harbours, where you may fhelter
yourfelf with the greateft eafe; and nothing is
more neceffary to thofe who {fail in canoes on this
lake, in which travellers have remarked a pheno-
menon which is fingular enough,

: When

( 44 )

When a. ftorm is about to rife you are adver-
tiled of it, fay they, two days before; at firftyou +
perceive a gentle murmuring on the furface of the _
water which lafts the whole day, without en-
creafing in any fenfible manner ; the day after the
lake is covered with pretty large waves, but with-
out breaking all that day, fo that you may pro-
ceed without fear, and even make good way if the
wind is. favourable; but on the third day when
you are leaft thinking of it the lake becomes ail
on fire; the ocean in its greateit rage 1s not more
toft, in which cafe you muft take care to be near
fhelter to fave yourfelf; this you are always fure
to find on the north fhore, whereas on the fouth
you are obliged to fecure yourfelf the fecond day
at a confiderable dittance from the water fide.

4

The Indians out of gratitude-for the plenty of
filh with which this lake fupplies them, and from
the refpect which its vaft extent infpires them with,
have made a fort of divinity of it, to which they
offer facrifices after their own manner. I am how-
ever of opinion, that it is not to the lake itfelf
but to the genius that prefides over it, that they
addrefs their vows. If we may credit thefe people
this lake proceeds from a divine original, and was
formed by Michabou god of the waters, in order
to catch beavers. In the channel by which it dif-
charges itfelf into lake Huron, is a rapid current
caufed by two great rocks; our miffionaries who
have a very flourifhing church here have called it,
Le fault de Sainte Marie, or the Fall of St. Mary:
thefe rocks according to the tradition of the Indi-
ans, are the remains of a caufeway made by the
cod in order to dam up the waters of the riven
and thofe of the lake Alimipegon which fupply this
oreat lake.

(46°)

[Large pieces of copper are found in forme pla-
ces on its banks and round fome of the iflands,
which are: ftill the object of a fuperftitious worfhip
amoneft the Indians; they look upon them with
Veneration, as if they were the prefents of thofe

ods who dwell under the waters; they collect
_ their fmalleft fragments which they carefully pre-
ferve without however making any ufe of them,
They fay that formerly a huge rock of this me-
tal was to be feen elevated to a confiderable height
above the furface of the water, and as it has now
difappeared they pretend that the gods have car-
ried it elfewhere; but there is great reafon to be-
lieve that in procefs of time, the waves of the

Jake have covered it entirely with fand and flime ;
and it is certain that in feveral places pretty large
quantities of this metal have been difcovered,
without even being obliged to dig very deep. Du-
ring the courfe of my firft voyage to this country,
I was acquainted with one of our order, who had
been formerly a goldfmith, and who, while he
was at the miffion of the Fall of St. Mary, ufed
to fearch for this metal, and made candlefticks,
crofies, and cenfers of it, for this copper is often to
be met with almoft intirely pure.

When Michabou, add the Indians, formed lake |

Superior he dwelt at Michillimakinac the place of |

his birth; this name properly belongs to an ifland |

almoft round and very high, fituated at the ex-
tremity of lake Huron, though cuftom has ex-
tended it to all the country round about. This
ifland may be about three or four miles in cir-
cumference, and is feen at the difiance of twelve
leagues. There are two other iflands to the fouth ;
the moft diftant of which is five or fix leagues
long; the other is very fmall and quite round;

both

Ly Py
both of them are well wooded and the foil excel-
Ient, whereas that of Michillimakinac is only a
barren rock, being {carce fo much as covered with
“mofs or herbage; it is notwithftanding one of the
' moft celebrated places 1n all Canada, and has been
a long time according to fome ancient traditions
among the Indians, the chief refidence of a nation
of the fame name, and whereof they reckoned as
they fay.to the number of thirty towns, which
were difperfed up'and down in the neighbourhood
of the ifland. It is pretended they were deftroyed
by the Iroquois, but it is not faid at what time nor

on what occafion; what is certain is, that no vef=

tige of them now remains ; 1 have fomewhere read
that our ancient miffionaries have lately difcovered
fome relicks of them. The name of Michillima-
‘kKinac fignifies a great quantity of turtles, but I
have never heard that more of them are found
here at this day than elfewhere.,

The Michillimakinacs live entirely by fifhing,
and there is perhaps no place in the world where
they are in greater plenty ; the moft common forts
of fifth in the three lakes, and in the rivers which
difcharge themfelves into them, are the herring,
the carp, the giltfifh, the pike, the {turgeon, the
aftikamegue or white-fifh, and efpecially the trout.
There are three forts of thefe laft taken s ; amongtt
which is one of a monftrous fize, and in fo great
quantities, that an Indian with his fword will ftrike
to the number of fifty fometimes in the fpace of
three hours: but the moft famous of all is the
white-fifh ; it is nearly of the fize and figure of a
mackrel, and whether frefh or falted nothing of a
fifh-kind can exceed it. The Indians tell you that
it was Michabou who taught their anceftors to fifh,
invented nets of which he took the idea from

2 ! Arachne’s

—

ys ; /

: BH)
Arcahne’s, or thé fpider’s web. Thofe people, as
your Grace very well fees, do their deity full as
little honour as he deferves, by fending him to
fchool to fuch a contemptible infect.

_ The profpect you enjoy from this place gives
no very great idea of the fertility of the foil, tho’
you find excellent land at io great diftance. The
fame may be faid of the beaver iflands, which you
leave on your left foon after you have entered lake
Michigan. The Outaways who retired thither
fow maize on them, which good hufbandry they
have learned from the Hurons, with whom they
have long dwelt in thofe parts. The Amikouys had
formerly their abode in thefe iflands; this na-
tion is now reduced to a very fmall number of
families, who have gone over to the ifland Mani-
-toualin, to the north of lake Huron; it is howe-
ver one of the nobieft in all Canada according to
the Indians, who believe them defcended from the

great beaver whofe name they bear, and who is |
next to Michabou or the great hare, their principal /

deity.

He it is, fay they likewife, who has formed
lake Nipiffing; and all the rapids or currents
which are found inthe great river of the Outa-
ways, are the remains of the caufeway he had built
in order to compleat his defign. They alfo add
that he died in the fame place, and that he is bu-
ried under a mountain which you perceive on the

northern fhore of lake Nipiffing. This moun-~

tain viewed from one certain fide, naturally enough
reprefents the figure of a beaver, which circum-
{tance has no doubt occafioned all thefe tales; but
the Indians maintain that it was the great beaver
who gave this form to the mountain, after he had

made

(48 )

made choice of it for his burial-place, and they ne=

ver pafs by this place, without rendering him their

homage, by offering him the fmoke of. their to- |

| Bacco,

“This, Madam, is what feemed worthy of ob-

fervation with refpect to this poft, fo celebrated in
the voyages and relations of Canada. I now re-
turn to the manners and cuftoms of the Indians,
and having already treated of what relates to their
wars, I fhall entertain with what paffes at their
marriages. }

A plurality of wives is allowed of, amongft fe-
veral of the nations of the Algonquin language, and
it is common enough to marry all the fifters; this
cuftom is founded on a perfuafion, that fitters muft
acree better together than ftrangers: In this cafe
all the women are upon an equal footing; but
amoneft the true Algonquins there are two orders
of wives, thofe of the fecond order being the flaves
of the firft. Some nations have wives in every
quarter where they have occafion to fojourn for a
while in hunting time ; and I have been affured,
that this abufe ‘has crept in fome time’ fince, a-
moneft the nations of the Huron language, who
were “always before fatisfied with one wife. But
there prevails in the Iroquois canton of ‘Tfonnon-
thouan a much greater diforder ftill, namely a plu-
rality of hufbands.

With refpect to degrees of parentage in mar-
riage, the Hurons and Iroquois are very fcrupulous;
the parties amongft them muft have no manner of
confanguinity, and even adoption itfelf is included
in this law. But the hufband when the wife hap-
pens to dic firft is obliged to marry her fitter, or

in

4

~

€ 49 )

tn default of her, fuch perfon as the family of the

deceafed fhall chufe for him. The wife on her part
is under the fame obligation with refpect to the
brothers or relations of her hufband, provided he
dies without leaving any children by her, and that
fhe is ftill capable of having any. The reafons
they alledge for this, are the fame expreffed in the

‘25th chapter of Deuteronomy. The hufband wha

fhould refufe to marry the filter or relation of his

departed wife, would thereby expofe himfelf to all _

the outrages which the perfon he rejects fhall think
fit to offer him; and which he is obliged to fuffer

without murmuring: when for want of fuch per- .

fon a widow is permitted to provide herfelf in a

hufband elfewhere, they are obliged to make her
abasic as a teftimony rendered to her virtuous

ehaviour; and which fhe has a right to exact,
provided fhe have really obferved a prudent de-
portment during the time of her firft marriage.

Amongtft all the Indian nations, there are certain
confiderable families, who can only contract alli-
ances with each other, and chiefly amongft the Al-

gonguins. Generally fpeaking, the perpetuity of ©
marriages is facred in this country, and moft look -

upon thofe agreements to live together as long as
they fhall fee fit, and to feparate when they be-
come weary of each other, as being contrary to
good order. A hufband who fhould abandon his
wife without lawful caufe, muft lay his account
with many infults from her relations; and a wo-
man who fhould leave her hufband without being
forced to it by his ill condué&t, muft pafs her time
ftill. worfe. :

Amongtt the Miamis, a hufband has a right to

cut off the nofe of the wife who elopes from him :

Vor. Il. E but.

« 50 }

but amonegft the Iroquois and Hurons they may
part by mutual confent ; this is done without any
noife, and the parties thus feparated are at liberty
to enter into new engagements. Thefe Indians
cannot fo much as conceive how men fhould make
any difficulty about it: ‘* My wife and J, (faid one
“‘ of them to a miffionary, who endeavoured to
‘‘ bring him to a fenfe of the indecency of this
‘* fort of feparations,) cannot live in peace toge-—
*¢ ther; my neighbour is exactly in the fame fitu-
‘< ation, we have agreed to exchange wives and
‘* are ali four perfectly well fatisfied: now what
** can be more reafonable than to render one ano-
“ther mutually happy when it can be fo eafily
** brought about, and without hurting any body :”
This cuftom however as I have already remarked,
is looked upon as an abufe, and is of no great
antiquity, at leaft among the Iroquois.

What moft commonly deftroys the peace of fa-
malies amongft the Canadian nations is jealoufy,
to which both fexes are equally fubjeét. The Iro-
quois boaft of being free from this evil; but thofe
who have been moft converfant among them affure
us, that they are jealous to an extravagant height,
When a woman has difcovered that her hufband
likes another, her rival muft take care to keep well
upon her guard, and the more fo as the unfaithful
hufband can neither defend her, nor fide with her
in any manner; a man who fhould maltreat his —
wife on this account would be difgraced for ever.

The parents are the only match- makers in this
country ; the parties concerned never appear in it,
but abandon themfelves blindly to the will of thofe
on whom they depend ; but behold the caprice of
thefe barbarians, who fulfer themfelves-to be de~

pendant

ee

pendant on their parents in no cafe, except in the
very thing in which they ought leaft of all to de-
pend on them : nothing however is concluded with-
out their confent, but this is only a mere piece of
formality. The firft fteps are taken by the mas
- trons, but it is not common for the relations of the
young; woman to make any advances; not but
that in cafe a girl fhould happen to remain too
long in the market, her family would act un-
derhand in order to get her difpofed of, but in this
a great deal of caution is ufed. In fome places the
pirls are in no hurry to get themfelves married, as
they are at full liberty to make trial of that ftate
beforehand, and as the ceremony of marriage
makes no change in their condition except to ren-
der it harder.

_ They remark a great deal of modefty in the
behaviour of young people whilft the match is
making, though we are told the thing was quite
different in ancient times; but what is almoft in-
credible, and which is neverthelefs attefted by good
authors is, that in feveral places the new married
couple live together for a whole year in perfect
continence; this is done fay they, to fhew that
‘they married out of friendfhip and not to gratify -
their paffions; a young woman would even be.
pointed at who fhould prove with child the firft
year of her marriage.

After what has been faid we ought to have lefs
difficulty in believing what is related of the man-
-ner in which young people behave during the
courtfhip in thofe places, in which they are per-
mitted to be alone. For though cuftom allows
them great familiarities, they neverthelefs pretend
that in the moft extreme danger to which modefty

La ean

‘fk pe)

can be expofed, and even under the veil of night,
there pafies nothing which trangreffes the rules of
the moft rigid decorum, and that not a word is
uttered which can offend the chafteft ear, I flatter
myfelf your Grace will not be offended, that I do
not enter into the fame detail on this fubjeé&t with
other authors; and efpecially as all they have faid
contributes nothing to the credit of their ae-
counts.

I find many different relations with regard to the
preliminaries and ceremonies of marriage amoneft
thefe nations; whether this proceeds from the dif-
ferent cuftoms of different ‘nations, or from the
want of care in thofe authors to inform themfelves
exactly in thofe points; befides the whole of it

feemed to me fo little worthy your curiofity, that
I believed I ought not to take up your time with

it. It is the bridegroom who is to make the pre-
fents, in which, as indeed in every thing elfe, no-

. thing can exceed the refpect and decorum he fhews

his intended fpoufe; in fome places the young

man goes and feats himfelf by the fide of the girl
in her own cabbin, which if the fuffers without

_ ftirring from her place, fhe is held as confenting

and the marriage is concluded; but through all
this difference and refpect he lets it plainly be feen,
that he is foon to be the matter.

In effect amongtt the prefents fhe receives, there
are {ome which ought lefs to be underftood as tefti-
monies of friendfhip, than as fo many fymbols and
admonitions of the flavery, to which fhe is going
to be reduced; fuch are the collar or ftraps for
carrying burthens, the kettle and a faggot, which
are carried into her cabbin ; this is done in order
to give her to underftand, that it is to be her ed

| ce

| ar he
fice to carry burdens, to drefs the victuals, and
to make the provifion of wood. :

It is even cuftomary in fome places for the bride
to ftock the cabbin, in which fhe is to make her
abode after marriage, with wood fufficient to ferve
the following winter ; and it may be remarked that in
all the circumftances I have been mentioning, there
is no manner of difference between the nations,
in which the women have all the authority, and
thofe in which they have nothing to do with
publick bufinefs; even thofe very women who are
in fome fort miftrefles of the ftate, at leaft in out-
ward appearance, and who make the principal
body of the nation after arriving at a certain age,
and when their children are in a condition to caufe
them to be refpected are of no account before this,
and in houfhold affairs are no more than the flaves
of their hufbands.

Generally fpeaking there is perhaps no na-
tion in the world where the fex is more def-
pifed; to call an Indian a woman is the higheft
affront that can be offered him. Notwithftanding
what is odd enough, children belong only to the
mother, and acknowledge no authority but hers ;
the father is always held as a ftranger with refpec&
to them, in fuch manner however that if he is not
looked upon as the father, he is at leaft always
refpected as the mafter of the cabbin. I do not
know however if this is univerfal in every point,
among all the nations we know in Canada,
any more than what I have found in good me-
moirs, that the young wives, befides the right
which their hufbands have over them, with refpect
to the fervice of the cabbin, are alfo obliged to
provide for all the neceffities of their own parents,

Eg which

~

( 54 )
which probably is to be underftood of thofe, who
have.no-body left to render them thefe. fervices,
and who by reafon of their age or lnienaitiee are
incapable of ferving themfelves.

Be this as it will, the bridegroom has alfo his
own peculiar funétions ; befides hunting and fifhing,
to which he is obliged during the whole courfe of
‘Insolife, she is firft of all to make a mattrefs for
his wife, build her a cabbin, or repair that in
which they are to Jive, and whilft he remains with
his father and mother-in-law, he is obliged to
carry the produc of his hunting home to them.
Amongft the Iroquois the woman never leaves her
cabbin, fhe being deemed the miftrefs, or leaft the
heirefs of it; in other nations fhe goes at the ex-
piration of a year or two after her marriage, to
live with her mother-in-law.

The Indian women are generally delivered with-
out pain, and without any affiftance; there are
fome however who are a long time in labour and
fuffer feverely ; when this happens they acquaint
the young people of it, who when the fick perfon
is leaft thinking of it, come fhouting in’a prodi-
eious manner to the door of her cabbin, when the
furprize occafions a fudden fright, which procures.
her an immediate delivery ; the women always lie
in their own cabbins ; feveral of them are furprized
and bring forth at work or on the road; for others —
as foon as they perceive themfelves near their time,
a {mall hut is built without the village, where
they remain till forty days after they are brought
to bed; I think I remember however to have
heard it faid, that this is never done except at
their firft lying-in only,

”

This

: 95.2)

This term. being expired they put out all the
fuse in the cabbin, to which fhe is to return ;: they
fhake all the cloaths in it, and a‘her return hght
a new fire; the fame fotepalicies nearly are ob-
ferved with regard to the fex in general during
the time of their courfes ; and not only while thefe
Jaft, but while a woman is with child, or giving
fuck, which they commonly do for three years
running, their hufbands never come near them ;
nothing would be more commendable than this
cuftom, provided both parties ebferved the fidelity
they ought. all the while, but both fides often fail
in this refpect ; fuch is the corruption of the heart
of man, that the wifeft regulations are often pro-
ductive of the greateft diforders, It is even pre-
tended that the ufe of certain fimples, which have
the virtue of keeping back in women the natural
confequences of their infidelity, is familiar enough
in this country.

Nothing can exceed the care which mothers take
of their children whi ft in the cradle ; but from the
moment they have weaned them, they abandor
them entirely to themfelves; not out of hard
heartednefs or indifference, for they never lofe but
with their life the affection they have for them ;
but from a perfyafion that nature ought to be fuf-
fered to act upon them, and that fhe ought not to
be confined in any thing. The act which termi-
nates their ftate of infancy is the impofition of the
name, which amongft the apians is a’ matter of
great importance,

“This ceremony is performed at a feaft, at which
are prefent none but perfons of the fame fex with
the child that is to be named ; during the repaft
the child remains on the knees of its father or

: E 4 ‘mother,

: ree ‘dg eee a %

mother, who are inceflantly recommending it to
the genii, and above all to him who is to be his
guardian, for each perfon has one but not from
the time of birth; they never invent new names,
each family preferves a certain number of them,
which they make ufe of by turns; they even
fometimes change them as they grow older, and
there are fome which cannot be ufed after a certain
age, but I do not believe this practice to be uni-
verfal; and as it is the cuftom amongft fome
nations on afluming a name, to put themfelves in
the place of the perfon who laft bore it, it fome-
times happens that a child is called grand-father by
a perfon, who might well enough be his own.

They never call a man by his own name when
they fpeak to him in a familiar manner ; this would
be a piece of great unpolitenefs, they always name
him by the relation he bears to the perfon that
fpeaks to him; but when there is neither affinity
nor confanguinity between them ; they call one a-
nother brother, uncle, nephew or coufin, accord-
ing to the age of either, or in proportion to the
efteem in which they hold the perfon to whom
they addrefs themfelves. |

Farther, it is not fo much with a view of per-
petuating names that they renew them, as with a
view to incite the perfon on whom they are be-
ftowed, either to imitate the great actions of the
perfons that bore them, or to revenge them in
cafe they have been either killed or burned; or
laftly to comfort their families: thus a woman
who has loft her hufband or her fon, and finds her
herfelf thus void of all fupport makes all the
hafte in her power, to give the name of the per-
fon fhe mourns for, to fome one who may ftand

3 | her

e

a ae

her in his ftead ; laftly, they likewife change their
names on ieyeral other occafions, which it would
take up too much time to mention minutely. In
order to do this there wants only a dream, or the
prefcription of fome phyfician, or fome other rea-
fon equally frivolous. But I have already faid
enough on this fubject, and a meflenger waits be-
low for my commands for Quebec; I therefore
conclude,in alluring, your Grace, that

Tever am, &c,

LETTER:

Ad ata SH CN
bo aw a
Hee pm ees

TK, y i
Ly Bae iat
; ne

LET eT E Re XX:

Voyage to the Bay. Defcription of it, and of the
Course thither. Irruption of the Spaniards into
- the Country of the Miflouri Indians, and their De-
~ feat. Dances of the Indians. ,

| Michillimakinac, July 21, 1721
Madam, |

INCE my laft letter, I have made a voyage
S to the Bay, which is about four-{core leagues —
diftant from this poft. ILtook the advantage for this
purpofe of going in company with Monf. Montig-
ny, captain of a company of the troops which the
king maintains in Canada, Knight of St. Lewis,
and whofe name is famous in the annals of the co-
lony; but who is at leaft equally refpected for

his probity, and for his upright open deportment,

and for his valour and military exploits.

We embarked the 2d of July in the afternoon,
and for thirty leagues coafted along ‘a neck of Jand

which feparates lake Michigan from lake Superior ;

in fome places it is only a few leagues over, and it is
{carce poffible to fee a more difagreeable country ;
but it is terminated by a beautiful river called La

-Maniftie

( o }

Maniftie, abounding in filh and efpecially ftur-.
geon. A little farther inclining to the fouthweft,

you come to a large gulph, in the entry of whith
are _a number of iflands, and which is called the,
gulph or bay of the Noquets. This is the name of-an
Indian nation, not very numerous, originally come
from the coafts of lake Superior, and of which
there remain only a few {cattered families, who
have no fixed refidence.

The bay of the Noquets is feparated from the
great bay only by the iflands of the Poutewatamies,
which as I have already-remarked, were the anci-
ent refidence of thefe Indians ; moft of them are
extremely well wooded ; but the only one that is
now inhabited is neither the largeft nor the beft,
and there remains a forry village, where, in fpite
of all our endeavours, we were obliged to pafs the
night, as it was impoffible to refit the preffing
inftances of the inhabitants. For there is not a
nation in all Canada more fincerely attached to
the French, than thefe Indians have been at all
times.

On the fixth, we were ftopt almoft the whole
day, by contrary winds, but it growing calm in
the evening, we embarked a little after fun-fet, by
the favour ia a moft beautiful moon-fhine, and con-
tinued our voyage for four and twenty hours toge-
ther, having made only a very fmall halt, whilft
we were faying mafs and at dinner. The fun was fo
- burning hot, and the,water of the bay fo warm, that

the gum of our canoe meltcd in feveral places. To

compleat our misfortune, the place where we went
afhore, was fo much infefted with what are called
here. marigouins and bruleaus, a fpecies of very
troublefome gnats, that we could not fo much ra

| clofe

-

( (1 |)

clofe our eyes, though we had not flept for two.

days; and as the weather was fine, and the moon

fhone bright, we fet out again at three o’clock in
the morning. |

After we had advanced five or fix leagues, we
found ourfelves a-breaft of a little ifland, which
lies near the weftern fide of the bay, and which
concealed from our view, the mouth of a river, on
which ftands the village of the Malhomines Indi-
ans, called by our French Folles Avoines or Wild
Oat Indians, probably from their living chiefly on
this fort of grain. The whole nation confifts only
of this village, and that too not very numerous, |
Tis really great pity, they being the fineft and |
handfomeft men in all Canada. ‘They are even of |
a larger ftature than the Poutewatamies. I have
been affured that they had the fame original and
nearly the fame languages with the Noquets, and
the Indians at the Falls. But they add that they
have likewife a language peculiar to themfelves,
which they never communicate. I have alfo been
told feveral ftories of them, as of a ferpent which
vifits their village every year and is received with
much ceremony, which makes me believe them a
little addicted to witchcraft.

A, little below the ifland the face of the country is
entirely changed, and from being very wild, as it is as
far as this place, it becomes the moft delightful in the
univerfe. It is even fomething more pleafing® and
chearful than the Narrows but though it is every
where covered with the fineft trees, yet it is more
fandy, and therefore lefs fertile. The Otchagra
Indians, commonly called Stinkards, dwelt for-
merly on the fhore of the Bay, and in a moft
charming fituation; they were attacked here by

: i the

| ( se)
the Illinois, who killed a great number of them 3
the reft of them took fhelter on the river of the
Outagamies, which falls into the bottom of the |
_ Bay. dla i

Here they fettled on the banks of a kind of lake. —
And Ido not know whether it 1s not from their
living on fifh, with which the lake plentifully fup-
plies them, that they had the name of Stinkards
given them, there being nothing to be feen along
the whole fhore where their cabbins were built,
but ftinking fifh, with which the air was perfeétly
infected. - It appears at leaft that this is the original
of the name the other Indians had given them be-
fore us; and which has been communicated to the
Bay, from which they have never gone to any con=
fiderable diftance. Some time before they quitted
their ancient poft, they had a mind to revenge
the check they had got from the Illinois ; but this
enterprize occafioned them a new difafter, from the »
effects of which they have never recovered them-
felves. “Six hundred of their beft warriors em-.
barked, in order to go in queft of the enemy; but
-as they were croffing Lake Michigan, they were
furprized by a furious tempeft, in which they all
- perifhed to a man. all

We have in the Bay, a fort erected on the wef-
tern fhore of the river of the Outagamies, and half
a league from its mouth; before you arrive at it,
you leave on your right a village of the Sakies.
The Otchagras have lately fettled themfelves near
us, and have built their cabbins quite round the
fort. The miffionary who is lodged pretty near
the commandant, is in hopes, that when he fhall -
have learned their language, he may poffibly find
more docility amongft them, than amongft the

Sakies,

os )

Sakies, with whom his Jabours have been fuffici-
ently unfuccefsful. Both of them appear to be a
very good fort of people and efpecially the for-
mer, whofe egreateft defect is, that they feem to
be a little addicted to thieving. Their language is
very different from that of all the reft, which
makes me believe, that it holds no refemblance
with any of thofe of Canada. ‘Thus, they have
always had more commerce or intercourfe with the
weftern nations, than with thofe with which we are
acquainted, .

The Sakies, though few in number, are divided
into two faCtions, one of which is in the intereft of
the Outagamies, and the other in that of the Pou-
- tewatamies. ‘Thofe of them who are fettled in this
poft are moftly of the party of the latter, and con-.
fequently are friends to us. ‘They received the new
commandant with great demonttrations of joy: the
moment they were informed of his approach, they ~
drew up under arms on the fhore, and as foon as
he appeared, faluted him with a difcharge of their
mufkets, which they accompanied with great fhouts
of joy. Afterwards four of their chief men waded
into the river, till the water came up to their mid-
dle; advanced up to his canoe, and received him
on a large robe, compofed of feveral fkins of roe-
bucks well fowed together, whereof each of them
- held a corner. In this manner they carried him to
his apartment, where they complimented him, and
faid a great many things extremely flattering.

- Next day, the chiefs of the two nations paid me
avifit; and one of the Otchagras fhewed me a
Catalonian piftol, a pair of Spanifh fhoes, and I
do not know what drug, which appeared to me to
be a fort of ointment, All this they had received

from

: Coe.) bs
from-one of the Aionez, and the following is the

occafion, by means of which thefe things fell into

the hands of this perfon.

About two yeats ago, fome Spaniards, who had |
come, as they fay, from New Mexico, with defign
to penetrate as far as the country of the Illinois, and —
to drive the French out of it, whom they faw with
extreme regret approach fo near the Miffouri, de-
fcended this river and attacked two villages of the
Octotatas, a people in alliance with the Aionez,
from whom it is pretended they draw their ori-
ginal. As thefe Indians had no fire-arms, and be-
ing befides furprized, the Spaniards eafily fucceed-
ed in their enterprize, and made a great flaughter
of them. A third village of the fame nation, and
at no great diftance from the two others, making
no doubt that the conquerors would pay them a vi-
fit, laid an ambufcade for them, into which the
Spaniards blindly ftumbled. Others fay, that the
Indians having learned that the Spaniards had al-
moft all of them got drunk, and were fleeping in
ereat fecurity, fell upon them in the night ; and itis
certain they cut the throats of almoft every one of
them.

There were two chaplains in this party, one of
whom was killed in the beginning of the affair, and
the other faved himfelf amongft the Miffourites whe
kept him prifoner, and from whom he made his efcape
in a very dexterous manner. He happened to have a
very fine horfe, and the Miffourites delighting in
beholding him perform feats of horfemanthip, he
took the advantage of their curiofity, in order
to get out of their hands. One day as he was
fcampering about in their prefence, he withdrew
infenfibly to a diftance, when clapping fpurs to his
horfe, he inftantly difappeared. As they tes

otner

ae i ae,

- other prifoner but him, it is not yet exactly known
neither from what part of New Mexico thefe Spani-
ards came, nor with what defign: for what I firft -
told you of the affair, was founded upon the reports
of the Indians only, who perhaps had a mind to
make their court to us by giving it to be under-
ftood, that they had done us a very material piece
of fervice by this defeat. |

All they brought me was the fpoils of the chap-
Jain who had been killed, and they found likewife
a prayer-book, which I have not feen: this was
probably his breviary. 1 bought the piftol: the
fhoes were good for nothing; and the Indian would
by no means part with the ointment, having taken .
it into his head, that it was a fovereign remedy a-
gaint all forts of evils. I was curious to know
how he intended to make ufe of it; he anfwered
that it was fufficient to {wallow a little of it, and
let the difeafe be what it would the cure was im-
mediate ; he did not fay however that he had as yet
made trial of it, and 1 advifed him againft it.
The Indians begin here to be very ignorant, and
are very far from being fo fenfible or at leaft fo
communicative, as thofe who have more commerce
with us.

The day following, the Sakies came in a con-
fiderable body to the miffionary’s houfe, where I lod-
ged, and begged me to be prefent at a council they
were going tohold. I confented, and when every
one had taken his place, the chief laid a collar
upon the ground before me, and the orator break-
ing filence, befought me, in the name of the whole ~
body, to engage the King to take them under his
protection, and to purify the air, which, faid they,
~ had been corrupted for fome time paft; which

Vor. Il, a appeared

} )

e

(665)
_ appeared by the great number of fick they had in

their villages, and to defend them againft their ene-
mies.

I anfwered, that the King was inde very en

ful, and perhaps more fo than they thought ; but
that his power did not extend over the elements ; |
and that when difeafes‘or any other fuch accidents laid
watte his provinces, he addrefled himfelf, in orderto -
caufe them ceafe; tothe Great Spirit who created the
heaven and the earth, and who alone is the fove-
reign Lord of nature: that they fhould do. the
fame, and that they would find themfelves the bet-
ter for it; but that in order to merit being heard,
they muft begin with acknowledging him, and with
rendering him that worfhip and homage which he
has a right to expect from all reafonable creatures :
and that they could not do any thing better or
more agreeable to the King; than to hearken to the
Father whom his Majefty had fent them, and to
his inftructions; that he was a man beloved of
heaven; that the manner in which he lived
amongft them, could not fail to have caufed them
conceive a great efteem for him; and that his cha-
rity towards the fick and all fuch as had any need
of his affiftance, ought to have convinced them of
that tender and fincere friendfhip he bore them:
_ laftly, that I would by no means receive it, till
_ after they had promifed to behave themfelves with —
regard to this miffionary, in a quite different man-
ner from what they had hitherto done, and hence-
forth to remove all caufe of complaint againtt them,
with refpect to their indocility.

*¢ As to the protection of the King which you

‘© demand, and the requeft you have made me to
‘* engage him to > wndgrtalse your. defence. againft
your

oR ay) :
s® your enemies ; that great prince has already pre-
«© vented your wifhes, and has given fufficient or-
‘6 ders on that head to Ononthio *, who is of him-
‘© felf difpofed to execute them with all the zeal
© and affection of a father. This is what you
© need make no doubt of, if you pay a proper
regard to the good qualities of the commandant
«© he has fent you. It is not poffible you fhould
‘¢ be ignorant, and you appear to, me perfectly
«© well fatisfied that amongft all the French Cap-
“‘ tains there are few equal to him in valour; and
«© you will have caufe to love him itill better than
“« you now do.”? This anfwer feemed to fatisfy
them, and they promifed much more than I fear
they willever perform. Notwithftanding I took
their collar, which the miffionary flattered himfelf
would be productive of fome good effects.

On the afternoon of the following day the two
nations entertained us, one after another, with the
dance of the Calumet, in a great efplanade facing
the commandant’s apartment. There was fome
Jittle difference in the manner in which they per-
formed this dance ; but this was very inconfiderable.
It only gave me to underftand, that thefe feafts
vary confiderably : thus it is impoffible to give a
defcription which may agree to all of them. The
Otchagras diverfified fomewhat more their enter-
tainment, and fhewed extraordinary agility, being,

better made as wellas more graceful performers
than the Sakies.

* This is the name which the Indians give to the governor-
general, it fignifies great mountain, and is derived from the Che-
valier Montgnagny, who was the fecond governor of Canada.

+ They always call the governors and the commandants their

’ Fathers,
ay Sc This

(968-9 oe
This is properly a military feftival, in which the
warriors are the fole actors, and one would natural-
ly conclude it had been inftituted only to give them
an opportunity of vaunting of their famous exploits.
Iam not the author of this opinion, which does

not quadrate with the fentiments of thofe who main-

tain that the calumet derives its origin from
caduceus of Mercury, and that on its firft infti- ©
tution it was looked upon as a fymbol of peace.
All thofe whom I faw dancing, finging, and beat-
ing the drum and chichikoué, were young perfons
equipt as when they prepare to take the field ; they
had their faces painted with all forts of colours,
their heads were adorned with feathers, fome of
which they held in their hands by way of fans: and
the calumet was alfo adorned with them and was
fet in the moft confpicuous place: the orcheftre
and the dancers were placed quite round, the fpec-
tators being placed up and down in {mall bodies, the
women apart from the men, all of them fitting
on the ground, and adorned with their fineft-
robes, which at a diftance made a very pretty ap-
pearance.

Between the orcheftre and the commandant _who
fat at the door of his own apartment, they had
erected a poft, to which at the end of each dance, _
a warrior came and gave a blow with his battle-
ax; on this fignal followed profound filence, when
this man proclaimed fome of his own valorous at-
chievements; and receiving afterwards the ap-
plaufe of the company, he returned to his place,
when the games begun again. This lafted four
hours two for each nation, andI confefs I was far

from being charmed with it, not only on account

of the monotony and unpleafantnefs of the mufick,
but alfo becaufe the whole of the dances confifted
_ only

¢ 69 )
_ only of certain contorfions of the body, which in
appearance were expreffive ¢ of nothing, and had no-
peli diverting.

Phe feaft was made in honour of the new com-
mandant; they however paid him none of thofe
honours mentioned in fome relations. They were
neither feen to place him on a new mattrefs; nor to
make him any prefent, at leaft as:far as I know,
nor did they place any feathers on his head, nor
did I fee them prefent him the calumet; and there
were not any menentirely naked painted all over their
bodies, adorned with feathers and ‘irings of wam-
pum, and holding a calumet in their hands. Per-
haps thefe two nations have not any fuch cuftoms,
or it may be, that Monf..de Montigny had ex-
empted them from this part of the ceremony. | I
obierved only trom time to time ail the fpectators
raifing great cries by way of applauding the dan-

cers, efpecially during the dance of the Orchagras,
_ who inthe opinion of the French bore away all the
honour of the day.

_ I fhould probably have been more diverted by
feeing the dance of the Difcovery. /This has more
action than the former, and is much more ex-
preflive of the thing it is intended to reprefent.
This is an image drawn to the life of all that paffes
in a warlike expedition; and as I have already ob-
ferved, that the Indians generally think only of
farprizing their enemies, it is no doubt for this
reafon, ‘they have given this exercife the name
of the Di/covery.

Be this as it will, one man always dances fingly
a sa advancing at firft lowly towards the middle

F 3 of

(WS ) |
of the place, where he remains for fome time moti-
onlefs, after which he reprefents in order the de-
‘parture of the warriors; their march encampments,
the difcovery of the enemy, the approach towards
them, the halt as it were in order to draw breath,
when all of a fudden he falls into fuch a fury as if
he were going to kill all the world; when recovered
from this trance, he feizes fome perfon in the af-
fembly as if he took him prifoner of war, feems to
kill another, levels at a third, and laftly falls a run-
ning at full fpeed, when he ftops and recovers
himlelf ; this reprefents a retreat which is at firft
precipitate, but afterwards more at leifure., He
then exprefles by different cries, the different agita-
tions in which he was during his aft campaign,
and concludes with relating all the fine exploits he
has performed in war,

_ When the dance of the Calumet has for its object,
as is generally the cafe, the conclufion of a peace,
or of fome treaty of alliance againft a common ene-
my, they engrave a ferpent on the ftalk of the
pipe, and near it is placed a plate, on which are
reprefented two men of the two confederate nati-
ons trampling upon an enemy, who is defigned by
the mark of his nation. Sometimes inftead of the
calumet they make ufe of a battle-ax. But when
the fubject of the treaty is only a fimple alli-
ance, they reprefent two men holding each other
by one hand and bearing in the other a calumet
of peace, and having each at his fide the mark
of his nation. In all thefe' treaties they give
mutual pledges, fuch as collars of porcelain or
wampum, calumets, flaves: fometimes the hides
of deer or elks well tawned, adorned with figures
made of the hair of the porcupine; in which cafe,
the above-mentioned circumftances are reprefented

on

é

‘i ae

on thefe fkins, whether with the hair of the porcu-_

pine or fimple colours.

There are other dances which are more fimple,
or which feem to have no other view befides giving

the warriors opportunity of relating their own ex-

ploits. This is what the Indians covet above all
things, and in doing of which they are never
wearied. He who gives the feaft, caufes invite the
whole village by beat of drum; and it is in his
cabbin they afiemble, if it be capab] e of containing,
all the guefts. The warriors dance here by turns,
afterwards they ftrike upon the poft, filence is pro-
claimed, when they fay any thing they have a mind,
paufing from time to time in order to receive the

congratulations of the fpectators who are not {paring

of incenfe. But if they perceive that any one boafts
without grounds, any one is at liberty to take earth
or afhes, and to fmear his head all over or to do
him any other affront they have a mind. The ge-
neral way is to black his face, accofting him in thefe
words, ‘© This I do to conceal your fhame; for
“< the firft time you fee the face of an enemy, you
«¢ will become as pale asafhes.” Thus, it feems to
be a received'maxim amongft all nations, that the

fureft mark of a coward is boafting. He who has ©

thus punifhed the recreant takes his place, and if
he has the misfortune to fall into the fame fault
the other is fure to pay him back in kind. The
greateft chiefs have no privilege above the common
in this refpect, and mutt take all without murmu-

ring. This dance is always performed in the night-

time.

In the weitern parts they have another fort of
dance, which is called the Buffalo dance. The dan-
cers form feveral circles within each other, and the

r 4 | mufick

L

: es ae

mufick. which 4g always compofed of the drum dna?
the chichikoué, is in ‘the middle of the place.

They take care never to feparate thofe of the fame

family ; they do not hold one another by the hand,

/

and each carries his arms and buckler. The’

circles turn round different ways, and though there
is much capering in which they {pring to a great
height, they are never out of time.

Some chief ra a ae prefents his buckler at
certain intervals: all of them ftrike upon it, and at

each ftroke he calls to remembrance fome of his fa- :
mous exploits: he afterwards cuts a bit of tobacco

from a poft to which they take care to tie a certain
quantity, which he gives to one of his friends. Tf
any One can prove he has performed more famous

exploits than he, or that he has had any fhare in~

thofe of which he has been boafting, he has a right
to take away the tobacco of which he has juft made

-aprefent, and to give it to another. This dance is

followed by a featt ; but I do not well know
whence it had the name it bears, if it does not
come from the bucklers on which they ftrike,
which are covered with buffaloes hides. There
are fome dances which are prefcribed by their
quacks for the cure of fick perfons; but they are
generally very lafcivious. ‘There are fome of them
calculated purely for amufement, and which have
no relation to any thing. Thefe are always in the
form of a circle to the found’ of the drum and
chickikoué, and the women always apare from the
men. Thefe latter dance bearing: their arms in
their hands, and though they have no hold of one

another, they never break the circle. As to what °

I mention:d of their never lofing time, this ought
to create no difficulty, the mufick of the Indians

Se

t

f

et Gay.

confifting only of two or three notes, which are

eternally repeated. On this account one is apt to

grow extremely weary at thofe feafts after the firft
time, as they laft a great while, and as you hear al-
ways the fame thing over again. |

Asthe nations in the neighbourhood of the Bay,

af you except the Poutewatamies, are much more

ignofant than the others, they are likewife much.
more addicted to all forts of fuperftition. Their
principal divinities are the fun and thunder, and

they feem much more perfuaded than the nations

which we frequent more, that every fpecies of ani-
mals has a genius that watches for their preferva-
tion, A French man having one day thrown away
a moufe he had juft taken, a little girl took it up
to eat it; the father of the child who erthived it
{natched it from her, and fell a careffing the dead
animal; and the French man afking him the rea-
fon of it: “* It is’, anfwered he, ‘‘ in order to
«© appeafe the genius of the mice, that they may
«not torment my child after fhe has eaten it.”
After which he reftored the anima! to the girl who
eat it,

They have above all things a prodigious vene-
ration for bears: when they happen to have
Killed one, they make a feaft which is accompa-
nied with very fingular ceremonies. . The head
of the bear, after being painted with all forts: of co-.

lours, is fet during the repaft in a confpicuous place,

where it receives the homage of all the guefts,
who celebrate in fongs the praifes of the animal,
whilft they are tearing his body in pieces and re-
galing themfelves with-it. Thefe Indians have
not only like all the reft a cuftom of preparing

| wae themfelves

il

wy : : hy My

Ee Re 7
themfelves for great huntings by fafting, which
the Outagamies carry as far [as ten days run-.
ning; but alfo whilft the hunters are in the field, —
they often oblige the children to faft, they ob-
ferve the dreams they have during their fafts,
and from them they draw good or evil omens,
with refpect to the fuccefs of the hunting. The
intention of thefe fafts, is to appeafe the tutelary
genii of the animals they are going to hunt ;. and
they pretend that they make known in dreams,
whether they are to oppofe or to be propitious to
the hunters, | |

The nation that has occafioned moft difcourfe in
thefe weftern parts, for the laft twenty years, is
that of the Outagamies. The natural ferocity of
thefe Indians foured by the repeated ill treatment
they have received and fometimes imprudently
enough ; and their alliance with the Iroquois, al-
ways difpofed to ftir up new enemies againft us,
have rendered them formidable. ‘They have fince
become ftill more clofely connected with the Sioux,
a numerous nation, and who have infenfibly be-
come warlike; which union renders almoft im-
practicable at prefent the navigation of the whole
upper Miffifippi. There is even very little fecu-
rity in failing on the river Illinois, at leaft if
you are not provided againft a furprize to the
great hurt of the trade between the two co-
lonies. . .

7

—Imet at the Bay fome Sioux, to whom I put
many queftions with refpect to the countries lying
to the weft and north-weft of Canada; and though
I well know we are not to take in a literal fenfe all
that the Indians tell us, yet by comparing iow

tneic

ra

| thefe told me with what I have heard feveral others

fay, Ihave good réafon to think, that there are in
this continent either Spanifh or fome other Euro-
pean colonies much more to the north, than what
we know of New-Mexico and of Carini, and that

after failing up the Miffouri as far as it is navi-

gable, you come to a great river which runs weift-
ward, and difcharges itfelf into the South-Sea., And
even independent of this difcovery, which I believe
eafier this way than towards the north, I cannot
doubt on account of the proofs which I have re-
ceived from feveral hands, and which fuffici-
ently well agree, that by endeavouring to pe-
netrate to the fource of the Miffauri, we fhould
find fufficient to indemnify us for the expence

and fatigue which fuch an enterprize muft re-
quire.

Tam, &c.

L Et oP BR

oS

ay,

os a

ocr eR SR

Departure from Michillimakinac. Ob/fervations on
the Currents in the Lakes.- Character of the Iny
dians of Canada, Their good and ill Qualities.

Lake Michigan, July 31,1721.
Madan,

Set out the day before yefterday, and am now

confined to a little namelefs ifland; a canoe
which is come from the river St. Jofeph where I
am going, cannot ftir any more than we, although
the wind is favourable, but it being in our opinion
very {qually and the lake being extremely agitated,
I am thereby furnifhed with an opportunity of

.

writing to you. ;

‘Though the wind was contrary on the 20th

when we embarked, we however advanced full

eight leagues that day, which is a proof that we
were helped along by the currents; I had before
obferved the fame thing on my firft entering the
bay, and was much furprized at it. There is no
doubt that this bay, which is a Cul de Sac, dif-
charges itfelf into lake Michigan ; and lake Michi-
gan, which is alfo a Cul de Sac, difcharges itfelf

into

| :

. into lake Huron, and the more fo as both, I mean

Jake Michigan and the bay, receive feveral rivers ;

lake Michigan efpecially, which receives a vaft
number of them, fome of which are no way in-
ferior to the Seine, but thefe great currents are
only perceived in the middle of the channel, and
produce on both fhores eddies or counter currents,
ef which thofe who {fail in fhore take advantage,

as all who fail in canoes of bark are obliged to
do.

I advanced at firft five leacues weftward in or-
der to .make lake Michigan ; afterwards I turned
towards the fouth, which is the only courfe we
had to ftger for a hundred leagues, as far as the

river St. Jofeph. Nothing can be finer than the

country which feparates lake Michigan from lake
Huron. I yefterday advanced'three leagues farther,
__and_a ftrong wind obliged us to ftop at this ifland ;

I fhall try to divert myfelf by continuing the ac-
count of the character of the natives of this vaft

country, of which I have already travelled over a

_confiderable part.

The Indians of Canada are generally well made
and of an advantageous ftature; there are fome
nations however, where it is no new thing to fee
perfons of a middling fize, but it is extremely fo
to meet with any who are decrepid, or who have
‘any external deformity; they are robuft and of a
ftrong and healthy conftitution ; they would alfo

be.very, long-lived did they take a little more care

of themfelves ; but, moft part of them ruin their
| conftitutions by. forced marches, by exceffive faft-
ing and intemperance in eating; befides that du-
ting their infancy they often go barefoot in water,
and even upon HO 8 and ice; the fpirituous li-
5 ai vat

~

SNE ae le

Cy Y
‘quors which the Europeans have fupplied them
with,,and for which they entertain a paffion, or _
rather a fury which exceeds all expreffion, and
which they never drink but on purpofe to get
drunk, have almoft. ruined them, and have not a_
little contributed to the depopulation of all the
Indian nations, who are at prefent reduced to lefs |
than the twentieth part of what they were one
hundred and fifty years ago. If this continues we
fhall certainly fee them entirely difappear.

Their bodies are not conftrained in the cradle like
ours, and nothing is more proper to render them
agile, and to give them that fupplenefs in all their
members, which we fo much admire in them,
than this liberty, and the exercifes which they are
accuftomed from their earlieft infancy ; the mo-
thers fuckle them a great while, and we fometimes
fee children of fix or feven years of age which ftill
fuck their mothers ; this hinders not their giving
them all forts of nourifhment from the firft years :
laftly, the free and open air to which they are con-
{tantly expofed ; the fatigues they are made to un-
dergo, but by gentle degrees and in a manner pro-
portioned to their age ; their food which is fimple
and natural; all thefe contribute to form bodies
_capable of doing and fuffering incredible things,
but which are pufhed to an extravagance which I
have already faid, carries off not a few before the
age of maturity. Some have been known, after
having their ftomachs ftretched four fingers with
eating, {till to eat on with as voracious an appetite
as if they had only juft begun; when they find
themfelves overloaded they fall to {moaking, and
afterwards fall afleep, and at their waking find
their digeftion compleated ; fometimes they only
fet themfelves a vomiting, after which they return
to. the combat quite frefh,

In

+ Ee : é # ¢ &
e qo deen +b Ht e %
216 Beas ay x, as ;

| CxG0°) |
In the fouthern countries they fcarce obferve any
mean with refpect to the women, who are no lefs-

prone to lafcivioufnefs ; . from hence comes that

corruption of manners, which has infected the
northern nations fome years fince; the Iroquois in
particular had the reputation of chaftity before
they had any commerce with the Illinois, and the
other nations in the neighbourhood of Louifiana ;
they have gained nothing by the acquaintance ex-
cept becoming like them. It muft be confeffed
that effeminacy and lubricity were carried to the
ereateft excefs in thofe parts; men were feen to
wear the drefs of women without a blufh, and to-
debafe themfelves fo as to perform thofe occu-
pations which are moft peculiar to the fex, from
whence followed a corruption of morals paft all
expreffion ;. it was pretended that this cuftom came
from I know not what principle of religion; but
this religion had like many others taken its birth in
the depravation of the heart, or if the cuftom I
{peak of had its beginning in the fpirit, it has ended

in the flefh; thefe effeminate perfons never marry,

and abandon themfelves to the moft infamous
paffions, for which caufe they are held in the moft
fovereign contempt. :

On the other hand the women though ftrong
and robuft are far from being fruitful; befides the
reafons I have already mentioned, to wit, the
time they allow for the fuckling of their children,
their cuftom of not cohabiting with their. hufbands
all that ‘time, and the exceffive labour they are
obliged to undergo in whatever fituation they
are; this fterility proceeds likewife from a cuftom
eftablifhed in feveral places, by which young wo-
men are fuffered to proftitute themfelves. before

marriage ; add to this the extreme mifery to stot
, ‘; x5 + t ey

e

\

ats)

~ they are often reduced, and which extinguifhes in

them all defire of having children.

It is befides certain that they have great advan-

' tages over us, and I hold for the firft of all the ex-
treme perfection of their fenfes over us both in-
ternal and external. In fpite of the {now which
~ -dazles them, and the fmoak with which they are

}

~peftered for fix months of the year, their fight

continues in all its vigor ; they have the fenfe of

hearing extremely acute, and their {melling is fo ex-
| quifite, that they fmell fire at a great diftance ; for

this reafon it is that they cannot fuffer the fmell

of mufk, or any other ftrong fcent; and it is even

pretended that no fmell is agreeable to them, ex-
cept that of eatables. |

Their imagination is a fort of prodigy, it fuffices

p them to have been once in a place to have an exact

idea of it, which is never effaced ; let a foreft be

ever fo vaft and untrodden they will crofs it with-

out wandering out of the way, if they have made
their obfervations right at fetting out. The inhabi- .
tants of Acadia, and places in the neighbourhood
of the gulph of St. Laurence, have often failed
in’their canoes of bark, to make a defcent in the

‘country of Labrador, in queft of their enemies the

Efkimaux ; they have gone thirty or forty leagues
out in the open fea without any compafs, and hava
landed precifely at the place intended. Inthe moft
cloudy weather-they will follow the fun for feveral

days, without miftaking; the exaéteft fun-dial

would not inform us better of the courfe of that
beautiful ftar, than they will do by the infpection
of the heavens only; thus let us do what we will

to put them out of their way, it is very rare they

miftake their road, They are born with this ta-

mou. il. G lc ahs

%

DARD ACE AL i eg
Aha) HOLMER re eS EI

Be Fh Oe}
lent, fo that it is not the fruit of their onfervations
or of long cuftom. Children who have never been
out of their village, will travel equally well with
thofe who have keen all over the country.

The beauty of their imagination equals its vi-
vacity, which appears in all their difcourfe.: they
are very quick at repartees, and their harangues
are full of fhining paffages, which would have
been applauded at "Rome and Athens. Their elo-
quence has a {trength, nature, and pathos, which no
art can give, and which the Grecks admired in the
barbarians ; and though this is fupported by none
of the action of an orator, and though they never
waife their voice to any confiderable piteh, yet you
perceive that they are affected with what they fay,
and they pelusic:

ft would ke really furprizing if with fo fine an
fmagination, they had not alfo an excellent me-

mory. ‘They are without all thofe helps which we

have invented to eafe our memory, or to fupply
the want of it; yet you cannot imagine what an
infinite number of different topicks, with an
immenfe detail of circumftances, and an amaz-
ing order, are handled im their councils. ‘ On
fome occafions however they make ufe of little
flicks, to remind them of the different articles
they have to difeuls; and with eafe they forma

kind of locaf memory, and that fo fure and in-

fallible, that they will fpeak for four or five hours
together, and difplay twenty different prefents, |
each of which requires an entire difcourfe, without
forgetting any thing, and even without hefitation.
Their narration is neat and precife; and though they
ufe a great many allegories and other figures, yer
it ts lively, and has all the beauties which ther
language affords.

They

I

( 83 )

‘They have a clear and folid judgment, and come
at once to the point, without the leaft {top or de-
viation. ‘They eafily conceive whatever is within
their reach, but it would require a long time and
much labour, to put them in a condition of fuc-

~ ceeding in the arts, with which they have hitherto
difpenfed, and whereof they have not the {malleft
notion ; and the more fo as they have a fovereign
contempt of whatever is not neceffary, that is to
fay, for that which we hold in the greateft efti-
mation. It would alfo be no eafy matter to render
them capable of conftraint, or to applying to things
purely fpiritual, or which they look upon as ule-
lefs. As for thofe which they imagine of confe-
quence, they obferve the greateft care and delibe-
ration ; and in proportion as they difcover phelgm
in confidering before they have taken their mea-
fure*, they teftify vivacity and ardour in the exe-
cution ; this is remarked in an efpecial manner in
the Hurons and Iroquois. They are not only quick
but’ alfo very ingenious, and fmart in their repar-
tees. An Outaway called obn le Blanc, who was
a bad chriftian and a great drunkard, on being
afked by the Count de Frontenac, what he thought
the brandy he was fo fond of was made of, he
faid, of tongues and hearts ; for, added he, after I
have drank of it I fear nothing, and I talk like
an angel,

Mott af them have really a noblenefs of foul
and a conftancy of mind, at which we rarely ar-
rive, with all the affiftance of philofophy and re-
ligion. Always matters of themfelves in the moft
fidaden reverfes of fortune, not the fmalleft alter-
ation is feen even in their cotintenances ; a pri-
_ foner who knows what is to be the end of his cap-
tivity, or what is perhaps more furprizing, who 1s

, 2 fill

saiehiekinee eae

sade ve tae matin

( 84 ). Phi
ftill uncertain of his fate, lofes not one quarter of
an hour of his reft; and. even the firft and moft

fudden fhocks of paffion never furprize them. A |

Huron captain was one day infulted and ftruck by
a young man, and the by-{tanders going to punifh
this infolence on the fpot ; Let him alone, replied

the captain, did you not perceive the earth to

quake, by that he his fufficiently warned of - his
folly.

Their conftancy in torments is beyond all ex-

preffion. A young woman fhall be a whole day in
Jabour without a fhrick ; fhould the difcover the
leaft weaknefs the would be held unworthy the
name of mother, as being only capable of bring-
ing forth cowards. Nothing is more common than
to fee perfons of every age and fex fuffer for feve-
ral hours, and even fometimes for feveral days to-
‘gether, all the torments which fire, or the moft
tnfatiable fury can inflict or invent, in order to
render them the more exquifite, without fo much
as a groan; they are even moft commonly em-
ployed during their torture in provoking their ex-
ecutioners by the moft gauling reproaches. ~

r

_An Outagamie, whom the Hlinois were burning
with the utmoft barbarity, having perceived a
Frenchman amongft the fpectators, begged him
to have the coodnels to affift his enemies 1n tor-
menting him; and upon the other’s afking him
the reafon of this requeft, ‘*It is, anfwered he,
“* becaufe I fhould then have the confolation of
‘© dying by the hands of a man.’’ ‘* My greateft
nt regret, added he, is that I have never killed a
“man.” But, returned an Illinois, you have killed

: fuch and fuch perfons. 66 He ‘hs the Illinois, re- °

ig a es

s

(85.) | ‘
*© plied the patient, I have killed a fuficient num-
‘© ber of them, but I do not reckon thefe to be
6¢.men.”

\ -

What I have remarked elfewhere in order to
diminifh the furprize which fuch an infenfibility
might occafion, hinders us not from acknow-,
ledging an extraordinary courage in them. But.
however, in order to elevate the foul to fuch a de- |
gree, beyond all fenfe of feeling, requires an |
effort of which vulgar fouls are utterly incapable ;
this the Indians exercife themfelves in during their
whole lives, and accuftom their children to it
from their tendereft infancy. Little boys and girls
have been feen to tie themfelves together by an
arm, and, to put between a red coal to fee who
fhould fhrink .firft. Laftly, we muft alfo agree,
that according to the remark of Cicero, the ha-
bit of labour renders torments the more fuppor-
table. Now there is not perhaps in the whole
world a people, who endure more fatigue than the
Indians, both in their huntings and voyages. in
a word, what proves this infenfibility in thefe bar-
barians, to be the effect of true courage is, that >
all of them are not equally poffeffed of it.

It is no wonder that with fuch a firmnefs of
mind, and with fentiments fo elevated, the Indians
fhould be intrepid in the midft of danger, and of
a courage which nothing can fhake ; it is never-

ithelefs true, that in their wars they expoie them-
felves as little as poffible, only becaufe they place
their glory in never buying victory too dear, and

that as their nations are thin of people, they have
adopted this maxim to weaken themfelves as little

as poffible ; but when they are under a neceffity of

- . fighting, they behave like lions, and the fight of
| : G3 their

( 86 %
their blood ferves only to infpire them with new
ftrengthand courage. ‘They have been feveral times
in action in company with our bravoes, who have:
feen them perform explaiss almoft incredible.

A miffionary being schprapieana by fome Abe-
naquis in an expedition againft New England, and.
perceiving that they were purfued by a great body
of Englifh in their retreat, did all ey could to
caufe thea to make more hafte, but to no pur-
pofe ; all the anfwer he received was, that they did
not fear fuch people as thefe. The Englifh at
length appeared, and were at leaft twenty to one.
The Indians, without being at all intimidated, firft
placed the father in fafety, and afterwards wene
to wait for the enemy in a field, in which there
was only the trunks of fome trees. The combat
Jafted almoft the whole day; the Abenaquis loft
not a man, and put the Englifh to flight, after
having covered the field wih dead hodhes!. Thad
this fact from father Vincent Bigot, who was the
miffionary in queftion.

But what is infinitely furprizing in men, whofe
_ whole exterior difcovers nothing but the barbarian,
' 3s to fee them treat one another with a gentlenefs
and a refpecét unknown to the common people in
the moft polite nations. This no doubt proceeds
from this, that meum and tuum, thefe ccld words, :
as St. Chryfoftom calls them, but which whilft
they extinguifh in our hearts the fire of charity,
kindle up in them that of covetoufnefs, are not as
yet known amongft thefe Indians. We are no lefs
charmed with that natural and unaffected gravity,
which reigns in all their actions, and even in moft
of their diverfions, as well as with that franknefs,
and that deference they difcover towards their
equals,

| ( % 9

equals, and the refpect fhewn by young people to

old age; and laftly, that we never fee them in their
quarrels make ufe of any indecent expreffions, and

thofe oaths fo common amonett us; all of them

proofs of their good fenfe and moderatien,

I have told your Grace that it is a maxim a-
dopted amongft them, and of which they are

gealous above all things, that one man owes no-

thing to another: but from this evil principle they
derive a very good confequence, to wit, that we-
anuft never injure a perfon who has not offended
us. There wants only to compleat their happinefs
to do between nation and nation, as they almoft
always do between man and man; and never to
attack a people who have given them no grounds

of complaint, and not to pufh their thirft of ven-

geance fo very far.

«We muft however agree that what we moft ad-

mire in the Indians is not always to be attributed
to pure virtue; that their natural difpofition and
their vanity, have a great fhare in it, and that
their brighteft qualities are obfcured by great vi-
ces. Thefe very men who appear to us fo very con-
temptible at firft-fight, hold all the reft of mankind
in the greatefl contempt; and have the higheft
notion of themfelves. The proudeft of all were
the Hurons, till fuccefs puffed up the Iroquois and
infpired them with a haughtinefs, which nothing
has hitherto been able to tame, together with a
Srutal ferocity which always conftituted their chief
characteriftick,

On the other hand thefe people, fo haughty and
fo jealous of. their liberty, are beyond imagination
G4 ioe flaves

CRB)
flaves to human refpect : they are alfo accufed of
being light and inconftant; but this is rather
owing to the fpirit of independance than to their
natural character, as I have already remarked of
the Canadians. They are eafily offended, jealous _
and fufpicious, efpeciall y of us Frenchmen ‘ ; trea-

' | cherous when it is for their intereft; great dif-

femblers, and exceeding vindidtive; no ‘length lor”

time extinguifhes in them the thirft of vengeance ;
this is the deareft inheritance they leave to their
children, and is tranfmitted from generation to _
generation, till an occafion is found to put it in-
execution. /

7

With refpe& tothe qualities of the heart, the
Indians do not value themfelves much upon them,
or, to fpeak more properly, have no virtues in—
them: they feem even incapable of confidering
them in this light, friendthip, compaffion, gra-
titude, attachment, are all known to them in fome
degree, but proceed not from the heart, and are in
them Jefs the effect of a good natural difpofition,
than of reflection, Theit care of orphans, wi-
dows and infirm perfons, the hofpitality which
they exercile in fo admirable a manner, are in
them no more than a confequence of a per-
fuafion, that’ all ought to be in common a-
mongft men. Fathers and mothers have an af-
fe‘lion for their children which extends even to
weaknefs, but which never induces them to render
them virtuous, and which appears purely animal.
‘Children on their fide fhew no return of natural —
love for their parents, and even fometimes treat
them with indignity, efpecially their fathers. I
have been told examples of it which ftrike us with
horror, and which I cannot relate: that which

follows was publickly known. | t

An

\

| : €a8°°) |
An Iroquois who had ferved a long time in out
troops againft his own nation, and even in quality
of an officer, met his father in an engagement, and
was going to run him through, when he difcover- .
ed who he was, He ftopt, and accofted him in this’
manner, ‘‘ You have once given me life, and I

_ have this day returned the obligation; but

“< have a care of meeting me another time, as I
‘© am now quit of that debt of nature which I
*¢ owed you.” Nothing can be a ftronger proof
of the neceffity of education, and that nature a-
lone is incapable of inftructing us fufficiently in the
moft effential duties of life: and what, if I am’
not deceived, is a more evident demonftration of
the fuperior fanctity of the chriftian religion is,
that it has produced in the heart of thefe barba-

‘rians, in all thefe refpects, a change which is per-

fectly wonderful.

But if the Indians are incapable of tafting the
{weets of friendfhip, they have at leaft difcovered
the advantage of it. Every one has a friend nearly |
the fame age with himfelf, to whom he attaches —
himfelf by the moft indiffoluble bonds. Two
perfons thus united by one common intereft, are
capable of undertaking and hazarding every thing
in order to aid and mutually fuccour each other -
death itfelf, according to their belief, can only fepa-
rate them for a time: they are well affured of
meeting again in the other world never to part,
where they are perfuaded they will have occafion
for the fame fervices from one another.

I have been told a ftory on this head, that an In-_
dian who was a Chriftian, but who did not live ac-
cording to the maxims of the gofpel, and who being

i " threatened

ee,
threatened with hell by a Jefuit, afked this mif-
fionary, whether he thought his friend who was
lately departed had gone into that place of torment:
the father anfwered him, that he had good grounds
to think that the Lord had had mercy upon him :

Then I wont g9 neither, replied the Indian; and .

this motive brought him to do every thing that was
defired of him; that is to fay, that he would have

been full as willing to go to hell as to heaven had |

he thought to find his companion there; but
God makes ufe of every thing for the falvation of
his elect. They add, that thefe friends when they
happen to be at a diftance from each other, reci-
procally invoke one another in all dangers; but
this, no doubt, ought to be underftood of their tute-
Jary genii. Prefents are the ties of thefe, affocia-
tions, which are ftrengthened by intereft and their
mutual neceffities ; and the affiftance they afford
may be certainly depended on in almoft every cafe.

Some pretend that thefe friendfhips open a door to — |

certain irregularities ; but I have good grounds
to think, that this is at leaft far from being ge-

— neral.

The colour of the Indians does not, as many
believe, conftitute a third {pecies of men between
the blacks and whites. They are very tawny and
of a dirty and obfcure red, which is more fen-
fible in Florida, of which Louifiana makes a
part; but this is not natural to them. The fre-
quent friftions they ufe, is what gives them this
copper complexion, and it is really wonderful
that they are not-ftill blacker, being continually
expofed to the fmoke in winter, and to the great-
eft heats of the fun in Facithneds and at all Falone
to all the intemperance of the air. ~

ie 3

! Oe ie

Tris not fo eafy to give a reafon why, except the
hair of their head which is univerfally jet black,
and their eye-lafhes and eye-brows, which fome of
them even pluck out, they have not a fingle hair
on their whole body. Almoft all the Ameticans
are in the fame fituation. What is ftill more fur-
prizing is, that their children are born with a long
thin hair all over their bodies, but which difap-
pears in eight days. We fee alfo fome ftraggling
hairs on the chins of old men, as it happens
amongft us to women of a certain age. Some at-
tribute this fingularity to the conftane cuftom the
Americans of both fexes have of {moaking : what
others alledge feems to me more natural, which
is, that this proceeds from the quality of their
blood, which being purer by reafon of the fim-
plicity of their food, produces fewer of thofe fu-
perfluities which our thicker blood occafions in fo
great an abundance; or that having fewer fults it
is lefs proper for this fort of productions. ‘There
is at leaft no room to doubt that it is owing to this
fimplicity of their diet, that the Indians are fo
nimble of foot. I have feen an iflander from the
neighbourhood of Japan, who having never tafted
bread, affured me, that he could with eafe have
travelled on foot thirty leagues. a day for a con-
tinuance; but that after beginning to make ufe
of it, he could no longer perform it with the
fame eafe.

What is certain is, that our Indians hold it as a
fingular beauty to have no hair except on their

_ heads only; and that if any happens fometimes to
, growon their chin they pluck it out immediately :
that the Europeans when they firft faw them,
appeared hideous to them on account of their long
Wen beards

(1:02 due ; 4
beards which it was then the fafhion to wear;
| that they did not like our white colour ; and that.
‘the flefh of the French and Englith feemed of a
difagreeable tafte to them, becaufe of its faltnefs.
Thus, Madam, the idea which was formerly en-
‘tertained in Europe of the Indians, who were
reprefented there like men all covered with hair,
not only differs from the truth in every parti-
cular, but is alfo precifely the fame which they
at firft entertained of us, as they believed that
our bodies were as hairy all over as the chin and
breaft of fome perfons.

‘

-T have the honour to be, &c.

LETT ER* |

/

Eas)

a

fe T TER“ XxXa

Voyage to the River St. Jofeph. Obfervations WD
refpet to the Rivers which fall into Lake Mi- ie
chigan on the eaftern Side. Of Father Marquette’s
river, and of the Origin of this Name. Of the e
- Games of the Indians. Some particulars of the Cha-
ratter of thefe Nations.

River St. Fofeph, Auguft 16, 1721.
Madam,

T was eight days*yefterday fince I arrived at this
poft, here we have a miffion, and where there eae
isa commandant with a {mall garrifon. The com- wea
‘mandant’s houfe, which is But! a very forry one, is Boe
called the fort, from its being furrounded with an
indifferent pallifado, which is pretty near the cafe
in all the reft, except the forts Chambly and Cataro-
cotly, which are real fortrefics. There are how-
ever in almoft every one of them fome few can--
- nons or pateraroes, which in cafe of neceffity are fuf-

ficient to hinder a furprize and to keep the Indians
in oa

.*. ; | We

\

Pd

( 94 ie
We have here two villages of Indians, oné Ker

the Miamis and the other of the Poutewatamies, |
both of them moftly Chriftians ; but’ as they have.

been for a long time without any paftors, the mif-

fionary who has lately been fent them, will have

no fmall difficulty in bringing them back to the
exercile of their religion. “The river of St. Jofeph

comes from the fouth- eaft, and difcharges itfelf in-

to the bottom of lake Michigan, the eaftcrn fhore
of which is a hundred leagues i in length, and which
you are obliged to fail along before you come to the
entry of this river. You afterward, fail up twenty
leagues in it before you reach the fort, which nas
vigation requires great precautions; becaufe when
the wind is large, that is to fay wefterly, which
frequently prevails here, the waves extend the
whole length of the lake. There is alfo good
ground to believe, that the great number of rivers
which difcharge themfelves into the lake on the

eaftern fide, contribute much by the fhock of their
currents againft the waves to render this voyage
dangerous : : what is certain is, that there are few
places in all Canada where there are more fhip-

off.

On the firft of Avguft, after having croffed un-
der fail a bay which is thirty leagues in depth, I
left on my right Jes if/les de Cafior, or Beaver
iflands, which feem to me very well wooded; and fome

/

wrecks. But I return to my journal whee i left

leagues farther on the left, I perceived on a fandy —

eminence a kind of grove or thicket, which when

you are abreaft of it, has the figure of an animal.

lying down: the French call this the Sleeping, and
the Indians'the Couching Bear. I advanced twenty
leagues this day ,; and encamped i in a little ifland,

which lies in 44 deg. 30 min, north latitude, be-

ing

{ 95 }

‘ing nearly under the fame parallel with Montreal.

From the entry of the. lake Michigan as far as this
ifland, the coaft is very fandy ; - but after you have
got ever fo fmall a diftance up the country it appears
extremely beautiful, at leaft if we may judge of it
by the magnificent forefts with which it is covered.
It is befides extremely well watered and we made
not a fingle league without difcovering either fome
large rivulet or fine river; and the more you ad-
vance to the fouth the larger the rivers, and they
likewife come from)a greater diftance, the peninfula
which feparates lake Michigan from lake Huron,
growing broader in proportion as you advance to-
wards the fouth. Moft part however of thefe ri-
vers are but of an indifferent breadth, and have no

great depth at their mouth. There is one fingular cir-

cumftance attends them which is, that almoft im-
mediately after you have entered them, you meet
with lakes of two, three, or four leagues in circuit ;
which comes no doubt from the great quantity of
fand which they carry down with them; thefe
fands being driven back by the waves of the lake,
which come almoft conftantly from the weft, gather
in heaps at the mouth of the rivers, the waters of
which are ftopt by thefe dykes which they with dif-
ficulty get paft, and fo by degrees hollow out thefe
lakes or pools, which hinder the country from be-
ing laid under water, on the melting of the fnows.

On the 3d I entered the river of Father Mar-
quette, in order to examine whether what I had been
told of it was true. This is at firft entring it, no
more than a brook ;, but fifteen paces higher you
enter a lake which is near two leagues in circuit.
In order to make way for its difcharge into lake
Michigan, one would imagine that a great Hum-
mock which you leave on the left as you enter, had

been

been dug fioubin and on the right the chit is
very low for the fpace of a good mufket- fhot, af="
terwards all of a fudden it “rifes toa very great
height.’ Ic had actually been reprefented to me as
fuch, and on that head, the following is the con-

ftant tradition of all our travellers, and what anci-
‘ent miffionaries have told me. ;

Father Jofeph Marquette, a native of Lab in
Picardy, where his family ftill maintains a diftin-

guifhed rank, was one of the moft illuftrious mif-
fionaries of New-France. This perfon travelled

over almoft all the countries in it, and made feve-
ral important difcoveries, the laft of which was that.

of the Miffifippi, which he entered with the Sieur

Joliet in 1673. Two years after this difcovery, an
account of which he has publithed, as he was go-

ing from Chicagou, which is at the bottom of

lake Michigan, to Michillimakinac, he entered

‘onthe 18th day of May 1675 the river in queftion,

the mouth of which was then at the extremity of
the low ground, which as I have already taken
notice, you leave on the right hand as you enter.
Here he erected his altar and faid mafs. He went
afterwards to a {mall diftance in order to render
thanks, and begged the two men that conducted his
canoe to leave him alone for half an hour. This
time having paft they went to feex him, and were
{urprized to find him dead ; they called to mind
however, that on entering the river he had let drop
an expreffion that he fhould end his days at this

ene :

However, ' as it was too far to carry it body
from thence to Michillimakinac, they buried him
near the bank of the river, which from that time

has retired by degrees, as out of refpeé& to his re- _
| mains,

~

Ri re
mains, as far as the cape, the foot of which it now
wafhes, and where it has opened itfelf a new paf-
fage. The year following, one of the perfons who
had paid the laft offices to this fervant of God,
returned to the place where they had buried him,
took what remained of him, and carried it to Mi-
chillimakinac. Ihave not been able to learn, or

elfe I have forgot, the name this river formerly
bore: but at this day the Indians always call it,

the river of the black robe, for thus the Indians _
term the jefuits. They call the fecular clergy
_ White-bands as they do the recollets Grey-gowns.
The French call this river Father Marquette’s ri-

ver, and never fail to call upon him when they are

in any danger on lake Michigan. Several of them

have affirmed, that they believed themfelves in-

debted to his interceffion for having efcaped very

great dangers.

T advanced three leacues farther that day, and
and pitched my camp at the mouth of the river
St. Nicholas, on the banks of a fine lake, longer
but not quite fo broad as the former. I found

Here great numbers of red and white pines, the

fatter of which have the rougheft bark, but the

_ ‘wood of them is the better of the two, and from it

ifflues a gum of tolerable finenefs; the former
-have a fmoother bark but the wood is heavier:
from thefe is drawn the tar of which is made the
beft fort of pitch. I hada pleafant enough voyage -

as far as the river St. Jofeph, which I entered
very late on the 6th or very early on the yth, for

“it was about midnight when we arrived at this
place; having taken two full hours reft on the
banks of the lake of the Black River, which is
- eight leagues diftant from it, and where there

" grows much of the root called gingfeng.

| Vou, ve H | The

“Sete

vege ae

_ The river of St. Jofeph has more than an hun-
dred leagues of courfe, its fource being at no great
‘diftance from lake Erie; it is navigable for four-
{core leagues, and on the 25th as I was failing up to-
wards the fort, I faw nothing but excellent lands co-
vered with trees of a prodigious height, under
which there grows in fome places very fine capil-
laire. I was two days in getting hither, but on
the evening of the firft day I run a very great rifque
of putting an end to all my travels; I was taken
for a bear, and had very near been killed on this
footing by one of my conductors: it happened in
this manner. | Mi

After fupper and prayers were over, it being very
not, I went to take a walk along the banks of the ©
river. A fpaniel which followed me wherever I
‘went, happened to plunge into the water in queft
of fomething I had thrown into it without thinking; |
my people who believed me retired to reft, and the
more fo as it was very late and the night dark,
hearing the noife this creature made, took it into
their head, that it was a roebuck f{wimming acrofs
the river, two of them immediately fet out with
their mufkets loaded ; by good luck for me, one
of the two who was a hair-brained fellow was
called back by the reft for fear he fhould caufe
them mifs their prey, but his hair-brainednefs

might very eafily have caufed him not to mifs
me. |

The other advancing flowly perceived me at
the diftance of twenty paces from him, and made
no doubt that: it was a bear ftanding on its hind
legs, as thefe animals always do on their hearing
any noife. With this notion the hunt{man cocks
his piece in which he had put. three balls, and

couching

‘\ —

iC oe. 2

L"

eouching clofe to the ground, approached me as

foftly as poflible. He was juft going to fire, when
I likewife began to think I faw fomewhat, but

without being able to diftinguifh what it was. As

‘Tcould not doubt however that this muft be fome
of my people | afked him whether he took me for
a bear; he made no anfwer, and when I came up
to him I found him quite fpeechlefs, and like a per-
fon feized with horror at the thoughts of what he
was going to do. His comrades afterwards told me
all that had happened.

The river St. Jofeph is fo commodious for the
commerce of all parts of Canada, that it is no won-
der it has always been much frequented by the In-
dians. Befides it waters an extreme fertile country,
but this is not what thefe people efteem it moft for.
It is even great pity to give them good lands;
which they either make no ufe of at all, or foon

‘run out by fowing maize on them. The Mafcou-

tins had not long fince a fettlement on this river,
but have returned back to their own country which

is faid to be ftill finer than this. "Fhe Poutewata-

mies have occupied fucceffively feveral pofts here
where they ftill are; their village is on the fame
fide with the fort, a little below it and on a very
fine fpot of ground: that of the Miamis is on the
other fide of the river.

. Thefe Indians, who have from the earlieft times
applied themfelves more than others to the ftudy
of medicine, make great account of the root ging-
feng, and are perfuaded that this plant has the
virtue of rendering women fruitful. I do not be-
lieve however that it is for this reafon they have
‘given it the name of defoatchenza which fignifies
achild; it owes this name at leaft amongft.the
. Hy 2 Traquois

acta on od

} (i roe’. et
Lroquois to the figure of its root. Your Grace
has no doubt feen what Father Saffitau who firft
brought it into France, has written of it under the
name Aureliana Canadenfis: it is at leaft in fhape
exactly the fame with that which comes from

China, and which the Chinefe bring from Corea and — |

Tartary. The name they give it, and which fig-

nifies the likene/s of man; “the virtues attributed
to it, and which have been experienced in Canada
by fuch as have ufed it, and the conformity of
the climate * are a ftrong prefumption that
did we only believe it to come from China, it
would be as much efteemed as that which the Chi-
nefe fell us. And perhaps too it owes its little
credit amoneft us, to its growing in a country which

belongs to us, and that it wants the advantage of

being in every refpect a foreign commodity.

Sailing up the river St. Jofeph I remarked fome
trees which I had not feen any where elfe. The
moft fingular of thefe, and which I at firft took for
an afh by its leaves, grows to an extreme thicknefs,

and bears a fort of bean very beautiful to the eye,

but which by being boiled become always harder
and harder, fo that it has been impoffible to make
any ufe of them. ‘The fields round the fort are
covered with faffafras to fuch a degree, that the air
is perfumed withthem. ‘This is nota large tree as
in Carolina but a {mall fhrub creeping almoft on

the ground, and perhaps thefe are only the fhoots —

of the trees which have been cut down in order

to clear the ground round the fort and Indian towns.
_ Here

* ‘The black river is in 4 ky 50 min. that is in the fame
latitude with the place whence the gingfeng of Corea is brought
for the ufe of the emperor of China. Some of it has been fent to
ah and after being prepared_by the Chinefe, has been by

hem#fold as coming from Corea or ‘Tartary. he, this pre-
eg adds nothing to its value.

«

5 ee |
- Here are a great number ‘of fimples which the
Indians are faid to” ufe at a venture, without any
other principle than a few flight experiments, which
lead them fometimes into ‘confiderable miflaics:
for the fame remedies do not always act in the fame
‘manner on every conftitution, even when affected
with the fame diftemper ; but thefe people are in-
capable of, making fuch diftinétions. _ There is
one thing which has always furprized me, and
that is the impenetrable fecrecy which they ob-
ferve with refpect to their fimples, or the little cu-
riofity of the French to acquire the knowledge of
them. If this be not the fault of thefe latter, no-
thing can, in my opinion, be a ftronger proof,
that the Indians do not behold us with pleafure in
their country: but of this we have other proofs
and equally undoubted. It may alfo be, that they
entertain the fame opinion with regard to their
fimples, which we are aflured they hold with re-
{pect to their mines; which is that they would cer-
tainly die; were they to difcover any of them to
ftrangers. |

The Indians of thefe parts are naturally thieves,
_and look upon all they can catch as lawful prize. It
1s however true, that if one difcovers early that he
has loft any thing, it is fufficient to “averlle the
chief of it, and you are fure of recovering it; but
you mutt give this chief more than the value of the
thing, befides which, he always demands fomething
for him who has found i it, who is probably the thief
himfelf. I was inthe fame cafe on the morrow
after my arrival, in which I had not the leaft favour
or indulgence Main me: thefe barbarians will
rather maintain a war than relax ever fo little in
this point.

Cea? ‘r'3 } Some

va}

{ 2°)
Some days afterwards I paid a vifit to the chief
at the Miamis, who had been beforeharid with me ;
this is a tall handfome man but very much disfi-
gured, being without a nofe; I was told that he
~ owed this misfortune to adebauch, As foon as”
he underftood I was coming to vifit him, he went
and placed himfelf in the inner part of his cabbin
in a fort of alcove, where I found him feated crofs-
legged in the manner of the orientals. He ‘faid

{carce any thing to me, and feemed to affect a -

haughty fort of gravity, which he fupported very
ill; this is the firft Indian chief I have ever feen
to obferve this ceremony ; but I was told that I
muft repay him in kind, if I would not be
defpifed by.him,

On this day the Poutewatamies came to play at
the game of ftraws, againft the Miamis; the game
was played in the cabbin of the chief, and in a
fort of {quare over againft it. Thefe ftraws are
fmall ruthes of the thicknefs of a ftalk of wheat
and two fingers in length, ‘They take up a parcel
of thefe in their hand, which generally confifts of
two hundred and one, and always of an unequal
number. After they have well ftirred them, and
making a thoufand contortions of body and in-
voking the genii, they divide them, with a kind
of awl or fharp bone into parcels of ten: each

takes one ata venture, and he to whom the parcel

with eleven in it falls gains a certain number of
paints according to the agreernent: fixty or four
{core make a Bays

There are other ways of playing this game, and
they would have explained them to me, but I could
underftand nothing of the matter, except that the
number nine gained the whole party. They Mi

to

a}
x
;
;
4
;

— =
So

Gig) /
told me, that there was as much of art as chance in
this game, and that the Indians are great cheats
at it, as well as at all others; that they are fo ea-
ger at it, as to fpend whole days and nights at it;
and that fometimes they do not give over playing
till they have ftript themfelves naked and have no-
thing more to Jofe. They have another kind of
game, which excites no ftrong defire of gain.

This is for pure diverfion only, but is almoft al- -

ways attended with fatal confequences with refpect

to their morals. At night fall feveral pofts are ~

erected, in a round form, in the middle of fome,
great cabbin; in the midft of all are the inftru-
ments, on each poft is fixed a packet of down, of
which there muft be fome of every colour. The
young people of both fexes promifcuocfly dance
round the pofts, the girls having alfo fome down
of the colour which they love: from time to time

a young man goes out from the reft, and takes
from’ a poft fome down, of the colour which he
knows is agreeable to his miftrefs, places it upon
her head, dances round her, and by a certain fig-
nal gives her to underftand fome place of affigna-
tion. The dance ended, the feaft begins and lafts
the whole day Jong, in the evening all the com-
pany retire, when the girls manage matters with
fo much addrefs, that in fpite of the vigilance
of their mothers they reach the place of rendez-
vous.

The Miamis have alfo two other games; the firft
of which is called the game of the crofs, This

is played with a ball and crooked fticks, ending»

like a fort of racket. Two pofts are erected
which ferve as limits, and which are diftant from
each other in proportion to the number of the play-
ers, As for inftance, if there are fourfcore players,

: ne hy os the

\

——

MATE ais are eee Pe Rats Be

\

*

: ct ae” ) |
the diftance between the pofts is half a league.
The players are divided into two companies who
have each their own poft, and the bufinefs is to
tofs the ball to that of the oppofite party, without
fuffering it to fall to the ground or without touch-
ing it with the hand; for if either happen the
party is loft; at leaft except he who is in the fault
can repair it, by driving the ball to the end with
one fingle ftroke, which is often impoffible. Thefe
. Indians are fo dexterous at catching the ball with

their crofiees, that fometimes -a party lafts feveral

days running.

The fecond game is pretty much like this, biit

not fo dangerous. Two boundaries are marked

out as in the firft, and the players eccupy all the

_ fpace which is between the two. He who is to be-

gin toffes a ball up into the air, as nearly perpen-
dicular as poffible, to the end he may catch it again

with the greater eafe, in order to throw it toward:
the boundary. All the reft ftand ready with theit
hands lifted, and he who catches the ball ‘either
performs the fame thing, or throws it to fome one
of his own company, whom he judges more alert
and dexterous than himfelf ,; for in order to win the
_ party the ball muft never be fuffered to fall into the
hands of any of the adverfaries, before it reaches
the boundary. The women alfo play at this

came, but this rarely happens; their companies
connie of four or five, and the firft who Jets fall the
ball lofes the party. — )

_ The Poutewatamies have here a chief and an ora-
tor, who are perfons of worth. The firft who 1s
called Piremonis upwards of fixty, very prudent
in his “coat and capable of giving very good
ddvicé; the fecond whofe n name is ”Wilamek ‘is

| fomewhat

1

‘

ae as AN Rallies :
fomewhat younger; this perfon is a Chriftian and
well inftruéted, but makes no exercife of his reli-
gion. One day as I reproached him for it, he left
me abrubtly, went directly to the chapel, and faid
his prayers with fo audible a voice, that we could
hear him at the miffionary’s. You can fcarce any
where meet with a more fenfible man or a better
fpeaker ; and befides he is of a very amiable cha-
rater and fincerely attached to the French. Pire-
mon is no lefs fo, and I heard both of them
fpeak in a council held at the commandant’s
where they faid a great many very fine things to”
us.

Several Indians of the two nations fettled upon
this river, are Juft arrived from the Englifh colo-
nies, whither they had been to fell their furs, and
from whence they have brought back in return a
great quantity of fpirituous liquors. The diftribu-
tion of it is made in the ufual manner ; that is to
fay, a certain number of perfons have daily deliver-
ed to each of them a quantity fufficient to get
drunk with, fo that the whole has been drank up
in eight days. ‘They began to drink in both vil-
lages, as foon as the fun was down, and every night
the fields echoed with the moft hideous howlings.
One would have thought that a gang of devils had
broke loofe from hell, or that the two towns had
_ been cutting one another’s throats. ‘There were
two men maimed, one of whom I met, who had
broke his arm with a fall; Itold him he would
certainly take care to keep fober another time: he
anfwered, that what had happened was nothing at
all; and that he fhould very foon be well again,
and would fall to drinking as foon as he could
get wherewithal, :
“nn “Your

( 106 )

. Your Grace -may. from thence. judge, what a_

pi ie iS, capable of doing in midft of this
diforder, and how difagreeable it muft be to a good
man; who has ina manner exiled himfelf, in order
to gain fouls to God, to be obliged to become a
witnefs of it, without being able to remedy it.
Thefe barbarians themfelves well know, that drun-
kennefs is their. ruin and deftru@tion; but when one
goes about to perfuade them, that they ought of
themfelvcs to requeft that no more of this deftruc-
tive beverage fhould -be fold them, they anfwer you
cooly Tt is you. who have accuftomed us to

‘© it, we are now no longer able to difpenfe with -

-¢ the want of it, and fhowld you refule to give
¢¢ us any, we fhould certainly,go to the. Englith

« for it. -This liquor kills and deftroys us we con- |
** fefs, but it ‘Is to you we owe this, mifchief which

‘¢ is now paft remedy.” It is, however, without
juft grounds that they blame us alone; for had it
not been for the Englith, I do believe it poffible to

have put an end to ‘this commerce in the colony,

or.at leaft to have reduced it to its juft limits ; it
will perhaps very foon be neceffary to permit the
French to carry on this traffick, taking the proper
meafures to hinver the abufe of it; and the more,
as the Englifh fpirituous liquors are much more
mifchievous than ours. . | -
A diforder which attacks the morals never goes
alone; it is always either the caufe or the effect of
feveral others. The Indians before they fell into this
vice, if we except war which they have always car-
ried on in a barbarous and inhuman manner, had
nothing to trouble their happinefs; drunkennefs
has rendered them interefted, and has deftroyed
all the {weets, whether of domeftick and pubiick
3 eye

(107 )

However, as they are only affected a the
a fent object, the evils which this paffion has oc-
cafioned are not yet become habitual; thefe are
ftorms which. foon blow over, and whereof the
good-nature and tranquillity of mind they are
endowed with, take,away almoft the very remem-

brance.

It muft be confeffed that their way of life Gate i
at firft glance very rude, but befides that nothing
is hard in this refpect but by comparifon, and
that habit is a fecond nature, the liberty they en-
joy, compenfates fufficiently the lofs of thofe con-
veniencies of which they are deprived. What we
fee every day in fome who are beggars by profef-
fion, and in fome peafants, furnifhes a fenfible
proof, that happinefs may be found even in the
‘hofom of indigence. Now the Indians are ftill
more really fo; firft, becaufe they believe them-
felves fo; inthe fecond place, as being in peaceable ©
pofleffion of the moft invaluable gift of nature;
laftly, from their being utterly ignorant of, and
without fo much as the defire of knowing thofe
falfe goods which we fo much admire, which we

purchafe at the expence of real ones, and which we
fo little enjoy.

In fact a thing in which they are more eftimable
and ought to be looked upon as true philofophers
1S, chat the fight of all our conveniencies, riches,
and magnificence affects them fo little, and that
they have found out the art of eafily difpenfing
with them. Some Iroquois who went to Paris
in 1666, and who after being fhown all the royal
houfes, and all the fine things of that great city, .
admired nothing in it; and “would have preferred |
their villages to the capital of the moft flourifhing ©
kingdom
; :

santo a geet aseee™

Ce y:

niciailin in Europe, had they not feen the ‘eee
De us Huchette, where the cook’s fhops, in which
they found aconftant fupply of all forts of eatables,
pleafed them highly. )

Nor can we in juftice fay, that what makes them
fo fond of their own way of living is their not be-
ing acquainted with the charms of ours. A good
rumber of Frenchmen have tried their way of life, .
and were fo pleafed with» it, that feveral of
them, though they could have lived very com-
fortably in the colony, could never be prevailed
upon to return to it; on the contrary, there never
was fo much as a fingle Indian that could be
brought to relifh our way of living. Children
have been taken even in. their {wadling clothes,

_and have been brought up with a great deal of —

care; nothing has been omitted to hinder them
from the knowledge of what might pafs at home

with their parents: all thefe precautions have

been fruitlefs, the force of blood having ever got
the better of education: the moment ‘they have -
found themfelves at liberty, they have torn their _
clothes to pieces, and have gone acrofs the woods —
in queft’ of their countrymen, whole way of living
feemed Preferable to ours. :

An eacuitie called a Plaque, and the * iy
perfon, who by faving his father’s life at an en-
gagement, thought i elt freed from all oblt-
gations to him, lived among the French for fe-
veral years. He was even made a lieutenant in
our army, in. order to induce him to remain.
with us, as he was a very brave man. He could
not however hold out, and returned to his own

nation, itis away with him only our vices,
without

{

~

( /40g. }

. ‘without correcting any of thofé he had brought

along» with him. He was fund of women to

“diftra&tion.. He was handfome, and his bravery

and his warlike feats, made him much taken no-
tice of, -he had alfo a fprightly wit, and was of a
very engaging behaviour; he debauched many of
his countrywomen, and carried his irregularities to |
fuch a height, that it was debated in the council of

his own canton, whether they fhould not difpatch -

him. » It was however carried by a plurality of
Waites, that he fhould be fuffered to live; becaufe
that being of diftinguifhed valour, he would people

me country with suRaies warriors.

The care which the mothers take of their chil-
dren, whilft they are ftill in the cradle is beyond
all expreffion, and proves in a very fenfible man-
ner, that we often fpoil all, by the refle€tions

which we add to the digtates of fimple nature.
“They never leave them, they carry them every

’ where about with them; and even when they

\

are ready to fink under the burthen with which
they load themfelves, the cradle of the child is
held for nothing: and one would even think, that .
this additional weight were an eafe to them and
rendered them more agile.

' Nothing can be neater than thefe cradles in

“which the child lies as commodioufly and foftly as

pofible. But the infant is only made faft from
the middle downwards: fo that when the cradle
is upright, the little creatures have their head
and the half of the body hanging down; we
Europeans would imagine, that a child left in
this condition would oe entirely decrepid ;

but

(110 ) co
but quite the contrary happens, this pofture rens
dering the body fupple; and they are in fact of a
port and ftature, which the handfomeft among -
us might look upon with envy. What can:
we oppofe to fo general an experience? But

what I am going to tell. you is not fo eafily jufti-
Rede." |

There are nations in this continent called flat-
heads, and which have, in fact, their fore-head
very flat; and the crown of their head fomewhat
raifed. This conformation is not the work ef na-
ture but of their mothers, who give it to their _ ©
children gradually from their birth. In order to ~
this, they apply upon the forehead and back part
of the head, two mafles of clay or of fome other ~
heavy matter, which they prefs together by de-

_ grees, till the cranium has taken the form they
have a mind to give it. It appears that this ope-
ration caufes the. children to fuffer a great deal, as ,
there is a thick and a whitifh matter which proceeds
from their noftrils: but neither this circumftance
nor the cries of the little innocents alarm the .
mothers, who are above all things defirous of
procuring them this point of beauty which they
conceive indifpenfably neceflary.. Quite the con-
trary happens among certain Algonquins, whom
we have thought fit to call Zetes de Boule, or
Roundheads, and of whom I have already ta-
ken notice, they making their chief beauty to —
confift in having heads perfectly round, and the
mothers likewife begin very early to give them
this form. I was willing, Madam, to make ufe
of the leifure my ftay in this place affords me,
which will perhaps be longer than I am defirous
| it

( rir )

it thould be, in order to finith all I had to fay on

this fubject, but fome unexpected difficulties and
the fudden departure of a traveller, who is re-

turning to the colony, oblige me to interrupt
‘this account which I fhall refume as foon as

°

of-
ae | .

Iam, &c.,

LETTER

ut aa

oe TER MXIT.

_ Sequel of the Charafer of the Indians and of their

Manner of living.

River St. Fofeph, Auguft 8, 1721:
Madam, | fi

Refume the fequel of my memoirs where [I le‘t

off. You may perhaps find fault with me for
my want of order, but one may at leaft pardon
in a relation what is admired in an ode; that
which in a lyric poet is the effect of art, is the ef-
fect of neceffity in a traveller, who can only re-
Jate things in proportion as he is informed of them,
and who is obliged to write what is then paffing
before his eyes for fear of forgetting it. The
children of the Indians after leaving off the ufe of
the cradle, are under no fort of confinement, and
as foon as they are able to craw! about on hands
and feet, are fuftered to go ftark naked where-
ever they have a mind, through woods, water,

mire and fnow; which gives them ftreneth and
agility, and fortifies them againft the injuries of

the air and weather ; but this conduét, as I have al-
ready remarked, occafions weaknefles in the ftomach
and breaft, which deftroy their conftitution very
early. In the fummer time they run the moment

i | ae I -they

‘

( 114.)
they get up to the next river or lake, where they re-_
main a great part of the day playing, in the fame
manner we {ce fifhes do in good weather, near the 7
furface of thé water. Nothing is more proper’
than this exercife to render the “body active.

They take care likewife to put.the bow and arrow
into their hands betimes; and in order to excite in
them that emulation which is the beft miftrefs of
the arts, there is no neceflity of placing their break-
faft on the top of a tree, as was formerly, dene to
the Lacedemonian youth; they are all born with
fo {trong a paffion for glory, as to have no need of
afpur; thus they fhoot their arrows with wonder-
ful exactnefs, and it {earce cofts them any trouble
tO arrive at a like dexterity in the ufe of our fire-
arms. They alfo caufe them wreltle together, and | 4
fo keen are they in this exercife, that they would
often kill one another, were they not feparated in
time; thofe who come off with the worft,..are fo
mortified at it that they can never be: at nel ll
Ehby hive had their revenge.

We may im general fay, that fathers and pi
neglect nothing, in order to infpire their children
with certain principles of honour which they pre-
ferve their whole lives, but. which are often ill
enough applied; and in this confifts all the edu»
cation that is given them. They take care always
to communicate their inftructions on this) head,
in an indirect manner. The maft common: way Is
by rehearfing to them the famous exploits of their
anceftors or countrymen: the youth take fire at.
thefe recitals, and figh for an opportunity of imi-
tating what they have thus been made to admire,
Sometimes in order to correct their faults they em=
ploy tears andentreaties, but never threats; thefe.
yn would

inet sa)?
would make no manner of impreffion on minds”
which have imbibed this prejudice, that no one
whatever has a right to force oat to any
thing. |
oA potter on fecing her daughter behave ill
burits into tears ; and upon the! other’s afking
her the caufe of it, all the anfwer fhe makes is,
Thou difhonoureftt me. It feldom happens that
this fort of reproof fails of being efficacious: Not-
withftanding, fince they have had a more frequent
Gommerce with the French, fome of them begin to
chaftife their children, but this happens only among
thofe that are Chriftians, or fuch as are fettled in
the colony. Generally the greateft’ punifhment
which the Indians make ufe of in chaftifing their
children, is by throwing a little water in their face ;
the children are very fenfible of this, and in gene-
ral of every thing that looks like reproof, which

is owing to this, ‘that pride 1 is the ftrongeft paflion
at this z age. 7

Young girls have been known to ftrangle them-
felves for a 1 flicht reprimand from their mothers, or
for having a few drops of water thrown in heir
face, warning them of what was going to happen
in'fuch words as thele, You fhall not have a daugh-
ter long to ufe fo. The greateft evil in this fort of
édueation, is that what they exhort young people
to is not alway virtue, or that what comes. nearly
to the fame thing, that the ideas they give them
of it are not juft. In fact, nothing is fo much in-
ftilled into them, whether by precept or example,
as an implacable defire of revenge.

Tt would feem, Maitaics that a childhood fo ill
eae iat fhould be followed by a very diffolute

i 3 and

(4 TEGO) > |
and turbulent ftate of youth; but on one hand»
the Indians are naturally quiet and betimes matters.
‘of themfelves, and are likewife more under the
euidance of reafon than other men; and on the
other hand, their natural difpofition, efpecially in
the northern nations, dees not incline them to de-
bauchery. They however have fome ufages in’
which no fort of regard is paid to modefty; but
it appears that in this, fuperftition has a much
greater fhare than a depravation of heart.

The Hurons when we firft began to frequent
them were more lafcivious as well as more brutal
in their pleafures. For young people of both fexes —
abandoned themfelves, without either fhame or re-
morfe, to all kinds of diffolutenefs, and it was
chiefly amangft thefe that it was thought no
crime in a girl to profticute herfelf; their parents
were the firft to engage them in this vice, and
hufbands were feen to proftitute their wives for
vile intereft. Several of them never married, but
took women to ferve them to .ufe their own ex-
preffian as companions, and the only difference
they reckoned between thefe concubines and their
Jawful fpoufes, was in their being free fram any
engagement with the former; befides, their chil-
dren were on the fame footing with the others,
which eccafioned no fort. of inconvenience in a
country where there was nothing to inherit,

The nations in thefe parts are not diftinguilh-
ed by their habit: the men in hot weather
have often no garment, except a fhirt: In win;
ter they wear more or fewer cloaths, in propor-
tian to the climate. They wear on their feet a
fort of focks, made of deer-fkin dred in the

; {fmoke

Mink, yy

| Gar.)

fmoke ; their hofe are alfo of fkins or pieces of
{tuff wrapped round the leg. A wailtcoat of

fkins covers their bodies down to their middle,

over which they wear a covering when they can_
get it; if not they wear a robe of bear-fkin or of

jeveral fkins of beavers, otters, or other fuch like

furs, with the hairy fide inwards. The woman’s

boddices reach down to a little above the knee,

and when they travel they cover the head with

their coverings or robes. I have feen feverals who

wore little bonnets, made in the manner of leather

caps ; others of them wear a fort of cowl, which is

fewed to their vefts or boddices, and they have

alfo a piece of ftuff or fkin which ferves them for

a petticoat, and which covers them from the mid-

dle down to the mid-leg.

They are all very fond of fhirts, which they ne-
ver wear under their vefts till they become dirty,
and never put them off, till they fall of with rot-
tennefs, they never giving themfelves the trouble
to wafh them. Their tunicks or vefts of fkins,
are commonly dried in the fmoke like their focks,
that is, they are fuffered to be fully penetrated
with it, when they rub them till they are capable
of being wathed like linnen. They alfo drefs them
by fteeping them in water, and afterwards rub
them between their hands till they become dry and
pliant. They are, however, much fonder of our
ituffs and coverings, which they efteem much more
commodious.

Several of them paint themfelves, as the'Pidts did
formerly, over the whole body: others in fome
parts only. This is not confidered by them as
purely ornamental ; they find it, likewife as is faid, |
ef great ule to them: it contributes much to de- \
| I 3 rete fend)

ee ee

Co rg8 s)
fend them front the cold and wet, and faves them fr rom
the perfectition of the gnats. It is however only in

the countries ero) by the Englith, and efpecially

in Virginia, that the cuftom of painting themfelves
all over is very common. In New-France moft
are fatisfied with making a few figures of birds,
ferpents, or other animals, and even foliage or the
like, without any order or fymmetry, and r often on
the face, and fometimes on the eye-lids, according
to the caprice of the perfon. Many of the women
too caufe themfelves to be painted over the jaw-
bone, in order to prevent the tooth-ach.

This operation which is done by pricking the
parts, is not painful in itfelf; it is done in this
manner: they begin with tracing on the fkin af-
ter it is well {tretched, the figure they have a mind
to paint on. it. They afterwards prick withthe
bone of a ftfh or with needles, a'l thefe traces even
till the blood comes, afterwards they rub it over
with charcoal and other colours well pulverized.
Thefe powders infinuate themfelves under the fkin,
fo that the colours are never effaced. But in fome
time after the fkin fwells, when there arifes a tet-
ter accompanied with an inflammation: this 1s
commonly followed by a fever, and if the weather
proves hot, or if the. operation has been pufhed
too far, the life of the patient is endangered.

The colour with which they paint their faces,

and the ereafe with which they rub the whole body,
produce the fame advantages, and in the opinion

of the Indians, contribute. as much to the beauty
and comelinefs of the perfon as the pricking. The
warriors paint themfelves when they take the field,

in order to terrify the enemy, and perhaps 00, with
| a

ad

a

95 a ae

a view to 9 hide their own feat, for we muft not be-
lieve them to be entirely exempt from it. Young
perfons do it, in order to conceal their youth, which
makes them lefs efteemed by the old foldiers,
or their palenefs after fome difeafe which they
* would be afraid would be taken for the effect of
their want of courage. ‘They do it likewife in or-
der to improve their good looks; in which cafe
the colours are more lively and in greater variety :
they alfo paint the prifoners who are condemned
to die, for what realon I know not; this is per-
haps done to adorn the victim who is about to be
Aacrificed to the god of war. Jaftly, they paint
dead perfons and “expofe them covered with their
- fineft robes, and this, no doubt, that they may
conceal the dead palenefs which dishgures them.

The colours made ufe of on thefe occafions are
the fame employed in dying their fkins, and are
drawn from certain earths and from the barks of
trees. Thefe are not very lively, but are very dif-
ficult to efface. The men add to thefe ornaments
fome down of fwans or other birds, which they {cat-
ter over their hair, which is befmeared with fat, by
way of powder. To this they add feathers of all
| colours, and tufts of hair of different animals, all
placed in a very grotefque manner. The difpofi-
tion of their hair fometimes briftling on one fide
and lying flat.on the other, or drefied i in a thoufand
_odd ways; with pendants in their ears and fome-
times in their noftrils, a large fheil of porcelain
hanging from their neck or on their breaft, crowns
of feathers, with the claws, talons.or heads.of birds
of prey, fmall deer horns; all thefe are fo many
effential articles in their drefs. But whatever is of
_ an extraordinary value, , is always - employed in’ a-
_ dorning their captives, when thefe wretches make
| 4. their

PaO 2)
their firft entry into the village of the conquero
It is to be remarked, that the men take no care to
adorn any part but the head. Quite the reverfe
happens with the women. ‘They fcarce ufe any
drefs on their heads at all; only they are very
jealous of. their hair and would think themfelves
difhonoured forever, were it to be cut. Thus,
when ‘at the death of their relations they cut off

part of the hair, they pretend to fhew by this act —
the moft extreme grief they are capable of. In

order to preferve this ornament of the head
they rub it often with fat, powder it with the bark
of a certain tree, and fomiettaaeee with vermilion,

then wrap it in the {kin of an eel or ferpent, by way
of locks, which are plaited in form of a chain, and
which hang down to their middle. As to the
face, they content themfelves with drawing a few
lines-on it with vermilion or other colours,

Their noftrils are never bored, and it is only
among fome nations that their ears are fo. When
this is the cafe, they infert in them, or hang to
them, as well as the men, beads of porcelain.
When they are in their fineft drefs they wear robes
on which are painted all forts of figures, {mall col-
Jars of porcelain, without any great order or fym-
metry, and a kind of border tolerably well worked

with the hair of the porcupine, which they alfo paint
with different colours. They adorn in the fame

manner their children’s cradles, and over the ex-

tremity towards the head, they fix’a femicircle

or two of cedar, that they may cover the child
without incommoding its head.

Befides, the care of houfhold affairs and making
- the neceffary provifion of wood, the women are like-
wife alone charged with-the culture of the fields ;

as

“

terwards tranfplanted,

j en
| | Coe s')<

as foon as the fnows are melted and the water fuf-
ficiently drained off, they begin with preparing the
ground, which is done by ftirring it flightly with a

crooked piece of wood, the handle of which is very
long, after having fet fire ‘to the dried ftalks of

of their maize and other herbs which have remain-
ed fince the Jaft harveft. Befides that, thofe forts

of grain which are cultivated by thefe people are all
-fummer corn, they pretend that the nature of the

foil of this country, will not permit them to fow

any thing before the winter. But I believe that the
true reafon why corn would not fprout, if it were

to be fown in autumn, is either that it would {poil
during the winter, or would rot on the melting of

thefnows. It may alfo be, and itis the opinion of
feveral perfons, that the corn which is fown in Ca-

nada, though originally come from France, has
contracted, through length of time, the nature and
properties of fummer corn, whichis not ftrong

enough to fprout feveral times, as it happens to

fuch forts of grain as we fow in September and

October.

Beans or rather Caravanches are fown with maize,
the ftalk of which ferves for a fupport to them ;
I think I remember to have been told, that it is

from us the Indians received this fort of pulfe,

which they hold in great efteem, and which, in

fact, differs nothing from ours. But what I am

furprized at is, that they make little or no ufe of
our peas, which have acquired in the foil of Cana-
da a degree of excellence, much fuperior to what
they have in Europe. ‘Turnfoles, water melons,
and pompions, are firft raifed in a hot-bed and af-

Tha |

4 abarhas |

» ~

Mm yeas 4)

‘The women commonly affilt one another imtheir
Jabour in the fields, and when reaping time. comes,
_they have fometimes recourfe to the men, who then

condefcend to put their hands to. work. nape
whole concludes with a feftival and with a feaft,
which is. givenin the night. Theircorn and other
fruits are preferved in repofitories which they dig

in the ground, and which are lined with large

pieces of bark. Some of them Jeave the maize in
the ear, which is tufted like qur onions, and hang
them on long poles over the entry. of their cabins.
Others threfh it out and Jay it up.in large bafkets
of bark, bored on all fides to hinder it from heat-
ing. But when they are obliged to be from home
for any time, or when they apprehend, fome ir-
ruption of the enemy, they make great. conceal-
ments under ground, where thefe fort ts of grain are
exceeding well preferved.

In the northern parts they fow little, and in feve-
ral places none at all, but purchafe maize by way
of exchange for other commodities. This fort of
pulfe is very wholefome, nourifhing, and light upon
the ftomach... The way in which our FE rench 1 Canadi-
an travellers commonly drefs it, is to boil i it a little in
a fort of lye. In this ftate it keeps along time; they
commonly make their provifion of it for long jour-

neys, and compleat the drefling of ic as they. want

it, by boiling it in water or in broth, if they can
get any, with a little faltalong with it. 4,4

This is no difagreeable eating “but many are of
opinion, that the too conftant ule of it; is prejudicial
to the health, the lye giving it a corrofive quality,
the effets of which become. fenfible after :
_time. When the Maize isin the ear and ftill green,

fome roaft it on the coals, in which way it has an ex-_
cellent”

'

(C423, »)

, cellent flavour. They commonly regale ftrangers
with this difh. They alfo fend it in fome places to
‘perfons of diftinGtion who arrive in their village,
much in the fame manner as they prefent the free-
dom of a city in France.

-_Laftly, it is of this pulfe the Sagamity is made,
which i is the moft common food of the Indians, In
order to this they begin with roafting it, they af-
terwards bruife it, feparate it from the hufk and
‘then make it into a fort of pap, which is infipid
when without meat or prunes to give it a relifh.
It is fometimes made into meal, called here. farine
froide, and is the moft commodious and beft pro-.
vifion for a journey; and fuch perfons as walk
on foot can carry no other. ‘They alfo boil the
maize in the ear whilft it is ftill tender, they after-
wards roaft it a little, then feparate it from the ear
and lay it to dry in the fun: this will keep a long

time, and the fagamity made of it has an excellent
flavour.

The detail of thefe difhes is a proof how little
_Gelicate the Indians are in their eating: we fhould
alfo be of opinion that their tafte is very much vi-
tiated, were it poffible to fix this point. They are
above all things fond of fat, which when they can
get, it is the reigning ingredient in all their cooke-
ty: fome pounds of candles in a kettle of faga-
‘mity, makes an excellent difh with them; _ they
even put things’ in it which I dare not NE SG ;

and at which they are furprized to fee us fhock-
ed.

The fouthern nations had no kitchen utenfils,
but fome veffels of earthen ware. In the north
rey made ule of wooden kettles, and made the

‘ ‘Water

i cm Gag t) Pog
water boil by throwing into it red hot pebbles.
Our iron pots are efteemed by both as much more
-commodious than the others, and are the commo-

dity you can promife moft to difpofe cf qu’ckly, >

in trading with Indians. Among the weftern na-
tions they ufe wild oats inftead of maize: this is
likewife very wholcfome, and if Jefs nourifhing,
the hunting of the buffalo which is very plentiful
in thole parts, abundantly compenfates that de-
feét. Amongft the wandering Indians who never
cultivate the ground, the fole refource when their
hunting and fifhing fall fhort, is in a kind of mofs
which grows on certain rocks, and which our
Frenchmen call Trippe de Roches: nothing can be
more infipid than this food, which is even very far
from being fubftantial ; and can at moft keep one
from dying of hunger. . 1 am lefs ftill able to con-
ceive what has, however, been attefted by perfons
worthy of credit, that the Indians eat as a great
dainty a kind of maize, which is laid to rot in
ftanding water as we do hemp, and which is taken
out quite black and flinking. They evenadd, that
fuch as have once taken a liking to this ftrange
difh, do not with their will lofe any of the water
or rather of the dirt that runs from it, and the
fmell of which alone, would be enough to turn
the ftomach of any other perfon. It is probably
neceffity alone which has difcovered this fecret, and
if this does not likewife conftitute all the feafoning
toit, nothing can be a ftronger proof that there is
no difputing of taftes. ;

The Indian women make bread of maize, and
though this is only a mafs of ill kneaded pafte,
without leaven, and baked under the afhes, thefe
people reckon it excellent, and regale their friends
with it; but ic muft be eatcn hot for it will not

: keep

‘@ tog}

; keep cold; fometimes' they mix beans, different’

fruits, oil and fat with ir: one muft have a good
ftomach to digeit fuch dainties.

The Indians make no other ufe of the turnfoles,
but to extract from them an oil with which they

rub themfelves: this is more commonly drawa

from the feeds than from the root of this plant.
This root difrers little from what we call, in France’
topinambours or apples of the earth. Potatoes fo
common jn the iflands and on the continent of South:
America, have been planted with fuccefs in Lout-
fiana. ‘The continual ufe which allthe nations of
Canada made of a kind of tobacco which grows all>
ever this country, has given occafion to fome tra-_
vellers to fay that they {wallowed the fmoke of ite
which ferved them for food; but this has fince
been difcovered to be a falfity, and to have no
foundation, except from their having been obfer-
ved to remain a long time without eating. After

ance tafting our tobacco they can no longer endure

their own, and it is very eafy to gratify them in
this point, tobacco growing very well here, and
it is even faid, that by making a proper choice
of the foil, we might raife a moft excellent fort
of it.

The lefer occupations of the women and what
is their common employment in their cabbins, are
the making of thread from the interior pellicles of
the bark of a tree, called white-wood, which they
manufa¢ture nearly as we do hemp. The women
too are their’ dyers: they work alfo at feveral

_ things made of bark, and.make {mall figures with

the hair of the porcupine; they make {mall cups
or other utenfils of wood, they paint and em-
| | broider

/

( 126 )

broider deer -fltins, and cantly knit —_ and oarters

with thé wool of the buffalo

1
fa

As for the men they glory in their idlenets, asd

actually fpend more than ‘half their lives in doing

nothing, froma: perfuafion thatidaily labour’ de-
grades'a man, ‘and that it is only proper for wo-'

men. The proper function of a man, fay they, is
to fith, hunt, and go to war. tis they, however,

who are to make every thing neceflary for thefe

three exercifes : thus’ the making of arms, nets,
and all their hunting and fifhing equipage as well
as their canoes with their rigging, their racquets, or
fnow fhoes, the building and repairing of their cab-
bins, are the office of the men, who notwithftanding
on thefe occafions often make ufe of the affiftance
of the women: » The Chriftians are a little more

induftrious, but never work except by ey ‘ev et
nance.

Thefe people, va we provided them? with
hatchets ‘and other inftruments, were very much at
a lofs in felling their trees, and making them fit for
the ufes they intended them for. They burned
them near the root, and in order to fplit and cut
them into proper lengths, they made ufe of hat~
chets made of flint which never broke, but which
required a prodigious time to fharpen. In order

to fix them in a fhaft, they cut off the top! of i |

young tree, making a flit in it, as if they were go-
ing to graft it; into which flic they inferted the
head of the axe. The tree growing together again
in length of time, ‘held the head of the hatchet’ fo

firm, ‘that ‘it was impoffible for it to gét loofe:

they then cut the tree at the length wig judged
fufficient for the handle. .

Their

pit %

ie
* ‘
Ae
Ds
3
iH
;
Fi

;

(¢ 12, )

Their villages are generally of no regular Sicias —
moft. of our ancient accounts have reprefented them.

ofa round fioure, and perhaps the authors of them
faw none but Gach as were fo. In a word, imagine
to. yourfelf, Madam, a confufed heap of cabbins
placed without any order or defign: fome of them

_ like cart houfes, others like fo many tubs, built of

bark, fupported, by a. few pofts, and fometimes
coarfely plaiftered on the outfide with clay; and,
in fact, built with much lefs art, neatnefs, and fo-
lidity than thofe of the beavers.. Thefe cabbins are
from fifteen to twenty foot broad, and fome-
times a hundred in length. In this cafe they have
feveral fires, each fire ferving for a {pace of thirty
feet,

When the Rane happens not to be large enough

for bedding for.all the perfons in the family, the.

young folks have their beds on akind of loft five or
fix feet from.the ground, and which runs the whole
length of the cabbin; the houfhold furniture and
provifions are placed above that on fhelfs laid crofs-
ways next the, roof. There is commonly before

the entry, a.fort of veftible or lobby where the

youth fleep in the fummer-time, and which ferves
asa repolitory for wood in the winter. . The doors
are only fo many pieces of bark, fufpended from
the. top like the, ports of a fhip. Thefe . cabbins
have neither chimnies nor windows, only there is
Jeft in the middle of the roof an aperture by which
part of the fmoke gets out, and which they are o-
bliged to ftop up, when it rains or fnows, as alfo
to/put out the. fire if they would not be blinded
with {moke,

aT he ladians are more fkilful in erecting their

fortification than in building ahgig houfes; here

you

(x 128)

you fee villages furrounded with a good palifado,

and with redoubts, and they are very careful to’
Jay, in a proper provifion of water and ftones.
Thefe palifadoes are double, and even fometimes
treble, and have generally battlements on the out-
ward circumvallation. ‘The piles of which they
are compofed, are interwoven with branches of
trees, without any void fpace between. This fort
of fortification was fufficient to fuftain a long fiege
whilft the Indians were ignorant of the ufe of fire-
arms. Every village has a pretty large {quare, but
thefe are feldom regular.

Formerly the Irequois built their cabbins in a
better manner than the other nations, and even
than themfelves do at this day; thefe were adorn-
ed with figures in relievo, but of very coarfe work-
manfhip; and as almoft all their towns have been
fince burned in different expeditions, they have not
taken the trouble to rebuild them with their former
magnificence. Notwithftanding, if thefe nations
are fo little curious in ‘procuring themfelves the
conveniencies of life, in the places of their ordi-
nary refidence, what may we think of their en-
campments on journeys, and in their wintering
places? An ancient miffionary, who in order to
oblige himfelf to learn the language of the Mon-
tagnais, would needs follow them in one of their
winter huntings, gives a defcription of them,
which I am going to give you almoft word for

word. i

Thefe Indians inhabit a country extremely rude
and uncultivated, but not quite fo much fo, as
that which they make choice of to go a hunting.in.
You muft travel a long way, before you arrive at
it, and at the fame time, carry on your back or

thing

rat

| ( 129 ) ee
thing you may ftand in need of for five or fix

months together, and that through ways fome-

times fo rugged and hideous, that it is even f{carce

" poffible to conceive how the very wild beafts them-

felves are able to pals them ; and were you not to
have the forefight to provide yourfelf in pieces of

bark, you muft te deftitute of all means of fhelter-

ing yourfelf from.the rain and: fnow, ‘during your
journey, After arriving at the end of it, you find
yourfelf a little better accommodated, that is to fay,
you are not eternally expofed to all the injuries of
the air and weather.

Every body falls to work for this purpofe, and
the miffionaries themfelves, who in the beginning
had no body to wait on them, and for whom the
Indians had no manner of confideration, were no
more fpared than the reft, and had not fo much as
a cabbin allowed them to themfelves, but were o-
bliged to take up their lodgings in the firft that
made them welcome. Thefe cabbins among moft
of the Aigonquin nations are nearly in the form of
our ice-houfes, round and terminating in a cone.
Thefe had no other fupports than poles fixed in the
fnow, and tied together by the ends, and which

- were covered with pieces of bark very ill joined,

and fecured fo that the wind eafily found admit-
tance on all fides.

The building of fuch a houle employs half an
hour at moft, fome branches of pine ferving as
mattreffes, which are alfo the only beds in thofe
palaces. There is one, and almoft the only con-
veniency which attends them, ard that is that you
may change them every day: they likewife collect
the {now quite round them, which forms a kind of
parapet, which has its ufe, as it is impenetrable to

VoL. Il. K the

on ig CaO) ;

the wind. Under fhelter of this parapet, they
fleep as tranquilly on thefe branches, covered with

a wretched coverlet of fkin, as in the beft bed in

.the world; it is true the miffionaries had much
difficulty to accuftom themfeives to this way of

life, but fatigue and neceffity foon compelled them

to it. The cafe is not entirely the fame with
refpect to the fmoke, which almoft continually
fills the upper part of the cabbin in fuch a manner,

that one cannot ftand upright in it, without having

one’s head in a thick cloud of it. This is no man-

‘ ner of grievance to an Indian who is from his in-
fancy accuftomed to fit or hie, all the time they

are within doors; but it is really a fevere punifh-
ment to a Frenchman, who cannot bear fuch a.

{tate of inaction. ,

Befides the wind, which as I have-already re-
marked, enters on all fides, blows with fuch a
piercing cold, that one fide freezes whilft you are
choaked and roafted on the other. And often you
cannot fee two or three feet from you, you weep
almoft your eyes out, and fometimes you are
obliged to lie flat on your face, and almoft with
your mouth clofe to the ground, to fetch a little
breath: the fhorteft way would be to go out, but ©
for moft of the time this is impoffible; fometimes
becaufe it fnows fo thick as to darken the day,
and at other times on account of a wind fo pierce-
ing that it almoft peels the fkin off one’s face, and
{plits the trees in the forefts. Notwithftanding
a miffionary is obliged to fay his office, to cele-

brate mafs, and to perform all the other’ functions
of his miniftry. To all thefe inconveniencies we
muft add one more, which though it may appear
very {mall at firft, is really very confiderable, Se
this

QC \nge.)

this is being perfecuted by the dogs. The Indians

have always a great number of thefe animals which
follow them every where, and are remarkable for
their fidelity ; not very fawning indeed as they are
never carefied by their mafters, but bold and good
hunters: I have already faid that they are trained
up betimes for the different chaces, for which they
are intended ; and 1 may add, that every Indian
muft have a confiderable number of them, as many
of them perifh by the teeth and horns of wild
beafts, which they attack with a courage that
nothing is capable of fhaking. Their mafters are
at very little pains in feeding them, fo that they
are obliged to live upon what they can catch, and
as this goes no great way with them, it is no won-
der they are very meagre and thin of flefh; befides
they have very little hair, which renders them very
fenfible to the cold.

In order to defend themfelves from it, if they
cannot get near the fire, which it would be diffi-
cult for all of them to do, even were there no-
body in the cabbin, they lye down on the firft per-
fon they meet, and one is often fuddenly awakened
in the night, almoft choaked with two or three
dogs upon him. Were they a little more difcreet
in chufing their place, their company would not
be extremely troublefome, and one might put up
with them pretty well; but they lay themfelves
down where they can, and it is in vain to drive
them away for they return the inftant after. It is
ftill worfe in the day time; as foon as any thing
eatable appears, you cannot imagine what leaps they
make to {natch it out of your hands. Imagine to
yourfelf the cafe of a poor miffionary crouching near
the fire, to fay his breviary or read fome book,
Kriving with the fmoke and expofed to the im-

! K 2 portunity

( ag2 -)

portunity of a dozen curs, who leap backwards.

and forwards ever him, in order to {natch fome
morfel they may have feen. If he ftands in need

of a little reft, he is fcarce able to find a corner

where he can te free from this vexation. If any
thing-is brought him to eat, the dogs have that
moment their fnout in the difh before he taftes it,
and often whilft he is defending his portion againft
thofe which attack him in front, another comes
upon him from the rear, and either carries off
half his allowance or juftles againft him, fo that
the plate falls from his hands, and the fagamity is
tumbled amongit the afhes.

It often happens that the evils I have been
fpeaking of, are effaced by a much greater,, and

in comparifon of which, all the reit are as nothing ; ~

this is famine. The provifions they bring with
them laft them no great while, and they reckon
upon a fupply from their hunting, which does not
always afford it. It is true Indians know how to
endure hunger, with a patience equal to the little

care they take to provide again{ft it; but they are |

fometimes reduced to fuch extremities that they
perifh under them. The miffionary, from whom
I have drawn this detail, was obliged in his firft
wintering to eat the fkins of eels and of elks,
with which he had patched his caffock; after
which he was forced to feed upon young branches,
and the tendereft part of the bark of trees. He
underwent however this fevere tryal, without the

leat detriment to his health, but every one is not.

» endowed with fo vigorous a conftitution.

The naftinefs of thefe cabbins alone, and that
infection which is a neceflary confequence of it,
are to any other but an Indian a real punifhment.

It

=.

Pe

H Pee
ee

~ | ty aoe

ot ee
It is eafy to judge to what a height, both the one
and the other muft arrive amongft perfons who
never change their cloaths, till they fall to pieces
of themfelves, and who take no care to keep them
clean. In fummer they bathe themfelves every
day, but immediately afterwards they rub them-
felves with oil and greafe of a very rank {mell. In
the winter they remain in their fat, and during all
that feafon it is impoflible to enter their cabbins
without being poifoned with the ftench.

Not only every thing they eat is ill-feafoned
_and commonly very infipid, but there prevails in
all their repafts an uncleanlinefs, which paffes all
conception : what I have myfelf feen, as well as
what I have been told of it, would {trike you with
horror. ‘There are very few animals which do not
feed cleaner, and after feeing what pafies amongft
thefe people in this refpect, there is no room to
doubt, that the imagination contributes greatly
to our repugnancies; and that many of thofe
things which are really prejudicial to our health,
are only fo by means of thofe very: repugnancies,
and our want of courage in furmounting them,

It muft however be granted, that things are fome-
what changed with reipect to all thefe points, fince
our arrival inthis country ; and I have even known
fome to endeavour to procure themfelves con-
veniencies, with which they will probably very
foon be fcarce able to difpenfe. Some of them
alfo begin to ufe more precaution than formerly,
to prevent their being unprovided, in cafe the
hunting fhould happen to fail them ; and amonett
thofe who are fettled in the colony, there requires
but a very {mall addition to furnifh outa tolerable
fhare of the conveniencies of life. But what is

i 03 to

( 134 )
to be feared is, that after arriving at this point
they will be tempted to go a great deal farther, and
fall into fuch a luxury as may render them ftill
more miferable, than they now are in the bofom
of the moft extreme indigence.

Pat leaft it will not be the fault of the miffionaries
if they are expofed to this danger; perfuaded ©
that it is morally impoffible to arrive at that
golden | mean, without afterwards deviating from _
it, they have preferred fharing with thefe people
whatever is moft difagreeable in their manner of
living, rather than to open their eyes to the means
of finding any remedy for it. Thus thofe very
perfons who are every day witnefies of their fuf-
ferings, are at a lofs to conceive how they are able
to fupport them, and the more fo as they are
without the leaft relaxation, and as every feafon
brings along with it fome peculiar evil.

As their villages are always fituated either near

a wood, or on the banks of fome Jake or river,
and oftener between both, as foon as the weather
becomes warm the mufkettos, together with a
prodigious army of other gnats, raife a perfe-
cution worfe than that of the fmoke, which you
are often obliged to call to your affiftance ; there
eing fcarce any other remedy againft the bite of
thefe infects, which fet the whole body on fire
and fuffer you not to clofe your eyes. Add to this,
the long and fatiguing journeys you are often
forced to make with thefe barbarians, fometimes
up to the middle in water, and fometimes to the —
knees in mire, through woods and among briars
and thorns, with the danger of lofing one’s eyes,
in open fields where nothing defends you from the
burning

f

(7845 4)
burning heat of the fun in fummer, and the
piercing wind in winter,

If you travel in a canoe the confined pofture
you are obliged to fit in, and the apprehenfion

occafioned at your firft fetting out, by the extreme

fragility of this vehicle ; he inaction you mult of
neceffity be in, the flownefs of your voyage,

- which is retarded by the leaft fhower of rain, or

gale of wind; the little fociety or converfation
that can be had with peifons who. know nothing,
who never open their mouths whillt they are em-
ployed, who poifon you with their flench, and
who fill you with vermin and naftinefs ; the ca-
price and rudenefs you muft put up with from
them; the infults to which you are expofed from
a drunkard, or a perfon whom any unforfeen ac-
cident, a dream or the remembrance of any thing
difagreeable puts into an ill humour; the avarice
natural to thofe barbarians at the fight of any

thing they covet, and what has coft feveral miffi-

onaries their lives ; and in cafe war happens to be
declared between the nations, in whofe territory
you are, the danger you are conftantly expofed to,
either of being reduced to the moft wretched
flavery, or of perifhing in the moft hideous tor-
ments: fuch, madam, is the life that has been led
by the firft miffionaries efpecially : if for fome time
paft it has been lefs rude in fome refpects, it has
been attended with regard to the evangelical la-
bourers with internal, ‘and confequently more fen-
fible mortifications, ith far fram diminifhing
in length of time grow in proportion to the in-
creafe of the colony, and as the natives begin to
mae a freer correfpondence with all forts of per-
ons,

K.4 Laftly,

fate | ( 136 )

Laftly, that I may in a few words drav ‘the
portrait of thefe nations with a mien and ap-

pearance altogether favage, and with manners and
cuftoms which favour of the groffeft barbarity,
they enjoy all the advantages of fociety, without
almoft any of thofe defects, which difturb the
publick tranqu! ity amongft us. Whilft they ap-
‘pear entirely void of paflion, they commit in cold
blood, and even fometimes from principle, the
{fame aGibhs which the moft violent and’ ungo-
vernable rage is capable of infpiring. Thofe very
perfons who feemed to lead the moft wretched
lives, were perhaps the only happy mortals on
the face of the earth, before they were acquainted
with thole objects wh. ch feduce and pervert us:
and even yet lux a has made no great ravages
amongtt them. We perceive in them a mixture
of ferocity and seston the paffions and appe-
tites of beafts of prey, joined to a virtue which
does honour to human nature. At firft view one
would imagine them without any form of govern-
ment, law or fubordination, and that living in
an abfolute independance, they abandon them-
felves to the condué of blind chance, and to the
wildeft.caprice ; they notwithftanding enjey all the
advantages which the beft reg culated authority is
capable of procuring, in the mott civilized nations.
Born free and independant, they are flruck with
horror at whatever has the thadow of defpotic
power, and very rarely deviate from certain
maxims and ufages founded in good fenfe alone,

which holds the place of Palle and fupplies in fome-

fort the want of legal authority. They have’a na-
tural repugnance to reftraint of every fort, but
reafon alone is capable of retaining them in a kind
of fubordination, not the lefs effectual towards the
end propofed { for being entirely voluntary.

Any ©

OT Wan 2

Any perfon who has once infinuated himfelf in-
to a confiderable fhare of their efteem, will find
them fufficiently docile and ready to do any thing
he defires; but it is no eafy matter to gain their
efteem to fuch a pitch. This they give to merit
only, and that to a fuperior degree of it, of
which they are full as good judges as thofe amongft
us, who pique themfelves moft on their difcern-
ment. They form their notions of this by the
phyfiognomy, and there is not perhaps in the world
a fet of men who are better judges this way: this
is owing to their having none of thofe prejudices
in favour of any perfon which miflead us, and
that by ftudying nature alone they know her per-
fectly well. As they are neither flaves to am-
bition nor intereft, as it is thefe two paflions only
which have weakened in us the fentiments of hu-
manity, which the author of nature has engraven
in our hearts, the difference of conditions is un-
neceffary for the maintenance of fociety amongft

them.

Thus Madam we never, or at leaft very feldom,
meet with thofe haughty minds, which filled with
a notion of their own grandeur and merit, imagine
themfelves almoft a fpecies apart ; who difdain the
reft of mankind whofe love and confidence they
therefore never obtain; who never converfé with
their: equals, becaufe the jealoufy which prevails
amoneft the great, will not permit them to culti-
vate a very near acquaintance; who know not
themfelves becaufe they never ftudy themfelves,
but are conftantly blown up with felf applaufe ;
and laftly, who never once reflect, that in order
to acquire the affections of men, they muft firft
{ftoop, and in fome fort, condefcend to be their

equals ; fo that with all this pretended fuperiority
: | of

s iS
‘y / Pay BON ay ie
j aL ! \

ee Si he, bo

of underftanding, which they look upon as the
peculiar right of the eminent ftations they poffefs,
moft of them grovel in a proud and incurable ig-
norance, of what is really worth knowing, and
confequently never tafte the true and genuine
fweets of life. In this country all men are equal,
manhood being the quality moft efteemed amongft
them, without any diftinction from birth ; without |
any perogative of rank capable of doing prejudice

to the rights of private perfons ; without any pre-

eminence from merit which begets pride, and

which makes others too fenfible of their own in-

feriority. And though there is perhaps lefs delicacy

of fentiment in the Indians than amongft us, there

is however abundantly more probity with infinitely

lefs ceremony, or equivocal compliments.

Religion alone is capable of perfecting the good
qualities and natural difpofitions of thefe peo-
ple, and of correcting what is wrong in them:
this is common to them with others, but what is
peculiar to them is, that they bring fewer obftacles
to this improvement, after they have once begun
to believe, which muft ever be the work of fpe-
cial grace. It is likewife true, that in order fully
to eftablifh the empire of religion over them, we
- mutt fhew them the practice of it in all its purity
in its profeffors: they are extremely fufceptible of
the fcandal given by bad chriftians, and fuch are
all thofe who are newly inftructed in the principles
of chriftian morality. :

You will perhaps afk me, Madam, whether they.
have any religion? To this I anfwer, that though
we cannot abfolutely affirm that they are without
any, we muft however confefs, that it is very dif-
ficult to define what religion this is. I fhall en-

tertain

| ( 139 ) ,
tertain you more’ at large on this article with my
firft leifure; for though I have not a vaft deal
to do in this place, yet I am often interrupted in
fuch manner, that I cannot promife on having
two hours in a day to myfelf. This letter as well
as moft of the preceeding ones, will thew you
that I do not finifh them at one fitting. I fhall
content myfelf at prefent with obferving, in order to
compleat the portrait of Indians, that even in their
moit indifferent actions, we may difcover traces
of the primitive religion, but which efcape thofe
who do not view them with fufficient attention,
thefe being ftill more effaced by the want of in-
ftruction, than changed by the mixture of fuper-
{titious worfhip, and by fabulous traditions.

lam, &c,

Wey T Roe

Se aaet

(TS Reed

( 140 y.

\

LETTER XXIV.

Of the Religion and Traditions of the Indians of
3 Canada.

Fort at the River St. Jofeph, Sept. 8, 1721.

Madam, aa :

HIS letter will in all likelyhood be a very
long one, unlefs fome unforefeen hindrance
fhould oblige ‘me to put off to fome other oppor-
tunity, what I have been able to collect, relating
to the belief, traditions and religion of our Indians, -

“ Nothing is more certain than that the Indians | © |
of this continent, have an idea of a fupreme Be- a
ing, though nothing at the fame time can be more
obfcure.- They all in general agree in looking up-
on him as the firft fpirit, and the governor and
creator of the world, but when you prefs them a
little clofe on this article, in order to know what
they underftand by the fovereign fpirit, you find
no more than a tiffue of abfurd imaginations, of
fables fo ill contrived, of fyftems fo ill digefted
and fo wild, that it is impoffible to give any re-
gular-or juft account of them. It is pretended
that the Sioux approach much nearer than the
| other

¢ 42)

other Indians, towards a juft’ conception of this

firft principle, but the little commerce we have
hitherto had with them, does not permit me to be
fuficiently informed of their traditions, to enable
me to fpeak of them with any degree of cer-
tainty. :

Almoft all the nations of the Algonquin lan-
guage, give this fovereign Being the appellation of
the great Hare; fome again call him Michabou,
and others Atahocan. Moft of them hold the opi-
nion that he was born upon the waters, together
with his whole court, entirely compofed of four
footed animals like himfelf; that he formed the
earth of a grain of fand, which he took from the
‘bottom of the ocean, and that he created man of
the bodies of the dead animals. There are like-
wife fome who mention a god of the waters, who
oppofed the defigns of the great Hare, or at leaft
refufed to be affifting to him. This god is ac-
cording to fome, the great Tyger, ebut it muft be
obferved, that the true tyger is not to be found in
Canada; thus this tradition is probably of foreign
extraction. Laftly, they have a third god called
Matcomek, whom they invoke in the winter fea-

fon, and concerning, whom, I have learned no-

thing particular.

The Arefkoui of the Hurons, and the Agref-
koué of the Ircquois, is in the opinion of thefe
nations, the Sovereign Being and the god of war.
Thefe Indians do not give the fame original to
mankind with the Alqonquins; they do not fo
much as afcend {fo high as the firft creation, Ac-
cording to them there were in the beginning fix
men in the world, and if you afk them who placed

them there, they aniwer you, they dont know.
They

| ( 143 )

They add, that one of thefe men afcended into
heaven in queft of a woman, called Atahentlfic,
of whom he had carnal knowledge, and who foon
afterwards proved with child: that the mafter of
heaven perceiving it, threw her headlong from the
height of the Empyrean, and that fhe was re-
ceived on the back of a tortoife: that fhe was af-
terwards brought to bed of two children, one o
which killed the other. }

There is no more faid either of the five men,
or even of the hufband of Atahentfic, who accord-
ing to fome, had only one daughter, who was the
mother of Thaouitfaran and Joufkeka. This lat-
ter who was the eldeft, killed his brother, and in
a little time after his grand-mother refigned in
his favour the government of the world. They
fay likewife, that Atahentfic is the fame with the
moon, and that Joufkeka was the fun. There is
as you fee, Madam, very little connexion in all
this, the fun being often taken for Arefkoui, in as
much as he is the great genius; but is there lefs —
contradiction in the theology of the Egyptians
and Grecians, who are the firft fages of pagan
antiquity ? The reafon is, that it is effential to
falfehood to contradict itfelf, and to have no folid
foundation.

The. gods of the Indians have bodies, and live
much in the fame manner with us, but without
any of thofe inconveniencies to which we aré fub-
ject. The word fpirit amongft them, fignifies
only a being of a more excellent nature than others.
They have no words to exprefs what pafles the
bounds of their own underftanding, their, con-
ceptions being extremely limited,’ with refpec
to whatever is not the object of their fenfes, or to

any

aa)

any thing befides the common occurrences of life. .
They however afcribe to thofe imaginary beings, ©

a kind of immenfity and omniprefence, for in whats
ever place they are, they invoke them, fpeak to

them,, believe they hear what is faid to them, and

act in confequence.- To all the queftions you put
to thefe barbarians, in order to obtain a farther ac-
count. of their belief, they anfwer that this is all
they have been taught or know of the matter;
nay, there are only a few old men who have been
initiated in their myfteries who know fo much.

According to the Iroquois, the pofterity of
Joufkeka did not go beyond the third generation.
-There came on a deluge in which not a foul was
faved, fo that in order to repeople the earth it was
neceflary to change beafts into men. ‘This notion
Madam, of an univerfal deluge is very general
amongit the Americans; but there is fcarce any
room to doubt, that there has been another much
more recent and peculiar to America. I fhould
never have done,were I to relate all that the Indians
tell us with refpect to the hiftory of their prin-
cipal divinities, and the origin of the world; but

befides the firft being, or the great fpirit, and the

other Gods who are often confounded with them,
there is likewife an infinite number of genii or in-
ferior fpirits, both good and evil, who have each
their peculiar form of worfhip.

The Iroquois place Atahentfic at the head of

thefe latter, and make Joufkeka the chief of the

former; they even fometimes confound him with

the god, who drove his grandmother out of

heaven, for fuffering herfelf to be feduced by a
mortal. They never addrefs themfelves to the

evil genii, except to beg of them to do them no
hurt,

Be ee ig oh
hurt, but they fuppofe that the others are placed
as fo many guardians of mankind, and that every
perfon has his own tutelary. In the Huron lan-
guage thefe are called Okkis, and in the Algonquin
Manitous : it is to them they have recourfe in all
perils.and undertakings, as alfo when they would
obtain fome. extraordinary favour; there is nothing
but what they may think they may beg of them,

det it be ever fo unreafonable or contrary to good

morals. This protection however is not acquired
at the birth of the perfon, he muft firft be expert
at the, management of the bow and arrow, before
he can merit this favour, and much preparation mutt
be ufed before he can receive it, it being look-~
ed upon as the moft important affair in their whole
lives: the principal circum{tances of it are thefe.

‘They begin with blacking the child’s face; af-.
terwards they make him faft for eight days toge-
ther, without giving him a morfel of any thing to
eat, and the tutelary genius muft appear to him in

a dream within this fpace of time. Now the empty

brain of a poor child juft entering into the ftate
of adolefcence, cannot fail of furnifhing him with
dreams, which they take great care to caufe him
repeat every morning. The fait however often
ends before the lawful time, there being few chil-

-dren who have ftrength enough to carry it fo far ;
_ but this occafions no difficulty, the conveniency of

difpenfations being fully known here as it is every
where elfe. Whatever thing the child happens to
dream of, is always fuppofed to be the tutelary
genius, or rather this thing is held as a fymbol, or
fioure, under which the genius manifefts himfelf ;

but it happens to the Indians as it does to every
other people, who have deviated from the primi-
iov o.. 1h. L, > tive

( 46- ) nN a
tive reliMon that is, to hold faft by the figure
whilft they lofe fight of the reality.

Notwithfanding thefe fymbols fignify nothing
of them{elves, foetitiies it is the head of a bird,
at other times the foot of fome animal, or perhaps
a bit of wood; in a word, the vileft and moft
common thing imaginable. This is preferved how-
ever with as much care, as the Dii Penateés, or
houfhold gods were amongft the ancients. There is
-even nothing in all nature, if we believe the In-
dians, which has not its genius, of which there
are isis ne of all ranks, Bee witht different powers.
When they are at a lofs to conceive any thing,
they attribute it to a fuperior genius, and their
manner of exprefling ¢ hemfelves then is, This 7 a
fpirit. This is faid with greater juftice of them,
who have any fingular talent, or who have per-
formed any extraordinary action, Thefe are [pirits,

that is they have a tutelary genius of an order fu-
perior to the common.

Some of them, and efpecially their juge aters,
endeavour to perfurade the multitude, that’ they
are tranfported into extafies This foHy has been
of all ages and amongft all nations, and is the pa-
rent af. all falfe religions ; the vanity natural to
‘mankind, not being able to devife any more effica-

cious means of governing the weak andfimple, and

the multitude at laft carried along with them, thofe
who valued themfelves the moft on the fuperiority
of their underftandings. The American impof-
tors, though they owe to themfelves’ only-~ all
their addrefs in this point, draw all the advan-
tiges from it to which they afpire. The jug-
elers never fail to ‘publith that their’ genii ‘give
them great infight into. the remoteft tuanédétions,
and the moft diftant futurity in their pretended ex-

I ‘ tafies 5

iY

eng?)
tafies ; ; and as chance alone, if we would not af-
cribe fome fhare of it to the devil, caufes them to
divine or conjecture fome times pretty right, they
acquire by this means great credit, and are be-
lieved to be genii of the firft order.

As foon as it has been declared to ‘a child
what he is thence forward to regard as his pro-
tecting genius, they inftruct him with great caré
in the obligation he owes him, to kondur him,
to follow the council he fhall receive from him in
fleep, to merit his favour, to place in him his
whole confidence, and to dread the effect of his
difpleafure fhould he negleét to acquit himfelf of
his duty to him. This. folemnity ends with a

feaft, and the cuftom is likewife to prick on the |

body of the child the figure of his OK KI, or
MANITOU. It would feem that fo folemn an
engagement, the mark of which can never be ef-
faced, ought to be inviolable ; a very fmall matter
is however fufficient to break it.

‘The Indians are not eafily brought to confefs
themfelves in the wrong, even to their gods them-
felves, and make nomanner of difficulty in juftifying
themfelves at their expence : thus whenever they are
under the neceffity either of condemning them-
felves or their tutelar, the blame is always thrown
upon the latter, and they apply to another with-
out any ceremony, only obferving the fame rights
as tothe former: The women have alfo their Ma-
nitous, or Okkis, but are far from paying them
the fame refpect with the men, perhaps from their
giving them lefs employment.

To all thefe genii are offered different forts of
offerings, or if you will facrifices. They throw
into the rivers and Jakes tobacco or birds, which

: oa} : have

Sh Sa ae
AP

CG Baan ah aon

have been ftrangled, in order to render the god.of
the waters propitious. In honour of the fun, and |

-fometimes even of inferior fpirits, they throw into
the fire all forts of ufeful things, and fuch as they
believe they owe to them. ‘This is fometimes done
outlof gratitude, but oftner from interefted views,
thefe people not being fufceptible of any fentiments
of affe@tion towards their divinities. They ob-
ferve alfo on fome occafions a fort of libations,
and all this accompanied with invocations, wrapt up
in mytkerious terms, which they have never been
able to explain to Europeans, whether it be that
thefe at bottom have no fignification at all, or
that the fenfe has been loft, whilft the words by

which the tradition has been tranfmitted have .

been preferved ; and perhaps too, they may be
willing to make a myftery of it. We alfo meet
with collars of porcelain, tobacco, maize, peafe,
and whole animals, efpecially dogs, on the fides
of difficult or dangerous roads on rocks, or aear
cataracts, which are fo many offerings to the genit
who. prefide in thefe places. I formerly faid that
the dog was the victim moft commonly offered to
them; thefe are hung up, and even fometimes
alive by the hind feet, and fuffered to die mad.
The war feaft, which always. confifts of dogs,
may. alfo. pafs tor a facrifice. Laftly, they render
nearly the fame honours to the evil genii as to

thofe which pafs for propitious, when they have

any reafon:to dread their, malice. /

_ Thus Madam, amongft nations who were pre-
tended to have no idea of religion or of a deity,
every thing on the contrary appears to be an ob-

ject of religious worfhip, or leait to have fome re- ;

dation to it. Some have imagined that their fafts

had no other end, than to accuftom them to fup-
ie | port

i] 4

de

( 149° )

port hunger, and | will allow that this motive
might be fome part of the reafon of this ufage ;.but
every circumftance with which they are accompa-
nied, proves that religion has the greateft fhare in

a: where it only their extreme attention in ob-

ferving, as I have already taken notice, what
dreams they have during’ that time, it being cer-

tain that fuch dreams are looked upon as true

Onaclss and warnings fron heaven.

It is ftill lefs dor ubtful, that their vows are pure
acts of religion, the ulage being abfolutely the —
fame in this refpect as with us. For example,
when they happen to be without provifions, as
often falls out in their. voyages and huntings, they
ptomife their genii to prefent in honour of them,
a portion of the firft beaft they fhall afterwards
kill to fome chief, and not to touch a morfel of
it till they fhall have acquitted themfelves of their
promife. Should this happen to be impoffible by
reafon of the great diftance of this chief, they
burn the part allotted for. him, and°thus make it
a kind of facrifice.

Feetrteily the Indians in the neighbourhood of
Acadia, had in their country near the fea-fhore, a.
tree extremely ancient, of which they relate many
wonders, and which was always loaden with of-
ferings, After the fea had laid open its whole root,
it ftill {upported’ itfelf a long time almofl in the
air, againit the violence of ie winds and waves,
which confirmed thofe ae in the notion, that
this tree muft be the abode of fome powerful f {pi-
rit, nor was its fall even capable of undeceiving
them, fo that as long as the fmalleft parc of its
branches appeared above water, they paid it the

fame honours as whilft it itood.
L232 Moft

\

! a

Mot of their feftivals fongs And dances alfo

appeared to me to have their. origin in religion,
and to preferve feveral traces of it; but one mon
be very fharp-fighted, or rather one muft have a
very {trong imagination to perceive what certain
travellers pretend to have difcovered in them. 1
have known fome perfons, who not being able to
get it out of their heads, that our Indians are
defcended from the ancient Hebrews, find in every
thing a ftrong refemblance between thefe barba-
rians and the “people of God. It is true there are
fome cuftoms which have fome appearance of this,
fuch as not to make ufe of knives in certain re-
pafts, and not to break the bones of the beafts
eaten in them; and fuch alfo is the feparation of
the women from their hufbands, during certain
infirmities of the fex. And fome have even heard,

~ or at leaft have thought they heard them pro-

nounce the word Allelujah in fome of their fongs :
but who would ever believe their boring their ears
and noftrils, to be in obedience to the law of cir-
cumcifion? And befides who does not know that
the rite of circumcifion, is more ancient than the
law which ordained the obfervation of it to Abra-
ham and his pofterity ? The feaft which is made
on their return from hunting, and in which no-
thing muft be left, has likewife been taken for a
kind of Holocautt, or for a relique of the Jewith
paffover, and the rather, fay they, becaufe when
any perfon was not able to get the better of his
own portion, he was at liberty to make ufe of the
affiftance of his neighbours, as was the practice
amongft the people of God, when one’ family
were not able to eat the whole ’Pafchal lamb.

An ancient mifionary, who lived long amonett
the Outaways, writes, that amoneft thefe Indians

an

/

Ret)

an old man does the office of a priett on. the fefti-

vals I have been juft mentioning, that he begins
by returning thanks to the genii for the faccefs of
the hunting, and that afterwards another perfon

takes a roll of tobacco, breaks it in two and throws

it into thefire. What is certain is, that thofe who
have cited them as a proof of the poffibility of
atheifm, properly fo called, were not acquainted
with them. It is true they never difcourfe about
religion, and that their extreme indolence and in-
difference on this po'nt, has always been the great-
eft obftacle to their converfion to Ch iriftianity, but |
the fmalleft acquaintance with them is fufficient to *
confute thofe, who fay they have no idea of a
deity. Indolence is their predominant paffion ; it
even appears in their moft important affairs, but
in fpite of this defect, and even in fpite of that
Spirit of independance in which they are brought

up, there is no nation in the world who pay a

more flavith Tefpect to the Deity, of whom their
ideas are very confufed, fo that they never attribute
any thing to chance, and derive an omen from

every thing that happens, which is according to

them, as ‘T have already remarked, a declaration
of the will of heaven.

I have read in fome memoirs, that among feve-

ral nations on this continent, there were formerly |

young women who lived feparate from all com-
merce with men, and who never married. I am

neither able to vouch nor contradict this affertion.
Virginity is in itfelf fo perfe& a ftate, that we

ought not to be furprized it fhould have been re-
fpected in all countries inthe world; but our moft

ancient miffionaries never make mention, at leaft

as far asI know of thefe vettals, though feveral
of them agree in the efteem in which celibacy was
jay. held

)

RA oN

OM 6 PE
Held in fome countries. I even find that pig
The Hurons and Iroquois, there were not long free
reclufes, who obferved continence, and they fhew
certain very falutary plants which have no virtue,
according to the Indians, except they are employed
by virgin hands. .

The beft eftablifhed opinion amongft our Athe-

ricans is, that of the immortality of the foul.
They do not however believe it to be purely fpiri-
tual more than their genu, and to tell truth, are in-
capable of giving any diftinét definition of either.
If you afk “them what they think of their fouls,

they anfwer, that they are like fo many fhadows.

and living images of the body, and it 1s by a con-
fequence ‘of this principle, that they believe every
thing in the univerfe to be animated. Thus it 1s
only by tradition they have received this notion
of the immortality of the foul. And in the dif-
ferent expreffions they make ufe of, in explaining
themfelves on this fubje&, they frequently confound
the foul with its faculties, and thefe again with
their operations, though they very well know how
to diftinguifh them, when they have a mind to
{peak with accuracy.

, They maintain, likewife, that the foul aba
feparated from the body, preferves the fame in-
clinations and paffions it had in its former ftate,
and this is the reafon why they bury along with the
dead, the things they imagine they may ftand in

~~

need of. They are even ‘perfua aded,_ thatit re- ,

mains hovering about the carcafe until the feftival
of the dead, of which I fhall give you an account
by and by ; and that afterwards it goes into the

country of deste where, according to fome, it is :

ransformed into a tortoife

There |

4

MCP aaa»)

There are others who acknowledge two fouls in

{

*men; tothe one, they attribute every thing I have
been juft now {peaking of, and pretend that the

other pever quits the body, unlefs it is to pafs
into fome other, which however happens only, fay
they, to the fouls of little children, which having

enjoyed but a fhort term of life, obtain leave to

begin anew one. It is for this reafon that they
bury children by the high-way fides, that the wo-
men who pafs that way may collet their fouls.

‘Now thefe fouls which are fuch faithful compa- |

nions to their bodies muft be fed, and it isin order
to difcharge this duty, that eatables are laid upon
their tombs; but this is of fhort continuance, fo
that the fouls muft begin in time to learn to faft.

_ They are fometimes hard enough put to it to fub-
—fift the living, without the additional charge of
feeding the dead. .

“One thing with refpect to which the Indians are
never forgetful, let them be in ever fo great an ex-
tremity, whereas among{t us the living ate enrich-

ed by the fpoils of the dead; the Indians on the.

contrary, not only carry along with them:to the
grave every thing that belonged to them, but alfo

receive prefents of their relations and friends be-

fides. For this reafon they were extremely fcan-
dalized, on feeing the French open the fepulchers
in order to ftrip the dead of their robes of beaver
fkins. “Tombs are held fo facred in this country,
that to violate them is the greateft hoftility that can
be committed againft a nation, and the ftrongeft
proof that you fet them at defiance. ny)

I have already faid, that the fouls, when the time

‘of leaving their bodies forever is come, go ‘into a

region which is allotted for their everlaftine abode.
| This

\

| C464) :
This country fay the Indians, lies very far tothe
weftward fo that the fouls are feveral months. in
.arriving at it. They have even vaft difficulties to
furmount, and are expofed to prodigious dangers by
the way. They above all things talk mlch of a

river they have to pafs, and on which many have

been fhipwrecked ; of a dog from whom they
have much ado to defend themfelves, of a place
of torment where they expiate their fins; of ano-

ther, .where the fouls of thofe prifoners of war who -

have been burned are tormented, and where they
-arrive as late as poffible.

This notion is the reafon why after the death of
thefe, wretches, they take great care to vifit every
place near doer cabbins, {triking inceflantly with
‘rods, and raifing the moft hideous cries, In order
to drive the fouls to a diftance, and to keep. them
. from lurking about their cabbie os, in order to re-
vvenge the torments they have made them under-
-go. »The Iroquois fay, that Atahenftic has her
-common refidence in this tartarus, and that her
fole occupation is the feducing of fouls to their
deftruction ; but that Joufkeka omits nothing to
jecure them agaiaft the wicked defigns of his grand-
mother. Amoneft the fabulous fiories of what
pafies in the lower regions, and which refemble fo
much thofe in Homer and Virgil, there is one
which feems to have been copied from the fable of
Orpheus and Euridice, in which there hardly wants
any thing, except to change the names.

Moreover, ,Madam, _ this happinely, which the
Indians hope to enjoy in their imaginary Elyfium,
is not believed to be the recompenfe of virtue
only ; to. have .been.a good hunter, brave in war,
fortunate in all one’s enterprifes, to have a

an

.

oe

ay MG 2886,

and burned a great number of enemies, are the

fole merits which entitle them to this paradife, the
whole felicity of which confifis. in an inexhauftible

‘plenty of game and fifhes, an everlafting {pring,

a vaft abundance of all things without being oblig-
ed to work, and a full fatisfa@tion of all their

fenfual appetites. Thefe are likewife the only
bleffings they afk of their gods in their life-time.
‘All their fongs, which are originally their prayers,
have no other theme befides the goods of this life,

there being not the leaft mention any more than
in their vows of an hereafter ; they are certain of
being happy in the other world in proportion to
their happinefs in this.

The fouls of beafts have alfo a place in the in-
fernal regions, and are according to the Indians
immortal, as well as ours; they even acknowledge
in them a kind of reafon, and not only every {pe-

cies, but every individual animal, if we may be-

lieve them, has its tutelary genius. In a word
they hold no difference between us, and the brutes
but in degree only. Man, fay they, is king of

the animals, who have all of them the fame fa-

culties, but that man poffefies them in a very fu-
perior degree. They hold likewife that in hell
there are models of fouls of all kinds, but they
give themfelves very little trouble in explaining
this notion, and in general concern themfelves very ,
little with matters of pure fpeculation: have the

~fage(t philofophers of Pagan antiquity who- have

been at fo much pains to explain them, been much

more fuccefsful than they ? It is impoffible to walk
» fafely amidft thefe abfurdities, but by. the torch of

faith, :
There

b .e956 |) }

There is nothing in which thefe barbarians car-
ry their faperttition to a more extravagant length,
than in what regards dreams; but they. vary great-
Jy in their manner of explaining themfelves on this
point. Sometimes itis the reafonable foul which
ranges abroad, whilft the fenfitive foul contintes
“to animate the body. Sometimes it is the familiar
genius, who gives falutary council with refpect to

what is going to happen. Sometimes it is a vifit
made by the foul’ of the objet. of which he
dreams. But in whatever manner the dream is
conceived, it is always looked upon as a thing fa-
cred, and as the moft ordinary way in which the
eods make known their will to,men.
Filled with this idea, they cannot conceive how
we fhould pay no regard tothem. For the moft
“part they look upon them either as a defire of the
fou! infpired by fome genius, or an order from him; ;
and in confequence of this principle, they hold it a
religious duty to obey them; and an Indian. ha-
ving dreamed of having a finger cut off, had it
really cut off as foon as he awoke, after having
prepared himfelf for this important action by a
feaft. Another having dreamed of being prifoner
and inthe hands of his enemies, was Hiaath at a lofs
what to do; he confulted the jugglers, and by
their advice, caufed himfelf to be tied to a poft and
‘burnt in feveral parts of the body. 3

‘There are happy and unhappy dreams. For
inftance, to dream of feeing a great number’ of
elks is, fay they, a’ fign of life s but to dream. of
feeing bears, denotes ‘that. the party is foon to die.
if have already faid, that we muft except thofe times

in which they prepare themfelves for the hunting
of

—_

( 157)

of thefe animals. Butin order to thew you, Ma-
dam, to what’a length thefe barbarians carry their

extravagance, with regard to dreams, I will relate
to you a fact attefted by two irreproachable perfons
who were _peivesgertne to it.

Two Min Guabics were travelling in the com-
pany of fome Indians, and one night. as their
guides were in a profound fleep, one “of them a-
waked fuddenly quite out of breath, making ef-
forts to cry out, and beating himfelf as if he had
been poffefied with fome devil. The noife he
made foon waked every body: they at firft thought
the man mad; they feized him and tried eve-
ry means to bring him to himfelf, but all to
no purpofe: his fury continued to encreafe and

as they were no longer able to hold him, they

hid all the arms for fear of the worft. “Some of
them afterwards bethought themfelves of preparing
for him a beverage made of certain herbs of great
virtue; but when they were leaft aware the pa-
tient leaped into the river.

He was immediately drawn out, and though he
confefied he was cold, he refufed to come near a
cood fire that had been juft lighted: he fat down
at the foot of a tree, and as he appeared more com-
pofed, they brought him the draught they had pre-
pared for him. “It is to this child, faid he, you
muft give it, pointing to a bears fkin ftuffed with
ftraw; he was obeyed, and the whole of the be-
verage was poured down the throat of the animal.
They then afked what had been the matter with

him? I dreamed, faid he, that a racoon had

got into my belly. They all burft out a laughing,
but there was a neceflity.of curing his diftempered

imagination, which was done in this manner.
They

Co BB Dy |
They all fell to counterfeit the madman, crying
: with all their might, that they had animals in their
: bellies, but added, that they were unwilling to
throw themfelves into. the river in order to dif-
lodge them, on account of the cold; and that they
thought fweating a much better way. Our hypo- —
condriac found this propofal excellent ; aftove was
immediately erected, into which they all entered
with loud cries, every one endeavouring to coun-
terfeic the ery of the animal he pretended to
have in his belly, one a goofe, another a duck, a’
third abuftard, and a fourth a frog; the dream-
er alfo counterfeited the cry of aracoon, But what
is really ridiculous is, that all the reft beat meafure,
ftriking with all their might upon his fhoulders,
| with defign to fatigue him, and caufe him to fall
afleep. ah O any attest than an Indian, he had what
was fufficient to hinder him from clofing his eyes
for feveral days ; they however fucceeded:in what |
they intended. The patient flept long, and at his
- waking found himfelf perfectly cured, being neither
fenfible of the fweating which muft ae exhaufted —
if him, nor of the blows “and. bruifes whieh eta ae
| ceived, and having loft the remembrance even of
the very dream which had coft him fo dear.

iN
We
|
4
bi
}
4
q

But is is not only he who dreams that is to fa- 9
tisfy the obligations, he believes he is laid under —
by the dream: it would bea crime, in any perfon —
to refufe him, what he has defired in his dream,

and you may very well judge, Madam, with what —

confequences this is likely to be attended. But as ~

the Indians are not much governed by felf-intereft, |
this principle is attended with lefs abufe than it~

would be any where elfe; and ‘befides, every one

may ufc it in histurn. If the thing defired happen

to be of fuch a nature as not to be ‘capable of being
eileen:

re Jo ha oso)
farnifhed by a private perfon, the public take the
obligation of it upon themfelves, and even fhould
they be obliged to go in queft of it five hundred
leagues, it muft be found, coft what it will; and
when it has once been obtained, it is inconceivable
with what care it is preferved. If it happen to be
any inanimate thing, they are more at eafe; but
if an animal, its death eccafions a furprizing
anxiety.

The affair becomes ftill more ferious, fhould any
one take it into his head to dream that he cuts the
throat of another, for he will certainly accomplifh
it if he can; but woe to him, in his turn, fhould
a third perfon dream that he revenges the dead.
‘They may, however, eafily extricate themfelves
from fuch difficulties, provided they have prefence
of mind immediately to oppofe to fiich a dream
- another which contradicts it. ‘I plainly fee”,
fays the firft dreamer, in that cafe, ‘* that your
‘¢ fpirit is ftronger than mine, fo let us mention
«* it no more.” They are not all, however, fo ea-
fily brought to relinquifh their purpofe; but
there are few who may not be fatisfied, or in other
-words, have their genius appeafed by fome {mall
prefent. :

I do not know whether religion has any fhare in
what is commonly called the feftzval of dreams;
to which the Iroquois and fome others have with
more propriety, given the appellation of the ¢urn-
ing of the head. ‘This is a fort of Bacchanalian ce-
remony which commonly lafts fifteen days, and
is celebrated towards the end of winter. There is
‘no {pecies of folly which is not then committed_;
every one running from cabbin to cabbin, difguifed
in a thoufand different fhapes, all of them equally

: ridiculous

‘ee

€ me)

"4

ridiculous, breaking and deftroying every thing,
no one daring to oppofe them. Whoever would

avoid fuch a confufion, and not be expofed to all
the outrages he muft fuffer on this accafion, ought
to take care to abfent himfelf. The moment any
of thofe Bacchanalians meet with any one he gives
him his dream to interpret, which if he does, it
is certainly at his own coft, as he is obliged to

procure whatever he has dreamed of. The feftival _

- ended, every thing is reftored, a great feaft is

made, when they are folely intent on repairing the.

damages during the mafquerade, which are moft
commonly far from being inconfiderable ; for this
is likewife one of . thofe ‘opportunities which
are waited for in filence, in order to give a
hearty drubbing to thofe, from whom they
imagine they have received any. affront: but
the feaft being over, every thing is to be for-
gotten.

I find a defcription of orte of thefe feftivals in
the journal of a miffionary, who was, contrary
to his inclination, fpectator of one of, them at
Onnontague. This was proclaimed 22d of Febru-
ary, the proclamation being made by the elders,
with as much formality as if it had béen an affair
of State. This was fcarce over, when men, wo-
men, and children were running about almoft en-
tirely naked, although it -was then. intollerably

cold. At firft chey vifited every cabbin, then they :

wandered about for fome time on al! fides, with-
out knowing whither they went, or what they
would be at; one would have taken them for fo
many drunken perfons or madmen, whom fome
{udden tranfport of fury had driven befides them-

felves. :
Many

}

( 161 )

Many were fatisfied with having indulged thent’
felves in this piece of folly, and appeared no more.
But the reft refolved to make ufe of the privilege of
the feftival, during which they are reputed as per-
fons out of their fenfes, and: confequently as not
accountable for what they do, and accordingly em-
brace fuch opportunity of revenging their private
quarrels, which on this occafion they did moft ef-

fectually. Upon fome they threw water by whole -

pail-fulls, which freezing immediately pierced with
cold thofe upon whom it fell. On others they
threw hot afhes, or all manner of filth; fome
threw fire-brands or burning coals at the head of
the firft perfon they met; others deftroyed every
thing in the cabbins, fell upon thofe to whom
they bore any grudge or fpite, and loaded them
with blows. In order to be delivered from this

perfecution, it was neceflary to guefs their dreams, _

of which it was frequently impoffible to have any
menace of conception.

The miffionary and his companion were often
on the point of being more than bare fpectators of
this extravagance: one of thofe madmen went in-
to a cabbin where they had feen them take refuge
at the beginning of the fray. Luckily for them
they had juft left it, otherwife there is reafon to
believe, this furious fellow would have done them
_amifchief. Difconcerted by their retreat, he cried
out that he wanted fomebody to guefs his dream,
and that he would be fatisfied on the {fpot: Some
delay being made he faid, I will kill a French-
man; immediately the owner of the cabbin threw
him a French coat, which he ran through in feve-
_ral places.

Voz, II. M The

Oe ee)

Then the perfon who had thrown him the coat,
falling in his turn into-a fury, cried out that he
would revenge the French, and that he would re-
duce the whole village to afhes: He began by —
fetting fire to his own “cabbin in which this feene had
pafled, and every body having left it, he fhut him-
felf up init. “The fire which was kindled ‘in fe-
veral places had not as yet broke our, when one of
the miffionaries appeared and was going to enter it,
when being told what had happened, and fearing
what might happen to his hoft, he broke open the
door, Jaid hold on’ the Indian, turned him out,
extinguifhed the fire, and fhut himfelf up im the
cabbin. His hoftin the ‘ean time ran through
the glee village, crying out that he would fet it
on fire: a dos was then thrown to him, in hopes
that he lot d fatiate his race upon this animal; but
he faid, this was {till not fufficient to repair the
affront that hid been done him, by killing a French-
man in his cabbin ; upon which they threwshim a
fecond which he cut in pieces, and his tranfport
immediately shieitoe

-

This man had a brother, who had a mind to play
his part hikewife. He dreffed himfelf nearly an
the fame manner as the fatyrs are reprefented, being
covered all over from head’to foot with the leaves >
of maize: he caufed equip two women like me-
overas, their faces being blacked, ‘their hair difhevel-
ed, a wolf’s fkin over their body; and a ftake in their
hands, Thus efcorted he went through: all the
cabbins, crying out and howling with’all his‘might;
he clambered up their roofs, where he played a
thoufand tricks, with as‘much dexterity as the moft -
acne rope-dancer could have done, then he
fent forth dreadful cries, as if fome great miisfor-
tune had befallen him; afterwards hee came down,

and

| ae

and walked gravely along, preceded by his two
bacchanalians, who being feized with the fame
phrenzy in their turn, overthrew every thing they
met with in their way. Thefe were fcarce reco-
vered from this madnefs or wearied with their part,
when another woman fucceeded in their place, en-
tered the cabbin,in which were the two jeluits, arm-
ed with a mufket, fhe had juft got by propounding
a dream to be explained, and fung the war fong
making a thoufand imprecations if fhe did not
make fome prifoners.

A warrior followed clofe after this Amazon, a
bow and arrow in one hand, and in the other a bayo-
net. After he had made his throat fore. with cry-
ing, he fuddenly fell upon a woman. who was not
in the leaft aware of it, held his bayonet to her
throat, feized her by the hair, cut off a handful of
it, and fo went off. Next appeared a jugeler hold-
ing in his hand a ftaff adorned with feathers, by
means of which he boafted that he could divine
the moft fecret and hidden tranfactions. An In-
dian accompanied bearing a vafe filled with I know
not what liquor, of which he gave him to drink
from time to time ; the quack had no fooner put »
it to his lips than he thruft it from him again,
blowing on his hands and ftaff, and at each
time divining all fuch riddles as were propofed .
to him.

Two women came afterwards, giving it to be
underftood, that they wanted fomething. One o
them immediately fpread on the ground a mattrefs,
by which it was divined that fhe wanted fome fifh,
' which were accordingly given her. The other car-
ried a mattock in her hand, by which they con-
ceived fhe wanted a field to labour, fhe was there-

M 2 : fore

- E

.

() 104. ,)
foré led without the village, and- immediately had
her requeft granted her. ‘A chief had dreamed, as

he faid, of feeing two human hearts: the tithe |

could not be explained which caufed univerfal
anxiety 5» this perfon made a great deal of noife
about it, fo that the feaft was prolonged for a day
on this account: but all was to no purpote, fo
that he was obliged to be fatisfied.. ‘Sometimes
were feen Companies of armed men, who feemed
as if they were going to engage; fometimes
troops of dancers, playing all forts of farces. This
madnefs lafted four days, and it appeared that the
ufual time of it had been abridged,-in confideration
of the two jefuits; they, ower ek committed
full as’ many diiorders as they ufed to do in fifteen.
They had moreover this further regard for the mif-
fionaries, as not to difturb them in the exercife of
their funétions, nor to hinder the Chriftians from
performing their religious duties. But I have al-
ready faid enough on this article; I am now feal-
ing my letter, in order to give it to a traveller, who
fets out for the colony, “and am, 7 Go:

bela ho EE Pa

~

ark T T ER.» XXV,:

Sequel of the Traditions of the Indians.

Fort on the River St. Fofeph, September 14, 172%.

Madam,

T is now three days fince I fet out from this
place for Chicagou, by coafting along the fouth
fhore of lake Michigan ; but we “found the lake
fo ftormy that we refolved to return hither and to
feek out fome other way to reach Louifiana. Our
- departure is fixed on the 16th, and I am going to
_ make ufe of this delay of two days to continue my
account of the cuftoms and traditions of our Ame-~

ricans.

The Indians, with refpect to what I have been
- {peaking of in my lait letter, acknowledge only
the power of the good genii, and none but wizatds
and fuch as have wecdurie to witchcraft, are held
to have any commerce with evil {pirits ; and it isthe
women chiefly who exercife this deteftable profef-

fion, Their profeffed jugglers not only do not ex-
M 3 erelg

8

eo: )

ercife it openly, but it is even a particular ftudy
with them, to be able to ftudy witchcraft, and to
hinder its pernicious effects. There is nothing at

bottom in all I have been told on this head but ~

meer quackery ; fornetimes they extract the venom

of ferpents, or make ufe of herbs gathered at cer-

tain times, while they are pronouncing certain
words, or of animals which are firft ftrangled,
and fome parts of which are afterwards thrown
into the fire.

Amoneft the Hlinois and almoft all the other
nations, they make fmall figures to reprefent thofe

whofe days they have a mind to fhorten, and

which they ftab to the heart. At other times they
take a ftone, and by means of certain invocations,
they pretend to form fuch another in the heart of
their enemy. Jam perfuaded this happens but fel-
dom, provided the devil has no fhare in it; they
are, however, in fuch apprehenfion of magicians,
that the leatt fufpicion of exercifing this profeffion,
is fufficient to caufe a perfon to be torn to pieces.
Notwithftanding, however, the danger which at-
tends the fol) wine this trade, there are every-
where perfons who have no other. ‘And it is even
true, that the moft fenfible and leaft credulous per-
fons, who have frequented the Indians agree, that
there 1s fometimes more than mere conceit in their
magick,

Now, Madam, is it to be thought, that thefe:
infidels are the only perfons who have never had

any intercourfe with the devil? And what other.

matter befides this wicked fpirit, who was a mur-
derer from the beginning, could have taught fo ma-
ny nations, who have never had any intercourfe

‘one with another, an art, which we cannot hold

) as

i

ii CORT jd |

as entirely imaginary, without contradicting the
holy feriptures? We mutt therefore contaths
that the infernal powers have fome agents upon
earth, but that God has prefcribed very narrow
limits to their malignity; and if he fometimes
permits us to feel the effects of the ore he hath
thought proper to fuffer them to poffefs, it is only
in order to manifeft his juftice and mercy.

Much the fame dang may be faid of the jug-
glers of Canada, who rails to have no commerce
but with, what they call, the benevolent genii, and
by whofe means they boaft of knowing what paffes
in the moft diftant countries, and in the remoteft
futurity ; of being able to difcover the fource and
nature of the moft hidden difeafes, and of having
the fecret of curing them ; to difcern the part that

1s to be taken, in the mott perplexed affairs; to

explain the moft obfcure dreams; to make the
moft dificult negociations prove fuatetefot - and.

laity, to render the gods propitious to warriors
and hunters. Thefe pretended good geniiare like
all the gods of Paganifm, real devils, which re-
ceived that homage which is due to God alone, and
whofe illufions are ftill more dangerous than thofe
of the evil genii, as they contridute to retain their
adorers in their blind devotion.

It is beyond all doubt, that among{t their agents
the moft audacious are always the molt refpected,
who with avery little addrefs, eafily perfuacde nations
born and brought up in fuperftition. And _al-
though they have feen with their own eyes the

birth of thofe impoftures, yet fhould they enter-
tain a defire of alcribing to themfelves a fuperna-
tural birth, they find perfons creaulous enough to

M 4 believe

( 168 sh i
be'ieve them on their bare word, as much as mt 4
they had feen them defcend from heaven, and who ~~
Jook upon it as a fort of enchantment, that they - —
formerly believed them born like other men; their
artifices are, however, generally fo coarfe and
, «thread-bare, that there are none befides fools and
children deceived by them, except when they act
in quality of phyficians: for who does not know
when the bufinefs in queftion is the recovery ,of
one’s health, that the moft exceffive credulity is of
all countries, and even as common in fuch as
picque themfelves moft on their wifdom as in
thofe whofe underftandings are lefs enlightened ?

After all, Madam, I repeat it, it is difficult
not to allow, that amongft thefe infidels there are
fome things very capable of deceiving, at leaft, the
multitude. I have heard perfons fay, whofe vera-
city and wifdom I could not fufpect, that when

\ : thefe impoftors fhut themfelves up in a ftove, in
' | order to make themfelves {weat, which is one of
: their moft common preparations for their illufions,
they differ in nothing from the Pythias or fybils,
as the poets reprefent them on the tripod: that they
are feen to fall into convulfions and extacies, to af-
fume a tone of voice, and to perform actions which
appear beyond human power, and which infpire
even thofe fpectators who have the ftrongeft
difbelief of their impoftures, with a horror and
ae aftonifhment, which they are unable to over-
come, i
i ‘Te is alfo affirmed that they fuffer greatly on —
thofe occafions, and that there are fome of them —
who are very dificultly prevailed with, and even ~
though they have been very well paid to deliver
themielves i into the hands of the fpirit which con-
vulfes

/

‘Sy
MPs) '

by 4
Bina

> al

A ee meg)
vulfes them. But we are not to believe that there
is any thing fupernatural in this, that juft after co-
-ming out of thofe violent {weats they plunge into
“cold, water, and even fometimes when it is frozen,
without feeling the leaft inconvenience from it.
This is common to them, with all the other Indi-
ans; and even with other northern nations *. ‘This
is an experiment, which fomewhat difconcerts the
-{cience of phyfick, but in which the devil has cer-
tainly no manner of fhare.

It is alfo certain, that their jugglers are tog often
true in their predictions, to fuffer us to believe that
they divine at random, and that there pafs on
thofe occafions, things which it is almoft impoffible
to acccount for, in any natural way. And even
the very pofts with which thefe ftoves were fupport-
ed, have been feen to bend to the earth, whilft the
juggler remained motionlefs and without touching
them, and whilft he fweated and foretold what was to
happen. The letters of the ancient miffionaries are
filled with faéts which leave no room to doubt,
that thefe feducers have areal compact with the Fa-
ther of deceit and lies. Several Frenchmen have
told me the fame thing, I fhall only quote one
paflage which I have from the fountain-head.

You have feen at Paris, Madame a Marfon, and

fhe is there flill; now this is what the Marquis de

Vaudreuil her fon-in-law and our prefent governor
told me this winter, and which he had from this
Jady, who is far from being a perfon of a weak
mind. She was one day very uneafy about M. de
Marfon, her hufband who commanded at that time
in
* The poet Regnard affures us, in his voyage to Lapponia,
that he has feen the fame thing done in Bothnia,

x

Vex FemneAS Eon AR cody i Re hy a ay a Saray rtp, cee
ie EON Ly ce th eS eR 8

ay aR ila RE I

( EF. .)

ina pott i in Acadia; he was ftill abfent, though -

the time he had fixed for his return was already
paft. An Indian woman feeing Madame de Mar-
fon uneafy, afked her the reafon of it, and ha-
ving learned it, told her, after mufing fome time
on it, not to vex herfelf, that her hufband would
return fuch a day at fuch a hour, naming both,
with a grey hat on hishead. As fhe perceived the
lady gave no credit to her prediction, fhe return-
ed to her, at the day and hour fhe had affigned, and
afked her whether fhe would not come to fee her
hufband arrive, and prefled her fo ftrongly to follow
her, that at laft fhe led her to the bank of the ri-
ver. ‘They had fcarce arrived there, when Monf.
de Marfon appeared in a canoe, with a grey hat on
his head; and being told what had paffed, affured
them, that he was utterly at a lofs to conceive
which way the Indian woman could know the day
and hour of his arrival.

This example, Madam, with many others which
I know, and which‘are no lefs certain, prove, that
the devil is fometimes concerned in the magick of
the Indians; but it belongs only, fay they, to the
jugglers to make the evocations, when the bufinefs
is of publick concern. It is pretended that all the
Algonquins and Abenaquis, formerly, practifed a
kind of pyromancy, the whole myftery of which is
as follows. They reducedto a very fine powder
fome charcoal, made of cedar, they difpofed this
powder in their own manner, and afterwards fet fire
to it, and by the form which. the fire took whilft
it ran along this powder, they pretended to
difcover what they wanted to know. They add,
that the Abenaquis, when they were converted
to Chriftianity, had much difficulty in renoun-

cing |

hy

100 Sy |

cing this ufage, which they looked upon as a

very innocent way of knowing what pated at a
diftance. i

Ihave never heard it faid whether fuch private
perfons, as were ingljnedt to poflefs fuch fecrets,
were under any necefiity of pafling any trial at their

initiation ; but, profefied jugglers are never in-

veited with this character, BS, which they enter in-
to a kind of compact with the genii, and which

renders their perfons venerable, till after they, have

prepared themfelves by faftings, which they carry
to a great length, during which they are inceffant-
ly beating the drum, fhouting, howling, finging
and fmoaking. ‘The inftallation is afterwards made
in a kind of Bacchanalian feftival with ceremonies
fo very extravagant and accompanied with fuch
apt of fury, that one would imagine the de-
vil took poffeffion of their bodily organs, from that
moment. '
/

They are, notwithftanding, the minifters of thofe

pretended gods, only in as much as they make_

known to men their wil], and ferve them as inter-

preters ; for if we might give the appellation of

facrifices, to the offerings which thefe nations pay
to their divinities, their priefts are always different
from their jugelers : thefe in all publick cere-
monies are the chiefs, and in domeftick occurren-
ces, it is generally the father of the family, or in
his abfence the moft confiderable perfon in the cab-
bin, who performs this function. But the chief
occupation of the jugglers, at leaft that by which
they get moft profit is phyfick: they exercife
this art by principles, founded on the know-

ledge

‘

ait
pe
i

clare |
ledge of fimples, on experience, and ‘as is done
every where elfe, on the circumftances of the cafe,
but very rarely without a mixture of fuperftition
and quackery, of which the vulgar are conftantly
the dupes. ;

There is, perhaps, no fet of men in the world
more. fo to thefe impoftures, than~ the Indians,
though there are very few who are under lefs ne-
ceflity of having recourfe to phyfick. They are |
not only almoft all of a found and robuft conftitu-
tion, but were utterly unacquainted with moft of
the difeafes to which we are fubject, before we had

. commerce with them. They knew not what the
: imall-pox was when they got it from us, and we
can only attribute the prodigious ravages it has
made amongft them to their ignorance. The gout,
the gravel, ftone and apoplexy, with a number of
other evils fo common in Europe, are not yet
known in this part of North-America, at leaft a-
moneft the natives.

It is true, thofe exceffes committed in their
feafts, and in their ‘outrageous faftings, occafion
pains and weakneffes in the breaft and ftomach,
which carry off great numbers of them; many |
young perfons alfo die of the confumption, which
they pretend, is a confequence of the excefflive
fatigue and violent exercifes to which they expofe
themfclves from their infancy, and before they are =
able to fupport them. It is a folly to believe with =
fome, that their blood is of a colder nature than
ours, and to attribute to this, their pretended in-
fenfibility in torments; but it is extremely bal-
famick, which proceeds, no doubt, from their
‘not ufing any falt-or high feafonings in their
dict.

They

\ i me sg e,

APD heparan asa sites pet iS IO cere T Sg < : MB yl ‘
ee ae pene 06 ee oF gerne iiare ne Braet an ean, eae age
PRY SARL: BUNA er eheae [ ~ %

4
rel

ace \

a 73 ) ;

They feldom look upon a difeafe as purely na-
tural], and amonegft the ordinary remedies which
they ufe, there are fome who have the virtue of
curing fimply bythemfelves. The great ufe which
they make of their fimples, is for the cure of
wounds, fractures, diflocations, luxations and rup-
rures. They blame the great incifions which our
furgeons make, in order to clean wounds, they
exprefs the juice of feveral plants, and with this
compofition, they draw from them all the matter
and even fplinters, ftones, iron, and in general all
extraneous bodies remaining inthe wound. Thefe
very juices are alfo the fole nourifhment of the
patient till the wound is clofed: he who probes
it, likewife takes a draught of it before he fucks
the wound, when this operation is neceflary: but
this rarely happens, and they moft commonly con-

_ tent themfelves with fyringing the wound with this.

liquor.

’ All this is in the rules of the art, but as thefe
people muft always have fomething fupernatural in
every thing, the juggler often tears the wound
with his teeth, and afterwards a bit of wood or fuch ,
like matter, which he took care to conceal in his
mouth, makes the fick perfon believe he extracted
it from the wound, and that this was the'charm
which made his difeafe fo dangerous. This much
is certain, that they are in poffeffion of fecrets and
remedies which are admirable. A broken bone is
immediately fet, and is perfectly folid in eight days
time. A French foldier who was in garrifon in a
fort in Acadia, was feized with the Epilepfy, and

_ and the fits were become almoft daily and extreme-

ly violent : an Indian woman that happened to be
prefent at one of his fits, made him two bolufes’

of a pulverifed root, the name of which fhe did

| not
\ :

a

(aga iy) =
not difclofe, and defired that one might be given
him at his next fit, told him that he would fweat
much, and that he would have large evacuations

both by vomiting and ftool, and added, that if the

firit bolus did not entirely cure him, the fecond cer-
tainly would: the thing happened as fhe had fore-
told; the patient had, indeed, a fecond fit, but
this was his laft. He from that day enjoyed a
perfect {tate of health. ;

Thefe people have alfo fpeedy and fovereign re-
medies againft the palfy, dropfy, and venereal com-
plaints. The rafpings of guiacum and faffafras are
their common fpecificks againft .thefe laft com-
plaints; of thefe they make a draught which is
both a cure and prefervative, provided it be made
conftant ufe of. In acute difeafes, fuch as the pleu-
rify, they fall to work on the fide oppofite to that
where the pain is; to this they apply drawing ca-
taplafms, and which hinder it from fettling. In
fevers they ufe cooling lotions with decoétions of
herbs, and by this means prevent inflammations

and delirioufnefs. They boaft above all things of ©

their {kill in dieting, which according to them
confifts in abftaining from certain aliments which
they reckon detrimental.

They were formerly unacquainted with the me-
thod of bleeding, which they fupplied by fcari-
fications of the parts affected: they afterwards
applied a fort of cupping-glaffes made of gourds,
and filled with combuftible matters to which

they fet fire. The ufe of caufticks, and uftu- »

lations, were all familiar to. them; but as
they had no knowledge of the lunar cauftick,
they made ufe of rotten wood in its place. At
prefent, bleeding alone is fubftituted inftead of all

I thefe.

Yee 9
thefe. Inthe northern parts they made much ufe
of glifters, a bladder was their inftrument for this
purpofe. They have a remedy for the bloody-flux
which feldom or never fails; this is a juice ex-!
prefied from the extremities of cedar branches af-
ter they have been well boiled.

But their, grand remedy and prefervative againft
all evils, is fweating. I juft told you, Madam,
that the moment after coming out of the ftove,
and even whilft the fweat is ftill running down from
all parts of the body, they throw themfelves into
the river; if this happens to be at too great a dif-
tance, they caufe themfelves to be fprinkled with
the coldeft water. They often {weat only to refrefh
themfelves, to calm their minds and to render them
fitter for fpeaking on publick affairs. The mo-
ment a ftranger arrives in any of their cabbins, they
make a fire for him, rub his feet with oil, and
immediately conduct him jinto a ftove where his
hoft keeps him company. They have another ve-
ry fingular method of provoking fweat, which is
made ufe of in certain difeafes: this confifts in
extending the patient on acouch raifed a little a-
bove the ground, under which are boiled in a ket-
tle, the wood of the hiccéry tree and the branches:
of pine. ‘The vapour which proceeds from it pro-
duces a moft profufe fweat: they alfo pretend that
the fell of it is extremely wholfome; the
{weat by means of a ftove, and which is pro-
cured by the vapour arifing from the water,
poured upon red-hot flints, is without this ad-
vantage. |

“In Acadia no difeafe was thought worth their
notice, till the patient had entirely loft his appe-
, tite ;

( ae 3

tite; and feveral nations are ftill in the fame er=
ror: and whatever fort of fever a perfon happens
to be feized with, if they incline to eat, he is never
allowed any particular diet, but muft eat of fachfood
as the reft. But as foon as the difeafe appears dan-
gerous, that is to fay, when the perfon rejects all
kind of nourifhment, they treat it with much at-
tention. [tis true, the principles on which the
{cience of phyfic among the Indians is founded,

are altogether extraordinary, and they refufe a ficke
man nothing he afks for, from a belief that the
defires of a perfon in this contitieha are fo many
orders from the genius who watclies for his pre-
fervation ; and in calling their jugglers it is lefs
from any perfuafion of their abilities, than from
a fuppofition that they are better able to know
of the fpirits, the caufe of the evil, and the
remedies that are to be applied for the. cure
of it.

They are moreover unwilling to have any thing
to reproach themfelves with, death feems’to lofe a
part of its terror, even when it follows on the heels
of the remedies, of which it is‘a’ natural confe-
quence. Our Indians are inthis fabject to» the
common law of humanity, and 'to the general pre-
judice which has obtained in all ages and nations ;
and they-are, in my opinion the more excufable,
for carrying their credulity to fo great a length ;
becaufe, as they find fomething fupernatural
in all ‘difeafes, and as their’ phyfick« confifts
in a mixture of religion, they therefore’ be-
lieve themfelves lefs under any obligation™ to
reafon about it; and make it a facred duty, to
abandon themfelves to the guidance of . blind

chance.

eae
~ A fick perfon often takes it into his head that’
his difeafe is owing. to witchcraft, in which cafe
their whole attention is employed: in difcovering
it, which is the juggler’s province. This per-
fonage begins with caufing himfelf to be fweat-
éd, and after he has quite fatigued himfelf with
fhouting, beating himielf, and “invoking his ge-
nius, the firft out of the way thing that comes
into his head, is that to which he aocibutes, the
caufe of the difeafe. There are fome who, be-
fore they enter the ftove, take a draught of a com-
pofition very proper, fay they, for difpofing them
to receive the divine impulfe, and they pretend
that the advent of the {fpirit,-.is made manifeft
by a rufhing wind, which fuddenly arifes; _or
by a bellowing heard under ground; or by the
agitation and fhaking of the ftove. ‘Then full of
his pretended divinity, and more like a perfon
pofiefied by the devil than one infpired of heaven,

he pronounces in a pofitive tone of voice on the

ftate of the patient, and fometimes guefies tolerably
jut.

The fraternity of quacks have devifed a very
‘fingular method of exempting themfelves from
being refponfible for events. As foon as they
fee the patient in danger of dying, they never
fail to give a prefcription, the execution of which
is fo difficult, as to be alnolt impoffible to per-
form 4vith any degree of exactnefs, fo that they
eafily find fome omiflion to juftify themfelves.
It is fcarce conceivable what extravagancies they
prefcribe on thofe occafions ; fome patienis
they order to counterfeit madnefs; in certain
difeafes they prefcribe dances, cenerally extreme-

Vor. II. N ly

( 178 )

ly lafcivious, and one would almoft alway

think, that they meant not fo mech to cure.

as to kill the patient: but what proves the power
of imagination over men is, that thefe phyficians
with all their abfurdities cure to the full as often
as our own, d

In fome countries, when the patient is’ defpaired
of, they difpatch him to keep him from lan-
cuifhing.. In the canton of Onnontague they
put to death young children who have loft
their mothers before they are weaned; they
even bury them alive with them, from a per-
fuafion that no other woman could fuckle them,
and that they would languifh away their lives;
1 do not, however, know whether they have not
Tately renounced this barbarous cuftom. Others
abandon their fick, the moment they are given
over by the phyficians, and leave them to die
of hunger and thirft. And fome there are who,
in order to hide the contortions of vifage in the
dying perfon, fhut his eyes and mouth, as foon as
he begins to be in agony.

/

In Accadia the quacks were called Autmoins,

and it was commonly the chief of the village

who was invefted with this dignity. Thus they had

much more authority than the other jugglers, al-

though they were neither poffefled of greater

abilinies nor lefs impoftors. When they happen=-

ed to be called upon to vifit a patient, they firft
infpected him for a confiderable time, after which
they breathed upon him. If this produced no-
thing, ‘* of certainty,” faid they, ‘* the devil is
s* within him; he muft, however, very foon

go

a Te

% oo out of him; but let every one be upon
«« his guard, as this wicked fpirit will, if he can
*¢ out of fpite, attack fome here prefent.” “They
then fell into a kind of rage, were fhaken
with agonies, fhouted out aloud, and threat-
‘ened ithe pretended demon; they {poke to him
as if they had feen him with their eyes, made fe-
veral paffes at him, as if they would ftab him,
the whole being only intended to conceal their im-
pofture. | |

On entering the cabbin they take care to fix
into the ground a bit of wood, to which a
cord is made faft; They afterwards preient
the end of the cord to the fpectators inviting
them at the fame time to draw out the bit of
wood, and as fcarce any one ever fucceeds in
it, they are fure to tell him that it is the de-
vil who holds it; afterwards making as if he.
would ftab this pretended devil, they loofen by
“Tittle and little the piece of wood, by raking
up the earth round it, after which they eafily
draw it up, the crowd all the while crying
out, A miracle! To the underpart of this piece
of wood, was faftened a little bone, or fome
fuch thing, which was not at firft perceived,
and the quacks fhewing it to the company:
*¢ Behold,” cried they, ‘* the caufe of the dif-
“ eafe, it was necefflary to kill the devil to
mt = Se eed :

This farce lafted three or four hours, after
which the phyfician ftood in need of reft and.
refrefhment; he went away affuring them, that

N 2 the

ye

~

| ( Bo) .!
- the fick perfon would infallibly be cured, pro-—
vided the difeafe had not already got the bet-
be ter, that is to fay, provided the devil before
: his retreat, bad not given him his death’s
wound. The bufinefs was to know whether he |
had or not. This the autmoin pretended to
difcover by dreams, .but he took care never to
fpeak clearly, till he faw what turn the difeafe
took. On perceiving it incurable, he went away,
every one likewife after his example abandon-
ing the patient. If after three days were ex-
pired, he were ftill, alive, *\.The devil jan
the phyfician, ‘ will neither allow him to be
“cured, nor.’ fuffer him to die; you mutt’
: | “* out of charity put an end to his days,”.
: Immediately the greateft friend of the patient
went to fetch cold water and poured it upon
his face till he expired. The enchantment
was fuch, that befides making vaft acknow-
ledgements to the autmoin, for his extraordi-

nary care and attendance, they alfo largely gra-
tified him, : )

Some fouthern nations have quite contrary —

: , maxims, and never'pay the phyfician till after *
the cure is performed; and if the patient hap- ~

pen to die, the phyfician who attended him, is

in danger of his life. According to the Iroquois,

every difeafe is a defire of the foul, and people

die only becaufe this defire has not been {fatis-

r fied.’ I muft now conclude, Madam, becaufe
the article of the dead would lead me,too -far, ‘

and becaufe every thing is getting ready for » ~

my departure; 1 fhall probably very foon find

leifure

ees <

—_ ~
ee

leifure to write you again, but with very little
profit to you, as from hence to the country of
the Illinois, there is is no likelihood of my meet-
ing with any opportunity of forwarding my let-
ter to you; fo that if I write you- before my ar-
rival there, you will, perhaps, receive it at the
fame time with that I fhall write you, when I
am at my journey’s end.

-

any, .&e.

(

N 3 LET Tee

(183 i)

LETTER XXVI

Departure from the Fort of the River St. Jofeph.
Sources of the Theakiki: What paffes at the
_ Death of the Indians; of their Funerals and
Tombs. Of their Mourning and Waidowbood.
Of the Feftival of the Dead.

Source of the River Theakiki, September 17, 172.

Madam,
I did not imagine I fhould have fo foon taken

up my pen again to write you; but my guides
have juft now broken their canoe, and 1 am de-
tained. a whole day in a place that affords nothing

to attract the curiofity of a traveller, fo that I can-

not do better, than employ my leifure time in en-
deavouring to divert you.

I believe I gave you to underftand in my laft,

thut I had two routs to chule, in order to gain the
country of the Ilinois; the firft was by returning
to lake Michigan, coafting along the fouthern
coaft, and entering the little river of Chicagou.
After afcending five or fix leagues up this river,
there is a paflage to that of the Illinois, by means

N 4 of

my

(e@Ben) 7 > . :

of two carrying places, the longeft of which is not_

above « league and a quarter; but being inform-
ed that at this feaforr of the year, there is not wa-

ter fufficient for a canoe, { have taken the other
route, which has likewife its inconveniencics, and

iS far from being fo agreeable, but ‘it is more
certain,

I departed yefterday from the fort of the river
St. Jofeph, and failed up that river about fix
Jeacues. I went afhore on the right, and walked
a league and a quarter, firft along the water-fide,
and afterwards acrofs a field in an immenfe mea-
dow, entirely covered with copfes of wood, which
produce a very fine effect; it is called the, mea-
dow of the Buffaloes head, becaule it is faid ashead
of that animal of a monftruous fize was once found
there. Why might not there have been giants a-
mong the brutes? I pitched my tent on a very

beautiful fpot, called the Fort of the Foxes, becaufe

the foxes, that is to fay, the Outagamies had not
long ago a village there, which was fortified after
chic? faiidbn:

This morning I walked a league farther in the

meadow, having my feet almoft always in the wa- _

ter ; afterwards I met witha kind of pool or marfh

which had a communication with feveral others of

different fizes, but theNargeft not above a hundred.

aces incireuit. Thefe are the fources of the river
Theakiki, which by a corrupted pronounciation our
Indians call Kiakiki. Theak fignifies a wolf, in I
do not remember what laneuage, but this river
bears that name, becaufe the ‘Mahingans, who

are likewife called the wolves, had formerly taken
refuge on its banks.

ars % ee
- 7 a
a ee ee

mali RC a5 Y
‘We put our canoe which two men had carried
thus far into the fecond of thofe fprings, and
we embarked ourfelves, but we-had fcarce water.
fufficient to keep her afloat. Ten men would in
two days make a ftreight and navigable canal, which
would fave a great deal of trouble and ten or twelve
leagues of way ; for the river at its fource is fo
very narrow, and fuch fhort turns muft of necef-
fity be conftantly made, that there is danger of
_ damage every moment to the canoe, as has juft
now happened to us. But we fhall now return to
the Indians, and after having feen in what manner
they are treated during ficknefs, we fhall take a
view of them whillt they are a- dying, and of what
aan after their death.

For the moft_ part, when they believe themfelves
paft hopes of recovery, they put on a refolution
truly ftoical, and even fee their death haftened by
thofe perfons who are deareft to them, without tef-
tifying the leaft chagrin. No fooner has the phy-
fician pronounced fentence on a dying perfon,
than he makes an effort to harrangue thofe who
are about him. If he is the head of a family, he
makes his funeral oration before-hand, which he
concludes with giving his children the beft advice
he can; alserwards he takes his leave of every |
body, gives orders for a feaft, in which all the
provifions remaining in the cabbin muft be con-
fumed, and laftly, receives prefents from his fa-
mily.

While this paffes, they cut the throats of all the
/ dogs they can catch, that the fouls of thefe ani-
mals may give information. to the people in the o-
ther world, that fuch a perfon is {oon coming to
_ goin them ; and they throw all their bodies into ‘the
Kettle in order to encreafe the feaft. The repaft

being

( | 186 =)

being over, they begin their lamentations, which

are interrupted with taking their laft farewell of
the dying perfon, wifhing him a good~ voyage,
comforting him on his- feparation from ‘his
friends and relations, and afluring him that his
children will maintain all the glory he has ac-:
quired. oe : .

It muft be confefled, Madam, that the indif-
ference with which thefe people face death, has
fomething admirable in it; . and this {is fo uni-
verfal that an Indien has feldom:- been known to be
uneaiy, on being informed that hevhas ‘but a few
hours to live; the fame genius and principle pre-
vail every where, though the ufages with refpect to
what I have been now relating vary greatly inthe
different nations. Dances, fongs, imvocations and
feafts are every where prefcribed by the phyficians,

remedies almoft ail of them more likely, according

to our notions, to kill a man in perfeét health,
than to recover a fick perfon. In fome places they
are contented with having recourfe to the fpirits,
who, if the patients recover their health, have
all the honour of the cure, but the fick perfon is
always the moft unconcerned about his fate.

On the other hand, if thefe people fhow little

judgement in the manner of their treating the fick,

it mutt be confeffed that they behave with regard

to the dead, with a generofity and an affection -

that cannot be too much admired. Some mothers
have been known to preferve for years together the

corpfe of their children, and others to draw the

milk from their breafts and fprinkle it on their
oraves. Ifa village in which there are any dead
corps happens to be fet on fire, the firft thing done
is to remove them to a place of fafety: they ftrip

4 themfelves

ng So a tate apa ne

~~

( #7 3

_ themfelves of every thing moft valuable about
them, in order to adorn the deceafed: they open
their coffins from time to time, in order to change
their habits; and they take victuals from their
mouth, in order to carry them to their graves, and
to the places where they imagine their fouls refort.
In a wotd they are much more expenfive upon the

dead than the living

As foon as the fick perfon has fetched his laft
breath, the whole cabbin refounds with lamenta-
tions, which continues as long as the family is in a -
condition to furnifh the expence; for open table
muft be kept during all that time. The carcafs
adorned with its fineft robe, the face painted, the
arms of the deceafed, with every thing he poffef-
fed laid by his fide, is expofed at the gate of the
cabbin, in the fame pofture in which he is to lie in
the tomb, and that is in many places, the fame
with that of a child in the womb. It is cuftoma-
ry among fome nations for the relations of the de-
ceafed to faft till the funeral is over, all which in-
terval is paft in weeping and howling, in regaling all
thofe who vifit them, in making the elogium of the
dead, and in reciprocal compliments. Amonett
other nations they hire mourners, who acquit them-
felves perfectly well oftheir duty. They fing, they
dance and weep inceffantly, and always in cadence,
-but this outward fhow of borrowed grief is not pre-
judicial to that which nature exacts, from the re-
lations of the deceafed.

It appears to me that they carry the corps to the
place of burial without any ceremony, at leaft | have
found nothing upon this head in any relation; but
when they are once in the grave, they take care to
cover them in fuch manner that the earth does not

touch °

a

oe

;
*

( 188 y

touch them: fo that they lie as in a’ cell entirely
covered with fkins, much richer and better adorned

than any of their cabbins. A, poft is. afterwards

erected, on which they fix every thing capable of
exprefling the efteem in which. they held the de-

ceafed. His portrait is fometimes placed'upon it, _

with whatever elfe can ferve to make, paflengers

acquainted with his flate and condition, and figni-.

fy the moft remarkable actions of his life. Freth
provifions are carried to the place every morning,
and as the dogs. and other beaits do not fail to take
advantage of this, they would fain perfuade them-

felves that it is the foul of the deceafed, who comes

\
‘

to take fome refrefhment. :

After this, it is not to be wondered at if the In-

_dians believe in apparitions: in fact they have

numberlefs ftories of that kind. I have feen a poor

man, who merely by the ftrength of hearing them
talked of, imagined-he had always a troop of dead ©

men at his heels; and as people took a pleafure in
terrifying him, he at laft became ftark mad. Af-
ter, however, acertain term of years, they ufe as
much precaution to efface the remembrances of
thofe they have loft from their minds, as they had
before taken care to preferve it, and this they do

entirely to put an end to the grief they felt on that

occafion. /

Some of our miffionaries afked of their converts, —

one day, why they deprived themfelves of the moft
neceflary things in favour of their dead? “* Ie
‘* is,” anfwered they, ‘‘ not only to teftify to our
‘“* neighbours the love. we bore them, but likewife
‘“¢ to prevent our having always before our eyes,
¢ objects, which being conftantly ufed by them,
‘* muft inceffantly renew our grief.” Itis likewife

for. .

{339 )
for this reafon, they refrain during a certain time
from mentioning their names ; and that, if ‘any
other of the family hears it, aa quits it all the time
the mourning continues. This likewife is probably
the reafon, why the higheft affront that can be of-
fered to any one, is totell him: our father is
dead, or ee our mother is dead.

» When an Indian dies in the time of hunting,
his body is expofed on a very high fcaffold, where
it remains till the departure of the company, who
carry it with them to the village. There are fome
nations who have the fame cuftom; with refpect to
all their dead; and | have feen it practifed among -
the Miffifaguez at the Narrows. The bodies of
thofe who are killed in war are burnt, and the afhes
carried back, in order to be depofited in the fe-
_ pulchres of their anceftors. Thefe fepulchres, a-
mong thofe nations who are beft fixed in their
fettlements, are a fert of burial grounds near the’
village. Others inter their dead in the woods at
the foot of fome tree, elfe dry them, and preferve
~ them in boxes till the feftival of the dead, of which
I fhall prefently fay fomewhat; but-in fome
other places, a ceremonial ridiculous enough is
- put in lai with refpect to thofe who “have
been drowned or flarved to death by the cold. -
Before I enter on the defcription of it, it will be
proper to take notice, Madam, that the Indians
believe when fuch accidents happen, that the fouls
are angry, and will not be appeafed till the bodies

ware found... Then the preliminaries of weeping,
dancing, finging and featiing being firft over, the
body is carried to the burial-place, or if that is at
too great a diftance, to the place where it is to re-
: main

( 190 )
main till the feftival of the dead. A very laroe
ditch is dug here, and a fire kindled: Then ‘the
young men approach the carcafe, cut the flefh from
thofe parts which had been marked out by the maf-
ter of the ceremonies, and throw it into the fire,
together with the bowels. During this whole
operation, the women and efpecially the relations
of the deceafed, continue turning round thofe who
are at work, exhorting them to acquit themfelves
well of their duty, and putting grains of porcelain
in their mouths; as we do fugar plums in the
mouths of ébiMreng when we would have them do ,
any particular thing. 9

The burial is followed by prefents, whicl are
made to the family affli€ted, and this is called
covering the dead. ‘Thefe prefents are made in nate
of the village, and fometimes in that of the na-
tion. The allies likewife fend prefents at the death
of confiderable perfons, But before this, the fa-
mily of the ‘deceafed make a feaft in his name,
accompanied with games, for which prizes are pro-
pofed. There are a fort of jufts or tournaments
carried ‘on in this manner: oné of their chiefs
throws upon the tomb three buttons, about a foot
in length, a young man, a woman and a girl take’
each of them one, and thofe of the fame age, fex
and condition endeavour to wreft them out of
their hands. ‘The perfons with whom they remain
are reckoned the conquerors. There are likewife
races, and fometimes they fhoot at a mark; ina
word, by acuftom eftablifhed through all Pagan’
antiquity, an action wholly melancholy in ittfelf,
concludes with fongs and fhouts of victory.

“It is true, the family of the deceafed take no

part in thefe rejoicings ; but on the contrary ob-
ferve

| € igh)

ferve in their cabbin after the obfequies are over,.a
mourning the laws of which are very fevere. They
muft have their hair cut off, and their faces black-
ed; they muft have their head in an erect pofture,
their head wrapped up in a covering, without look-
ing upon any one, making any vifits, or eating
any thing hot ; but muft deprive themfelves of all
pleafures, having fcarce any cloathing on their
bodies, and never warming themfelves, even in
the midft of winter. After this grand mourning
they begin another more moderate, which lafts
for two or three years longer, but which may yet
be mitigated a little; but nothing prefcribed is
ever difpenfed with, without the permiflion of the
cabbin, to which the widow and widower belong’;
and thefe permiffions as well as the conclufion of
the mourning, are always attended with a feaft.

Laftly, they are not at liberty, by the laws of
widowhood, to engage in fecond nuptials, without
the confent of thofe on whom they depend. And
fhould there be no hufband found for the widow,
fhe is very little concerned about it, in cafe fhe has
male children old enough to provide for her fup-
port; fhe may ftill remain in the fiate of widow-
hood without fear of being reduced to want. If
fhe has a mind to marry again, fhe is at liberty to
chufe for herfelf, and the perfon fhe marries be-
comes the father to her former children, enters into
all the rights, and is fubyect to all the obligations of
the firft hufband. A hufband never weeps for
the lofs of a wife; tears in the opinion of the In-
dians, being looked upon as unworthy of mens
but this does not hold true amongft all the nations,

The women, on the contrary, bewail their huf-
bands a year, are eternally invoking him, and fill -
the villages with their cries and lamentations, and

efpecially

ne 192 ) , ec
efpecially at ‘the rifine and fetting of the fun, at
noon, and infome parts when they go forth to their
Jabour or return from it. Mothers mourn in much
the fame manner for their children. The chiefs
mourn for fix months only, after which they are
free to marry again.

Laftly, the firft and oftentimes the only faluta-
tion paid to a friend and even toa ftranger on his
entering their cabbins, is to bewail the relations
they loft fince they laft faw them. They lay their
hand on his head and fignify the perfon they lament,
but without naming him. This is entirely found-
ed on nature, and favours nothing of the barba-
rian; but what lam going to relate to you ap-
pears inexcufable in every refpect. This is the
conduct which thefe nations obferve, with regard
to all who have died a violent death, even in war
and in the fervice of their country.

They have taken it into their heads, that the

fouls of thefe perfons in the other world, have no
commerce with the reft; and on this principle
they burn them or bury them immediately, and
even fometimes before they are quite dead. They
never lay them in the common burying-ground,
_and allow them no fhare in the grand ceremony,
which is repeated every eight years among fome
nations, and every ten years amongf{t the Hurons

and Iroquois.

This is called the feftival of the dead, or of fouls.

The following is what I have been able to collect,

and is the-moft uniform as well as moft remark-
able account, of this moft fingular and extraordi-
nary act of religion known amongft the Indians,
They begin with agreeing upo.: the place where the

ste ae _ aflembly

»

\?

(793 \)
affembly is to be held, afterwards they make choice
‘of a king of the feaft, whofe bufinefs is to take or-
der for every thing, and to invite the neighbour-
ing villages. On the day appointed they aflemhle,
and go in proceffion, two and two to the burial-
place ; there every one falls to work to uncover the
dead bodies, and afterwards they remain fome time
in filent contemplation of a fpectacle, fo capable
of furnifhing the molt ferious reflections. The
women are the firft who break this religious fi-
lence, ‘by raifing lamentable cries, which ftill add
to the horror with which every {pe¢tator is feiz-

ed.

“This firft a€t ended, they take up the carcafies
and gather the dry and loofe bones, with which
they load the perfons who are appointed to carry
them. They wafh fuch bodies as are not entirely
corrupted, take away the putrid flefh with all other
filth from them, and wrap them in'new robes of
beaver fkins. Afterwards they return in the fame
order they came, and when the proceffion reaches
the village, each perfon depofites his load in his
own cabbin. During the march, the women con-
tinue their wailings, and the men wear the fame
marks of grief, as on the day of the death of the
perfon whofe remains they are thus carrying. This
fecond act is followed with a featt in each cabbin,
in honour of the dead of the family. | :

On the following days there are publick feaft-
ings, which are accompanied, as on the day of the
interment, with dances, games, and combats; for
_ which there are alfo prizes. propofed. From time
to time they raife certain cries, which they call the
‘cries of the fouls. They make prefents to the ftran-
gers among{t whom there are fometimes perfons
who have come a hundred and fifty leagues off,

Vor. Il. O and

{ (194)
and receive prefents again from them. They even
make ufe of thefe opportunities to treat of their

!

common affairs, as the election of a chief: all

pafies with a great deal of order, decency and mo-
defty ; and every perfon prefent appears filled with
fentiments proper to the occafion; every thing, |

even the very dances and fongs, breath fuch a for-

rowful air, that the heart is penetrated with the
moft lively forrow, fo that the moft indifferent
perfon muft be ftruck at the fight of this {pec-
tacle,

After fome days have paft, they go in proceffion
to a Jarge council-room built on purpofe, where
they hang up againft the walls the bones and car-
cafles, in the fame condition in which they were
taken up, and they difplay the prefents deftined
for the dead. Jf amongft the relt there happen to
be the remains of. fome chief, his fucceflor gives a
erand repait in his name, and fings his fong. In
feveral places the dead bodies are carried from can

ton to canton, where they are always received with

oreat demonftrations of ‘grief and tendernefs, and
every where prefents are made them : laftly, they.
carry them to the place where they are to remain
for eternity. But I forgot to tell-you, that all thefe

‘procefiions are ‘to the found of inftruments, acs

companied with the fineft voices, and that every
perfon oblerves an exact cadence in’ his motion.

This laft and common place of burial, is a great
ditch lined with the fineft furs and with whatever
is moft precious. The prefents deftined for the
dead are placed apart, and in proportion as the pro-

ceffion arrives, each family places itfelf on a kind

of {caffolds ereéted around the ditch. The moment

the dead bodies are Hepp ated the women begin 3

their

i

( 195 ) |
their cries and lamentations. Afterwards all the fpec-
-fators go down into the ditch, when every one
takes a {mall quantity of earth which he preferves
with the greateft care, from a belief that it brings
good luck at play. The dead bodies and bones
_ are placed in proper order, being covered with new
furs, over which is a layer of bark, and above aH
are thrown ftones, timber and earth. Every one
afterwards retires to his own home, but the womén
continue to return for feveral days to the fame place,
to depofite fome fagarmty by way of food ‘for the
departed. : |

A LISS I amy we Ceo

y
tA

er LETTER

a

‘ wr
ts

Be
bast
HH f

before had been pretty fenfible every morning, ‘was
ae confiderably encreafed ; this was early for the cli«

| Ps to Seiahediey, Of the river cof ihe thi

nois ; Reception of prifoners of war among/t
that people. Manner of burning them. Some

ibe of kpeth manner of living.

7 | Pinion, O€. 5 ap as:

Madan, (
N the night between the evi and 18th of
-laft month, the froft, which for’ eight days

mate in which we were, it being in 40 deg. 40 mins
forth latitude. The following days we continued
our voyage, failing from morning till night, being
favoured by a pretty ftrong current, and fometimes
by the wind ; we made, indeed, a great deal of way,
but yet. advanced very little in our courfé ; after

having failed ten or twelve leagues, we often found

ourfelves fo near our laft encampment, that from
the one place to the other we could have feen one
‘another, or even converfed together : at ar bym means
Of a iets trumpet. |

| (ONES °F i
_ We were a little comforted for this inconvéniente’
by the extreme plenty of game on the river and its
banks, which were fattened by the wild oats then
in their maturity. -I likewife- gathered fome ripe
grapes, of the fize and figure of a mufket-ball, and

fufficiently tender, but of a bad relith. Thefe are,

to all appearance, the fame with what are called
Prune Grapes in Louifiana, The river, by degrees,
takes a ftraiter courfe; but its banks are not plea-
fant till’at the diftance of fifty leagues from its
fource. Tt is even throughout that whole fpace
very natrow, and as it is bordered with trees which
have their roots in ‘the water, when any one hap-
pens to fall it bars, up the whole-river, and a great
deal of time is loft in clearing a paflage for a
canoe. |

All thefe difficulties being paffed the river at the
diftance ‘of “fifty leagues from its fource,-forms a

fmall lake, after which it grows confiderably broader. »

The country becomes. beautiful, confifting of un-
bounded meadows, where buffaloes are to be ‘feen
grazing in herds of two or three hundred but here

it is neceflary to keep a. good look out, for fear of

being furprized by the Sioux and Outagamies, whom
the neighbourhood of the Illinois, their mortal ene-
mies draws hither, and who give no more quarter
to-thofe French whom they happen to meet in their
way. The misfortune is, that the Theakiki Tofes
in depth,. in proportion-as it encreafes in breadth,

fo that we were often obliged to unload the canoe

and travel on foot, which is never done without fome
danger, by which means I fhould have been greatly
embarrafied, if I had not been furnifhed with an
efcorte at the river St, Jofeph. i oes

ae “- “—«

a

| ( 199 )

I was not a little furprized at feeing fo little water
in the Theakiki, notwithftanding 1 It receives a good
many pretty large rivers, one “of which is more
than 120 feet in breach at its mouth, and. has
been called the River of the Iroquois, becaute fome
of that nation were furprized on its banks by the
Illinois, who killed a great many of them. This
check mortified themi fo much the more, as
they held the Illinois in great contempt, who. in-
deed for the moft part are not able to ftand before
them.

The 297th of September we arrived at the Forks,
that being the name given by the Canadians to the
place where the Theakiki and the river of the Illi-
nois join. ‘This laft, notwithftanding it is fixty
leagues from its fource is ftill fo very fhallow, that
I have feen a buffalo crofs it, without being up to
the mid-leg in water. The Theakiki on the con-
trary, | befides, that it brings its waters from the
diftance of a hundred leagues, is a moft beautiful
river. Here, however, it lofes its name, without
doubt, becaufe the Illinois having fettled it in feve-
ral places froin the other, have communicated to it
their own. Being enriched all of a fudden with
this junction, it does not yield in largenefs to any
of our rivers in France; and, I can affure yeu,
Madam, it is not poflible to behold a finer Ps a
“better country than this which it wat ers, at leaft
far as the place from whence I write. But it -.
not acquire a depth correfpondent to its s breadt! 1, till
fifteen leagues below the Forks ; though in that in-
terval many other rivers fall into it.

'The'largeft of thefe is called Pifticoui, and pro-
ceeds from the fine country of the Mafcotins. At
its mouth is a fall, or a rapid ftream, which is

O 4 called

y%

- / ~ é

( 260 )

~ dalled le Charboniere, or the Coal-pit, “fit the

great quantity of fea coal found in the places adja

cent. ‘Nothing is to be feen in this courfé but im- -

menfe meadows, interfperfed with fmall copfes of
wood, which feem to have been planted by the hand ;.
the stale j is fo very high that a man is Toft amoneft
it, but paths are every where to be found as well
trodden as they could have been in the beft peopled
countries, though nothing pafies that way except-
ing buffaloes, and from time to time fome herds of
gk and a few roe-buck.
|

A league below the coal-pit you fee a rock on
the right, entirely round, extremely high, and its
fummit in the form of a terrafs ; ; this is called thé
Fort of the Miamis, becaufe thefe Indians had for-
merly a village there. A league beyond this on the
left, is feen another rock, quite fimilar to the for-
mer, and which has got the fimple appellation of
the Rock. ‘This is the point of a very high terras,.
ftretching the fpace of two hundred paces, and
bending or winding with the a of the river
which is very broad in this place. This rock is
fteep on all fides, and at a diftancé one’ wouldstake
it for a fortrefs. Some remains of a palifado are
{till to be feen on it, the Iflinois baving formerly
caft up an entrenchment here, which might

be eafily repaired in cafe of any irruption * the

énemy.

The village of fhe Indians ftands at the foot of
this rock in an ifland, which, together with feveral

others, all of a wonderful fertility, divides the fi-

ver in this place into two pretty large channels. I
~went afhore here in’ the evening about four o’clock,
where I met with fome of my countrymen, who
were trading with the Indians. I liad fearce landed
, when

Cote”

when I sisi di a vifit from the chief of the vil-
lage, who is a man of about forty years of age,
well-made, of a mild temper, a good countenance,
and very well fpoken of by the oa aon

1 afterwards went up to this ditt by a pretty eafy,

but very narrow afcent. I found here a very level

terras, and of a great extent, where twenty men
might defend themfelves againft all the Indians
of Candda, provided they Rad fire-arms, and could
be fupplied with water ; but tnat is only to be had.
from the river, and to “obtain it they would be ob-
liged to expofe themfelves. .The only refource of
the befieged would be the natural impatience of
thofe barbarians. In fmall. parties they will wait

_ with pleafure for eight or ten days behind a bufh,

in the hope that fome one may pals, whom they
may kill or take prifoner; but, in large bodies, if

they do not fucceed at the firft, they are foon tired,

and lay hold of the firft pretence to retire, which
is never wanting, a dream, real or pretended, being
all that is neceflary for that purpofe.

The rain, and much more a fpectacle which
ftruck me with hor ror, prevented me from making
the tour of thefe rocks, from whence I imagined I

_fhould difcover an extenfive country. I perceived

at the extremity, and immediately above the vil-

lage, the bodies of two Indians who had been burnt

a few days before, and whom they had left accord-
ing to cultom, to be devoured bi y the birds, in the

fame pofture in which they were executed. The —
-manner of burning prifoners amoneft thefe fouth-

érn nations is fomewhat fingular, and they have
fome cuftoms different from the others in their man-
ner of treating thofe unhappy wretches.

-

When

(i dod.) ia.
When they have met with fuccefs in any mill-
tary expedition, the warriors contrive their march

in fuch a manner, that they always arrive at the vil-

Jage in the evening, As foon as they are come
near it, they halt, and when night is come, depute
two or three young people to the chief, to inform
him of the principal events of the campaign. On
the morrow at Sa break they attire their prifoners
in new robes, drefs their hair with down, paint their
faces with different colours, and put into their
hands a white ftaff furrounded with the tails of
deer. At the fanie time, the war-chief fhouts, and
the whole village affembles at the water-fide, pro-
vided it happens to be near a river.

As foon as the warriors appear, four young per-
\\ fons well-dreffed embark on board a Pirogue*, the
two firft carry each of them a calumet, and proceed
finging at the fame time to fetch the prifoners whom
they conduct as in triumph to the cabbin where
they are to be judged. The mafter of the cabbin
to whom it belongs to determine their fate, begins
with giving them to eat, and holds a council mi
ing the repatt. In cafe they © erant any one his h
two young perfons untie him, “and take him each by
a hand,' and fo make him run with all his might
towards the river, into whith they throw him
headlong. They alfo throw themfelves into it
after him, and when they have well wathed
him, conduct him to the perfon whofe flave he is
to be.

As for thofe who are condemned to die, as foon
as fentence is pronounced, the cry is made to aflem-

* This is a long fort of boat made of the trunk of a fingle
tree, Canoes of bark are {eldom made ufe of in thefe parts.

bile

a

“ble the villageyand the execution is put off no longer
than till the neceflary preparations are made. They
begin with ftripping the fufferer ftark"naked ; they.
fix two pofts in the ground, to which they make
faft two crofs pieces, one two foot from the ground,
and the other fix or feven feet higher, and this is
what they call’ a fquare. They caufe the perfon,
who is to fuffér to. mount the firft crofs piece, to
which they tie his feet at fome diftance from each
other ; they afterwards bind his hands. to the two
angles formed by the upper crofs- piece, and in this
pofture they burn him in all che different Bi of
be body.

The whole village, men, women, vtethel children
crowd round him, every one being at liberty to in-
fult and torment him at pleafure. If none of the
{pectators happen to have any particular reafon to
prolong his torments, his fufferings are foon over,
and the common way is to difpatch him with ar-
rows, or elfe they cover him with bark to which
they fet fire. They then leave him to himfelf in
his fquare, and in the evening vifit all the cabbins,
ftriking with rods again{t the furniture, walls, and
roof, in order to frighten the foul from | harbouring:
there, to revenge | ‘the mifchiefs. they have done
his body. T he reft of the night pafles in re=
Sh rina

“Tf the party hath met with 1 no enemy, or if they
‘fave been obliged to fly, they enter the village in
the day-time, obferving a profound filence ; but if
they have been beaten, they make their entry in the
evening, after having given notice of their return
‘by a death cry, and named all thofe they have loft,
either by ficknefs or the {word of the enemy. Some-
‘times the prifoners are judged and executed before
they ,

ha

Lape yo, ‘

they arrive at the village, and efpecially, if they
have any grounds to fear their being refcued. Some
time ago, a Frenchman having been taken. by) the
Outagamies, thefe barbarians held a council on their

s march to determine what they fhould do with him,

ae The refult of their deliberation was to throw a ftick
upon a tree, and if it remained there to burn. the —
_prifoner, but not to throw it above a certain num-

_ ber of times. Happily for the captive, the ftick

fell always to the ground, though the tree was Aa

aay it arise

‘igi tindlang: Sur hours. at the rocks and |

to oblige the favages, and to teftify an entire con-
fidence in them, though all my guides encamped on
the other fide of the river, I lay in a cabbin in the
middle of the village. I paffed the night quietly
enough, but was very: early awaked by a woman
that dwelt in the neighbouring cabbin ; on her awa-
kening; fhe happened to:call to mind- the remem-
brance of a fon:fhe had loft fome years before, and
the immediately fell a wee or x Angiog in a. vay
mournful tone. :

ce.

The Ilinois hate ihe Hoiadeae of bold ial ENV a
terous thieves, which is the reafon why I caufed |

tranfport all the baggage to the other fide of the
river; but in fpite oft this precaution, and the watch-
fulnefs of my people, when we came [to fet out wé

found a: mufquet and fome other trifles wanting,

which we could never afterwards, by any means ré-
‘cover, . ‘The fame evening we paffed the laft part
‘ot the river; where: you are obliged to carry your
. canoe 3 -from this: place forwards, it is every where,

both in breadth and Gacpncle equal to. moft —

rivers in Europe. f

oe eS Beg nN Sg ee
% ee’ . 2 6

ee .

c 205 +)
On this day, likewife, . 1 faw- parrots for the

, arft time; there are fome it is true, on the

banks. of the I heakiki, but only. in, the. furnmer-
b cui but thefe I now faw. were only ftrage glers on
eir paflage to the Miffiffippi, where they are found

ore at ea feafons of the year. They are no bigger than
_. -gblackbird, their head is yellow, with. a red fpot.
~. in the middle; in the reft of their plumage green.

is the predominant colour. The two. following

ays we crofied a charming country, and on. the.
third of Oétober towards noon found ourfelves at
the entrance of Lake Pimiteouy ; this is a widen-

ing of the river, which, for three leagues is a
league i in breadth. At the end of thefe. three leagues

you find on the right. a fecond village of the “Tlli-
nois, fifteen leagues diftant from that of the

! ay

"Nothing can be more delightful than its fie
siofis oppofite to it is the profpeét of a moft beau-

tiful foreft, which was then adorned with all the

yariety of colours, and behind it, is a plain.of an
immenfe extent, fkirted with woods. The lake
and river fwarm with fifh, and the banks of both

with game. I likewife met. in this village four

French Canadians, who informed me, that, I was

between four parties. of enemies, and that I could
A neither go backwards nor forwards with fafety ; ;
they alfo. told me, that on the way I had come

there was an ambufcade of thirty Outagamies,
that an. equal number of the fame Indians were
hovering about a sige village of Pimiteouy, . and
that another bo to the number. of fourfcore,

were potted. aon down the river in two com-
BPM: osu te oe
* UR fi : “

., ae : Oe eae

(. gos } |
ce his account made me reflect on what had patt

the evening before ; we had ftopt at the extremity

of an ifland to look for buftards on which fome
of my guides had fired; and we heard fomebody
_ cutting wood in the middle of the ifland. The
nearnefs of the village of Pimeteouy made us of
opinion that this muft be fome of the Illinois, and
we were pleafed with this thought; ‘but there is a
ftrong likelihood that thefe were fome Outaga-
mies, who having difcovered us, and not daring
to attack us, as | had twelve men well armed, had
a mind to draw fome of us into the wood, conclud-
ing probably they would eafily manage the reft;
but our little curiofity faved us from “this misfor-
tune, which I fhould certainly not have fhunned, ‘if
my efcort had not been commanded by a man b wine
had no mind to any idle delays.

What confirmed us ftill the more in the belief
of the four Frenchmen, is that thirty warriors of
Pemiteouy, and thefe too commanded by the chief
‘of the village, were in the field, to try to get more
certain i worrabian of the enemy; and that a few
days before their departure, there had been a fharp
action in the neighbourhood, in which the two par-
ties had taken each one prifoner ; the Outagami
had been burnt at the diftance of a mufket-fhot
from the village, and was ftill in his fquare. ‘The
Canadians who were prefent at his execution, told
me it had lafted fix hours, and that this unhappy
perfon maintained to his laft breath that he was an
Illinois, and had been taken when a chil by. in
Outagamies, who had adopted iyi

He had however fought with extreme valour ;

and had it not been for a wound he received in aut
Q

° eee es

Pe

( 207 )

of his legs, he had not been taken; but as he could

give no proofs for what he advanced, and had been
very near making his efcape, they did not chufe to
credit him on his word. In the midft of his tor-
ments he made it appear, that bravery and the cou-
rage to endure pain, are two very different virtues,
and not always found in one and the fame perfon ;
for he fent forth lamentable fhricks, which gid
only to animate his tormentors: it is true, an old
Illinois woman, whofe fon had been formerly kil-
led by the Outagamies, did him all the mifchief
that fury infpired by revenge could invent; at laft,
however, taking pity on his cries, they covered him
with ftraw, to which they fet fire, and as he was
ftill found to breathe after this was confumed> he

‘was pierced with arrows by the children: for the

moft part, when a victim does not die like a brave
man, he receives his death’s wound from a woman
or from children ; he is unworthy, fay they, to die
by the hands of men.

In the mean time, Madam, I found myfelf very —
much embaraffed. On the one hand, my guides
did not imagine it prudent to advance any farther ;
and on the other it was very inconvenient for me to
winter at Pimiteouy. I fhould even have been ob-
liged to follow the Indians to their winter encamp-
ment, by which means I fhould have lo!t a whole
year. But at laft two of the four Canadians | found at
Pimiteouy, having offered to join our efcort, every
one took heart. J determined to fet out on the
morrow, being the 4th of Oétober; but the rain
and fome other things that papperied prevented me
all that day.

Th

Gas Ee |

in the afternoon the warriors who had gone out on
the difcovery returned, without raifing any fhouts,
becaufe they had feen nothing, They all filed off
before me with a pretty fierce air, being armed only
with arrows and a buckler of buffaloes hide, and
made not the leaft appearance of feeing me ; for itis a
cuftom among the warriors not to take notice of any
body whilft they are in an armed body ; but fcarce
had every one returned to his cabbin, when the
chief came to pay mea vifit of ceremony. He is
aman of about forty years of age, of a good fta-
ture, a little thin, of a mild difpofition, and extreme
good fenfe. He is, befides, the beft foldier of the
nation, and there are. none of the Hlinois who bet-
ter deferve the firname of 7odas wxvs, which Ho-
mer gives by way of preference to the hero of
his Iliad, than he. This is faying a great deal,
for the Illinois are perhaps the {wifteft footed peo-
ple in the world; and ‘there are none but the Mif-
fouris who can difpute this piece of excellence with
them.

Perceiving a crofs of copper and a fmall image
of the Virgin fufpended at the neck of this Indian, I
imagined he had been a Chriftian, but was informed
_ it was quite otherwife, and that he had dreffed himfelf
in that manner only to do me honour: I was like-
wife told a ftory, which I am now going to relate
to you, without defiring you fhould give it any —
more credit than its authors deferve, © who were
Canadian travellers, who affuredly have not in-
vented it, pur have heard it affirmed for a certain
fact.

' The image of the Virgin which this Indian car-
nied about with him having fallen into his hands, I

know |

§

ee eb 809. *) p
know not how, he was curious to know what it r@

' prefented: he was told that it was the mother of

God, and that the child fhe held in her arms was
God himfelf, who had made himfelf man for the
falvation of the human fpecies: the myitery of this
ineffable incarnation was explained to him in a few
words, and he was further told, that in all dangers
the Chriftians conftantly addreffed themfelves to this —
holy mother, who feldom failed to extricate them,
The Indian liftened to this difcourfe with a great
deal of attention, and fometime afterwards being
hunting by himfelf in the woods, an Outagami,
who had been lying in ambufh came upon him juft |
as he had difcharged his piece, and levelled it at his
head. Then recollecting what he had been told a-
bout the Mother of God, he invoked her protec-
tion, and the Outagami endeavouring to difcharge
his piece it miffed fire. He cocked it a fecond

time, but the fame thing happened five tintes run-

ning. Inthe mean time, the Illinois having loaded
his piece, levelled in his turn at the head of his e-
nemy, who chofe rather to furrender than to fuffer
himfelf to be fhot. Ever fince this adventure, the IIli-
nois chief will never ftir out of the village without
carrying his fafeguard with him, by means of which

he believes himfelf invulnerable. If this faét be true,

there is good reafon to believe that it has only been

_ thro’ the neglect of the miffionary that he has not

As yet become a Chriftian, and that the Mother of

_ God having thus preferved him from a temporal

death, will likewife procure him the grace of a fine
cere converfion *.

_ , ™ He hasin reality been fince converted.

: ~ Vou. IL. 1 Scarée

(210 )

Scarce had the chief left me, when going abroad

myfelf, in order to. vifit the neighbourhood about
the village, 1 perceived two Indians going about
from cabbin to cabbin, and making lamentations
nearly in the fame manner with the woman of the
rock, whom I have already mentioned to you. The
one had loft his friend in the laft expedition, and
the.other was the father of the deceafed. They
walked at a great rate, laying both their hands. on
the heads of all they met, probably to invite them
to partake in their grief. Thofe who have fought
for refemblances between the Hebrews and Ameri-'

cans, undoubtedly would not have failed to take

notice of this manner of weeping, which from fome
expreffions in the fcriptures, thefe hunters after con-
jectures might have. had room to to imagine had
been in ufe amongft the people of God.

Towards evening the chief fent me an invitation
to meet him at a houfe where one of the miffiona-
ries had lodged fome years before, where probably
they ufed to hold their councils; I went thither and
found him with two or three of the elders. He be-
gan with telling me that he wanted to inform me of
the greatnefs of the danger to which I fhould ex-
pofe myfelf by continuing my journey; and that
after having well confidered every. thing, he advifed

me to fufpend my departure till the feafon of the
year fhould be a little farther advanced, in the hopes.

that the parties of the enemy might in the mean-

time withdraw and leave the way open. Sufpect- ;

ing‘tiat he might have his views in detaining me
- at Pimiteouy, I gave him to underftand that his
reafons had no great weight with me, and added
that { had fill more cogent ones to haften my de-
parture. My anfwer feemed to give him pain, and

~ Lion

Auk
4
€
|
¢
rN
h

I

( ait 4 -
fbi perceived that it proceeded entirely frown

his affection to iain and_ his zeal for our na-
tion.

a
wn

a
ao

“a
n

a
n

a“
a

ee Sinte your refolution is fixed, faid he to ine,

I am of opinion that all the Frenchmen here
fhould join you, in order to ftrengtnen your con-
voy. I have already declared ie fentiments to

¢ them on this head, and have hegre to them

in a very ftrong manner, that they fhould for

ever lofe their honour if they fuffered their fa-

ther to expofe himfelf to fuch danger without —

partaking it with him. I earneftly with I could
accompany you myfelf at the head of all my fol-
diers, but you are not ignorant that my village
is every day on the eve of being attacked, and
it is not proper that in fuch a juncture I fhould
either be abfent myfelf, or leave it unprovided

tain them here but a piece of felf intereft, which
they ought to facrifice to the care of your pre-
fervation. This is what I have given them to

of defence. As to the French, nothing can de- |

underftand, and I have added that if any one of

them fhould fall irito the hands of the enemy, it

‘ would only be the lofs of a fingle man, where-

as a Father is himfelf alone worth many, and

_that there is nothing which they ought not ‘to

hazard, in order to prevent fo great a misfor-
tune.’

I was charmed, Madam, with the good fenfe of

this man, and ftill more with his generofity, which

carried him fo fat as, out of regard for me, to dif-
penfe with the affiftance of four men, which ought
not to have been indifferent to him in the fituation

wherein he then was. I have not even doubted

P 2 that

\

Cores) ee
that he wanted to keep me with him, in order to.
profit of my efcort for his defence. I made him a
great many acknowledgments for his care and good
intentions towards me, a affared him that I was
very well fatisfied with the French, two of whom I
fhould leave with him for his defence, and se
other two fhould accompany me till I fhould be
in a place of fafcty, and that with this reinforcement
I believed I was ina condition to travel over all
the country without fear of any thing. He puliiied
‘no farther, and_I retired,

This morning he came to pay me a fecond vifit,
attended by his mother-in-law, who carried a little
-infantin her arms. ‘* You fee before you, faid he, ad-
‘© dreffing himfelf to me, a father in great affliction.

*¢ Behold my daughter who is a- -dying, her mother —
«¢ having already loft her life in bringing her into

<< the world, and none of our women have been
‘¢ able to fucceed in making her take any nourifh-
**-ment. She throws up every thing the fwallows,
“«¢ and has perhaps but a few hours to live: you
«© will do me a great favour if you will baptize her,
*¢ that fhe may fee God after her death.” The
child was indeed very ill, and appeared to be patt
all hopes of recovery, fo that without any hefitation
I performed the ceremony of baptifm on her.

Should ry YORee in every other refpect be entire»

ly fruitlefs, [ own to you, Madam, I fhould not -

regret all the danger and fatigue I have undergone, © Ha

fince, in all probability, had I not been at Pimi-
teouy, this child would never have entered into the
kingdom of héaven, where I_ make no doubt but it
will foon be. I even hope this little angel will ob-

tain for her father the fame grace which he has pro-

cured.

bi Li Vs 8 We

are abla to 7 hold
0 return to Canada,

Uns

at ;

225 “y

SETTER Xxvitt

Voyage from Pimiteouy to Kafkafquias. Courfe of
the River of the inois. Of the Copper Mines.
Of the Miffouri, Of the Mines of the, River
Marameg. Defeription of Fort Chartres, and
of the Miffion of Kafkafquias. Of the Fruit-
trees of Louifiana. Defcription of the Mifhif-
fippi above the Illinois. Different Tribes of that
Nation. Some Traditions of the \ndians. Thear
Notions about the Stars, Eclipfes and T. Panett
Their Manner of calculating Ti ime.

Kafea/quias, Ofober 20s) E72 ¥
Madam,

muft ingenuoufly confefs to you, that at my de-
I parture from Pimiteouy, f was not quite fo un-
daunted as I pretended to be, as well for my own ho-
nour as not entirely to difhearten tho'e who ac-
companied me, fome of whom had much ado
to difemble their fear. The alarm in which I
found the Illinois, their mournful fongs, the fight

EY & )

ol

_ the moft common is to counterfeit the cry.of fome
wild beaft, or the voice of fome bird, in the imi- -
tation of which they are fo dexterous, that people

=

( 206) )

of the dead bodies expofed upon the frames, ‘cerita
objects, which every moment reprefented. to my
imagination what 1 muft expeét, fhould I have the
misfortune to fall into the hands of thefe barbari-
ans: all this made fuch an impreffion upon me,
that I had not the command of myfelf, and for.
feven or eight days I was not able to flcep with .
tranquillity. 7

I was not, indeed, apprehenfive of an open at-
tack from the enemy, becaufe I had fourteen men
with me, well armed and under a good comman-
der ; but every thing was to be dreaded from fur-
prizes, there being no labour which the Indians

will not undergo, in order to draw their enemies

into the fnares which they lay for them. One of

are every day deceived by them. For inftance, be-
ing encamped at the entrance of a wood, they
imagine that they hear the cry of a buffalo,
deer, or wild duck; two or three run thither
in hopes of finding game, and frequently never
return.

fey Ie

The diftance between Bintteuy and the Mitht- :

fippi, is reckoned to be feventy leagues: I have
already faid, that from the rock to Pimiteou y, there

is fifteen ; the obras of thefe two villages is in.

forty one degrees, north lat. and the mouth of
the river of the Hilinois in forty ; fo that from
the rock, the courfe of this river is weftward
inclining a little to the fourth, but with feveral
windings or circuits. There are iflands fcattered
up and down in it, fome of which are pretty large;
its banks are but e's in feyeral places. During the

: a fping

_

~ ( he ly z

fpring the meadows on the right and left are
for the moft part under water, and afterwards are
covered with very tall grafs. It is pretended this
river abounds every where with fifh, but we had
not time to catch any, nor had we any fuch nets
as the depth of its waters would require. We
would much rather have killed a buffalo or roe-
buck, and of thefe we had our choice.

On the fixth, we perceived a number of buffa-
loes fwimming acrofs the river, with a great deal of
precipitation, which we doubted not had been pur-
..fued by fome of the enemy’s parties, of whom we-
have already fpoken; this obliged us to continue
our voyage all night in order to get at as great
diftance as poflible from fuch dangerous neigh-
bours. On the morrow before day-break we palf-
fed by the Saguimont, a \arge river which comes
from the fouth, and five or fix leagues below that
we left on the fame fide a fmaller one, called the
liver of the Macopines, thefe are a large kind of
root, which eaten raw is a rank poifon, but which
when roafted five or fix hours or more before a flow
fire, lofes all its pernicious quality. Betwixt thefe
two rivers, and at an equal diftance from eithar,
is a marth called Machoutin, precifely half way be-
tween Pimiteouy and the Miffiffippi.

Soon after paffing the river of the Macopines,
we perceived the banks of the Miffiffippi, which
are extremely high. Notwitaftanding which we
were above four and twenty hours, and that fre-
quently under full fail, before we entered ir; for

at this place the river of the Illinois changes its

courfe from weft to fouth and by eaft. One might
fay, that out of regret to its being obliged to psy
1 ge SL ade aes nar oo ape

(a13 4 ‘
the tribute of its waters to another river, it endea-
vours to return back to its fource.

At its entrance into the Miffiffippi, its channel

runs eaft-fouth-eaft. On the ninth of this month
a little after two in the afternoon, we found our-
felves in this river, which makes at prefent fo
great a noife in France, leaving on our right a large
meadow, whence iffues a {mall river, in whic there
‘Is. a great quantity of copper. Nothing can be
more delightful than this whole coaft. But it is
quite another thing on the left, there being on that
fide very high mountains, interfperfed so rocks,
amoneft which grow a few cedars; but this is only
a narrow chain, and conceals behind ‘it very fine
meadows.

On the tenth about nine in the morning, after
failing five leagues on the Miffiffippi, we arrived
at the mouth of the Miffourt, which lies north-weft
and fouth-fouth-eaft. Here is the fineft conflu-
ence of two rivers that, I believe, is to be met
with in the whole world, each of them being about
half a league in breadth ; but the Miffouri is by
far the moft rapid of tee two, and feems to enter
the Miffiffippi like a conqueror, carrying its white
waters unmixed acrofs its channel quite to. the op-

pofite fide; this colour it afterwards communi-

cates to the Mifliffippi, which henceforth it never
lofes, but hurls rane precipitation to the fea it-
felf. me Pia
We lay a night in a village of the iar.
and. the TZamarouas, two \\linois tribes which. have
been united, and together compofe no very numerous
canton. This village is fituated on a fmall river
which runs from the eaft, and has no water but i we
tne

4

| 2794.4
the fpring feafon fo that we were obliged to walk
above half a league, before we could get to our
cabbins. I was aftonifhed they had pitched upon
fo inconvenient a fituation, efpecially as they had
fo many better in their choice ; but | was told that
the Miffiffipp: wafhed the foot ‘of that village when
it was built, that in three years it has loft half a
Teague of its breadth, and that they were thinking
of feeking out for another habitation, which is no
i Brest affair among it the Indians.

I alia the night in the miffionar ies houfe, who
are two Ecclefiatticks from the feminary of Que-
beck, formerly my _ difciples, but they muft now

be my maiters. M. Taumur the eldeft of he two
Was ablent; I found the youngeft M. le Mercier
fuch as he had been reprefented' to me, rigid to
himfelf, full of charity to others, and difplaying
in his own perfon, an amiable pattern of virtue.

But he enjoyed fo ill a ftate of health, that I am
afraid he will not be ab’e long to fupport that kind.
of life, which a miffionary is obliged to lead in

this country. |
\

On the eleventh after failing five leagues farther,
Fleft on my right the river Marameg, where they
are at prefent employed in fearching for a filver
mine. Perhaps, your Grace may not t be difpleaied
if L inform you what fuccefs may be expected from ~
this undertaking, Here follows what i have been
able to learn about this affair from a perfon who
is well acq ainted with it, and who has refided for
feveral years on the fpot. In the year 1719, the
Sieur de Lochon being fent by the Weft-India com-
pany in quality of founder, having dug in a place
which had been marked out to him, drew up a
BErany large quantity of ore, a pound whereof,

which

Pee

which took up four days in melting, produced 2 as
they fay two drams of filver; but fome have fuf- —

pected him of putting in this quantity himéelf. A
few months afterwards he returned thither, and

without thinking any more of the filver, he extraéted

from two or three thoufand weight of ore, fourteen

pounds of very bad lead, which ftood him in

fourteen hundred franks. Difgufted with a la-
bour which was » me he returned to

France.

The company, perfuaded of the truth of the tne

dications which had been given them, and that
the incapacity of the founder had been the fole caufe
of their bad fuccefs, fent in his room a Spaniard
called Antonio, who had been taken at the fiege of

Penfacola, had afterwards been a galley-flave, and
boafted much of his having wrought in a mine at

Mexico. They gave him very confiderable ap-
pointments, but he fucceeded no better than had

done the Sieur de Lochon, He was not difcou-

raged himfelf, and others inclined to believe he

had failed from his not being verfed in the con-—

ftruction of furnaces. He gave over the fearch
after lead, and undertook to make filver ; he dug
down to the rock which was found to be eight or
ten feet in thicknefs; feveral pieces of it were
blown up and put into a crucible, from whence

it was given out, that he extracted three or four

drams of filver ; but many are ftill HouPee ef the
truth of this fact,

About this time arrived a company of ae king’ s
miners, under {the direction of one La Renaudiere,
who refolving to begin with the lead mine, was
able to do nothing ; “becaufe neither he himfelf nor

Py of nis company were in the Jeaft acquainted

- with

-

Bee PS a

A

A. i a

with the conftruction of furnaces. Nothing could

’ be more furprizing than the facility with which

the company at that time expofed themfelves to
great expences, and the little precaution they took
to be fatisfied of the capacity of thofe they
employed. _ La Renaudiere and his miners not be-
ing able to produce any lead, a private company
undertook the mines of Marameg, and the Sieur
Renaud one of the directors, fuperintended them
with care. In the month of June laft he found a
bed of lead two foot in thicknefs, runinng toa
great length over a chain of mountains, where he
has now fet his people to work. He flatters him-
felf that there is filver below the lead. Every body
is not of his opinion, but time will difcover the
truth.

Yefterday I arrived at Kafkafquias about nine
o'clock in the morning. The Jefuits have here a
very flourifhing miffion, which has lately been di-
vided into two, thinking. it convenient to have
two cantons of Indians inflead of one. The moft
numerous is on the banks of the Miffiffippi, of which
two jefuits have the fpiritual direction: half a

league below ftands fort Chartres, about the dif-

tance of a mufket-fhot from the river, M. Du-
gué de Boifbriliard, a gentleman of Canada, com-
mands here for the company, to whom this place
belongs; the French are now beginning to fettle

* the country between this fort and the firft miffion.

Four leagues farther and about a league from the

river, is a large village inhabited by the French,

who are almoft all Canadians and have a jefuit for

their curate. The fecond village of the Illinois

lies farther up the country, at the diftance of two

leagues from this laft, and is under the charge of a
fourth jefuic. :
ay : The

i wee oF a
‘The French in this place live pretty much at
their eafe ; a Fleming, who was a domeftic of the
jefuits, has taught them to:fow wheat which fuc-
ceeds very well. They, have black cattle and’
poultry. The Illinois on their part manure the

t
.

ground after their fafhion, and are’very laborious.

They likewife bring up poultry, which they fell
to the French. Their women are very neat-hand-
ed and induftrious. They fpin the wool of the
buffaloe, which they make as fine as that of the
Englifh fheep; nay fometimes it might even be
mittaken for filk. Of this they manufaéture ftuffs
which are dyed black, yellow, or a deep red. Of
thefe ftuffs they make robes which they few with
thread made of the finews of the roe-buck. The
manner of making this thread is very fimple. Af-
ter {tripping the flefh from the finews of the roe-
buck, they expofe them to the fun for the fpace of
two days; after they are dry they beat them,
and then without difficulty draw out a thread as
white and as fine as that of Mechlin, but much
ftronger. . |

#,
‘es

The French canton is bounded on the north by

a tiver, the banks of which are extremely high, fo

that though the waters fometimes rife five and
twenty feet, they feldom overflow their channel.
All this country is’ open confifting of vaft meadows
to the extent of five and twenty leagues, which are
interfperfed with fmall copfes of very valuable
wood. White mulberries efpecially are very com-
mon here; but J am furprized that the imhabitants

fhould be fuffered to cut them down for the build- — ‘

ing of their houfes, efpecially, as there is a fuffici-

ent quantity of other trees equally proper for that

purpofe.

Oe ae

~

er

at ( ‘293 )

The moft CO of the fruit-trees, peculiar to
this country, are the Pacane, the. Acimine, and the
Piakimine trees. The Pacane i is a nut of the fize

and fhape’ of a large acorn.’ The fhell of fome of

‘them is very thin, while others have it harder and
thicker, but the fruit is fo much the lefs on that
account. All have a very fine and delicate tafte ;
the tree rifes to a great height ; in its wood, bark,
fmell and fhape of its ieaves, it feems to me great-
ly to refemble the filbert trees of Europe.

The Acimine is a fasii of the length of a man’s
finger, and an inch in diameter. Its pulp is ten-
der and {weetifh, and full of a feed much refem-
bling that of the water melon. The tree grows to
no great height or thicknefs ; all thofe I have feen
being nothing but fhrubs, the wood of which is
very-tender. Its bark is thin, its leaves long and

large like thofe of the chefnut, but of a deeper
green,

The Piakimine is in fhape like a damafk plum,

though fomewhat larger: its fkin is tender, its
fubftance watery, and colour red’; and has befides
a very delicate flavour. It contains feeds which
differ only from thofe of the’ Acimine, in being
fomewhat fmaller. The Indians make a pafte of
_ this frait, which they bake into loaves of the thick-
nefs of a man’s finger, and of the confiftence of a
dried pear. ‘The tafte feems at firft fomewhat dif-
agreeable, but people are eafily accuftomed to it.
It is very nourifhing, and a fovereign remedy, as
they pretend, againft a loofenefs and \bloody-
flux. The tree which bears this fruit, is a very
fine one, and about the fize of our ordinary plum-
trecs. Its reves have five points, its wood

!

i iS
s

( ga) eS
is of a middling banshee vand its bark wery
rough. | | te is

\
naa

~The Ofages, a pretty numerous nation fettled on
the banks of the river, bearing their own name,
which runs into the Miffouri about forty leagues
from its confluence with the Miffifippi, depute fome

of their people once or twice every year to fing the

calumet among. the Kafkafquias, and they are now
actually here at prefent. I have juft feen a Mif-
fourian woman who tells me, her nation is the firft
we meet with in going up the Miffouri; from
whence we have given it this name, on account of
our not knowing its proper appellation. Their
fettlement is eighty leagues from. the confluence of
that river with the Miffifippi. poe
"ec CUNT:

A fittle higher we find the Canfez, then vo

Offotatas, called by fome the Maéfotatas; after-

wards the AZouez, and laftly the Panis,a very nume-
'“rous nation, and divided into feveral cantons, which —

have names very different from one another. ‘This
woman has confirmed to me, whatI had before learns
ed from the Sioux, that the Miffouri rifes from very
high | and bare mountains, behind which there is
another large river, which probably rifes from
thence alfo and runs to the weftward. ‘This tefti-

mony is of fome. weight, becaufe no Indians we —

know of are accuftomed to travel ni much as the
‘Miffourts. ' ,

All thefe nations of whom I have eee Glisten’
dwell upon the weftern bank of the Miffouri, ex-
cepting the Aiouez who live on the eaftern, and

are neighbours to the Sioux and their allies. The

moft confiderable rivers which fall into the Mif-

ve 4

Ps

FREES TR Set

.
i

+i 7 2265 4

: / fi ‘Aippi above the river of the Illinois, are in the firft

e i

place, the river of Buffaloes, which is ‘at the
diftance of twenty leagues from the former, and
comes from the weftward; a fine falt-pit has been

difcovered in its neighbourhood. Pits ‘of the fame.

kind have been found on the banks of the Mara-
meg, twenty leagues from hence. About forty

leagues farther is the Affencfipi, or river at the -

‘rock ; ‘becaufe its mouth is directly oppolite to a
mountain placed in the river itfelf, where travellers
affirm rock-chryftal is to be found.

Twenty-five leagues higher up, we Gnd on vl
right ,\hand the Owi/confing, by which father Mar-
quette and the Sieur Joliet entered the Mififippi,
when they firft difcovered it. ‘The Aiouez who
are fettled in this place, lying in 43 deg. 30 min.
north latitude, who are great travellers, and as is
faid march five and twenty or thirty leagues a day,
when without their families, tell us that after lea-
ving their country we fhould in three days arrive

among{t a people called Omans, who have white \

fkins and fair hair, efpecially the women. ‘They
add, that this people is continually at war with the
Panis and other more remote Indians towards the
weft, and that they have heard them fpeak of a

- great lake very far from their country, on the banks

of which are people refembling the French, with
buttons on their cloaths, living i in cities, and ufing

horfes in hunting the Buffalo, and cloathed with

the fkins of that animal ; but without any arms ex-

_ cept the bow and arrow.

On the left fide about fifty leagues above the ri-
ver of Buffaloes, the river Moingona iffues from
the midft of an immenfe meadow, which {warms

WoL. IT, Q with

rt

( a26 : Bok ae
with Buffaloes and other wild beafts: at fis ae.
trance into the MifGfippi, it is very fhallow as well
as narrow; neverthelefs, irs courfe from north to
weit, is faid to be two hundred and fifty leagues
in length. It rifes from a lake and is faid to form

SS SN

a fecond, at the diftance of. fifty ie ge from the. ©
firft. [

Turning to the left from this fecond lakewe
enter into Blue River, fo called from its bottom,
which is anearth of that colour. It difcharges itfelf 7

into the river of St. Peter. Going up to the Moin-
gona, we find great plenty of pit-coal, andahun- ~
dred and fifty leagues from its mouth there is a
very large cape, which caufes a turn in the river,
in which place its waters are red and ftinking. It
is affirmed, that great quantities of mineral ftones
and fome antimony ae been found upon eh
cape.

oy eee eee

x
Se

A league above the mouth of the Moingona,
there are two rapids or ftrong currents of a confi-
derable length in the Miffifippi, where paffengers
are obliged t to unload and carry their pirogues: and
above the fecond rapide, that is about twenty
leagues from the Moingona, there are lead mines
on “both fides of the river, which were difcovered
fome time ago, by a famous traveller of Canada -
called Nicholas Perrot, whofe name they full bear.
Ten leagues above the Quifconfing, and on the.
fame fide is a meadow fixty leagues in length, and
bounded by mountains which afford a delightful —
profpect ; there is another on the weft fide, but
it is not of fuch a length. Twenty leagues”
higher than the extremity of .the firft mea-

dow, the river grows wider, and is here cal-—
| ' ted

nla 4 227 4

led de leit bon Secours. This is a league over and
- feven leagues in circuit. Nicholas Perrot built a
prot on the vent fide. : . 3

. ‘Os leaving this lake you meet with 7’ ile Pelée,
or Bald Ifland, fo named from its having no trees
* upon it; this is a very fine meadow: and the
| Ai Freach of Canada have frequently made it the
center of their commerce for the weftern parts, and
many have even wintered there, al] this country
being very plentiful of game. Three leagues above
- Bald Ifland you leave on your right hand the ri-
viere de Sainte Croix, or river of the Holy Crofss
which »proceeds from the neighbourhood o Lake
Superior ; 3 copper is faid to have been found near
itsmouth, Some leagues farther you leave on the
left the river of St. Peter, the banks of which
are inhabited by the Sioux, and its mouth is at
no great diftance from St. Anthony’s fall. Be-
; yond this great cafcade the Mififippi is alto-
* eed unknown.

| To return to the Illinois; if what I have heard
4 afierted in feveral places.,, be true, and which the

_ Miffouri woman above- mentioned has alfo confirm-
+ ied to me, that they and the Miamis come from
’ the banks of a very diftantt fea, to the weftward *,
$ it would feem ‘that their firft ftation after they
_ made their defcent into this counsry was the Moin-
4 gona: at leaft it is certain, that one of their tribes

bears that name.. The reft are known under the
ee if *

Cee a

ae dk Witemnite wéman who had hoes prifoner among the
” Sioux aflured Father de St. Pé, at ptefent fuperior of the

_ miffions of New-France, that fhe had been carried by the
cn fe to a village of their nation, which was very near. the
Ws oa fe

“age ~ C2 ie names

Lh
4
J

- confounded, and are become very inc onfiderable, | e

¢

. this letter, 1 muft impart to you a few circum-

me ae 28 oi |
“names of Peorias, Tomareuas, Caquiagy and Kap
‘ kafquias ; thefe tribes are at prefent: very much»

There remains only a very fmall number of. the
-Kafkafquias, and the two villages of that name
are almoft’ entirely compofed. of the Tamarouas —
and Metchiganvias, a foreign nation: adopted by
the Kafkafquias, and originally fettled on the, banks xi.
of a {mall river you meet with going down the j
Miffifippi. he 04

This is, Madam, all I can at prefent inform |
you of with refpect to Louifiana, which country .
I have but juft entered; but before I conclude

ftances which I have learned on my journey from
the river St. Jofeph to this place, and which will © |
ferve as a fupplement to what. I have already laid :
uf the Indians in. general.

You might have feen in the fable of Has f
hentfic expelled from heaven, fome traces, of the
firff woman driven out of the terreftrial para-
dife, as apunifhment of her difobedience ; and —
of the deluge, as alfo.of the ark in which Noah —
- faved himfelf with his family. This circum-_
ftance prevents me from agreeing to the opi-
nion of P. de Acofta, who alledges that this tra-
_ dition does not refpect the univerfal deluge, but.
~ another » peculiar to America, In effect, the ‘Al-
gonquins and all the nations who {peak their lan-
guage, fuppofing the creation of the’ firft man,
fay that his pofterity having almoft entirely pe
rifhed by a general inundation, a perfon’ namec
ge whom others call Saketchak, who Sel Pe

whol

is al 229 +)
: whole. ‘world overwhelmed by the waters from
he overflowing of a lake, fent»a ravensto the
Ps ‘bottom of the abyfs in order to. bring him fome
. earth; that this raven having aleae to execute
his commiffion, he fent a rustle rat which had
“ better fuccefs; with the fmall quantity of earth
' which this animal brought him, he reflered the
. world to its former ftate and condition; that
he fhot arrows into the trunks of trees which
: ful appear, and that thofe arrows were chan-
_ ged into branches: that he performed feveral
other wonders ;*and that out of sratitude for the
fervice the mufk-rat had done hin, he married
a female of his fpecies, by whom he had children
who repeopled the earth: that he had com-
A -municated his immortality to a certain favage,
_ _which-he gave him ina little packet, forbid ing
him, at the fame time to open it, under the penal-
ty of lofing fo precious a gift.

Be a

The Hurons and the [roquois fay, that Ta-
_ ronbinagen, the king of heaven, gave his wife fo
rude a blow with his foot, that it. mdde her
_ tumble down from heaven to earth; that this wo-

a fect, at laft difcovered’ the carth, and carried

-~ the woman to the foot of a tree, where’ fhe’
_ brought forth twins, ‘and ha the elder whom .

me

, they call 7 peer. ki led his lee: bro-
_ ther. *

* m

fhould know almoft nothing of the heavens, and
et et, Q 3 hae make

Beg ca a ene ene Se

- man fell upon the back of a ea who by re- —
4 moving the waters of the deluge with his

| ony not at all Yunning: that thefe pias a
indifferent about the paft, ind to whom the con-
fideration of the future gives fo little ,.uneafinefs, ©

ee 230 zig a ee
make no difference between the planets and fixed 4
ftars, unlefs it be their dividing thefe laft as we
do, into conftellations. The Pleiades, they call
the Dencers, and give the name of the Bear to.
the four firft ftars of that conftellation, which
we call the Great Bear; the three others which |
compofe its tail are, according to them, three
hunters who purfue the bear; and the little ftar —
which accompanies that in the middle, is, with
them a kettle with which the fecond is loaded.
The Indians of Acadia call this and the next con-
ftellation fimply the Great and Little Bear; but ~
is there not reafon to fufpect, that when they fpoke ~~
in this manner to the Sieur. Lefcarbot, they only
repeated what they had before heard from the, @
French themfelves. ua

The Indians, for the moft’part, ‘call a polar |
ftar, the’ ftar whieh has no motion. It is this —
which directs their courfe by night, as the fun —
ferves them for a compafs by day. They have *
likewife other marks by which to diftinguifh the
north, They pretend to have obferved that the —
tops of trees incline a little to that fide, as alfo, &
that the interior pellicles of their bark are thicker ’
on that fide. They do not, however, truft foen-
tirely to this, as to neglect other precautions to pre- F
vent their wandering, and to help them to find @
_ their way back to a’place fem whence they had fet ¢
out, |

pp

_ As to what regards the courfe of the nis rhe
caufes of the’ celeftial phenomena, the nature Of |
_. meteors, and other fuch like things; they are with ©
~ refpe& tovall’ thefe, as with refpeét to every thing
which does fot affect x nee tes profgndly — q
> ‘ Ye

ae

\
’

aie Ser:

and perfeétly indifferent. When an eclipfe hap-
pens, they imagine there is a great battle in hea-

ven, and fhoot arrows in the air, in order to drive
away the pretended enemies of the fun and moon.
The Hurons in an eclipfe of the moon, were per-

-fuaded fhe was indifpofed, and in order to recover
her out of her diftemper, ufed to make a great
noife, accompanied with abundance of ceremonies
and with prayers. Particularly, they never failed to
throw ftones at the dogs and beat them cruelly with
fticks to make them cry, imagining the moon to be
fond of thefe animals.

Thefe Indians, as well as many others, could ne-
ver be brought to believe, that an eclipfe was an
indifferent thing and purely natural: they drew
good or bad auguries from it according to the place
of the fky in which that flar happened to be ob-
fcured. Nothing aftonifhed them more than to
fee with what exactnefs the miffionaries foretold
thefe phenomena, and they concluded from thence,
that they ought likewife to forefee their confequen-
ces. co |

Thefe people are equally ignorant of the na-

ture of thunder; fome taking it to be the voice
_ of aparticular fpecies of men, who fly in the air,
_ while others imagine this noife proceeds from cer-
_ tain unknown birds. According to the Montag-
_ nais, it is the effort of a certain genius, in order
_ to vomit up a ferpent he had fwallowed, and they
_ fupport this opinion by alledging that when thun-
_ der falls on a tree they difcover a figure on it, fome-
_ thing refembling that animal. |

te © Ge ogee ea

*
4 t~«

-

| ( 232 ) i

All of them reckon by lunar months; for the
moft part the year has but twelve; fome, how-
ever, give it always thirteen. There are no great
inconveniencies attending this diverfity amongft
people who have no annals, and whofe affairs do ~

not depend on annual epochas. There is likewife
‘a great variety in the names of the feafons and

months amoneft them; becaufe in all thefe coun-

~~

_paffages of particular beafts and birds, the time -

tan does them the honour, isa mere imagination of —
that writer. : | )

if they preferve the epochas of certain remarkable —
“events, they do not reckon the time elapfed fince ~

with retaining the facts themfelves; and have in-. |

tries the feafons for hunting and fifhing, feed-time
and harveft, the birth and fall of the leaf, the

when the roe-bucks change their hair, and when
different animals are in rut, ferve to diftinguifh all
thefe things which, befides, vary confiderably in
the different cantons. :

_ In fome nations, the years are reckoned by the
figns, except when a perfon intends to fpecify his
age, and on fome occafions, when they make ufe
of lunar months. There is no where any diftinc-
tion of weeks, and the days have no name in any
of their languages. They have four fixed points
in the day, to wit, fun-rifing and fun-fetting, mid--
day and mid-night, with refpect to which or any 0-
ther time of the day, they are never deceived. But
the aftronomical exactnefs to make the lunar years
agree with the folar, of which the Baron de la Hon-

a eee

They have no chronological fapputation, and .

to a fcrupulous exactnefs ; but content themfelves ~

vented —

4

-_

Ms
yi

i ‘

| ue eas A
vented feveral means whereby to perpetuate the

memory of them. For inftance, the Fiurons and

Iroquois have porcelain in their publick treafures
on which are painted figures, which recal the re-
membrance of memorable incidents. Others make
ufe of knots ticd after a certain fafhion, and if
the imagination is fet at work to found out their

_. meaning, they are not therefore deceived. Latft-
ly, all of them reckon by units till the number
ten, and then by decads or tens to a hundred,
and fo by hundreds to tens of hundreds or thou-

fands, farther than which they never carry any

artes.

4

; LETTER.

9

aa

moe T T ER: XXIX.

Of the Colony of the Winois. Voyage to Akan-—

fas. Defcription of the Country.

Kafkafquias, November 8, 1721.

Madam,
AT Y aft letter is now gone for Canada, whence
Tam affured it will foon be forwarded for
France, by the way of Cape Breton. Befides,
fhould it mifcarry by the way, the lofs would not
be very great: I begin this letter likewife at Kaf-
kafquias, but, in all probability, fhall not finifh it
here, having been above a month in this place,
and now haftening my departure as faft as
pomible.

As I have feen nothing of Louifiana as yet, ex-

cept this poft, being the firft of them all with re-
_ fpect to antiquity ; “I cannot form any judgement
of it, by comparing it with the reft. What feems
certain to me is, that this has a double advantage,
~ one of which can never be difputed, and the other,
at leaft at prefent renders it neceffary to the w hole

province.

+ Ome ae ) oe i
province. The fart is its ‘fituation, which s very.
near Canada, with which ic will at all times pre--
ferve a communications equally ufeful to both co-

lonies. The fecond is, that it 18 capable of be-
coming the iy of Louiliana, which it is able to
fori with corn in abundance, even fhould it be

peopled quite to J fea.

The foil is not only Wee WE proper for wheat,

but, befides, refufes nothing neceffary or ufeful for.
human life. The climate is extremely temperate,

lying in thirty-eight degrees; thirty-nine minutes
north latitude ; cattle and fheep would multiply -
here wonderfully, even the wild Buffaloes might
be tamed, and creat advantages drawn from a trade
of their wool and hides, and from their fupplying the
inhabitants with food. The air is very wholfome, and
if fome diftempers are feen in it, they ought to be im-

puted to the poverty or libertinifm oftheinhabitants, .
and perhaps, in fome meafure, to the-lands be-

ing newly cleared ; but this laft inconvenience can-

not always laft, and the change of climate will be

nothing to thofe who may happen to be born here’
afterwards. In the laft place, we are more affured |
of the friendfhip of the ie than of any other
Indian nation in Canada, the Abenaquis except-
ed. They are almoft all Chriftians, of a mild
difpofition, and extremely well affected towards rhe
French. erie

\

Here | am, Madam, at the diftance of a hun-
dred and fifty leagues from the place where I began

this letter: I thal finifh it here, and oive it ro. a.
traveller, who reckons to be CR fdaner. at New-

Orleans than 1, as he intends to ftop no ine,
whereas I thall be obliged to make fome ftay among
the Natchez. Befides, l had laid my account: of

ge ES

’ ees -

~

( he © aay) |

“two things at my departure from the Tinois ; ; firft;
that having a very rapid river to defend, where
there was no danger of being ftopt by thofe falls
and rapides, fo frequent in the rivers of Canada, I
- fhould not be long on my voyage, though I had the

fpace of four hundred leagues to traverfe, by means

of the circuits the river makes ; next, that as my

courfe lay always to the fouthward, I fhould have

me occafion to take any precautions again‘t the
» .cold; but I have been deceived in both thefe par-
© ticulars. I have been obliged to make a much
flower paffage than I had formerly on the lakes,

_ and have felt a cold full as piercing as Lever knew
as ae Quebec. :

It is true, it was quite otherwife at Kafkafquias
fome days ago, when ] left it; but I have fince
learned on my way hither, that the river was at
firft frozen over in fuch a manner that people crof-
fed it in’ he notwithftanding it is at that
__ place half a league broad, and more rapid than the
: Rhone. This is the more furprifing, as for the _
_ moft part, excepting a few flight froits occafioned’
_ . by the north and north-weft winds, the winter is in
_ this country hardly fenfib'e. The river has not
- been frozen wherever I have been, but as I was
obliged to remain all, the day in an open boat,
_ and confequently, was expofed to all the injuries of
_ the weather, and had taken no precautions againft
j

* acold I did not forefee, I have fofieted very great
a hardthips.

| Could [ have made more hafte, I fhould have
found a fenfible diminution of this inconvenience
every day ; but it is neceffary to ufe great caution
in failing on the Miffiippi. People do not chufe
to venture mir aricives® ‘in canoes of bark, by reafon
Py . ; : that

eye) cs ee a
that the river conftantly carries down with the curs
rent anumber of trees, or elfe receives them from.
other rivers which fall into it ; and many of thefe
trees {topping on fome point of land or on fome >

fhoal, there is danger every moment of running

| foul of a branch or a root under water, which would
be fufficient to break thefe frail vehicles to pieces,
efpecially when in order to avoid an enemy or for
fome other reafon you are obliged to travel by
night, or to fet out before day. | at a eee

They mutt therefore fubftitute pirogues in room
of canoes of bark, that is tofay, trunks of trees
hollowed, which are not fubje€t to thefe inconve- '
niencies, but are bad going veffels, and not fo eafily
managed. 1 have one made of a wall-nut-tree, but
fo narrow that it cannot carry fail; and my guides
being accuftomed to thofe little paddles made ufe
of in canoes, are far from being expert at the ma-
nagement of the oar. Befides, if the wind rifes
ever fo little, the water comes into the pirogue ;
and this often happens at this feafon of the
year. ote To) eile
On the tenth of November at funfet, I embark-
ed in the little river of Kafkafquias, and though it
was not. two leagues to the Miffifippi, yet lwas = -
obliged to encamp at half way, and the next day
I could not get further than ffx leagues down the
river. The leaves fall fooner in this place thanin ~—
France, and do not begin to bud till about the end —
_of May, notwithftanding that it fnows very feldom
here, and although, as I have already obferved,
the winters are exceeding temperate. What then -
can be the reafon of this backwardnefs of: the
fpring: for my part1 can fee no other than the,
4 ee thicknefs

Indian corn.

. © 239 > .
thicknefs of the forefts, which prevents the earth
from being warmed by the fun foon enough to caufe

the fap to afcend. te ;

On the 12th, after having advanced two leagues,
I pafled Cape St. Anthony on the left hand. Here
the firft canes are feen; thefe bear a great refem-
blance to thofe growing in Europe, but are taller
and ftronger. It is pretended they never appear

but in good Jands; but thefe lands muft be very

moift and wet, and confequently fitter to bear rice.
than wheat. Whenthe cane lands are to be clear-
ed, the canes are not to be plucked up by the

roots; this would be a very difficult tafk, their

knotty roots lying very deep, and being twined or
linked together by a great number of fibres, which
extend very far. ‘Thete roots have naturally a
beautiful varnifh, not a little refembling thofe of
the bamboos of Japan, of which thofe fine canes
are made, which are fold by the Dutch under
the name of raztans.

When a field overgrown with thefe canes is to
be cultivated, it is fufficient to cut them clofe to

the ground: they are afterwards left to dry,

and are then fet on fire, the afhes ferving for
manure, and the fire for opening the pores of the
earth, which is afterwards tilled up, and fown with
rice, maiz, water-melons, and in a word, with all

forts of grain and pulfe, excepting wheat, which

in thefe fat lands exhautts itfelf by running up into
{traw, and produces no grain, This defect might
be eafily remedied, by ftrewing the ground with
fand, and fowing it for fome years with maiz or

The

Ce 8: hee |
de he high lands and other kinds of foil, not li~

a _ able to be overflowed by the river, are even already

y _ very well adapted for producing corn, and if the tri-

_ als made in fome places have not fucceeded, vet

caufe the corn has been blafted or mildewed;

is Owing to this circumftance, thatthe country sal

being cleared, the wind has not free accefs to difperfe

thofe noxious vapours which generate mildews.

et ‘An evident proof of which may be drawn from this,

| that amongit the Illinois, where there is more mea-

n° dow than wood-land, wheat thrives and ripens as

| 4 well as in France. | 5

: On the thirteenth, after a very warm night, we
| . advanced about three leagues, in fpite of a fouther-
ly wind, which ftill encreafed, and at laft became
1 ' fo violent that we were obliged to halt. A heavy
| rain fell towards the evening, and ‘about midnight
I the wind fprung up at north-weft, which brought
cle on that exceffive cold I have already fpoken of.
To compleat our misfortune, an accident detained
us all the following day, though we were not
fafe to remain where we then were. Not long ago
the Cherokees maffacred thirty Frenchmen near
this place; they were commanded by a fon of —
M. de Ramezar governor of Montreal, and a fon
of the Baron dejLonguevil King’s-lieutenant of that
city. Befides thefe Indians who are not as yet re-
conciled with us, we were kept in CONEIREA
alarms for fear of the Outagamies, Sioux and.
Chacachas; andI had not above three men in mays
company. | ne ,

On the fifteenth, the wind changed tothe north, —
and the cold continued to encreafe. We advanced

four leagues to the fouthward,. and then found that
the

q
:

.

t
¥é"

\

ee)
the river run four leagues more towards the north.
Immediately after this uncommon winding we
paffed on the left the fine river Ouabache, by means
of which there is a paflage as'far as the country of
the Iroquois, when the waters are high, This ri-
Ver, at its entrance into the ‘Mififippi, is not lefs

than a quarter of a league in breadth. _ There is

not, in my opinion, a place in all Louifiana more

_ proper for a fettlement than this, nor where it is

of greater importance to ws to have one. The

whole country watered by the Ouabache and Ohio,

which runs into it, is extremely fertile confifting of
vat meadows, which feed thoufands of buffaloes.
Befides its communication with Canada is as eafy
as that by the river of the Illinois, and the paflage
much fhorter. A fort with a good garrifon would

Keep the Indians in awe, efpecially the Cherokees,

who are the moft numerous nation on this conti-
nent,

¢

Six leagues below the mouth of the Ouabache,
and on the. fame fide, we found the coaft extremely
high, and the earth of a yellow colour, from whence
fome have imagined that there are mines of iron in

‘this place. We made a eood progrefs this day

which was the fixteenth, but fuffered extremely by

the cold: it continued to encreafe the following
days, though the wind had changed to fouth-fouth-

weft: we were even obliged as we advanced to
break the ice, which was Gormed on the furface of”
the water, On the nineteenth we got four leagues
farther on our way, after which we were ftopped
by a fouth wind. I never found a north wind
colder than this. Itis probable, this was ftill the
north-weft wind which continued to blow, but that —
the land reflected it fometimes on one fide, fome- |

Vor. Il. R times

(. oA9 )
‘times on another, according as our courfe lay upon
the river.

~

~ There is a fpecies of wild cats alice Pijoux,
very numerous in thefe parts. Thefe bear a great
refemblance to ours, but are larger. I obfer-—
ved that fome of them had very fhort tails, and
others again much longer and thicker: they.
have likewife a very fierce look, and I have been
informed they are very ravenous and good hunters.
The forefts are full of wall-nut-trees, refembling
thofe of Canada, and their roots have feveral pro-
perties not obferved in the others. They are very
foft, and their bark affords a black dye; but
their principal ufe confifts in medicines They
ftop a loofenefs, and furnifh an excellent eme-
tick, j
On the twentieth, there fell a great deal of fnow,
fo that we did not ftir from the place where we
were, all that day; next day it grew milder, but
the following night a wind at fouth-weft cleared
the fky, and the cold began afrefh. Next day in
the morning, the brandy left in the pirogue was
found as thick as frozen oil, and the Spanifh wine
I ufed for mafs, was quite frozen. The further
we defcended the more windings we found in
the river, the wind followed all its meanders,
and from whatever fide it came, the cold ftill

continued exceffive. In the memory of man

nothing like it had been feen in this country.

This day, we perceived a poft erected; on the
right fide of the river, on taking a near view of
it, we found it was a monument fet up by the IIli-
-nois, on account of .an expedition they had made ~
fometime ago againft the Chicachas: ‘There were ,

die get vin le tae
two figures of men without heads, and fome others
entire. The firft ‘reprefented the dead, and the
fecond the captives. One of my guides informed
me upon this occafion, that when any French were
amongft either, they were reprefented with their
arms upon their haunches, in order to diftinguifh
them from the Indians, whofe arms were left
in a hanging pofture. This diftinétion is not
| merely arbitrary, but proceeds from their ha-
ving obferved’ the French to make ufe of this
attitude frequently, which is never done amongit
them.

_ Garcilaffo de la Vega mentions the Chicachas,
in his hiftory of the conquett of Florida, and pla-
ees them nearly in the fame part of the country
. where they are at prefent. He reckons them
_amongft thofe nations of Florida who fubmitted
to the Spaniards ; but this pretended fubmiffion
_ lafted no- longer than the Spaniards were in their
q neighbourhood, and it is certain they fold the
_ victory they gained over them very dear. They
are ftill accounted the bravelt foldiers in Louifia-
‘na, and were much more numerous in the time
» of. Ferdinand de Soto, than at prefent: butas to
| the riches — which this hiftorian attributes to
; them, I neither underftand whence they had
‘them, nor how the. fource of them comes to
_be dried up, for at prefent they are neither more
D spulent nor better civilized than the reft of the

. Indians.
th Our alliance with the Illinois has fet us at va-
~ fiance with the Chicachas, and the Englifh of Ca-
: rolina blow up the diffention. Our fettlement in

Louifiana is a great eye-fore to them: as it is a
_ barrier which we have placed between their power- _

i ey

R 2 ful

SAR taal

‘

(24d ) | oe

ful colonies in North-America and Mexico ¢ ot
we muft expect they will employ every method in
their power to deftroy it. The Spaniards who fee
us with fo much jealoufy ftrengthening ourfelves
in this country, are not as yet fenfible of the im-

portant fervices wé thereby, render them. A few

days after we paffed by this monument of the Illi-
nois, the Chicachas had their revenge | of two
Frenchmen, w who followed me in a pirogue. Thefe

Indians lying in. ambufh among the canes on the

banks of the river, as foon as they faw the FB rench
Oppolite to them, made a ruftling among, the
canes without thewing themfelves ; “the two men
believing it was a Paw or fome otter wild beaft
drew near in order to take it; but juft as they
were going to land, they difcharged their, mufkets
at yd which laid them dead on the fpot. I
was very neh not to be perceived, by.them ;
for my people would lofe no OPPOr Ta. of hunt-
ng. ie
i ‘ :
On the ‘twenty-third, after a very cold night,
we had a very fine cay, and though the groun
was {till covered with fnow, the cold was _fup-
portable. On the morrow we paffed by the river
of the Chicachas, which is but narrow though it
has a lofg courfe. Its mouth lies north and fouth.

From hence to Kafkafquias are reckoned eighty-
fix leagues; but the way by land would be fhorter

by one half. Nothing cou'd have been more a-
Gréeable than this navigation had the feafon been

milder: the country is den ightful, and in the foe 7
refts there are a number of ever-green trees; the 7
few meadows there likewife preferve their verdure, 7
anda confiderable number of well wooded iflands.

fome of whom aré pretty large, form very beauti-

fal nas through which the largeft Bak may Pe,
y

| C245 1)’
ly pats : ott bernie affirmed that there is fixty fa-

© thom water in his river above a hundred and fifty

leagues: from the fea,

‘os to the forefts which almoft entirely cover this

immenfe country, there is nothing, perhaps, in|

nature comparable to them, whether we confider
the fize and height of the trees, or their variety,
and the advantages which may be drawn from
them: for, excepting dye-wood, which require a
warmer foil, and are only to be met with between the
tropics, there is hardly any fort of trees, which can
be mentioned, that are not to be found here, There
are forefts of cyprefs, eight or ten leagues in extent,
all the trees of which are of a thicknefs proportion-
able to their height, furpaffing every thing we have
of that kind in France. That fort of ever-green
Jaurel, which we have called the tulip-tree on ac-
count of the fhape of its flower, is now beginning
to be Known in Europe. ‘This grows to a greater
height than the chefnut-tree of Tdide and its leaf
1S much more beautiful. The palm is ftill larger
and thicker, and yields a balm not much inferior
to that of Peru. All the known fpecies of nut-
trees are likewife to be found herein great quan-
tities, and all the woods proper for building or

cafpenter’s work; but care muft be had to avoid

thofe which grow on the banks of the river, or
in that {pace “which is liable to be overflowed by
the rifing of the ftream, for their roots being con-

tinually foaked in water, they: would be too “heavy :

and ape to rob very loon.

ik
Nk

At length I arrived at the firft itt af the
Akanfas on the fecond of December about ten

oe *clock in the morning. * This village ftands in’

a fmall meadow on the weftern bank of the Mifif-
Gil. There are three others within the {pace

R 3 of

4 : eek 246 ay ge 7
‘ of eight leagues, every one of which contains. e. |
he 7. gs NaEIOn er particular tribe, and in one of the four |

there are even two tribes, but all of them ae
comprehended under the general name of the.
Akanfas. The Indians inhabiting the village
where I am now revifiting, are called Ouyapes. The .
weftern company have here a magazine or ware-
houfe at which goods are foon expected, and they
have likewife a fa€tor here who is very uneafy at
being obliged to wait for them fo lang. mi Sa

tS ae

ed

hey

The river of Akanfas, yea tie is tad to hae its
rife at a great diftance, difcharges its waters into
the Miffifippi at two mouths, about four leagues

‘from each other. The firft is about eight leagues |
from hence. This river, it is faid, has its re in
the country of a nation of Indians called Black
Panis, who, I believe, are better known under the
name of Panis Ricaras. Ihave with me a flave ’
of that nation. It is very difficult to get up the
river of the Akanfas, on account of the g great num-
| ber of rapides ; and the water being in many
places {6 fhallow that travellers are obliged to drag
ae their pirogues.

ee ew, ee

it

The river divides at the diftance of leven leagues a
| _ above the fecond and laft of its mouths, and at t the i
iy diftance of two leagues only, above the firft. A.
i a fine river, called the White River, which comes _
ee from the country of the Ofages, falls into it. Two PY
mee leagues higher up are the Zorimas and Topingas,
wer. who inhabit one village. Two leagues farther ~
are the Southouis. ‘The Kappas are fituated a little
higher up. This nation was very numerous in the
M time of Ferdinand de Soto, nor had they much
eae _ ecreafed when M, de Ja Sale difcovered the Mif- »
ae Affippi. Oppose to ) their village may be feen the
OS eee : | " gclancaely |

*

247)

melancholy ruins of Mr. Law’s grant, of which the.

iat now remain the proprietors,

Te was to neh hich: that the nine thoufand -

German palatinates: were to have been fent; and

it has been a great lofs that that defign proved

abortive. There is not, perhaps, a country in all
Louifiana, excepting that of the Illinois, where
there is a better foil, for producing all forts of
grain and feeding of cattle. Mr, Law has been
very ill ufed, as well as the greateft part of thofe

to whom grants were given. In ail probability,

it will be fome time before fuch levies are made
again, there is occafion for them in the mother coun-
try ; and befides, we commonly regulate our conduct

upon the firft fuccefs of fuch enterprizes, without

the men joined as well as the women, inceffantly.
repeating the word mhabani, as 1 have heard it a=.
mong the Illinois, and pretty reuch in the fame

confidering what has occafioned their failure, in
order to correct it for the future. |

I found the village of the Ouyapes in the great-
eft defolation. Some time ago, a Frenchman
paffing this way was taken ill of the {mall-pox :

the infection was at firft communicated to a few of |

the Indians, and foon after to the whole canton,
The burial-place appeared like a wood of ftakes
and pofts newly erected, on which was fufpended
almoft every thing 1 in ufe amongit thefe barbari-
ans,

I pitched my tent pretty near the village, and all
the night I heard nothing but weeping, in which

a one. The evening before, [ faw a woman weep-

ing over her acy grave, and, pouring a great
quantity « of fagamity upon it. Another had light-
R4- ed

~

( 248 is re
a! a fire Heth ia a eee aie pe ably in
order to warm the deceafed perfon. The Ak canfas
are reckoned the largeft and handfomeft me . of ©

way of ditingon les beau hommes, or r the ake «:
men. It is believed, and perhaps for this reafon,
that they have the fame origin with the Canfez of
the Miffouri, and the Poutewatamies of Canada.
But my pirogue is now loaded and I have only
time to clofe my iether; rafluring Yous bing
am, &c. - vr |

Akanfas, December 2, 172%.

Bik dT ER XK.

Voyage from the Akanfas to the Natchez. De-
Seription of the Country. Of the River of the
—Yafous. Of the Cuftoms, Manners, and Re-
igion of the PIBtCHe?,

At the Natchez, December 25, 1721.

Madam,

‘Set out from the village of the Ouyapes on the
third of December, fomewhat late in the even-
ing; I however pitched my tent that night a little
below the firft mouth of the river of the Akanfas,
which feems to be about five hundred paces in
breadth. Next day I paffed the fecond, which is
very narrow, and, on the fifth, pufhed as far as
the Pointe Coupeé, or Cut Point. This was a pret-
ty high point, which run out into the river on the
Weft fide, and which the river has cut fo that it is
become an ifland ; but the new channel is not, as :
yet, navigable, unlefs when the waters are high. :
From this place to the principal branch of the
river of the Akanfas, are reckoned two and twenty
leagues, but there cannot be above ten ina ftreight »
line; forthe river is very ferpentine, during the
fpace of feventy leagues, which muft be traverfed
Beit : in

-

( 250 )

\

on the ninth in the afternoon. There has not fallen
any {now in this place, as amoneft the Illinois, but
there has been a hoar froft, which has fhattered the

young trees, with which the low points and wet —

lands are covered, in fuch manner, that it looks as

if al] their branches had been purpofely broken off

by a ftick.

The entrance into the river of the Yafous lies.

North-Wetft and South-Eaft, and is about an dr-
pent in breadth. Its waters are of areddifh colour,

and are faid to affe&t thofe who drink them with -

the bloody flux. The air is, befides, extremely

unwholefume. I had three leagues to travel before .

I reached the fort, which | found all in mourning,
on account of the death of Monf. Bizart, its go-
vernor. Wherever I had been in Louifiana, I had
heard the higheft character of this officer from all
my countrymen. © He was a native of Canada, and
fon of a Swifs major of Montreal. Atthe Yafous
I was told moft extraordinary things of his religion,

piety, and zeal, to which, at laft, he fell a victim,

‘They all regretted him as their father, and a-
greed that the colony had fuffered an irreparable
lofs. ed ae : i |

He had built the fort ina bad fituation, and,
before he died, had thought of removing it a

league farther off, to a fine meadow, where the air

was more wholefome, and where there was a village
of the Yafous, mixed with the Couwroas and Ofo-

goulas, who altogether may fend about two hundred -
fighting men into the fic'd. We live in pretty |

eood correfpondence with them, but, at the fame
time repofe no great confidence in) them, on ac-

in going from the village of the Ouyapes to the -
river of the Yafous, or Yachous, .which I entered —

Se ee eae

( -35t.)
~ count of the conneétions which the Yafous. particu-
~~ maintain with the Englith. :

~

Tha are a great many alligators in this river,
and. I have feen two of them from twelve to fifteen
feet inlength. ‘They are never heard but in the
night-time, and their cry fo much refembles the
bellowing of bulls, that people are frequently de- |
ceived by it, Our people, notwithitanding, bathe
in this river’as freely as in the Seine. On my tefti-
fying my furprize at this, I was told, That they had
nothing to fear; that indeed, when in the water,
they were conftantly furrounded by thefe animals,
but that none of them came near them, and feemed
only to watch them, in order to fall upon them, —
the moment they were going to leave the river:
that then, in order to drive them away, they made
a {plafhing in the water with a ftick, which they
took care to be provided with, and which made
_ thefe animals fly to fuch a diftance, that they had
fufficient time to fecure themfelves.

_ The company has a ware-houfe at this port, as
they have at the Akanfas; but the fort and territory
belong to a private company, confifting of M. Le
Blane, fecretary of ftate; M. le Comte de Belle-
Ifle, M. le Marquis d’ Aisteld, and M. le Biond,
brigadier Ingeneer. This laft refides in the colony
in quality of director-general of the company. I
cannot well comprehend what has made them pitch
upon the river of the Yafous for the place of their
grant. They had afluredly much better lands, and
more advantageous fituations in their choice. ’Tis
true, it is a matter of importance to fecure this
river, the fource of which is not far from Carolina;
but a fort with a good garrifon would have been
een for : purpote, « as well as to keep the
Yafous

!

~

( 252 ) :
Yafous in awe, who are allies to thine Chicahas.
The being obliged to be always on their. guard
againtt the Indians, who border upon the Englifh,
is not the way to aetele a grant pon a folid foun-
Cation: «, hh Paes Be

I left the Yafous on the tenth, and, on the thir-
teenth, had it not been for a Natché Indian, who
afked his paffage from me in order to return to his
own country, I fhould have been loftin a whirlpool,
with which none of my guides were acquainted,
and which cannot be perceived tll one is fo far en-
gaged with it, that it is impoffible to get clear of
it. It lies on the left, at the foot of a large cape,
where it is faid, there is a very good ftone quarry :
this is what people are moft afraid of wanting in
this colony, but, to make amends, they may eafi-
ly make as many bricks as they will,

On the fifteenth we arrived at the Natchez.
This canton, the fineft, moft fertile, and beft
peopled of all Loni, lies at the diftance of
forty leagues from the Yafous, upon the fame fide
of the river. ‘The landing place is oppofite a high
and rugged bank, at the foot of which runs a {mall
rivulet, which is capable of receiving only fhallops
and pirogues.. From this firft bank we go up a
fecond, or rather a hill, whofe afcent is tollerably
eafy, on the fummit of which ftands a redoubt,
enclofed by a fimple palifade. The name of a fort
has been given to this entrenchment. hae

Several little hills appear above this laft, and,
when thefe are once paft, we fee, on all fides, very
‘large meadows feparated from one another by fmall
copfes of wood, which produce a very fine effect.
The trees moft common in thefe woods are the a!

an

or Cth 7383 3)

and nut- trees ; and the foil is’ every where excel-
lent. The late M. d’Iderville, who firft entered
the Miffiffippi by its mouth, having penetrated as
far up as the Natchez, found the country fo delight-
sul, vei fo advantageoufly fituated, that he con-
cluded the metropolis of the new colony could no
where be better placed ; and accordingly traced out
the plam of it, and intended to call it by the name>
of Rafal, which is that of the lady of the chancel-
lor of Portchartrain. But it, fhould feem this pro-
ject was not to be put in execution fo foon,. tho’
our geographers have always thought fit to lay

down in their maps the town. of Rosalie at the
Natchez. }

_?Tis certain it was neceffary to begin by a fettle-
ment nearer the fea; but if ever Louifiana becomes
a flourifhing colony, as it may very well happen,
it is my opinion there cannot-be a better fituation
for a capital than this. It is not liable to be over-
flowed by the river, has a very pure air, and a great
extent of country; the foil is! well. watered, and
proper for producing every thing. Nor is it at
too great a diftance from the fea, and there is no-
thing to prevent fhipping from going up to it.
Laftly, itis at a convenient diftance from all thofe
places where there can be any defign of making
fettlements. The company have a magazine, and

keep a principal factor here, who, as yet, has very
little to do.

Amongft a great number of private grants,
which are already i in acondition to produce | fome-
thing valuable, there are two of the largeft ex-
tent that is allowed, being each four leagues - {quare ;
one belonging to acompany of Maleins, the inha-
pitants of it, and which they bought of M. Hubert,
commiulflary

6 Ey NG AR 2 ,

: | commiffary i in chief, and prefident of the coun-
: cil in Louifiana; and the other to the company,
WhO have “eat workenien Thicket Ged Clerae, in
order to make tobacco. ‘Thefe two grants are f-
tuated in fuch a manner, as to form a_ perfect tri-
| atgle with the fort, the ‘diftahce of one angle from
eee. thie other being one league. Half way between the
aie two ‘grants lies the great village of the Natchez.
T have carefully vifited all thefe places, and here
follows what I have obferved moft remarkable it in

them.

~
oe

The erant of the Maloins is well fituated, “and
nothing is wanting to make it turn out to advan-
tage but Negroes, or hired fervants. I fhould ra-

ee ther chufe to employ the fatter, becaufe, the time
esti of their fervice being expired, théy become inha-
bitants, and increafe the number of the "king? S na-
tural fubjeéts ; whereas the former always continue
aliens: and who can be certain but that, by being
multiplied in our colonies, they may not one day
become our moft formidable enemies! Can we de- »
pend upon flaves who are only attached to us by
fear, and who never can have the pleafure of call-
ing ‘the place in which they are born by the en-
dearing name of their native country ?

| The firft night I lay in this fettlement, there

a ie a great alarm about nine o’cloeck in the
”, ‘evening; upon afking the reafon of it, I was told

there wae in the neighbourhood, a beaft of an un- i

ie known fpecies, of an extraordinary bulk, and = ©

; whofe cry did not in the leaft refemble that of any

x known animal. Nobody however could fay he had

aoe feen it, and they formed a judgment of its fizeen-

‘ tirely from its ftrength: it had already carried off

-_ fheep and calves, and worried fome cows. I

told
‘e

Ww

¥.

( see).

told thofe who gave me this account, that an en-

‘raged wolf might very well have done all. this, and

that, as to its cry, people were deceived in thefe
‘Matters every day. Icould petfuade nobody, they
ftill would have it that ic was fome monftrous beait.
Tt was heard'again, and every one ran out armed
with what he could find, but it was to no aa
pore...

~The company’s grant is ftill more advantageout-
y fituated than that of the Maloins. The fame
river waters both, and falls into the MiffiMippi, two
‘leagues from this place; a magnificent foreft of
cyprefs trees forms a barrier to vit, and covers all
the back fettlements.

‘I have feen in the garden of the Sieur le Noir,
the principal factor, a very fine cotton tree, and,
a little lower, we begin to find wild Indigo. A

trial of it has not yet been made, but there is rea-

fon to believe that it will fucceed as well as that
which was found on the ifland of Sr. () lomingo,
where it is as much efteemed as the Indigo cearit
ported from foreign parts. Befides, experience
informs us that a foil which produces this plane

naturally is very well adapted to reccive iorcign

feed. !

The great village of the Natchez is at prefent
reduced to a fmall number of cabbins ; the reafon
of which, I amtold, is, that the ineand whofe
oreat chief has a right to take every thing from
them, remove to as great a diftance from him as
they poffibly can, by which means feveral villages
of thefe people have been formed at fome diftance

-from this, The Yzous, their allies and ours, have

one likewife in their neighbourhood.
| The

oO
Meh

‘The hbiscs of the Necae village of the ‘Nate
Hi Pa, the only one I have feen, are in the form of
- fquare pavilions, very low, and without windows.
ey Their roofs are rounded pretty much in the fame
manner as an oven. Moft of them»are covered
with the leaves and ftraw of maiz, Some of them
are built of a fort of mud, which feemed tolera-
bly good, and is covered outfide and infide with
very thin mats. That of the great chief is rough-
caft very handfomely in the infide: it is likeways
larger and higher than the reft, being placed ina
more elevated fituation, and has no cabbins adjoin-
ing to it. It fronts a large fquare, which is none
of the moft regular, and “looks to the north, All
the moveables I found in it were a bed of. planks
very narrow, and raifed about two or three feet
from the ground; probably when the chief lies
down he fpreads over it a matt, or the fkin of fome
‘
\

i animal.

There was not a foul in the village, all of them
having gone to a neighbouring village, where
there was a feftival. All their doors were open,
but there was not any thing to be feared from
thieves, as nothing remained but the four wails.
Thefe eotins have no vent for the fmoke, not-
withftanding thofe into which I entered were tole-
rably white. The temple ftands at the fide of the
chief ’s cabbin, facing the eaft, and at the extre-.
mity of the fquare. It is built of the fame mate-
rials with the cabbins, but of a different fhape,
being an oblong fquare, forty feet in length, and
| twenty in breadth, with a very fimple roof, in the
ee A fame form as ours. At each extremity there is —

fomething like a weather-cock of wood, which
has a very coarfe refemblance of an eagle, ej

(gee +) |

. The a is in the tail sf the length of the
_building, which has no other opening: on each
fide there are feats of ftone. What is within 19
quite correfpondent to this ruftic outfide. Three
pieces of wood, joined at the extremity, and pl laced
in a triangle, or rather at an equal diftance from

_ one another, take up almoft the whole middle fpacé

of the temple, and burn flowly away. An Indian,
whom they call keeper of the temple, is obliged
to tend them, and to prevent their eoing outs
If the weather is cold he may have a fire for hime

felf,-for he is not allowed to warm himfelf at this,

which burns in honour of the fun. This keepef
was alfo at the feftival; at leaft I did not fee
him, but. his brands occafioned a fmoke which
almoft blinded us.

Ornaments I faw none, nor any thing indeed

which could inform me that this was a temple. I.

{aw only three or four boxes lying in diforder, with
a few dry bones in them, and fome wooden heads

on the ground, of fomewhat better workmanhhip .

than the eagles on the roof. In fhort, if it had
not been for the fire; I fhould have believed this
temple had been deferted for fonve time, or that it

had been lately plundered. Thofe cones, wrapt

up in fins, the dead bodies of thé chiefs tanged
in a circle within a temple intirely round, and

terminated in the manner of a domie, thofe altars,

€Sc. of which fome accounts make enon of all
thefe I have feen nothing ; and, if ever fuch things

were to be feen, they have been gieatly evanece
fince that time.

= *

*
But, as no one ought abfolutely to be condemned

while there is a thadow of ‘an excufe for him, it is |
Vou. I. 5 poflible

”~>

in

Ae ¢ 258 J n )
poffible that the neighbourhood of the French
made the Natchez apprehenfive of lofing the dead
bodies of their chiefs, and whatever was moft
precious in their temple, for which caufe they have
carried them elfewhere ; and that the littl regard
they pay to their temple at prefent is owing to its
having been ftript of whatever was held moft facred
amongft them. It is however true, that, clofe by
the wall, and oppofite to the gate, there isa table,
the dimenfions of which I was not at the trouble
to take, as 1 had then no fulpicion of its being an
altar. I have been fince informed, that it is three
feet in height, five in length, and four in breadth.

I have further heard, that they make a {mall
fire on it with the bark of the oak, whichnever goes
out, but this is falfe, for I faw no fire, nor any
thing from which it could be imagined there ever
was afirethere. They fay likeways that four old
men lie in the temple by turns, in order to keep up
this fire; that he who is upon guard muft not go
out during the eight days he is upon duty; that
they take the lighted charcoal of the logs that are
burning in the middle of the temple, to put upon
the altar , that twelve men are employed in pro-
viding oak-bark ; that there are monkeys of wood,
and the figure of a rattlefnake, likewife of wood,
placed upon the altar, to which they pay great
honours: that when their chief dies he is buried,
and, when they imagine his fiefh is confumed, the
keeper of the temple takes up his bones, wafhes
them, wraps them up in their moft precious robes,
places them in large bafkets made of canes, which.
he covers with ‘deer fkins, and difpofes them before
the altar, where they remain till the death of the
reigning chief; andthat then he fhuts them up igh

tH

—~

( 489 )

the altar icfelf, in order to make room for the bones

‘of ‘him who died laft.

With refpect to the latt article, Ican eafily fay,
that I faw a few bones in one or two of the trunks ;
that they would not have made one half of thofe

_ belonging to the human body; that they feemed

very old, and lay not on the table which is called

the altar. As to the other articles, firft, as I never

was in the temple but in the day time, Ja am entirely

ignorant of what paffes there during’ the night s
and, in the next place, there was no watch in the
temple when I was there. I obferved, as I have
already faid, fome wooden monkeys, but faw no
‘figure of a ferpent.

What I have feen in fome relation, of this temi-
ple being hung with tapeftry, of its pavement be-
ing covered with matts of canes, of its being kept
in the greateft neatnefs, and of their carrying to it
every year the firft fruits of their harveft, muft
certainly be read with great allowances. On the
contrary, I have never feen any thing more flovenly,
orin greater diforder. The billets of wood were

burning updn the bare ground, on which there was.

no matts, no more than onthe walls. M. le Noirs
who was with me, only told me, that every day
he put a frefh billet to. the fire; and, at every new
moon they provided wood for the ‘whole month.
He had this however only from hear-fay, for this
was the firft time he had feen the temple as well as

myfelf.

A

Here follows what I have been able to learn of

the nation of the Natchez in general. In their ex: —
ternal appearance they differ in nothing ftom the ~

other Indians of Canada and Ueuiiiana, They
" S 2 feldemi

Di Soh N EE So eg

( pgaho’)

feldom make war, and do not place their glory if
deftroying their fellow creatures. What diftin-
guifhes them more particularly is the form of their .
government, which is entirely defpotic; the. great
dependance in the fubject, which reaches. even to
a fort of flavery 3; a greater degree of haughtinefs
and grandeur in slcue chiefs, and a pacific fpirit,

from which however, for fome years Rae they
have deviated a little. |

\
:

Fhe Hursons believe, as well as eek their

‘chiefs defcended from the fun, but there are none

of them-who will be his flave, and follow him to
the other world to have the honour of ferving him
there, as frequently happens among the Natchez.
Garcilaflo de la Vega fpeaks of this nation as a very
powerful people, and it is not quite fix years fince
that they reckoned four thoufand warriours amongft
them. It appears that ‘they were {till more nume-

rous In the time of M. de la Sale, and even when
M. d’Iberville difcovered the mouth of the Miffi-
Mippi, whereas at prefent they cannot fend two

thoufand fighting men into the field. This decreafe
of their numbers is attributed to contagious diftem-—
pers, which for fome years paft have made ‘great
havock amongft them.

The grand chief of the Natchez bears the name

of Sun, and, as among the Hurons, the fon of
bis neareft female relations always fucceeds him.

This, perfon has the qualicy of woman-chief, and
great honours are paid her, tho’ fhe feldom meddles
in affairs of government. She has, as well as the

chief himlelf, the power of life and death, and it —

is an ufual thing for them to order their guards,
whom they call “Alone, to difpatch any one who
has the misfortune to be obnoxious to either.

;

5
i»

¥

i

( 261 )

Go Wed me of this dog, fay they, and they are in-
ftantly obeyed. Their fubjects, and even the chiefs ,
-of their villages, never-come into ‘their prefence »
~ without falueng them thrice, and raifing a cry,
or rather a fort of howling. They do the
fame thing when they withdraw, and always retire
going - backwards. When they meet them they
‘are obliged to ftop, range themfelves in order on
theroad, and howl in the manner above mentioned
till they are paft. They are likeways obliged to
catry them the beft of their harveft, and of the
product of their hunting and fifhing. In fine, no
one, not even their neareft elations, and thofe
who compofe their nobility, when they have the
-honour to eat with them, have aright to drink out
of the fame cup, or put their hands in the fame

— difh,

-_—

Every morning, as foon asthe fun appears, the ° |
erand chief ftands at the door of his cabbin, turns |
his face towards the eaft, and howls thrice, pro-

_ {trating himfelf to the ground at the fame time. A.
calumet is afterwards brought him, which is ne-
ver ufed but upon this occafion ;, he fmoaks, and
blows the tobacco firft towards the fun, and then
‘towards the other three quarters of the world. He.
_acknowledges no matter but the fun, from whom
he pretends he derives his origin. He exercifes
an abfolute power over his fubjeéts, whofe lives
and goods are entirely at his difpofal, and they

- can demand no payment for any labour he requires
of them,

When the grand chief, or the woman chief, die,
all the Allouez are obliged to follow them to the
other world, nor are they the only perfons who
have this honour :, for it is certainly reckoned one,

S 3 | and

rai 262 .)
and as fuck, creatly fought after. The death ofa
chief has been incre: known to coft the lives
of above a hundred perfons, and I have been told
there are few Natchez of any confiderable note wha
die without being attended to the country of fouls,
by fome of their relations, friends, or fervants. It
appears from the different relations | have feen of

1

thefe horrible ceremonies that there is much va-

ylation in them. Here follows an account of the
obfequies of «a woman chief, which I had from a
traveller who was an eye-witnefs of it, and on whofe
fincerity I have good reafon to depend,

The hufband of this woman not being noble,
that is to fay, of the family of the fun, his eideft
fon, according to cuftom, ftrangled him. After-
wards every thing was taken out of the cabbin,
and a fort of triumphant car was erected of it, on
which were placed the body of the deceafed and
that of her hufband. Immediately after, twelve
little children whom their parents had. ftrangled,
by order of the eldeft fon of the woman chief,
who fucceeded to her dignity, were laid around
the carcaffes. ‘This done, they erected in the
publick fquare fourteen fcaffolds adorned with
branches of trees and ftuffs, on which were paint-
‘ed various f “Buree Thefe fcaffolds were defigned
for an equal number of perfons, who were to attend
the woman-chief to the other world. Their rela-
tions ftood round them, looking upon the per-
-miffion given them, to facrifice themfelves in this
manner, as the greateft honour that could be done
to their families. They are fometimes ten years in
foliciting this favour before-hand, and thofe who

obtain it, are obliged to fpin the cord themfelves- I

They

with which they are to be flrangled.

)

‘

: Os een |
They appeared on the fcaffolds dreffed in their

richeft habits, each having alarge fhell in hisright-

hand. Their neareft relation ftood on the fame
hand, having a battle-ax in his left, and the cord

which is to do the execution under his left-arm.

From time to time he fings the death-cry, at which
the fourteen victims come down from the fcaffolds,
and dance all together in the fquare before the
temple, and the cabbin of the woman-chief. This

and the following days great refpect is paid

them, each has five domeftics to attend him, and
their faces are painted red. Some add, that
during the eight days preceeding their death, they
wear a red ribband on their leg, and thar all that
time every one is follicitous to regale them. Be
this as ic will, at the time 1 am now fpeaking of,
the fathers and mothers of the ftrangled chil-
dren took them in their arms, and difpofed them-
felves on each fide of the cabbin, the fourteen def-
tined to die, placed themfelves in the fame man-
ner, and were followed by the friends and relations
of the deceafed, who had all their hair cut off,
which 1s their way of mourning: all this time they
made the air refound with fuch frightful cries, that
one would have thought all the devils in hell
had broke lcofe, in order to come to howl in
this place; this was followed with dances and
fongs; tholfe who were to die danced, and the rela-
tions of the woman-chief fung.

At laft the proceffion began. The fathers and

_ mothers carrying their dead children appeared firft,

walking two and two, and wentimmediately before
the litter, in which was the corpfe of the woman-
chief, carried on the fhoulders of four men. The
reft followed in the fame order. At every ten

: hd, paces

| ) Cea ;
paces the children were A so upon the ground,
thofe who carried the litter trampling upon them,
fo that when the proceffion arrived at the temple,
their little bodies were quite torn to pieces.

While they were interring the corpfe of the wo-
man-chief in the temple, the fourteen perfons
‘deftined to die were undreffed and feated on the
ground before the gate, having each two Indians
about him, one feated on his knees, and the other
hoiding his hands behind him. ‘The cords were
pafied round their necks, their. heads were covered.
with the fkin of a roe-buck, and after being made to
{wallow three pieces of tobacco, and to drink a
glafs of water, the relations of the. woman-chief,
whq fung all the time, drew the cords at each
end till they were ftrangled. After which all the
carcaffes were thrown together into a ditch an
covered with earth,

, When the grand chief dies, his nurfe, if ftill
alive, muft die likewife. But it has often happen-
ed, that the French not being able to prevent this
barba rity, have obtained leave to baptize the chil-
dren-who were to be ftrangled, and thus have
prevented their accompanying thofe in- whofe
Pe they were flrangled, to their pretended
paradile.

I know no nation on the continent, where. the
fex is more diforderly than in this. They are even
forced by the grand chief and his fubalterns to prof-
‘tutute chenntaives to all comers, and a woman 1S,not

‘the lefs efteemed for being public. ‘Though po-
dygamy is permitted and the number of wives

which a man may have is unlimited, yet every one,
for

Ped

* ee Se ee

PT eR eT ee

R265. )

; for the moft part contents himfelf with one, whom |
> he may divorce at pleafure; but this, however,
| is a liberty never ufed by any. but the chiefs. The
women are tolerably well-looked for.favages, and
neat enough jin their drefs, and every thing be-
longing tothem, ‘The daughters of a noble fami--
ly are allowed to marry none but private men;
but they have a right to turn away their huf
band when they think proper,’ and marry an-
other, provided there is no alliance between
them.

If their hufbands are unfaithful. to them, they
"may caufe them to be put to death, but are not
fubjeét to the fame law themfelves: on the contra-
ry, they may entertain as many gallants as they
pleafe, without the hufband’s daring to take it amifs,
this being a privilege attached tothe blood of the fun.
He ftands in a refpectful pofture, in the prefence
of his wife, never eats with her, falutes her in the
fame manner as the reft of her domefticks, and
all the privilege which this burthenfome alliance

procures him, is an exemption from travel and lome
meet over his wife’s fervants.

The Natchez have two chiefs of war, two maf-
ters of ceremonies for the temple,two officers to regu-
late the proceedings in treaties of peace and war, one
who has the infpection of the works, and four more
who are charged with the management of the pu-
blick feafts. The erand chief ditpofes of hele em-
ployments, and iced on whom he confers them
are refpected and obeyed as himfelf. Their har-
veft is in common, the chief appoints ‘the day,
and affembles the village. - About the end of July
he appoints another day, for the commencement of ;

a

(366) ‘

a feftival, to continue for three days which are fpent

in games and feafting.

Every private perfon contributes to this,’ from
the produce of his hunting and fifhing, and from
his other provifions, confifting of maize, beans and
melons. The grand chief commonly called the
fun, and the woman-chief prefide at this feftival
in an elevated lodge, which is covered with foli-
age: they are carried thither in a litter, and the
former holds in his hand-a fort of fcepter adorned

with feathers of various colours. All the nobility

fit round them in a pofture of refpect. On the laft
day the chief harrangues the affembly, and exhorts
them all to be exact in fulfilling their duty, efpe-
cially to preferve a great veneration for the fpirits
who refide in the temple, and to give good inftruc-
tions to their children. If any one has fignalized
himfelf by a publick-fpirited aétion, he makes his
eulogium. Twenty years ago the temple was re-
duced to athes by lightning, feven or eight

women threw their children into the flames, in—

order to appeafe the genii; the chief immediately
had thefe heroines before him, gave them publick-
ly the higheft praifes, and concluded his difcourfe,
by exhorting the reft of the women to imitate,
when occafion offered,.fo great an example.

The heads of families never fail to carry to the

temple the firft fruits of all they gather, and the
prefents made to the nation, are difpofed of in the
fame manner. They are laid before the door of
the temple, and the keeper after having offered
them to the fpirits, carries them to the chief who

difpofes them as he fees proper. The feed which

is to be thrown into the ground i is, in like manner,

oe

*
ca ESS Pee ee oo

se ;
* are ee
ee

aay.

|

1867 ')
offered before the temple with great ceremonys
but the offerings made of bread and flour at every
new-moon, are for the benefit of the keepers of
the temple. |

The marriages of the Natchez differ but little:
from thofe of the Indians of Canada: the prin-

cipal difference confifts in the bridegroom’s ma-

king prefents to the parents of the young woman

he isto efpoufe, and in the nuptials being followed

by agreat feaft. None but the chiefs have above |
one wife, the reafon of which is, that they having

their lands cultivated by the people at no expence,

do not find the number of their wives burthen-

fome to them. ‘The chiefs marry with ftill lefs

ceremony than the people, It is fufficient for them

to give notice to the relations of the girl upon

whom they have caft their eyes, that they enrol

her into the number of their wives; but they keep

only one or two in their own cabbins, the reft re-

maining with their relations, whom they vifit when

they think fit. There is no fuch thing as jealoufy

in thefe marriages; on the contrary, the Natchez,

Without any ceremony, lend one another their

wives, and this is probably the reafon of the fa-

cility with which they part with them, in order ta,
take other wives.

When a war-chief wants to levy a party, he
plants in a place appointed for that purpofe two trees
adorned with feathers, arrows, and battle-axes ;
all painted red as well as the trees, which are like-
wife marked on that fide on which the expedi-
tion is to fet out. Thofe who incline to enlift, pre-
fent themfelves before the chief dreffed in the beft
manner, with their faces dawbed all over with dif-
ferent colours, and make known their defire of

. learning

ee. ee
learning the trade of arms under his condu@, and.
declare themfelves difpofed*to endure all the fa-
tigues of war, and ready to die, if neceflary, for
the good of their native country. My

When cae chic£ has got the number of {elders

required for the intended expedition, he caufes pre-
pare a beverage which is called the medicine of war.

This is a vomit made with a root boiled in water :
two pots of this drink are given to every one,

which he muft fwallow one after another and is’
fure to throw up again with the moft violent
reaches. They are next bufied in making pre-
parations, and untill the day fixed for their de-
parture the warriors meet every morning and even-
ing in the {quare, where, dancing and recounting
their greateit exploits in arms, every one fings his
death-fong. This people are no lefs fuperftitious
with refpect to dreams than the Indians of
Canada: there only wants a bad omen to make
them return back, even after they have fet out on
an expedition.

The warriors march in great order, and ufe

great’ precaution in encamping, and to enable
them to rally again, . Scouts are frequently fent

out on difcoveries, ue no centinels are fet during
the night: they put out all the fires, recommend
themielves to the geni!, and then goto fleep in

fecurity, the chief having firft warned every one

not to fnore too loud, and to keep his arms always
rzady by him and in good condition. The idols
are expofed ona branch which hangs towards the.
enemy, and all the warriors before they lie down
pafs one after another, -vith their tomahawk in their
hand, before thefe pretended divinities. “Then they

| , turn

ae

ob
a

, 2

( 269 )
_ turn themfelves towards the enemy’s country potr-
ing forth great menaces, which the winds frequent-
ly carry to ) the other fide. |

It does not appear that the Natchez during
their march, exercife thofe cruelties on their pri-
foners which are ufual in Canada. When thefe
unhappy wretches arrive at the great village, they
are made to fing and dance ’ feveral days running

before the temple, after which they are delivered

up to the relations of thofe who have been killed
in the campaign; who upon receiving them burf
out into lamentations, and then drying up their
tears with the fcalps which the warriors have
brought home, they tax themfelves, in order to re-
compence thofe who have given them the flaves,.

whole lot is always to be burnt.

The warriors change their names as ey perform
new exploits; they receive them from the old war-
chiefs, and thefe names always bear fome rela-
tion to the action by which they have merited this
diftinétion; thofe who for the firft time have ta-
ken a prifoner or cut off a {calp, muft, for the fpace
of a month, refrain from feeing their wives or eat-
ing meat. They imagine, that fhould they fail in
this, the fouls of thofe they have killed or burnt

~ would occafion their death, or that the firft wound

they fhouldreceive from an enemy would prove mor-
tal,orat leaft, that they would gain no farther advanta-
ges over theirenemies. If thegrand chief commands
his fubjects in perfon, great care is taken that he
do not expofe himfelf too much, lefs, perhaps, out
of zeal for his prefervation, than out of fear thar
the other chiefs of war and principal men of the
party, may run the rifk of being put to death,
for not baying taken better care BOF him,

The

( 270 )
The jug oplers of the Natchez bear a great re-
femblance to thofe of Canada, and treat the fick

much in the fame manner. They are well reward-

ed, if the fick perfon recovers, but if he dies, it
often colts them their lives. There is another

fpecies of jugglers among this people, who run no —

lefs rifks than the phyficians. Thefe are fome
worthlefs old fellows, who, in order to procure fub-.
fiftence for their families, without being obliged to
work, undertake to procure rain or fine weatheb;
according as either is wanted. In {pring the people
tax themfelves, in order to buy from thefe pretend-
ed magicians a favourable feafon for the fruits of
theearth. If rainis required, they fill their mouths
with water, and then with a pipe, the extremity of -
which is pierced into feveral holes like a funnel,
they blow into the air on that fide where they per-
ceive a cloud, and all the time playing on a chi-
chikoué in one hand, and lifting up their manitou
into the air with the other, they. invoke the clouds.
with frightful cries, to water the fields of thofe who
have fet them at work.

If good weather is demanded, they mount upon _

the rook of their cabbin, making figns to the clouds ~
to pafs by, and if they pafs and diffi ipate they dance
and fing round their idols, then fwallow the {moke
of tobacco, and offer their calumets towards heaven.
All the time thefe operations laft, they obferve 4
rigorous faft, and do nothing but dance and fing 3

if they obtain what they have promifed they are

well rewarded, butif not they are put to death with-

out mercy. But the fame perfons do not undertake |

to procure rain and. fine weather; their genil,

fay they, have it not in _ their power to ee

both.
z Mowmnig

sessile

ey ere |)

Mourning amongtt thofe Indians confifts in cut-
ting off their hair, in forbearing to paint their
faces, and in abfenting themfelves from the affem-
blies; but I am ignorant how long it lafts. Nor
have I been able to learn whether they celebrate
the feftival of the dead, of which ceremony I have
already given you a defcription ; it feems, that in
this nation where all are in fome manner flaves to
thofe who, command, funeral honours are fet apart
for thefe alone, and efpecially for the grand chief
and the woman-chief.

Treaties of peace and alliance are concluded with
a great deal of form and ceremony, in which the
grand chief conftantly maintains his dignity like a
real fovereign. So foon as he is informed of the
day of the arrival of Ambafladors, he gives or-
ders to the-mafters of the ceremonies to make pre-
parations for their reception, and appoints thofe
who are to take their turns of maintaining the en-
voys. For it is at the expence of his fubjects that
he defrays the charge of an embafly. On the day
of the entry of the Ambaffadors, every one has
his place appointed according to his rank, and
when thefe minifters are at the diftance of “five
hundred paces from the grand chief, they make a.
halt and fing the peace-fong.

_ Anembafly, for the moft part, confifts of thirty
men and fix women. Six of the beft voices put —
themfelves at the head of the train and fing, the
reft following them, whilft a chichikoué regulates
the meafure. When the grand chief makes a fign
to the ambafladors to draw near, they again begin
their march ; thofe who carry the calumet dance
and fing, turning themfelves on all fides, and ma-
king a thoufand antick motions, grimaces, and

3 contortions,

{

(> Bee © |
contortions. They play the fame fatce over dsiic
found the grand chief, as foon as they have comé
into his prefence 5 then they ftroak him with the
calumet from head tofpot, and afterwards return .
to their company. - “7

And now they fill.the calumet with tobacco, and
holding the fire in one hand, advance all together |
towards the grand chief, and prefent him the calu-
met lighted. They fmoke along with him, blow-
ing the firft vapour of their tobacco towards the
fky, the fecond towards the earth, and the third all
round the horizon. This done they prefent their
-calumet to the relations of the grand chief and to
the inferior chief. Afterwards they ftroak the
ftomach of the grand chief with their hands, and ’
then rub themfelves over the body; laftly, they
Jay their calumets on forks over againft the grand
chief, when the orator of the embafly begins his
harangue, which continues for an hour, ad

This being over, a fign is made to the acsieltee
dors, who had hitherto continued ttanding, to fit
déwin, on feats placed for them, near the grand }
chief, who makes anfwer to their difcourfe, and
likewife holds forth for a whole hour. This done,
the mafter of the ceremonies lights a great calumet
of peace, and gives it to the ambafladors who i
fmoke with it, and fwallow the firft draught. y
Then the grand chief enquires after ‘their health, i
ali thofe who affift at the audience pay the fame
_complimient, and then they are conduéted to the
cabbin appointed for their refidence, where a grand
repaft is prepared for them. On the evening of
the fame day the grand chief pays them a vifit ; :
but when they are informed he is about to leave his - }
apartment, in order todothem this honour, they goin
queft

x

2 er} aa 4 by
i , y u

Fh. - Poy

j ¥

: (7 273, ) |
-queft of, him, carry him on their fhoulders to their
cabbin, and feat him on a large fkin. One of them
places | himfelf behind him, ‘leaning with both his
hands on his fhoulders, and gently thaking him for
fome time, whilft the reft feated on the ground in
a circular form, fing their great exploits in war,

Thefe vifits are ae every morning and e-
vening, but at laft the ceremonial is changed. The:
ambafladors erect a poft in the middle of their cab-
bins, round which ga all feat themfelves : the war-
riors who accompany the grand chief, being dreffed
in their richeft habits, dance and ftrike upon the
poft by turns, eounnng at the fame time their
eallant feats in war; after which they make pre-

- fents to the ambaffadors. On the next day, thefe,

for the firft time, have liberty to walk about in the
village, and every evening feftival§ are prepared for
them, confifting only of dances. When they are
about to depart, the mafters of the ceremonies
furnifh’ them with the provifions requifite for their
journey, which is always done at the expence of
private perfons. oe

The greateft part of the nations of Louifiana,
had formerly their temples as well as the Natchez,
and in all thefe temples a perpetual fire is kept up.

It fhould even feem, that the Maubilians enjoyed a
© fort of ee in religion, over all the other na-

_ tions in thi
_ fires = Api to be extinouifhed through chance, ~

art of Florida; for when any of their

or negligence, it was neceflary to kindle them again.
at theirs. But the temple of the Natchez is the
only one fubfifting at prefent, and is held in great
veneration by all the favages inhabiting this vaft

continent, the decreafe of whiote numbers is as cone

fiderable, and has | been {till more fudden, than that.
Vor. "1. | T of

| De 294 - »
of the people of Canada, without its bein z
to affign the true reafon of this event.
tions have entirely difappeared within the fp ace
forty years at moft; and thofe who ftill remain,
are no more than the fhadow of N athe OR z
when M. de Sale difcovered this. | untry. I mutt
now take my leave of your Grace, for reafons “|
which I fhall foon have the de gs to ein
toyou, oe

a aim Baer

J am, &c. . :

ev W
bia RP an 4 vi

Voyage from the Natchez to New Orleans. .
Defeription of the Country and of feveral
Indian Villages, with that of the Capital of

-Lonifiana.
. i ae
oe my Phe) Ph |
y A . in ray ; ‘
. New Orleans, ‘fanuary 10, 1722.
; | Maism,

am now at laft arrived at it famous city of
Nouvelle Orleans, New Orleans, Thofe who
have, given sit this name, muft have imagined
‘leans was of the feminine gender. But of what
| callegpings is this? Cuftom, which “is. fuperior
to all the law f grammar, has fixed it fo.
™ This is Bo rf city, which one of the nat
rivers in the world has feen erected on its banks.
"4 If the eight hundred fine houfes and the five’
_ parifhes, which our Mercury beftowed upon it two
years ago, are at prefent reduced to a hundred |
_ barracks, placed in no very good order ; to a large
-ware-houfe built of timber ; to two or three houfts
which 1 would bé no. ornament to a village in France ; 3
i Wee to

to ont half ok forty wape-houte, formed apn

for divine fervice, and was fearce appropriated for
that purpole, when it was removed to a tent:
what pleafure, on the other hand, muft it give to
- fee this future capital of an immenfe and beautiful
country increafing infenfibly, and to be able, not
with figh like Wigs her, when peaking of bi
native country conlumed by the flames, ¢ campu
_ubi Troj@ fuit, but full of the beft grounded hopes
to fay, that this wild and defart place, at prefent
almoft entirely covered over with can a an J trees,
fhall one day, and perhaps, that day is not very
far off, become the capital of a large and rich co- —
oe | oe. ee

%

‘ ¥ “yf

Your Grace will, perhaps, afk me upon what
thefe hopes are-founded? They are founded on

the firuation of this city on the banks of a navi-
gable river, at the diltance of thirty three leagues
from the fea, from which a veffel may come up
in twenty-four hours ; on the fertility of its foil ;_
on the mildnefs and wholefomenefs ‘of the climate,

in thirty degrees north latitude; on the inc
of the inhabitants ; On its neighbourhood to. if
co, the Havanna, the fincft iflands of
and Jaft y, to che/Englifh colonies. Can th

vantages on the Seine an
have found on the Miffif on |
which, thefe two rivers are no more than brooks.
But before I eng:ge in the defcription of what
curious in this plece, I fhall,. to. preferve d ye order
sefume my journal where I left off.

E ‘wighe

Bee. at tee

P
i!

y
Ay
Ae
a tt -* }
ata y pry
Ak aS
: e ro ,
1 ot
i

ge
mi
.
et

4

a eae a

neal

Sez:

Se ae

io ee

a tran a a hm

bt oun g » “t
Rook ip ,
m

ny .
=) ;

¥
' ad

J

: (-277 )
I flayed among the Natchez much longer than I

« “expected, w which | was owing to the deftitute condi-

5)
#
want %
ae

tion in wt enh found the French with refpect to
~ fpiritual a ftance. The dew of heaven has not as
yet fallen upon this fine country, which is more
than; any other enriched with the fat of the earth.
The late M. d’ Iberville had defigned a jefuit for
this. place, who accompanied him in his fecond

voyage to Louifiana, in order to eftablifh Chrifti-

nity in a nation, the converfion of which he doubt-
ed not would draw after it, that of all the reft ;. but
this miffionary on: pafling through the village of
the Bayagoulas, imagined he found more favours
able difpofitions towards religion there, and while
he was thinking on fixing his refidence amongft
them, was neuen: tok rance, mA order of his fu-
Petiors.

‘ ae

An ecclefiaftic of Canada was in the fequel fent
to the Natchez, where he refided a fufficient time.
but made no profelites, though he fo far gained the
good graces of the woman chief, that out of ref pect

to him, fhe called one of her fons by his name.

‘This miffionary being obliged to»make ‘a voyage
to the Mobile, was kilied on his way thither by
ne Indians, who probably had no other motive
for this cruel aétion, but to plunder his baggage,
‘as had before happened to another prieft, on the
fide of the Akanfas. ~From»this time forth all
Louifiana, below the Illinois, has been without any
ecclefiattick, excepting the Tovicas, who for feve-
rakyears have had a miflionary whom they love

and efteem, and would even have chofen for their

chief, Bue who has not been able, notwith-

ftanding all this, to perfuade one mF perfon to
- emp 3 we

T 3 moo Buy

But how can we imagine meafuures are 6 be tae
ken to convert the infidels, when the children of
the faith themfelves are, almoft all of them, with-
out paftors? I shave already had the honour to in-
form your Grace, that the canton of the Natchez
is the-moft populous of this eolonys yet it is five
years fincé the French there have heard mafs, ‘
even feen a prieft. I was indeed, fenfible, the
the greateft number of the inhabitants had an in-
difference towards the exercifes. of religion, which
is the common effect of the want of the facra+
ments 3 feveral of them, however, expreffed much
cagernels. to lay hold of the opportunity seep oxdl i:
age afforded them, to put the affairs ‘it )
feience in order, and I did not believe it’ my
duty, to fuffer myfelf. to be ae tnitregged on Ee
occafion. ote a

Se age ee ee a

ik ea
The firft propofal rade to me was to marry, in

the face of the church, thofe inhab itantsy who by
virtue of a civil contract, exécuted in prefence of
the commandant ahd principal elerk of the place,
had cohatited together without any fcruple, valled+,
ging, for excufe, “along with thofe who had au-
thorized this concub nage, the neceffity there was
of peopling the, country, and the impofibil ity 0!
procuring a prieft. I reprefented to them, that
there were priefts at the “Yafous and pie Orleans,
and that the affair was well worth the trouble ¢ ia og
voyage thither; it was anfwered, that regina: 4
tracting parties were not eet condition to under=
take fo longa journey, nor of being at the
of procuring a prieft, In fliort, the evil bei
the queftion was only how to remedy it
did. After this, T onfelfed all: thofe
_themfelves ; but their number was ce
I expected. a as

=e

( 499 hy *

Nothing detaining me longer at the Natchez, I
fet out from thence on the 26ch of December pretty
late, in company with M. de Pauger, King’s engi-
neer, who. was employed in vifiting the colony, in
order to eXamine the proper places for pune
forts. We advanced four leaguess and encamped |

on the banks of a fmall river on the ieft ; next

day we reimbarked two hours before it was light,
with a pretty. ftrong wind againft us. ‘The river
in this place makes a circuit or winding of fourteen
leagues, and according as Wwe turned, the wind
being reflected by the land, and hic iNands
which are here in great number turned with
us, fo that we had it the whole day in our teeth.
Notwithftanding we got ten leagues farther, and
entered another 1 final: river on the fame fide. . The
whole night we heard a very great noife, which I
imagined was the effect of ,the winds growing ftron-
ger; but I was told that the river had been very
calm, and that the noife which kept us awake had
been occafioned by the fifhes beating, the water
with their tails.

On the 28th, after salyapnius two leagues Fab

. ther, we arrived at thé river of the Ti onicas, which

at firtt appears to be no more’than a brook; but
at the diftance of a mufket-fhot from its mouth,
forms a very pretty Jake, If the river continues
to carry its ftream or courfe towards the other fide,
asit has done for fome time paft, all this place
will become inacceffable, The river of the Tonicas

_Fifes in the country of the Tcbattas, and its naviga~

tion is very much interrupted with falls or rapid

currents. The village ftands beyond the Take on

t pretty eminence; yet its ait is faid to be un-
holfome, which is attributed to the bad quality
of the water of the river; but I am rather of opi-
nion, it is owing to the ftagnation of the waters

T 4 in

| (aie ) :
in the lake. This village is buile round a very
pi {quare, and i is indifferently gt si

* The chief’s cabbin is finely decorated pe an se
dian’s, on the outfide; on which there are figures
in relief, not fo badly executed as one ‘would ex-

pect. Itis very obfcure within doors, and I could

{ee nothing in it but chefts, full, as I was told, of
goods and money. The chief received’ us very

politel y, he was dreffed after the French fafhion,

itd feemed in no-ways incommoded with ‘his

_Cloaths. Our commandants repofe greater confi-

demce in this man, than in any other of the Indians
of Louifiana: he loves our nation, and has no
reafon to repent the fervices he has done us.’ * ‘Phe
carries On a trade with the French, fupplying: them
with Korfes and poultry, and is very expert at
bulinels. He has learned from us the art of laying
up money, and is accounted very rich.’ He has

jong lef off wearing the Indian habit, and takes

great pride in appearing always well- ge ip

The reft of the cabbins in this village are hier, ie

{quare, like that of the chief, and partly” round, as
at the Natchez; the fquare upon which they all
ftand is about a hundred paces-in diameter, - where

though it was that day extremely hot, the young
‘peopie were diverting themfelves at a fate of truck,

not unlike ours in Europe. There are two other’

villages belonging to'this nation at’ no great’ dif- 7

tance froth this, which are all that remains of a

ple heretofore very numerous. I have already ei
ferved, that they had a miflionary whom they
greatly efteemed, but have fince learned they once
expelled him, on account of his fetting their’ temple

‘on fire, which, however, they have not rebuilt or.
rekindled i its fire, a certain in prot of theif indifference

- with

=.

i i

(ea, ) ‘
with refpect to religion: fooa after they even re-

called the miffionary, but he in his turn has now)

left them, on finding they liftened to: all he was
able to fay with an indolence which he was Baile
to ne the better of.

Lg oF rom the bottom of the lake or bay of i. To-

nicas, were we to ufe canoes of bark, by a carry-—

. ing place of two leagues, ten might be faved in

the navigation of the river. Two leagues lower
than the fonicas, on the right- hand, is Red-river,
or Rio Colorado, at the entrance of which the fa-
mous Ferdinand de Soto, the conqueror of Flori-
da, ended his exploits and life together. This ri-
ver runs eaft and weft for fome time, and then
turns to the fouth. For the fpace of forty leagues
it is navigable for pirogues, beyond which are no-
thing but impaffible moraffes. Its mouth feems to
be about two hundred toifes in breadth; ten
leagues above, it receives on the right-hand Black-
river, otherwife called the river of the Ouatchitas,
which runs from the north, and for feven months
in'the year, has little or no water in it.

sil

Notwithtanding, fome grants have been obtain-
edh ere, which, in all probability, never will be

good for any thing; the motive for thefe fettle-

‘ments is the neighbourhood of the Spaniards, which

_ has ever been a fatal temptation to this colony, and

through the hopes of trading with them, the beft

Jands in the world have been left uncultivated. The
Natchitoches are fettled on the banks of the Red-
river, and we have thought proper to build a fort
amongit them, in order to prevent the Spaniards

from ‘fixing themfelves nearer us. We encamped

on the 29th, a little below the sar of the Red-

iver, in a very fine creck.
On

ES

€: g8¢ >)

On the 30th, after advancing ‘five leagues, we
paffed a fecond pointe coupée, or cut point; the ri
ver makes a very great turning in this place, and
the Canadians, by means of digging the channel of
a {mall brook, have carried the waters of the river
into it, where fuch is the impetuofity of the ftream,
that the point has been entirely cut throygh, and
ey travellers fave fourteen leagues of their
voyage. The old bed is now agtually dry, having
never any water in it, but in the time of an in-
undation ; an evident proof that the river inclines
its channel towards. the eaft, and a circumftance
which cannot be too much» attended to, by thofe —
who fettle on either fide. This new channel has
_ been, fince that time, founded with a line of thirty
fathoms, without finding any bottoni |

fuecrie ditiealy below. and on she fame fide, we faw
the feeble beginnings of a grant, called Sainte
Reine, belonging to Mefirs. Coctlogon. and Kolli.
It is fituated on a very fertile fpot, and has nothing
to fear from the overflowing of the river; ‘bue
_ from nothing, nothing can proceed, efpecially, when
people are not induftrious, and in fuch a fituation
this fettlement appeared to be. Advancing a.
league farther this day, we arrived at the grant of
Madame de Mezieres, where the rain detained us
all the following day. A few huts covered with
the leaves of trees; and a large tent made of
canvas, are what the whole of | ‘this fettlement at
prefent confifts of. Planters and goods are ex+
pected from the Black-river, where the warehoufes
are, which they feem refolved not to abandon,
‘But I am very much affraid, that by endeavour-
ing to make two fettlements at ne both will
| probably jee v8: 17 Oe LST am

te ‘ t a <
eae or pee he
} . sa ia :

‘ a :

: "a ( 98 3 )
The foil where this laft is begun is very good,
but ic muft be built a quarter of a league from the
“fiver, behind a cyprefs wood, where the bottom is —
marfhy, which may be employed in raifing rice or
garden-ftuff. Two leagues farther within the
woods is a lake two. leagues in circuit, ‘the banks
! of which are covered with game, and which per-
: haps would alfo furnifh abundance of fifh, were
“the alligators with which it {warms at prefent, de-
~ ftroyed, At this place I learned fome fecrets which
I fhall communicate to your Grace at the price
they coft me; for I have not had time to make
trial of them. es re

-
£ 59
bi)

~The male cyprefs in this country bears a fort of

of hufk, which, -as ‘they fay, muft be gathered

‘green, and yields a balm which is fovereign to the
| cure of cuts or wounds. The tree from which
» the copalm diftifls, has, among other virtues,
that of curing the dropfy. The roots of thofe
d large cotton trees, which I have already fpoken of,
anid which .are found all along the road trom lake
Ontario, are a certain remedy ‘or all kinds of burns;
the interior pellicle muft be boiled in water, the
wound fomented with this water, and afterwards
the afhies of the pellicle itfelf laid upon ic.

Onrthe firft day of the new year we faid mafs;

_ about three leagues from the habitation of Ma-

4 dam de MezZieres,: in a grant belonging to M. Di-
.. fon d’Aftaguette infpeftor-generaliof the troops of
_ Louifianas We had here a monftruous large tor-
toile broughtius 5 and we were told that thee ani-

mals had juft broke through a large bar of iron ;
_ . if the fact is true; and to believe it I fhould have
id deen it, the fpittle of thefe animals muft be a {trong
diffolvent: 1 fhould not, indeed, chufe to truft
ae : my

or the, a ad ftaff Plantation. preety cafes T Shot”

la! Key, The nation of He Chetimachas

ee 284 eo
my leg in their visa What is certainyis, that
the creature I faw was large enough to fatisfy ten
men of the ftrongeft appetites. We ftaid the
whole day in this grant, which is no farther ad-
vanced than the reft, and is called le Baton rot Ue

The next day, we advanced eleven pin

encamped a little below the Bayagoulas,. which we
th ; k

left upon our ight, after having vifited the. :
of an ancient village, which T have eady men-|
tioned. This was very well peopled | about twenty
years ago; but the {mall -pox deftroyed part of the
inhabitants, and the reft have difperfed in fuch a
manner, that no accounts have been heard of them
for. feveral years, and it is doubted if fo much as
one fingle family of them is now remaining. . Its

fituation was very magnificent, and the Mefirs.Pa-

ris have now a grant here, which they planted with ~~

white mulberrics, and have already railed Vv y fine
a

filk. They have likewife begun to cultivate. a i 4

bacco.and indigo with fuccefs. If the. propriet
of the grants wereevery-where as induftrious, t dl
would foon be reimburfed their expences, an i>

mt ik

On the third of January, at ten in.the morning, :
we arrived at the little village of the Oumas, which, 3
ftands on the left, and hag! fome French houfes i UD il q

it, A quarter of a league farther within the coun- 5
ary ftands the great vi illage. This nation is very F

well affected towards us. Two leagues above this, _
the Miffiffippi divides into branches: on the ight, _
to which fide it has a ,conftant propenfity, it has
hollowed out for itfelf a channel called the fork of
the Chetimachas or. Sitimachas, which, before. at
carries its waters. to the fea, forms a. pret y large

“entirely

a

‘ ie

=
xe
> 3}

hk ad
: ii:
ee ot wate)

entirely deftroyed, the few that remain being flaves
in the colony. ou ug |

‘This day we advanced fix leagues beyond the
Oumas, and paffed the night upon a very fine {pot,
where the Marquis d’Ancenis has a fertlement,
which the burning of the publick ware-houfe and
feveral other accidents happening one after another,

vhave reduced to ruin. ‘The Co/apiffas had built a
Small villagé here, which fubffted’no long time.
On the fourth before noon, we arrived at the great
village of the Colapiffas.’ This is the fineft in all
“Louifiana, though there are not above two hun-
dred warriors in it, who, however, have the repu-

Ye

ey,

tation of being’ very brave. Their cabbins arein |

the form of a pavilion, like thofe of the Sioux ;
and like them they light fires in them very fel-
dom. They have a double covering, that within
being’a tiffue of the leaves of Lataniers trees, and
_ that without confifts ef matts.
ol Ne ah FORA | :
VThe chief’s cabbin is thirty-fix feet in diameter :
I have not hitherto feen any of a larger fize, that

‘thirty. As foon as we came in fight of the vil-
lage, they faluted us with béat of drum, and we

- had no fooner landed than I was complimented on
the part of the chief. I was furprized, on advan-'
cing towards the village, to fee the drummer dref-

, ii fed in a long fantaftical parti-coloured robe. I en-
quired into the origin of this cuftom, and was in-
formed that it was not very ancient; that a gover-
nor of Louifiana had made a prefent of this drum
r to thefe Indians, who have always been our faith-
| __ full allies; and that this fort of beadle’s coat, was
Of ‘their own invention. The women here are

is se " handfomer
9

re: |

as ,

. ff the chief of the Natchez being no more than —

Sa

(986°)

extremely. neat in their drefs. " si wile el

After dinner we mace a progrefs of five leagues
farther, ‘and ftopt at a place. called Cannes brulées,
or Burnt-cancs, belonging to M le Comte d’Ar-

_ handfomer than thofe of Canada, and are, bese, a

tagnar, who has a fettlement here, which is to

ferve him as an enérepot, or ftaple, provided it»do
not fhare the fame’ fate with moft of the reft,
This plantation ftands on the left, and the firft
object that attraéted my notice, was a large crofs
erected on the banks of the river, round which I
found them finging vefpers. This is the firft place

of the colony, after leaving the country of the Il-

linois, where I faw this ceremony of our religion.
Cwo Mofquetaires, Mefirs. d’Artiguere and de
Benac, are the managers of this grant, and it is
M. de Benac who has the direétion of the planta:
tion of Cannes brulées, together with M. Chevalier,
nephew to the mathematical matter to the King’s

pages. They have no prieft which is not their —

fault, there having been one fent them, whom they

_ were obliged to ‘fend away for his drunkennefs,

wifely concluding, that more harm than good was

to be expected from a bad pets in a new fettle-

cee

ment,. where there was no fuperior to watch over

his conduét. Between the Colapiffas and the Can-
nes brulées, you leave on your right, a place where
an Indian nation called the Faenfas were formerly

» fettled, and who, in the time of M. de la Sale,
- made a great figure in this colony, but have ye
fome years paft entirely difappeared. This has one

of the moft beautiful fituations as well as one of |
the beft foils in all Louifiana. M: de Meufe to

whom it has been granted has as yet done nothing
in it, notwithftanding he maintains a direétor who:

has neither goods nor work-men, ©

#{

{
ig
fa

%
/ f

| ( 287 ) } ;
' We ftoped to dine, on the fifth, at a place called
_ the Chapitoulas, which is diftant only three leagues
from New Orleans, at which place we arrived
about five o’clock in the evening. The Chapitou-
Jas and fome of the neighbouring plantations are in
~ a very good condition, the foil is very fertile and
has fallen into the hands of expert and laborious
people. They are M. de Breuil and three Cana-
dian brothers, of the name of Chauvin, who having
‘brought nothing with them to this country but
their induftry, have attained to a perfection in that
through the neceffity of working for their fubfif-
_ tence. They have loft no time, and have fpared
themfelves in nothing, and their conduc affords an
ufeful leffon to thofe lazy fellows, whofe mifery
unjuftly difcredits a country, which is capable of
_ producing an hundred fold, of whatever is fown
in if,

Tam, &e.

Pwo
LETTER.

DE i aay

Bes Oe Ge aa )

oe TT ER ‘XXXL

Voyage from New Orleans to the Mouth of the
— Mifiiffippi. De/cription of that River to the
Seas Reflections on the Grants.

Tfand of Thouloufe or Balife, January 26, 1722.

Madam,
or E country, in the neighbourhood of
New Orleans, has nothing very temark-
able ; nor have I found the fituation of this city
fo very advantageous, as it has been faid to be:
there are fome who think otherwife, and fupport
their opinion by the following reafons ; and I fhall
aftefwards lay before you thofe which induce me
to differ from them. ‘The firft is, that a league be-
yond it, towards the north-eaft, there is a {mall ri-
ver called le Bayouc de Saint Fean, or the Creek of
_ St. John, Bayouc in the Indian language fignify-
ing a rivulet, which, at the end of two leagues, —
difcharges itfelf into the Jake Pontchartrain, which
has a cammunication with the fea, by means
of which it would be eafy, fay they, to keep up a
Vor. I. TY oie trade

( 290 ) oe
trade between the capital Mobile and Biloxi, and
with all the other potts we pofiefs near the fea.

_ The fecond is, that below the city the river makes —

‘a very’ereat turning called le detour aux Anglois,
or the Englith reach, which is imagined would be
of creat advantage to prevent a furprize. Thefe

realons:are {pecious, but do not appear to me to be >

folid; for, in the firft place,’ thofe who reafon in

this manner fuppofe, that the river at its entrance —

can only receive fmall veflels: now in this cafe,
what is to be feared from a furprize, provided the
city be fortified, as I fuppofe it will foon be? Will
an enemy come to attack it with thallops, or with
veflels which carry no guns? Befides, in whatever
place the town be fituated, ought not the mouth
of the river to be defended by 6 cood batteries, and
a fort which would at leaft give them notice to
hold themfelves in readinefs to receive an enemy ?
Tn the fecond place, what neceffity is there for a
-communication, which can only be carried on by
means of fhallops, with pofts which cannot beaffifted

‘in cafe they were attacked,‘and from which, on the

other hand, but a feeble affiftance could be drawn,
and which, for the moft part, would be good for
nothing? To this it may be added, that when
a vellel goes up the Englith reach, the wind
mutt change every moment, fo that whole weeks
may be ‘fpent in advancing feven or eight
leagues.

A little below New Orleans the foil begins to be |

very fhallow on both fides the Mififippi, and its

depth continues to diminifh all the way to the fea.

This is a point of land which does not appear to
be very ancient; for if it be ever fo little dug up,
water is fure to be found, and the great number
of, fhoals and {mall ‘fends, which within thefe

twenty

a Bus
41]

ated, |
twenty yeats have been formed at all the mouths
of the river, leave no room to doubt that this neck

‘of fand has been formed in the fame manner. It

appears certain, that when M. de Sale went down the
Miffifippi to the fea, the mouth of this river
was quite different from aye 48 ab. pre-
dom

A “The nearer we approach the fea, the more fen-
fible-this becomes: the bar has little or no water
on the greateft part of the out-lets which the river
has opened for itfelf, and which have been fo
sreatly multiplied by means of trees, which have
been carried along with the current; and one of
them being ftopt, by means of its roots or branches,
ina place where there is little depth of water, is
the occafion of {topping a thoufand more. I have
feen, two hundred leagues from hence, heaps of
them, one of which alone would fill all the timber-
yards in Paris. Nothing can then feparate the
mud from them which the river carries along with
it; it ferves them as 2 cement, and covers them
by little and little; every frefh inundation leaves
anew bed, and after ten years at moft the canes
and’ Prvbs begin to grow. It is in this manner,
that the greateft part “of thefe points of land and
iflands have been formed, which have fo often
cauled a Soret in iin courte of the river.

I bite “ae to add to what J have faid in the
beginning of the foregoing letter, about the pre-
fent ftate of New Orleans. The jufteft notion
you can form of it is, to imagine to yourfelf two
hundred perfons, who have been fent out to build
a city, and who have fettled on the banks of a
great river, thinking upon nothing but upon put-
ting themlelves under cover from the injuries: of

[Wig the

if 292 } fi

the weather, and in the mean time waiting till a
(plan is laid out for them, and till they have built”
‘houfes according to it. M. de Pauger, whom I
have ftill the ie kell to accompany, has jutt fhown .« 4
‘me a plan of his own invention; but it will not "
be fo eafy to put it into execution, as it has been to_
craw it out upon paper. We fet out on the 28th,
for Biloxi,’ where the general quarters are. There
are no grants between New Orleans and the fea, —
the foil being of too little depth; but only fome’.
fmall private fettlements and entrepols, OY ftaples,
for the Jarge grants,

Behind one of thefe plantations, and immedi-
ately below the Englifh reach, ftood, not long fince,
a village of the idiadbas. the ruins of which I
have vifited. Nothing remains entire but the cab- i
bin of the chief, whieh bears a great refemblance -
to one of our peafants houfes in France, with this ,
difference only, that it has no windows. It is
built of the branches of trees, the voids of which
are filled up with the leaves of the trees called ©
Jataniers, and its roof is of the fame materials,
The ehief, like all the reft in Florida, is very ab-
folute; he hunts only for his pleafure, for his
fubjeéts are obliged to give him part of; their ~
game. His village i is at prefent on the other fide
of the river, half a league lower, and the Indians —

have tranfported thither even vai bones of their -
dead. wie F :

yet
i

A Jittle below their new habitation, the coaftis ~
much higher than any where elfe, and it feems
to me, his would have been the beft fituation for
a city. Itis not above twenty leagues from the
fea, and with a moderate fouth or fouth-eaft wind,
fhips- m'ght get up to it in fifteen hours. On
t c

tek?

the evening of the 23d, we quitted the thallop

which had carried us to this place, and embarked
on board a brigantine, in which we lay by during
the whole night. On the morrow at break of day
we found we had paffed a new turn in the ae
called le detour aux Piakimines, or the reach of th
Piakimines. *

We found ourfelves foon after among the Hh
fes of the Mifliffippi 5 here one muft fail wich
abundance of precaution, for fear of being drawn
into one from whence it would be next to impof-
fible to extricate one’s felf. Moft of them are
only {mall ftreams, and fome are feparated only by
fhallows almoft level with the water: The bar of
the Miffifippi is what has multiplied thefe paffes
to fuch a degree, it being ealy to conceive, by the
way in which I faid new lands are formed, how
the river endeavouring after a paflage where there

4s the Jeaft refiftance, opens one, fometimes on one
fide, fometimes on another; from whence it might |
happen, without great care to prevent it, that all
the pafles might become impaffable to fhips. In

the evening of the 24th, we caft anchor without
‘the bar, oppofite the Iftand Balife.

The contrary wind fill detaining us, we refolved
to make fome ufe of this delay. Yefterday being
the 25th, I began by finging grand mafs in the
ifland called de /a Balife, or the Buoy Ifland, on
account of a buoy erected upon it for the conve-
nience of thipping. Afterwards I bleffed it, gave
it the name of the ifland Tboulou/e, and then“fung

Te Deum. This ifland together with another,

which is feparated from it by a creek where there

is always water, is not more than half a league in

| Die as circumfcre nee,

( 294 } a
circumference,

one place only which is never overflowed, and

where there is room enough to build a fort and’

ware-houfes. Veffels might likewife unload here,
which would have difficulty to’ “get over the bar
with their cargoes in.

M. de Pauger founded this place smite ih fads
and found the bottom pretty hard and clayey,

though five or fix {mall fprings rife from it, which do

not throw up much water, but leave a very fine
falt behind them. When the river is at its loweft,
that isto fay during the three hotteft months of the

year, the water is falt all round this ifland; but’

in the time of the floods it is entirely freth, and
the river preferves its frefhnefs a league out at fea.
During the remainder of the year it is a little
_ brackifh beyond the bar; confequently it is a meer

fable, what has been afferted, that for the fpace of

twenty leagues, the waters of the Mimtifippi do”

not mix wach thofe of the ocean.

M. Pauger and I fpent ‘ae reft of the on
with M. Kerlafio, mafter of the Brigantine, in
founding and furveying the only mouth of the ri-

ver which was then navigable; ~and here follow
our obfervations on the condition in which we then

ound it, for I cannot anfwer for the changes which
may have fince happened. It runs north-eaft and
fouth-weft, for the {pace of three hundred fathoms
from the fea to the ifland of Thouloufe, oppofite to
which are three finall iflands, which have as yet no
grafssupon them, alihough they are of a tolerable
height. For the whole of this fpace, its breadth

is about two hundred and fifty fathoms, and its

“Te aon eighteen feet in the middle ; but thofe

~ who
4

It is befides very low, excepting’

(, 295
who are not well acquainted mutt keep the lead
always going: ©

From thence, going up the river, the courf
lies ftill north-weft, for the fpace of four hundred
fathoms, having all along fifteen foot depth of
water and the fame bottom; the anchoring ground
is every where good, and under cover from all but
the fouth and Teach weft winds, which might, if
violent, caufe the veffels to drag their anchors, but
without any danger ; for they ‘would run upon the
bar, which is likewife a foft mud: the courfe is
after this north-weft, and one quarter north-eaft,
for the {pace of five hundred fathoms. ‘This is
properly the bar, having twelve foot water middle-
depth, but much incumbered with banks and fhoals;
on which account, great care muft be taken. in
working a vefiel; this bar‘ is two hundred and
fifty fathoms broad Betwixt the low-lands on’ each
fide, which are covered with reeds.

In the eaft channel, which fs immediate] y above
the bar, the courfe is due weft, for the {pace of a
league: this is two hundred and filty fathoms in
breadth, and from four to fifteen in depth. ‘Then
all of a fudden no bottom is to be found. On
taking the large channel after going over the bar,
the courfe is north- weft, for the ‘Tpace of three hun-
dred fathoms, where there is always forty-five
feet depth of water, You leave the channel of
Sanvole, on the right- hand, through which there is a
paffage for fhallops to Biloxi, the courfe of which
is northerly: .this channel had its name from
an. officer whom M. d? Iberville, on his re-
turn to France, left commandant of the co-
Joy |

U 4 i The

( 206 mG |

‘The courfe lies afterwards weft, one quarte
~north-weft, for the fpace of fifty fathoms in a fort:

of bay lying on the left, at. the end of which

there are three channels more, one running fouth-_
fouth-eaft, another fouth, and the third welt-fouth-

weft. This bay is but ten fathoms in depth and
twenty over, and the channels have but little wa-
ter. Continuing to fteer on the fame point of the

compafs, and after running fifty fathoms more,

you meet with a fecond bay on the fame fide,
which is twenty fathoms over, and fifty in

depth. This has two little channels, through

which canoes of bark would have difficulty to

pafs, fo that, for the moft part, no account is

made of them.

From hence the courfe is wefterly for the fpace

of five hundred fathoms, when you are oppofite

to the paffe a la loutre, or the Otter channel, which
lies on the right hand, and runs fouth-fouth-eaft,
being a hundred fathom in breadth, but only na-
vigable for pirogues. Afterwards you fteer fouth-

welt for the {pace of twenty fathoms, then due weft _

for three hundred: after this weft, one quarter north-
weft, for the fpace of a hundred, as much weft-
north-weft, and eight-hundred north-weft; then
you find on your left-had the fouth paflage, which
is two hundred and fifty fathoms in breadth, ha-

ving nine fathoms depth of water at its entrance on

the river fide, and only two feet at its opening in-
to the fea.

Two hundred and fifty fathoms farther, lies the
fouth-weft paffage, nearly of the fame breadth but
with never lefs than feven or eight feet water,
The country in this place is not fo marflty as
lower down, but is overflowed during four —

oO

Os ee

|

( 297.)

of the year. It is bounded on the left by a feries.
- of fmall lakes, lying at the end of the lake Che-

timachas, and on the right by the gles de la Chan-
deleur, or the Candlemas iflands ; it is believed that

_ there is a channel for veffels of the greateft bur-

then, and that it would be very eafy to make a
very fine harbour among thefe iflands. Large

barks can get up from the fea to lake Chetima-

chas, and the fineft oaks in the world might
be cut there, the whole coaft being covered with
them.

Tam likewife of opinion, that all the channels
in the river ought to be ftopt up, excepting the
principal one, which would be extremely eafy, no-
thing more being required, than to introduce into
them thofe floating trees with which the river is al-
ways covered. Tt he confequence of which would
be, in the firft place, that the river would be no Jon-
ger acceffible to barks and canoes, but upon one

_ fide, which would put the colony out of all dan-

ger of being furprized ; and, in the fecond place,
the whole force of the current being united, the
only opening, which the river would then have,
would grow deeper as well as the bar. I ground
this conjecture upon what has already happened at
at the two cut points, of which I have already
fpoken.. In this cafe there would be no more to
do than to keep up one channel, and to prevent
the floating trees from {topping init, which, as ap-
pears to me, would be no difficult afaaic:

- The breadth of the river between the channels,

that is to fay, for the: fpace of-four leagues from

the Ifland of Thouloufe to the fouth-weft channel,

_ is never more than fifty fathoms. But imme-

seat above this channel, the Miffiffippi infenfibly

refumes

( 298. dy
refumes its wonted, breadth, which is never ‘lefs,
‘than one mile, and feldom more than two, Its,
depth continually encreafes beyond the bar, which.
is contrary to what happens in all other rivers,
which are commonly. deeper as they. appreach, neat, ,
er the fea,

Here, Madam, would be an seep oir Connie to give,
you an account of what. has occafioned the failure.
of thofe} numerous, grants, _ which have made. fo:
much noife in France, and upon which fo many.
had founded the greateft hopes ; but I rather chufe
to refer this to our firft meeting, and content
myfelf, at prefent, with imparting to you fome re-
flections I have made on the mannner of fettling
in this country, if our countrymen are not entire-
ly difgufted at the bad fuccefs fo many repeated
efforts, and ufelefs expences, have been attended
with, |

It appears to me, that the beft place for fettle-
ments is not on the banks of the river, but at
leaft a quarter if not half a league back in
the country. I am not ignorant, that it is pof- _
fible to guard againft the ordinary inunda-
tions of the river ‘by good ditches; but there
is a great inconvenience in dwelling upon a ©
foil, which affords water ever fo little below
the furface, and where, of courfe, there can be
no cellars. J am even of opinion, that it would
be very advantageous to leave free room. to
the annual overflowing of the river, efpecially —
for the foil, which is not very dry and would not jj
be ufelefs, 4

The flime, which remains upon it, after the

waters are withdrawn, renews and fattensit; and ~
- one @

( 299 +
“one. “part igh be employed in ‘patturage,. and
‘the other fown with rice, pulle, and, in a
word, with every thing which thrives on fat
and ‘moift lands. Sa, that in time, nothing:
might be feen on both the banks of the Mitt.
fippi, but gardens, orchards, and:meadows, which

‘would fupply the inhabitants with food, and

even. furnifh commodities .for -carrying on’ a
trade with our iflands and the neighbouring co~
lonies. Ina word, I believe, I may affirm that,,
having landed twice or thrice every day, when I

was going down the river, there are almoft every.

where, at a very fall diftance from the banks,
high grounds, where houfes might be. built
on a folid foundation; and corn would grow
extremely _ well, after the air. had got free
accefs to it, by means of clearing away the
woods. | '

The navigation of the river upwards will always
be extremely difficult, on account of the ftrength
of the current which even obliges thofe who

are going down to take great care, for it fre-

quently drives them upon points of land and
upon fhoals; fo that, in order to proceed with

.fafety, vefiels muft be made ufe of which can both

fail and row. Befides, as it is not poffible to ad-

a

vance in the night-time, thefe voyages will always
be very tedious and expenfive; at leaft till the
banks of the river thall be well peopled, through

the whole extent of country, from the Illinois to
the fea. .

Such, Wiatats is the country which has been
fo much talked of for fome years paft, and of
which fo few entertain a juft idea. We are not
the firft hig who have been fenfible of its
- goodnefs,

Ms 7 2 :

C200. 0 < e 4
goodnefs, and have at the fame time negleéted
it. Ferdinand de Soto went all over it, in the

fpace of three years, and Garcilaflo de Vega

his hiftorian has not been able to forgive him,

for not having made a folid eftablifhment upon

it. ‘* Where could he have gone,” fays he, ‘ to
“©°find a better. - ae

In a word, I have met with none, who have.

been on the fpot, who have fpoken difadvantage-
oufly of Louifiana, but three forts of perfons whofe
teftimony can be of no great weight. The firft
are the failors, who, from the road at the ifland of
Dauphine, have been able to fee nothing but
that ifland covered with a barren fand, and

the coaft of Biloxi {till more fandy, and have ~

fuffered themfelves to be perfuaded, that the en-
trance of the Miffiffippi is impraéticable to veffels
above a certain bulk ; and that the country is un-
inhabitable for fifty leagues up the river. They

would have been of a very different opinion, .

had they had penetration enough to diftruft
thofe perfons who fpoke in this manner, and
to difcover the motives which made them do
fo. | |

The fecond are wretches, who being banifhed .

from France for their crimes or ill-behaviour,
true or fuppofed, or who, in order to fhun the
purfuits of their creditors, lifted themfelves among
the troops, or hired themfelves ta the plantations,
Both of them, looking upon this country as a piace
of banifhment only, were confequently fhocked
with every thing: they have no tye to bind
them, nor any concern for the progrefs of a
colony of which they are involuntary members,

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atid give themfelves very little trouble about the
advantages it is capable of procuring to the

{tate.

The third are fuch, who having feen nothing
but mifery, in a country for which exceffive fums
have been difburfed, attribute to it, without re-
flection, what ought folely to be laid to the in-
capacity or negligence of thofe who were char-
ged with the fettling it. You are, befides, not
unacquainted with the reafons for publifhing,

_ that Louifiana contained in its bofom immenfe

treafures; and that its value to us was very
near equal to the famous mines of St. Barbe, and
others ftill richer, from which we flattered our-
felves we fhould be able to drive the poffeffors
with eafe: and becaufe thefe ridiculous tales
found credit with fools, inftead of imputing the
miftake to themfelves, into which their foolifh
credulity had engaged them, they difcharged their
il humour upon this country, in which they

_ found no one article that had been promifed

them. |

Tam, &dc.

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\ if

LETTER XXXIIL.

Deferipton of Biloxi. Of the Plant Caff-
na or Apa-Cachina. Of Myrtle-wax, of —
the Mobile. Of the Ichaétas, of the Bay
of St. Bernard. Voyage from Biloxi to
New Orleans, dy the Way of Lake Pont-

% chartrain.

From on fee the Adour, April 5, 1722.

Madam,

\N the 26th, after clofing my ee I went

on board and we got under fail; but after
‘making a turn to the fouthward, the wind turning
contrary, we were obliged to come to anchor a-
gain, where we remained the two following days.
On the 29th, we weighed early in the morning
‘but there was fo little wind and the fea ran “fo
‘high, that we got no farther than fourteen leagues,
which was not above half the diftance we intended.
“On oats 3oth, the wind was neither more favour-
ey able

C 6%}. oe
able nor the fea any calmer till towards four o’ ik |
in the evening, when a fhower of rain cleared the
iky, which was very foggy, and laid the fea: but
‘about an hour or two after, the foo returned and
became fo thick, that not, being able to fee our
courfe, we thought it beft to come to anchor.
The next day, the mift ftill continuing, M. Pauger
and I failed in the fhallop to the road of the ifland
aux Vaiffeax, and about five in the wie went
afhore at Biloxi.

a
qi

This whole coaft is extremely flat, the merchant
vefiels not being able to approach nearer than
four leagues, and the {malleft brigahtines not near- -
érthantwo, Thefe laft are even obliged to get
farther off, when the wind blows from the north
or north-weit, or elfe ly dry, as happened that, very

night | landed. The road lies all along the ifland
“aux Vaiffeaux, which ftretches about a league from
eaft to weft, but is very narrow. To the eaft of
this ifland lies the ifland Dauphine, formerly called
Tle Maffacre, where there was a tolerably conve-
nient harbour, which a blaft of wind deftroyed —
in the fpace of two hours, not much above a year
ago, by choaking up its entrance withfand. To
the weftward of the ifle aux Vaiffeaux are the ifle
des Chats, or of Bienville, the ifle a Corne, and the
-Aflands de la Chandeleur.

Biloxi is the coaft of the main-land, lying to the
northward of the road, which name it has from
‘an Indian nation fettled here formerly, who ,have ~
fince retired towards the north-weft, on the banks 7;
of a fmall river, called the river of ‘pearls, on ac-
‘count of fome quantity of bad pearls having been
found in it. A worfe place than this could not q

a been chofen for the “igencral quarters of the _
. colony;

a

~

ee ee. ate
colony, . feeing it can receive no affiftance frofn
fhipping, nor afford them any, for the reafons
already mentioned. Befides, the road has two great
defects, the anchorage is not good, and is full
of worms, which deftroy all the fhipping: and the
only advantage that can be drawn from it, is its

ferving for fhelter to veffels in a gale of wind,

before they difcover the mouth of the Miffiffippi,
which, being low land, it would be dangerous to
approach, in bad weather, without having firft
feen it.

Biloxi is not of more value by land than by fea.
The foil is very fandy, producing little but pines
and cedars. Caffina, otherwife called Apalachina,
grows here every. where in abundance: it is a
very {mall fhrub, the leaves of which, infufed
like thofe of tea, are reckoned a good diffolvent
and an excellent fudorifick, but their principal
quality confifts in their being diuretick. The
Spaniards make great ufe of it over all Florida:
it is even their ordinary drink. It began to be
in fome repute at Paris when I left it; but
that was a bad time for making fortunes, they

_difappearing or vanifhing almoft as fuddenly as

they were acquired. I know, however, that
many who ufe Apalachina give it great commenda-
tions, :

There are two forts of it, differing only in the
fize of their leaves. Thofe of the large fpecies
are more than an inch in length, the others are
about half as long. In fhape and fubftance they
are pretty much like the leaves of the box-tree,
excepting that they are rounder towards the extre-
mities, and of a brighter green. The name of ~

Vou. Il. Xx Apalachina

i

( 306 )

poe na, which we have given to this frenth OL
derived from the Apalaches, a nation of Florida,
from whom the Spaniards learned the ufe of this
oo ; and here follows the manner of preparing — ‘
it amongft both nations. |

A quantity of leaves is fet on the fire in an earth-°
en pot, and roafted till they become of a reddifh
colour ; they then pour boiling water flowly upon
‘them till the pot is full. This water takes the
colour of the leaves, and when decanted off, rifes
and foams like beer. It is taken as warm
as poffible, end the Indians would rather re-
frain from eating, than not drink it morning
and evening; they believe they fhould fall
fick fhould they leave it off; and it is faid
the Spaniards in Florida entertain the fame no-
tion.

Half an hour after it is taken, it begins to dif-
charge itfelf, and continues doing fo about an hour.
It is difficult to conceive how a beverage, which
does nothing almoft but run through one, can be fo_
nourifhing, as this is faid to be: but itis eafier ~
to underftand how it cleanfes the urinary paflages,
and prevents diftempers in the reins. When the
Indians want to purge, they mix it with fea-water,
which. occafions great evacuations ; but if the dofe
of fea-water be too ftrong, it may prove mortal,
inftances of which are not wanting. I have feen it |

. taken in France, but without that apparatus, and
in the fame manner as they ufe tea; but the
dofe is doubled, and it boils near half an hour,
and J doubt not but that it is then very effica-
cious.

| There

Pata)

ae There is a Hae of myrtle with very large
leaves found in this country, and which I know to
to be likewife very common on the coafts of Aca-
dia, and in the Englith colonies on the continent,
Some have given itthe name of laurel, but falfe-
ly, its leaf having the fmell of a myrtle, and the
Englfh have no other name for it, but that of the
candle myrtle, /e myrtle a chandelle. This thrub
bears a fmall grain, which during the {pring is full
of a gluey fubftance, and being thrown into boiling
water, fwims upon it, and becomes a kind of green
wax, not fo fat and more friable than bees- wax,
‘but equally fit, for burning. The only incon-
venience attending i it is that it is very brittle; but
it may be mixed with another wax extremely li-
quid; gathered in the woods of the American
iflands, which, however, is not necefiary, unlefs
it is intended to be made into tapers. I have
feen candles of it which gave as clear a light and
lafted as long as ours. “Our miffionaries in the
neighbourhood of Acadia mix it with tallow,
which makes them liable to run; becaufe the
tallow does not incorporate well. with the wax,
The Sieur Alexander who is here, in the compa-
ny’s fervice, in quality of furgeon and _ botanift,
ufes it without any mixture, and his candles have
not this defect, their light being foft and very clear,
and the {moke, which they yield, has the very a-
sreeable fmell of the myrtle. He even entertains
hopes of making them perfectly white, and fhewed
me a piece which was more than half fo*. He
pretends, that had he five or fix of thofe flaves
which are unfit for ordinary labour, he could

* This project has been fince given over, becaufe they fay this
wax, by being whitened, undergoes confi ear alterations.

!

oy. ; Se gather

oe 308 ) eT ae
gather a quantity of the grains in a fran. fui.
ficient to yield a aug of Wax, enough to load
a veiflel.

Thirteen or fourteen leagues from ‘lone to-
wards the eaft, you find the river, Mobile, which
runs from north to fouth, and the mouth of which
is oppofite to the ifland Dauphine. It takes its

tife in the country of the Chicachas, its courfe —

being about an hundred and thirty leagues. Its

channel is very narrow and extremely winding, —

which, however, does not prevent its being very
rapid: but no veffels, excepting fmall pirogues,
can get up it, when the waters are low. We have
a fort upon this river, which has been a long time

the principal poft of the colony ; the foil, however, —

is not good, but there is an opportunity of carry-
ing on a trade with the Spaniards, which was then
our only object in view. -

It is affirmed, that fome leagues beyond this fort,
a quarry has been difcovered: if this difcovery

is real, and the quarry is large, it may prevent the .
entire defertion of this poft, which feveral inha- |

bitants had begun to leave, not caring to cultivate
a foil, which would not anfwer the expences they
were at. Ido not, however, believe that. we thall
ever evacuate the fort of Mobile, were it only to
preferve our alliance with the Tchactas, a nume-

rous nation which forms a neceffary barrier again{ft

‘the Chicachas and the other Indians bordering on
Carolina. Garcilaffo de la Vega, in his hiftory of
Florida, makes mention of a ‘village called Ma-
villa, which has without doubt oiven its name to
the river and the nation fettled upon its banks.
The Mauvilians were then very powerful, but
there are hardly any traces of them now remaining.

4 x: ’ Our

Re hoa el 309.) )
Our people are at prefent employed in fecking a
proper place for a fettlement, to the weftward of the
- Miffiffippi, and itis believed, that. place is found
* about a hundred leagues from the mouth of the
river, in a bay, which fometimes bears the name
of St. Magdalen, fometimes that of St. Lewis; but
moft commonly that of St. Bernard. It receives
Into it fevera! pretty large rivers, and-it was here
thar M. de la Sale firft made land, when he miffed
the mouth of the Miflifippi. A brigantine has_,
been fome time ago fent to make a furvey of it,
but they met with Indians who feemed little dif-
- pofed to receive us, and who were not treated in
fuch a manner as to gain their affections. 1 have

juft now heard, that the Spaniards have been before-
hand with us.

There is in reality fomewhat more preffing, and
of greater confequence, than this undertaking. I
am fenfible, that commerce is the foul of colonies,
and that they are only ufeful to fuch a kingdom as
ours by that means, and in order to prevent our
neighbours from becoming too powerful; but if
the cultivation of lands is not firft attended to,
- trade, after enriching a few private perfons, will
foon fall to nothing, and the colony never be well
fettled. The neighbourhood of the Spaniards may
have its advantages; but, let us fuffer them to
draw as near as they think fit, we are not in a con.
dition, and we have no occafion, to extend our
- fettlements farther. They are fufficiently peace-
able in this country, and they never will be {trong
enough to give us any difturbance: it is not even
their intereft to drive us from hence; and if they
are not as yet fenfible, they will foon be fo, that
they cannot have a better barrier againft the Englith
than Louifiana.

K 3 a The

/

EE Gi aan |
The heats were very troublefome at Biloxi, from
the middle of March; and, I imagine, when once.
the fun has taken effedt upon the fand, the heat

will become exceffive. It is rc faid, that were
gs up pretty re-.

it not for the breeze which fp
gularly between nine and ten every morning, and

continues till fun-fet, it would not be poffible to

live here. The mouth of the Mififfippi lies in
twenty-nine degrees of latitude, and the coaft of
Biloxi in thirty. In the month of February, we
had fome piercing cold, weather, when the wind
was at north and north-weft, but it did not laft: they.
were fometimes followed by pretty fharp heats, accom-
panied with ftorms and thunder, fo that in the morn-
ing we had winter, in the afternoon fummer, with

~ fome fmall intervals of {pring and harveft betwixt the

two. The breeze blows commonly from the eaft:

when it comes fromthe fouth, it is only a refleéted

wind, and not near fo refrefhing ; but it is ftill a

wind, and when that is entirely wanting, rhea is

hardly any fuch thing as breathing,

On the 24th of March, I fet out from Biloxi,

‘where I had been ftopt above a month, by being

taken ill of the jaundice, and took the route of
New Orleans, where I was to embark in a veftel

belonging to the company, called the Adour. 1

made this voyage in a pirogue and never made a
more difagreeable one. The weft wind, which in
three hours time had carried me five leagues from
Biloxi, gave place to a fouth wind fo very vio-

lent, that I was obliged to halt. I had fearce

time to fet up my tent, when a dreadful fhower
of rain, accompanied with thunder, laid us all un-
der Water...) | ie

‘ | Two,

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eT wo Call veffels, which fet out at the fame time
Wich me, took advantage of this wind which carried
them a good way in a few hours, and I regretted
very much my not doing the fame: but I foon
learned that their fate was rather to be pitied than
envied ; the firft was in continual danger of fhip-
wreck, ‘and. the people on board arrived at New
_ Orleans rather dead than alive. The fecond fail-
ed half-way, and five of the paflengers were
drowned in a meadow, which the tempett had con-
verted into a fwamp. The wind continued the,
whole night with the fame violence, and the rain did
not ceafe till next day at noon. It began again
in the evening, and lafted till day-light, accompa-
nied with thunder. —

When you range along within fight of this coaft,
it feems to be very agreeable, but on approaching
nearer, it appears to be quite another thing. It is
alla fandy bottom as at Biloxi, and nothing but
a bad fort of wood is found upon it. I have ob-
ferved here afort of forrel, which has the fame
tafte with ours, but its ae are narrower, and oc-
—cafion, as is faid, the bloody-flux. There is
likewife in thefe places a fort of ath, called dois
a Amourette ; and its bark, which is full of *prickies,
is reckoned a fpeedy and fovereign remedy againft
the tooth-ach,

On the 26th, it rained the whole day, and
though the fea was calm, we made but little pro-
erefs. We advanced fomewhat farther on the
twenty-feventh ; but on the following night loft
our way off the ‘ifland of Pearls. The next day we
encamped at the entrance of lake Pontchartrain,
having a little before left upon our right the river
of pearls, which has three mouths. Thefe three
x 4 ax branches

(ar )

branches feparate, about four leag ues from the fea, :
a little above Biloxi.

Re
1%

‘In the afternoon, we patted lake Pontchartrain,
which is feven or eight leagues over; and at mid- —
night entered Bayouc St. ean. Thofe who have

failed the frit upon this lake found it, as they faid, fo
full of alligators, that they could hardly make a
ftroke with an oar without touching one of them. _
They are at prefent very fcarce, and we faw only |
fome marks of them at our encampment ; for thefe
animals lay their eggs upon land. After repofing
myfelf a little, at “Jeaving the lake, I purfued my

journey by land, and arrived before day at New-
Orleans. He i

The Adour was no longer there, but was at no
great diftance, and I went on board the next day,
being the firft of April. The inundation was now
at its height, and, confequently, the river much
more rapid than I had found it the month before.
Befides, a fhip, efpecially a flute or pink, is not
fo eafily wrought as a coatter ; and, as our crew
were not accuftomed to this navigation, we hada .
good deal of difficulty in getting out of the ri-
ver. The fhip being driven fometimes on one fide,
fometimes on the other, her yards and rigging
frequently got foul of trees, and we were oftener
than once obliged to cut the latter, in order to get
clear. “sh

It was ftill much worfe, when we got the length
of the channels; for the currents dinee us always
upon the firft with extreme violence. We were
even involved in one of the {malleft, and 1 know
not to this day how we got rid of it. .We were,
however, quit for an anchor which we left there ;

naving

x é )
= TE eRe Ee ena a ee oe eS ee

OO LeeIg sD
having already loft one two days before, fo that
we had only two remaining. So difcouraging a
circumftance gave us fome ferious thoughts, but
the youth and little experience of thofe, to whofe
management we were entrufted, occafioned us ftill
greater uneafinefs.

The Adour is a very fine veffel, three hundred
tons burthen, and left France extremely well man-
ned, under the direction of a captain well acquaint-
ed with his bufinefs, and a lieutenant who had an
exceeding good character, The latter was left fick
at St. Domingo, and the captain, having had a
difference with one of the directors of the compa-
ny, was by him turned out of his employment.
In order to fill up the room of thefe two principal
officers, they pitched upon a young Maloin, who had
come three years before to Louifiana, in quality of
a pilot or pilot’s apprentice, and had in that time
got the command of a coafter in the road of Biloxi,
employed in carrying provifions, fometimes to the
Mobile, and. fometimes to New Orleans. He feems
to have every thing requifite for forming an expert
feaman ;_ he loves and applies himfelf to his bufi-
nefs : but we fhould be very well pleated not to be
obliged to fee his apprenticefhip, efpecially in a
navigation attended with fo many difficulties.

He has for fecond, under him, an officer who
came from France in quality of an enfign, who is
{till a young man, and very proper to be a fubaltern
under experienced chiefs, who fhould leave him
nothing but the care of executing their orders. It
would be no eafy matter to find a hardier feaman in
{tormy weather, which he has braved from his in-
_» fancy in the Newfoundland fifheries ; and two or
three fhip-wrecks, from which he has happily extri-

: cated

Cxeiin. )

} cated himfelf, have infpired him with fuch a con- |

fidence, that I fhould be much Ha tim in the
end he does not come badly off. _

Our firft pilot feems to be a little riper eta

thefe two officers, and great ftrefs is laid upon his
knowledge of the gulph of Florida, which he has al-
_ ready once pafled through. The however, is but
little for an acquaintance with the moft dangerous

paffage in the American feas, where fhip-wrecks hap- :

pen by thoufands. Befides, I am afraid, that.an air

‘of felf fufficiency I perceive in him, may produce —
fome fatal confequences. He has two fubalterns .

who are good men; and we have fifty failors of
Bretaigne, a little mutinous, indeed, but ftrong and
vigorous, moft of them having been at thecod-fifhe-
ry, which is a good fchool: their marine officers
feem to me to be men of fenfe and execution.

- Inthe mean time, notwithitanding all the delays
I have fpoken of, we anchored on the fecond in
the evening, within-fide of the bar; we paffed it
on the third, but for want of wind could get no
farther. Yefterday we were {topped the whole
day, and this night we had a gale of wind at fouth,

which made us thankful we were not at fea fo near the
fhore. I hope, Madam, to write you ina fhort
time from St. Domingo, at which place our veffel
is to take in a cargo of fugar, which lies ready for
her. I take the opportunity of a coafter going up
to New Orleans, to fend you this letter by a veflel
which is bound direétly to France.

Iam, &c.. «

LETTER

gee a

eT TE R XXXIV.

Voyage to the Gulf of Bahama. Shipwreck of —
the Adour. Return to Louifiana, along the
Coaf? of Florida. Defeription of that Coaft.

Biloxi, ‘fune 5, 1722.

Madam,

Promifed to write to you fhortly from St. Do-

_ mingo. Behold me, after two months have paf-
fed, as far from it as I then was. The account of
the fad adventure, which has brought’ me back to
this colony, and which has but too truly fulfilled
what I forefaw, with a few obfervations on a coun-
try which I had thoughts of vifiting, will form the
fubftance of this letter. JI am not, however, in
other refpects fo much to be pitied as you may im-
agine. I am fully recovered of my fatigues; I
have run great hazards, but have been happily de-
livered from them: the paft misfortune is like a

dream, and often like a very agreeable one.

About half an hour at moft, before I had

_¢lofed my laft, the wind coming about to the

| North

wg

OG 6 le

North-Wett, we made fail. I fhould have thought

the fanctity of the feftival, which was that of Eaf-

_ ter-day, would have prevailed with the captain to
_ delay our departure till next day, efpecially as it

was now afternoon. But as we were pretty fhort

of provifions, a day’s delay might be attended with
difagreeable confequences. We foon loft fight of ©
land, and after failing about an hour, after enjoy- —
ing the curious fight of the mixture of the waters

of the fea and of the Miffiffippi, but fo as to be ftill

diftinguifhable, we at laft found ourfelves got

to pure falt water.

I may poffibly be told, that we had quitted the

right channel, and I will allow this might be the

cafe. But the fight or ftruggle we obferved fo near
the fhore, is no fign that the river gets the better to
fuch a degree as to force itfelf a paflage, and for
twenty leagues in the open fea, to give laws to the
ocean itfelf. Befides, were this fact true, at leaft
in the time of the great land floods, in the place

where we then were, how could men be at fuch

a lofs to find out the mouth of the river? The

difference in the colour of its waters would have,

fufficiently, guided the moft inattentive. |

- With regard to this colour, I have told you that

the Miffiffippi, after its junction with the Miffouri,.
takes the colour of the waters of this river, which
is white: but would you believe it, of all the
forts of water which are made ufe of in lon
voyages, there is none which keeps fo long as this!
Befides it is excellent drinking after having been
left to fettle in jars, at the bottom of which is
found a kind of white tartar, which in all appear-
ance ferves both to give it its colour, and to purify
and preferve it, : |

| On

ahi ee 2) Sa), sn

On the twelfth at noon, after having fuffered by
extreme heats for feveral days, and which were ftill
more intolerable in the night than in the day time,
we difcovered Cape-de Sed on the North fhore of
the ifland of Cuba, and very highland. At fun

fet we were eaft of it, kept the Cape on our eaftern

quarter, and fo failed along in fight of the fhore.
- On the morrow at day-break we were abreaft of the
Havanna. This city is eighteen leagues from Cape
Sed ; and half way to it, you difcover a pretty high
- mountain, the fummit of which is a kind of plat-

form: they call it la table a Marianne, Marianne’s
table.

Two leagues beyond the Havanna, there is a
{mall fort on the coaft which bears the name

of Ja Hogue, and from which you firft difco-
ver le Pain, or loaf of Matanzas. This is a
mountain, the fummit of which is fhaped like
an oven, or if you will a loaf. This ferves to
diftinguifh the Bay of Matanzas, which is fourteen
leagues fromthe Havanna. ‘The heat continued to
encreafe, for we were nowon the limits or frontiers
of the Torrid Zone. Befides, we had fcarce a
breath of wind, and advanced only by favour of
the current, which bore us to the eaftward.

%

On the fourteenth, towards fix in the evening,
we faw from the top-maft head, the land of Flo-
rida. There is no prudent navigator who happens
to have this profpect, without fix or feven hours
daylight at leaft, but who tacks about and ftands
out to the fea till morning; there being no fea in
the whole ocean where there is a greater neceffity
of a clear profpect, becaufe of the various cur-
rents, with which we can never, with reafon, be-
lieve ourfelves fufficiently acquainted. We have a

recent

-

( 318 )

recent enough example in the Spanifh Galleons,
which were loft here fome years ago, for having
neglected the precaution I have juft now mention-
ed. The Chevalier d’ Here, captain ofa fhip who
accompanied them, did his utmoft to prevail with
the general of the Flota to wait for the day before
hie entered the Gulf: he could not prevail, and did
not think proper to throw himfelf headlong with
him over this precipice.

Our caielialts who had very me advice given
or on this head, was fully refolved to profit by
; but too much eafinefs, on his fide, was attended
a the fame confequences as the prefumption of
the Spanifh general had been. His firft pilot,
who imagined himfelf one of the moft expert men
in the world, and his lieutenant, who did not ~
know what it was to doubt of any thing, were of
Opinion to continue their courfe, and the captain
had not courage to oppofe them. He adviled, in-
deed, to fteer at leaft north eaft, and the fequel
fhewed, that if his opinion had been followed, we
fhould have efcaped being fhipwrecked. Buthe
could only obtain a noth north-eaft courfe; the
pilot affuring him that the currents fet with impe- . —
tuofity to the eaftward, which was indeed true near
the lands on the other fide, but they fet to the
weftward on that on which we were.

At feven o’clock, the land ftill appeared at a ~
sood diftance, and we could not fee it at firft from
the tops; half an hourafter, one of the failors, by
means of the flafhes of lightening, obferved that
the water had changed its colour. He took no-
tice of it, but his information was received with
derifion, and he was told that was only the ligh-
tening which made the water look white. “He till

per. |g
ote a

nA hol; o 2 Ci ¥ q A
Sete Aas 62 J ‘ s Bey

'€ 3199

_ perfifted, and many of his companions foon came

into his opinion: the officers would {till have

? laughed at them, but they were in fuch numbers,
ie ead made fuch a noife, that at laft the captain or-

J

dered foundings to be tried.

Six Biber of water were fay found; the sin

_ fafe part we could then have taken, was to. caift

anchor immediately, but there. were none in rea-
dinefs. It was propofed to wear the fhip, and per-
haps it was {till time, had expedition been ufed;

but they amufed themfelves with founding again,
when no more than five fathoms were found. The
lead was caft a third time, and then there were
only three. Conceive to yourfelf, Madam, a parcel
of children, who faw themfelves hurried on toa
precipice, and had ail their attention employed a-
bout difcovering its depth, without taking any
meafures to avoid it : fuch was precifely our cafe.

Immediately a confufed noife arofe, every one
crying with all his might, fo that the officers could
not make themfelves heard, and two or three mi-
nutes after the veffel ftruck : that inftant a ftorm
arofe, followed by rain which laid the wind, but it
foon fprung up again at fouth, and blew hard-
er than before. The fhip immediately began to
ftick faft by the rudder, and there was great
reafon to fear that the mainmaft, which at every
ftroke {prung up to a good height, fhould beat
out a hole in her bottom ; therefore it was imme-
diately condemned in form, arid cut away, the
captain according to cuftom, giving it the firft

-ftroke with a hatchet,

‘The lieutenant upon this went on board the
fhallop, in order to difcover in what place we
were,

idle

1) iia NE A OS ae Sr
He ae, ee Y Ths an a Ye

ERODE

( 320 ) ‘

were, and what condition the fhip was in. He

found that there was only four feet water a-head,

that the bank on which we had ftruck, was fo
fmall, that there was juft a place for the veffel, and
all around it fhe would have been a-float. But
had we efcaped this bank, we muft have fallen upon
another, for it was furrounded by them, and cer-
tainly we could not have met with one that was
more convenient, - at 3

The wind ftill blew with violence, and the vef-
fel continued to ftrike, and at every ftroke we ex-
pected fhe would have gone to pieces. All the ef-

fects of terror were painted on every face, and af-~.

ter the firft tumult formed by the cries of the fai-
-* lors who were working, and the groans of the paf-
fengers, who laid their account with perifhing eve-
ry moment, was over, a dead and profound filence
reioned throughout the whole vefiel. We have
fince learnt that fome few had fecretly taken their
meafures not to be furprifed in cafe the vefiel fhould
fall to pieces: not only the fhallop, but the canoe
were launched and in readinefs, and fome trufty
failors had warning given them to hold themfelves
prepared for the firft fignal. I was afterwards told,
that they had refolved not to leave me behind.

What is certain, is, I paffed the night without
clofing my eyes, and in the fituation of a man who

never expects to fee daylight again. It however

appeared, and fhewed us the land about two leagues

=

from us, but it was not the fame which we had at |

firft feen, and which we {till perceived, tho’ at a 4

great diftance, but a low land which did not feem at

firtt to be inhabited. This fight, however, did not — 4

fail to give us pleafure, and fomewhat to revive our
fpirits. | Mkt

i
{

|
i
’
; 4
'

(327 | )°

We then examined if there was any probability
of getting the Adour a-float again, and as it was
prudent to have more refources than one, we at
the fame time confidered of the means of extri-
cating ourfelves from our prefent uncomfortable
fituation, on the fuppofition it was impofiible to
recover the veffel. We then called to mind that
we had a flat-bottomed boat on board, which was
intended to be made ufe of in loading the fugars at
St. Domingo. This was a very wife precaution
taken by the captain, who had been informed that
-vefiels were frequently detained longer in the road |
‘-on that account, than was confiftent with the. in-
tereft of the owners, or the health of the crews;
but providence had without doubt another view, -
when it infpired him with this thought.“ This boat
was the inftrument of our fafety.

I do not know what paffed this day between the
Officers and the pilot, but there was no more talk
of getting off the veffel. Many have pretended
that all endeavours for that purpofe would have
been in vain, but the captain has more than once
complained to me that they wouid not fuffer him
to make the attempts as he wifhed to do. It was
therefore refolved to carry all the people afhore
this fame day, and they were at work the whole
morning in building a raft, that they might not be
obliged to make feveral trips.

It was not, however, thought proper to abandon
_ the fhip as yet; and the paffengers only were em-

barked in the fhallop and’ on the raft. At the dif-
tance of a cannon fhot from the fhip we found
the fea ran very high, and the bifcuit we carried
with us was damaged by the water; afmall pirogue
‘Pr Wo, Ll. ba which.

PEER) Tht Rae

(tg 22°))

which followed the fhallop, had a good deal of dif-

ficulty to live; and the raft which carried two and
twenty men, was driven fo far out by the current,
that we believed her loft. : :
The fhallop in which I was, made all poffible
hafte afhore, in order to go afterwards to the af-

fiftance of the reft; but juft as we were ready to |

land, we perceived a large company of Indians,
armed with bows and arrows coming down to the
fea fide. ‘This fight made us refleét that we had
no arms; and we ftopt fome time, not daring to
advance. We even imagined, every thing con-
fidered, ic would be imprudent to go any further.
The Indians perceived our embaraffinent, and ea-
fily underftood the caufe. They drew near us,
calling out in Spanifh, that they were friends.
But feeing that this did not encourage us, they iaid
down their arms and came towards us, having the
water'up to their middle.

We were foon furrounded by them, and it is
certain that encumbered as we were with baggage, in
a boat where we could hardly turn ourfelves about;
it would have been eafy for them to have deftroyed
us. They afked us firft if we were Englifhmen,
we anfwered that we were not, but good friends

and allies to the Spaniards; at which they tefti-
fied a great deal of joy, inviting us to come afhore
on their ifland, and affuring us that we fhould be
as fafe there as aboard our own veffel. -Diftruft, on
certain occafions, fhews only weaknefs, and be-
fides gives rife to dangerous fufpicions. We there-
fore thought we ought to accept the invitation of
thefe barbarians; fo we followed them to their
ifand, which we found to be one of the Mar-
‘yrs. :

4

What

: {323 |

What was pleafant is, that we were determined
to take this refolution by the arrival of the pirogue,
in which there were only four or five men, when
we were parlying with the Indians: we certainly
rana great rifque in delivering ourfelves into their
hands. without arms, and we were afterwards fen-
fible of it: four or five men more could not have
made them alter their defigns, fuppofing they had
been bad towards us; and I never refieét on the
confidence which fo flender a reinforcement in-.
fpired us with, but it brings into my mind, thofe

-perfons who are afraid to be by themfelves in the

dark, but are at once encouraged by the prefence
of a child,. by its diverting their imagination,
which is the only caufe of their fear.

We were no fooner™ landed on the ifland, than
little fatisfied as we were with refpect to the Indi-
ans, we alfo fell into a diftruft of our officers.
The captain of the Adour had attended us thus
far, but as foonas he had fet us on fhore, he took
leave of us, faying that he was obliged to return
on board, where he had ftill a great many things.
to do, and. that he would immediately fend us
whatever we ftood in need of, efpecially arms.
There was nothing in this but what was reafonable,
and we ealily conceived that his prefence might be
neceflary aboard the veffel; but we reflected that
he had only taken the paflengers out of her, and

_ that upon his return, the Whole crew would be all

together on board.

This made us fufpea that the boat of which I
have {poken, was only a lureto amufe us, and that
they had put us afhore, as being an encumbrance
to them, in order to be able to make ufe of the
fhalop and canoe, to tranfport themf{elves to the

ee Ha-

( 324 3

Havaiinah or St. Auguftin in Florida. ‘Thefe fuf-
picions were flrengthened in every one of us, when
we perceived that we were all in the fame way of
thinking, and this agreement made us imagine it
was not without foundation ; it was therefore re-
folved amoneft ourfelves, that I fhould return to
the veffel with the captain, in order to prevent
fuch a violent refolution, segue: they aaitied it,
from taking dining

I therefore ainda to the captain, that as his

chaplain was to remain on the ifland, it was not
proper | fhould ftay likewife;, that it would be bet-
ter to feparate us, and that I was refolved to fleep
no where but aboard, whilft any one remained in
the fhip. He feemed a little furprized at what I
faid, but made no oppofition, and fo fet out. I

found on getting aboard, that they had fet the

fails, to try as they faid, to get her off; but a great
many other things were to be done for that pur-
pofe, which however they did not think proper to
attempt.

=-

‘

Half an hour after, the wind turned to the
eaft and blew very hard, which obliged us to furl
the fails; this gale, however, was the fafety of thofe
who were on the raft, which had been carried out

very far in the offing.. The waves drove her back _

towards us, and as foon as we perceived her, the
captain fent the fhallop, which took her in tow,
and brought her along fide. ‘Thefe unhappy men,
were for the moft part, poor paffengers who looked
for nothing but death; and we on our fide, began
to defpair of being able to fave them, when pro-
vidence raifed this little tempeft in order to pre-
ferve them from fhipwreck.

My |

th

| A gees.)
My prefence was more neceffary on board than
I thought it would have been. Our failors, during
the captain’s abfence, had thought fit to drown the

_ fenfe of their misfortunes in wine: in fpite of the

jieutenant, whom they did not much regard, and -
whom feveral did not love, they had broken open the.

_captain’s cafe of liquors, and had got almoft all of

them dead*drunk. I, befides, perceived in the

crew, fome feeds of diffention from which | ima-

gined every thing was to be apprehended, if not
remedied in time; and the more fo as the captain,

tho’ well enough liked by the failors, could not

make himfelf obeyed by his officers, moft of
whom were difpofed to mutiny, and could not en-

dure his lieutenant.

To increafe our perplexity, a number of the In-

dians had followed clofe after us, and we perceived
- if we had nothing to fear from their violence, it

would not be eafy toget rid of their importuni-
ties, efpecially as it behoved us to be very watch--
ful overthem, to prevent their ftealine. He that
feemed the principal man, called himfelf Don An-
tonio, and {poke indifferent good Spanifh. He had

been more fuccefsful in imitating the gravity and

manners of the Spaniards. Whenever he faw any
one tolerably drefled, he afked if he was a Caval-
lero, having before told us that he was one him-
felf and one of the greateft diftinction in his na-
tion. His difpofitions, however, were not much
of the gentleman; every thing that he faw he co-

veted, and if he had not been prevented, he and

his people would have left us nothing they could
have carried away. He afked me for my girdle,

I told him [had occafion for it, and could not part

with it; notwithftanding which, he continued to
demand it with great earneftnefs,

t( 32.6 ) & ‘
We learned from this man, that almoft all the

Indians of this village had been baptized at the —

Havannah, to which they made a voyage every
year. This city lies at the diftance of forty-five

leagues, and they make this paflage in {mall very |
flat pirogues, in which we fhould hardly truft our- |

felves'a-crofs the Seine at Paris. Don Antonio, added
they, had aking called Don Diego, whom we fhould
fee to-morrow. He afterwards afked us what route
we had refolved to take, and offered to conduct
us to St. Auguftine. We thanked him for his of-
fer, treated him and all his company handfomely,
who returned to all appearance very well fatisfied
with their reception, | |

ThefeIndians have a redder fkinthan any of thofe

I have yet feen: we could not learn the name of
their nation: tho’ they deferve no good character,
yet they do not feem to be fo bad as the Ca/os or Carlos,
fo infamous for their cruelty, whofe country lies
at no great diftance from the Martyrs ; I do not
believe they are Canibals, but perhaps they ap-
peared fo tractable to us only becaufe we were
fironger than them. I do not know what has
embroiled them with the Englifh, but’ we had

great reafon to think that they did not love them. —

Perhaps Don Antonio had no other motive for his
vifit, but to examine if we were of that nation, or
if they fhould not run too great a hazard in attack-
ing us. |

On the fixteenth I went afhore to thofe left on
the ifland, and fulfilled the promife we had made
them the evening before. I fpent almoft the whole
day with them, and in the evening at my return,
found the whole veffel in confufion. The authors

of this diforder were the marine officers, and all

the

9 =
ee Ss

ce)

‘ the beft failors in the fhip had taken their fide.’

Their quarrel was with the lieutenant, who, they.
faid, had hitherto treated them with a great deal of
haughtinefs and feverity. The ‘wine, which they
had at difcretion, had inflamed their paffions in
fuch a manner, that it was fcarce poffible to make
them liften to reafon. | 5 iy

The captain fhewed on this occafion a wifdom, |
firmnefs, and moderation, which could not well
have been expected from his age, little experience
and paft conduéct : he knew how to make himfelf
loved and feared by people who feemed to be guid-
ed by nothing but fury and caprice. The licute-
nant on his part confounded the moft mutinous by
his intrepidity, and having found means to feparate
and employ them, in the end made himfelf obey- -
ed. They had at laft drawn from the bottom
of the hold the boat that had been fo long pro-
mifed, and had carried it tothe ifland. This muft
now be equipped, lodgings muft be found till it
could be got ready, provifions and ammunition
muft be got from the fhip, and laftly, they muft
fortify themfelves again{ft any furprize of the In-
dians. The captain employed in this fervice all
fuch as he had moft need to make fure of, and
begged of me to remain on board to affift the lieu-
tenant in reftraining the reft within bounds.

On thetwenty-feventh at day-break there appeared

a fail within two large leagues of us; wehung out the
fienal of diftrefs, and fome time afterwards we obferv-
ed that he had laid his fhip to, to wait for us. The
lieutenant immediately embarked on board a canoe,
and wenton board to fee whether the captain would
agree to receive all of us. But this was only a
vi ae ae" brigantine

4 ( aac) |
brigantine of an hundred tons, that had heat sess
dered by pirates, and which had for three days paft
done their utmoft to get out of this bay, into which:
the currents, ftronger this year than they had ever —
been known, had carried them in {pite of all their —
efforts, and tho’ the wind was at eaft north eat.
°Tis true, we did not come to know this but by the ~
account of the officer, who was by fome imagined to
have invented this ftory in order to lay to’ the
charge of the irregularity of the current, the mif-
fortune into which his own obftinacy had hurried
us.

il

Be this as it will, the Englith mafter con’‘ented
to embark twenty of our people, provided he was
fupplied with provifions and water, of which he

_ ftood in extreme want. The condition was accept-
ed, and he accordingly drew near to caft anchor
as clofe to us as poffible. But a ftrong fouth-weft:
wind arifing, he was obliged to continue his courfe,
leaft by endeavouring to yallitt us he fhould expofe -
himfelf to fhip- -wreck,

On the twenty-ninth we had fight of three veffels
‘more, and fent to make them the fame propofals
we had formerly done, but without effect. - They
were Englifh too, and compl lained they had been
plundered by pirates.

This very day, as there remained nothing. on
board the Adour which we could carry away with
us, we bid her the laft farewel ; and with ftill more

regret, as for the four days fince fhe had been
wrecked fhe had not made one drop of water,
and we all went on fhore after fun-fet. Herewe -
found fents, which had been made with the fails of

the

eee er
yi a
4%

mr; we 4 329. )
“the fhip, a ftrong guard-room, where centinels
were kept day and night, with provifions difpofed
_ jn the beft manner in the magazine, where alfoa
guard was kept.

The ifland, on which we were, was in appearance
about four leagues round ; there were others near it
of different extent, and that on which the Indians
had their tents was the {malleft of all and the neareft
to ours. Here they lived folely by fifhing, and
this whole coaft was as plentifully ftocked in that, |
‘as the land was deftitute of every article for the
fupport of human life. As to their drefs, a few
_Jeaves of trees, or a piece of bark was fufficient
for them. -They cover no part of their bodies but
the part which all men from modefty conceal.

The foil of all thefe iflands is a fort of very fine
fand, or rather a fort of calcined chalk, interfperf-
ed with white coral, which is eafily broken. Thus
you fee nothing on “ie but thrubs and bufhes. The
banks of the fea are covered with a pretty fort of
fhells, and fome fpunges are likewife found on
them, which. feem to have been caft on fhore here
by the waves in ftormy weather. °Tis pretended
that what keeps the Indians from leaving this place,
is the number of fhipwrecks that happen in the
- mouth of the gulph of ‘Bahama, of which they ne-
ver fail to a all the advantage poffible.

There is not fo Hach as a fingle fourfooted beat
on thefe iflands, which feem to have been curfed
of God and man, and which would be utterly un-
inhabited, except by a fet of wretches, who fub-
fitt on the deftruction and miferies of others, and
by compleating what their ill deftiny only begun.

On

Cae)
On the twentieth, Don Diego paid usa vifit. He

is a young man of a ftature fomewhat under the

middle fize, and with a very forry prefence. He
is very near as naked as his fubjects, and the few
rags on his back were hardly worth picking up at

one’s feet. He wore on his head a fort of fillet,
made of I know not what fort of fluff, and which.

fome travellers would sot have failed to call a dia-
dem. He was without attendance, or any mark of
- diftinétion or dignity, or in fhort any. thing to fig-

nify what perfonage he was.’ A young pretty. :

handfome woman, and decently clothed for an
Indian, accompanied him, and was, we were told,
the queen his wife. |

We received their majefties of Florida, ina ca-
valierlike manner enough ; we made a fort of amity

with them however, and they feemed well enough

fatisied with us; but we could fee none of thefe
Caciques, whofe power and wealth are fo much
vaunted by the hiftorianof Florida. We faid a word
or two to Don Diego concerning the offer, which
Don Antonio had made us, of carrying us to St.
Auguftin, and he gave us to hope for all the fer-

vices that lay in his power.’ In order to induce.

him the more to perform his promife, I made him
a prefent of one of my shirts, which he received
very thankfully.

He returned next day, having my fhirt above |

his own tatters, and it trailed upon theground. He
gave us to underftand, that he was not properly the
fovereign of his nation, but held of a Cacique at
fome ditteness He is, notwithftanding, abfolute in
his own village, of which he lately gave us a con-

vincing proof. Don Antonio, who feemed at leaf.

double his age, and who would -have eafily beaten
| | ong

Wat ae

|

ee Chagos oO
one double his ftrength, came to vifit us a fhort

while after, and told us, that Don Diego had drub-

bed him twice very heartily, for getting drunk on
board the Adour, where probably fome remainder
of fpirituous liquors had been left. The moft

_ fenfible difference to be found between the Indians
_ of Canada, and thofe of Florida, is this depen-

dance on their chiefs, and the refpect they fhew
them. ‘Thus we fee not in them as in the former
thofe elevated fentiments, and that haughtinefs
which is the effect of their independance, and which
is fupplied in policied ftates by thefe principles of
religion and honour, which are inftilled into the

mind by education in their early and tender years.

On the twenty-fecond, Don Diego came frankly,
and without ftaying for any invitation to dine with
us, Clothed as on the preceding day. He feemed
delighted with this drefs, which gave him however a
very ridiculous air, and which, joined to the bad-
nefs of his phyfiognomy, made him exacly re-

femble a man going to pay an amende honourable,

that is, fuffer fome fcandalous punifhment. Whe-
ther from religion or natural reluctance, we could
never prevail with him to eat any flefh; we had
ftill fome fifh left, which he himfelf had fent us

the evening before ; he eat of this, and drank pure

Water.

After the repaft we were willing to fpeak about
bufinefs ; but he told us at once, that after hav-
ing maturely confidered the propofal we had made
him, he could neither fpare us Don Antonio nor
any other of his people for guides to conduct us to
St. Auguftin, as there were numerous nations on
the way we muft of neceffity take, with whom he
was actually at war. I do not know whether we

| | now
2

CT Bae)

now ‘did’ not ferioufly repent of having: on fuch |

flight grounds abandoned the Adour; for after

| Don Diego left us, the canoe was fent to her, but

thofe who vifited her reported, that the Indians had
entirely demolifhed her, oe that fhe was filling
full of water.

On the twenty-third, the boat was Ginithed, and
we began to think in good earneft of coming to

fome final refolution. Two ways offered, on

which the opinions were divided ; the firft were
for rifking the paflage to the Havannah, and the
others for purfuing the coaft toSt, Auguftin. The

Jaft feemed to be the fafelt, as the firft was the

fhorteft. But had this been folid, it ought.to have
been refolved upon the day after we were caft a-
way, or rather. we ought to have fent our long-
boat. to inform the governor of our fituation, and
pray him to fend us a brigantine. The rigging

only of the Adour, would have been fufficient to.

have indemnified him for his expences,

’

~ Be this as it will, the createft part of our com--—
pany were for this laft refolution ; and it was im-
poflible for me to bring them to any other. They

were forty in number, they demanded the long-
boat and canoe, and we were obliged to comply.

The captain of the. Adour was of this number. .

Had it not been for this reafon, I fhould have
thought myfelf obliged in duty to accompany them ;

but there was a neceffity of dividing their fpiricual —

affiftance, as well as the victuals and other ftores.
On the-morrow after mefs, the chaplain, who was a

Dominican, would have me to blefs the three ‘yel>.
fels; 1 obeyed, and baptized the boat, to which

I gave the name of the Saint Saviour. Inthe even-
ing after prayers, I made one laft effort to bring
: the

“ 333 )
“the whole company to an unanimous way of think-
ing ; Leafily obtained that they fhould all fet out
together hext day, and encamp in the ifland which
was fartheft in the offing, and take our refolution
_as the wind favoured. :

We fet out in effect on the twenty-fifth at noon,
and failed together for feveral leagues ; but towards
- fun-fet we faw the long-boat thread the channel,
which muft be crofied to get to the Havannah,
without ever confidering the canoe, whofe provi-
fions they had on board, and who not being in con-
dition to follow them, was obliged to join us: we
received them kindly, alcho’ there was one among
them with whom we had no reafon to be fatisfied.
We landed on the ifland, where we intended to:
rendezvous, and where a body of Indians had al-
ready landed, with what defign we know not: we
kept on our guard all night, and fet out early in

_ the morning.

The weather was delightful, the fea calm and
pleafant, and our crew began to envy the lot of
the long-boat. They even began to murmur very
“foon, and our chiefs thought it prudent to feem
defirous of fatisfying them. We therefore took
“the courfe of the channel. Two hours afterwards
_the wind blew frefher, and we thought we difcover-
ed the appearances of an approaching ftorm. There

| was no body then who did not agree, thatit would
be a rafh thing to hazard fo long a paflage in fuch
vefiels as ours, nothing being weaker than our
boat, which made water every where: But as in
_order to go to St. Auguftin, we fhould have been
under a neceflity of failing back again the whole
way we had come hither, we came to an
unanimous refolution to return by the way of Bi-
loxi. |

i ee
We therefore sate fail weftward, but could
advance no great way that day, and were obliged

to pafs the whole night in the boat, where there was

far from room fufficient for all of us to lie at our
whole length. On the twenty-feventh we encamp-
ed in an ifland: where we found the cabins abandon-
ed, the roads beaten, and the traces of Spanifh
fhoes. This ifland is the firft of thofe called the
Tortués ; the foilis the fame with that of the zfles
aux Martyrs. I cannot conceive what men can have
to do in fo wretched places, and fo remote from all
manner of habitations. Wecontinued to fail weft-
ward, and advanced with a rapidity which could
only come from the currents. -

We advanced likewife confiderably on the twenty-
eighth till noon; altho’ we had very little wind,

the iflands feemed to ride poft paft us. At noon

we took an obfervation of the latitude, and found
ourfelves in twenty-four degrees, fifteen minutes

north. Had our fea charts been corre€t we fhould —

have been at the weftern extremity of the Zoriués.

It was pretty hazardous to truft ourfelves in the

open fea, and had I had the management, we had
left all thefe illands on our larboard fide ; but our
conductors were afraid of miffing the paflage be-
tween them and the continent. They had all rea-
fon to repent it, for we were afterwards two whole

days without feeing land, tho’ we failed always

north or north-eatft.
Then defpair feized our crew, and. a fingle

fquall of wind, fuchas wehad often experienced, could
have fent us to the bottom. Even a calm was at-
tended with inconveniences, as we were obliged to
row all night, and the heat was exceflive. ‘The
failors had reaton to be diflatisfied, the gut of
a few

(yee

ACESS: | |
a few men having expofed us to the great hazard
we were in; but the evil was already done, fo that
we wanted fomething different from murmuring to
fetus to rights. Since our departure to Louifiana,
I could never prevail with moft of them to approach
the facraments, and very few of them had fulfilled
the pafchal duties. I profited of this occafion to
prevail with the whole of them to promife to con-

fefs themfelves, and to communicate as foon as we

_, fhould come on fhore. They had fcarce promifed

this, when the land appeared. is

We made ftrait towards it, and arrived beforenoon.

On'the twenty-fourth at noon, we were in twenty-

fix degrees, fifty-fix minutes. We had ftill the

view of the main-land, without being able to ap-

proach it, it being fkirted with peninfulas and
iflands, moftly very flat, barren, and between them
fcarce a paflage for a canoe or bark. What we
fuffered moft from was the want of water, there
being none upon them. ‘The following days we
were often ftopt by contrary winds, but found fhel-
ter every where, and fometimes a little hunting
and fifhing. Water was the only thing we could
not find; I made ufe of this delay to bring the
whole company to fulfil their promife, to approach
the facraments.

‘It appears there are but few Indians in this whole

country, only we faw one day four of them who

came out towards us in a pirogue: we waited for
them, but when they difcovered us, they were
afraid to come any farther, and made what hafte
they could back to the fhore. On the tenth, we
were obliged to retrench the allowance of {pirituous
liquors, which had been hitherto diftributed among

‘ a A Py . &
the crew, there remaining but little, which was

thought

~

| 99 9) a
thought proper to referve for fome more preffing
occafion ; we began likewife to be very frugal and
{paring of our provifion, epecially the bifcuit,
part of which was {poiled;, fo that we werenow _
reduced. to the pure neceflary, having often for —
a meal but a handful of rice, which we were obliged
to boil in brackifh water. |

- This coaft is the dominion of oiftéers, as the
great bank of Newfoundland and the gulf and
river of St. Lawrence are ‘that of the cod-fithes.
All thefe low-lands, which we failed along as near
as poffible, are fkirted-with mangroves, to which
are ftuck a prodigious number of fmall oifters
of an exquifite relifh ; others much larger and lefs
delicate are found in the fea in fuch numbers, as © _
to form fhoals, which are at firft taken for fo
many rocks level with the furface of the water. As
we did not dare to goto any diftance from fhore,
we often got into pretty deep bays or creeks, which
we were obliged to coaft quite round, and which
lengthened our courfe prodigioufly. . But the mo-
ment the land difappeared, our crew thought them-
felves wholly undone. |

On the fifteenthin the morning, we met a Spanifh
fhaliop, in which were about fifteen perfons. Thefe
were part of a fhip’s crew that had been caft away
near the river St. Martin. This misfortune had
befallen them about five and twenty days before,
and they had but a very {mall fhallop to contain
forty-four perfons, fo that they were obliged to
ufe it by turns, and confequently to make very
fhort journies. This rencounter was to us a vilible
interpofition of providence, for had it not been for
the inftructions which the Spanifh captain gave us,

we had never found the right courfe to fteer, and
| the

~

ani SE Am, Se
the uncertainty of what might become of us, might
have prompted the mufineers amongft us to
commit fome act of violence, or perhaps even of
defpair. ,
The night following we were expofed to very
great danger. We were all afleep in a very {mall
ifland, except three or four perfons who guarded
the boat : One of them had lighted his pipe, and
imprudently laid the match on the edge of the
boat juft where the arms, powder, and provifions
were kept in a cheft covered with atarpaulin. He
fell afleep afterwards, and whilft he was in this
condition the covering of the cheft took fire. The
flame awaked him as well as his other companions,
and had they been a moment longer, the boat muft
have been blown up or fhattered to pieces; andI
leave you to think what muft have become of us,
being without any thing but a canoe, which could
not have contained above one fixth part of our
company, without provifions, arms, or ammuni-
tion, in a fandy ifland, on which nothing crew
but a few blades of wild grafs.

On the morrow, being the fixteenth, the canoe
Jeft us and joined the Spaniards. We had the wind
contrary, and could not advance but with the lead
in hand, the coaft being fo flat and covered with
fharp flints in fuch manner at the diftance of fix
leagues from it; our boat, which drew no more
than two feet water, wasevery moment in danger of
{triking her bottom out. We were ftill underthe fame
apprehenfions the two fo'lowing days, and on the
twentieth we encamped on an ifland, which forms
the eaftern point of the Baye des Apalaches. All
night we perceived fires on the continent, which
Pee ae we

| f g3e 4)
We were very near, and we had obferved the fame

thing for fome days paft. }

+. The twenty-firft, we fet out in a very thick for,
which being foon difperfed, we perceived the ba-
lifes or fea marks, which the Spaniards directed us

‘to follow. We did this by fteering north, and |
we faw that had it not been for this affiftance, it

would have been impoffible for us to have fhunned
the fand-banks, with which this whole coaft is co-
vered, and which are full of oifters. About ten
o’clock we aan a {mall ftone-fort, of a fquare
form, with regular baftions ; we immediately hung
out the white- -flag, and immediately after were told

in French to proceed no farther.

We ftopt, and. immediately difcovered a pi-
rogue coming out to us, in which were three people.

‘One of. them was a native of Bayonne. he had
‘been a gunner in Louifiana, and had the fame

employment at St. Mark. After the common

queftions, the gunner was of opinion, that the cap--

tain of the Adour and I only fhould go to fpeak
with the governor: we went, and were very well
received. ‘This governor was a fimple lieutenant,
but a man of sood : fenfe ; he made no difficulty of
letting us bring our boat “oppofite to the fort ; in-
vited’ our officers and the principal paffengers to

dinner ; but not till he had firft examined our

boat, and had tranfported into his magazine our
arms and ammunition, on his parole to deliver
them when we fhould want to depart.

This poft, which Monf. Delille has marked in
his map under the name of Ste. Marie d’ Apalache,
was never known by any other but that of St.
Mark. The Spaniards formerly had a very con-

fiderable

6

Se ee ee ae’

7
ne ee ee a ee

~

SI aye ere

ee

=

SS ee eee ~~ ite oe EL ee eae “5
Fase ea a ee Ne me ee ee, ae ae

’

nC a9.” ) :

fiderable fettlement here, but which was already
-yeduced to a very low eftate, when in 1704 it was
entirely deftroyed by the Englifh of Carolina, ac-
companied with a great number of Alibamot Indi-
ans. The Spanifh garrifon, confifting of thirty-
two men, were made prifoners of war; but the
Indians burnt feventeen of them, amongft whom
‘were three Francifcan friars ; and of feven thou-
fand Apalathes which were in this canton, and who
had almoft all embraced the chriftian religion,
there now remain only four hundred at St. Mark,
who retired hither from the coaft of the Maubile,
' where moft of the nation now dwell.

The forefts and meadows near the fort are full
‘of buffaloes and horfes, which the Spaniards fuffer
' to run about wild, and fend out Indians to catch
them with noofes as they want them. Thefe

Indians are likewife Apalaches, who had probably
retired to a diftance during the irruption of the

Englifh, and who came back after thefe were gone

, away. Moreover, this bay is precifely the fame
that Garcilaffo de 1a Vega calls, in his hiftory of
Florida, the port of Aut. The fort is built ona
fmall eminence furrounded with marfhes, and a
little above the confluence of the two rivers, one of
“which comes from the north-eaft, and the other
from the north-weft. Thefe are narrow and full

of alligators, but for all that well flocked with
fifh.

- Two leagues higher, on the river of the north-
weft, fands a village of the Apalaches, and ano-
ther a league and an half from the firft, within the
Jand. This. nation, formerly exceeding numerous,
and which, aivaiea into feveral cantons, occu-
pied a vaft extent of country, is now reduced to

A oe a very

Po een emma recon

(gi yoo! a,
a very low eftate. They have long fince embraced

the chriftian religion; however, the Spaniards put ,

no great confidence in them,.and in fo doing act
very wifely: for, befides that thefe chriftians, who
have been deftitute of all {piritual affiftance for ma-
ny years, are only fuch in name; their conquerors
at firft treated them with fo much feverity, that they
ought always to confider them as enemies not quite
reconciled. It is very difficult. to make good
chriftians of people, who were begun to be con-
verted by making chriftianity odious to them. |
!

We were told at St. Mark, that a refolution had
been taken to re-eflablifh it on its former footing,
and that they expected five thoufand families: this
is much more than the Spaniards, of Florida are
capable of furnifhing. The country is charming,
well wooded, well watered, and it is faid, the more
you advance up the country, the more fertile the
foil. They confirmed to us in the fort, what the
Spaniards we had met with had told us, that the
Indians at the Ifle of Martyrs, with their king
Don Diego, were a good-for-nothing fort of folks,
and that if we had not kept ftrictly on our guard,
they had certainly played us fome fcurvy trick.
They alfo told us, that a Spanifh brigantine had
been lately caft away near the place, where we faw
the four Indians in a pirogue, and that the whole
crew had been empaled and eaten by thofe fa-
vages.

St. Mark is dependant on St. Auguftin, both in
a civil and military refpect; as it is on the Ha-

_vannah in fpiritual matters. The chaplain, howe-—

ver, is fent by the convent of the Francifcans of
St. Auguftin. I met with one of them here, who
was a very amiable perfon, and one who did us

con-

\
—_

i 940°)
confiderable fervices: he gave us to underftand that
the commandant of St. Mark intended to detain

us, till he fhould fend advice of our arrival to the

governor of St. Auguftin, and fhould receive his
orders. I begged of this officer, that provided he
had fufficient to maintain us all the time, we might
be permitted to remain with him; as what provi-
fions we had left, were fcarce enough to carry us

to Louifiana. He acquitted himfelfextremely well

of his commiffion, and the difcourfe he made, ac-
companied with fome prefents which he hinted we
fhould offer the commandant, had all the effect we
hoped for from it. This officer, even frankly, of-
fered us the guides we afked to Carry us to St.
Jofeph, which lies thirty leagues from St. ‘Mark,
and to which they advertifed us the courfe was very
dificult to find. This obliged us.to tarry the next
day, and I was not difpleafed at it; as, befides that
I was as well lodged in the fort as the Francifcan
governor, (a diftinétion fhewn to me alone, and
which I owed to my habit) I was glad to furvey
the parts adjacent to the fort. There is a way
over land from St, Mark to St. Auguftin, the dif-
tance of which is fourfcore leagues, and the road

exceeding bad.

We fet out the twenty third in the morning, and
on the twenty fifth about ten o’clock, our guides
made us undertake a traverfe of three leagues, to
eet into akind of channel formed by the continent
on one fide, and on the other by a feries of -iflands
of different extent. Had it not been for them, we
durft never have ventured to engage in it, and fo
had miffed the bay of St. Jofeph. However, we
were out of provifions, and the difficulty of find-
ing water encreafed every day. One evening that
we dug ten paces from the fea on a pretty rifing

3 ground,
2

© supe) !

ground, we could find nothing but brackifh wa
fer, which we found impoflible. to drink, I be~
thought myfelf of making a hole of a fmall depth |
on the very brink of the fea, and in the fand; it

was prefently filled with water, as fweet and clear
as if it had been drawn from the moft limpid
ftream ; but after 1 had drawn up one quart of it,

the ipring dried up entirely, from whence I con- :

cluded it was rain water that had been collected in

this {pet, having found the bottom very hard; and

T imagine that i be very often’ the cafe.

After we had got a-head of the iMland, we ad-

vanced under fail till ten o’clock. Then the wind
fell, but the tide, which began to ebb, fupplied its
place, fo that we continued to make way all the
night. This isthe firft time I obferved any regular

tides in the Gulf of Mexico, and our two Spani- .

ards told us that from this place to Penfacola, the
flux is twelve hours, and the reflux the fame. On
the morrow the twenty fixth, acontrary wind kept
us till evening in an ifland indifferently well wood-
ed, ten or twelve leagues long, and where we kil-
led as many larks and wood- cocks as we could de-
fire: we alfo faw a great number of rattle-fnakes.
Our guides called it the [Mand of Dogs ;, and from
the firft part of it we came to, they “reckoned ten
— Jeagnes to St. Mark and fifteen to St. Jofeph; but

they were pe deceived with refpeét to this

laft article, there being at leaft twenty, and thet
very long.

Onthe twenty feventh ateleven at night,we Gisch

upon a bank of oifters, which were about the fize

of the crown of my hat, and we were about an
hour in getting clear of it. We went to pafs the

reft of the night j in a country houfe belonging toa

cap-

re 343)
captain of the garrifon of fort St. Jofeph, called
Dioniz, where at our arrival he told us {trangenews.

He affured us that all Louifiana was evacuated
by the French; that a large veffel of that nation
had appeared at the Ifland aux Vaifleau, and had
taken on board the governour, directors, \and all
the officers; that after their departure, the Indians
had maffacred all the reft of the inhabitants and
foldiers, except a fmall number who had efcaped
on board of two coafters; that being in want of
provifions, they had gone tothe bay of St. Jofeph;
that thofe who came firft had been well received,
but that the others were not fuffered to land, for
fear left fo many French in one body, might be
tempted to make themfelves mafters of that poft,
~which we had formerly occupied.

This whole account carried fo little probability
in it, that I could not poffibly believe it, but
was fo well circumflanced, and told by people who
had fo little intereft in deceiving us, and who be-
ing at only feven leagues diftance from St. Jofeph,.
might have daily intelligence from thence, that it
feemed hard to get over allowing it had fome foun-
dation, Moft of our people were in great confter- _
nation at it; and IJ even felt that thefe general pa-
nicks touch the heart in fpite of all our endeavours
and underftanding, and that it is impoffible not to
feel fome fear amidft a number of perfons who are
-feized with that paffion, or to help lamenting with .
thofe who fhed tears. I could by no means credit
what they told me, but for all that, I had very
little confidence thatit was not fo.

However, our crew, in fpite of their defpair,
finding plenty of provifions, and the domettic fer-
Z 4 vants

€, 246) | ee
vants of Don Dioniz very obliging, made good
cheer all the reft of the night: next morning our
guides took their leave aF us, according to Sheie
orders. We had now no need of hen, for be-

fides the impoffibility of lofing our-way to St.

Jofeph, we met at the Houfe of Don Dioniz, a

Frenchman who was a foldier in his company, and

formerly a deferter from the Maubile, who was
erown weary of the Spanifh fervice, where he was
dying of hunger, as he fhid, tho” he had good
enough pay: we had no great difficulty to prevail
with him to acco mpany us to St. Tofeph, and from
thence to Louifiana, provided he were able to ob-
tain his difcharge.

We arrived at five in the evening at St. Jofeph,
were we were perfectly well received by the go-

-vernor. Here we met with two large fhallops from

\

Biloxi with four French officers, who had. come to
claim fome deferters, but found them not. .We

had feen them on the day of Pentecofte, in a fmall

veffel which was under fail, and went clofe by us,
They did not probably touch at St. Jofeph, and in
order to conceal their being deferters, had given
out the news which had alarmed us fo much the
evening before. Two Francifcans who officiated
in the chapel of the fort, being informed of my
arrival, came to offer me a bed in their’ houfe,
which I thankfully accepted.

Moreover, I do not believe there is a place in the
known world, where one would think there was
lefs likelihood of meeting with men, efpecially
Europeans, than at St. Jofeph. The fituation of
this bay, its fhores, the foil, every thing near it,
and indeed. every circumftance about it, render the

reafons of fuch a choice wtrerly incomprehenfible,

“

ay

: {: 945. }
A flat coaft, and that quite expofed to all the winds
that blow, a barren fand, a country loft and hid.

from all the world, and without the leaft com-

* 4

merce, and without being fit for even an entrepot
or, repofitory, could only be chofen out of that
jealouty, which our fettling Louifiana has occafi-
oned in the minds of the Spaniards. We had been
cuilty of this folly before them, but this lafted
not long. ‘There is reaion to believe that they too
will foon repent their choice, and that after they
fhall have re-eftablifhed Penfacola, they wiil tranf-
port thither every thing they have at St. Jofeph.

The fort is not even fituated in the bay, but in
the bight of a crooked point in which there is an
ifland. This fort is built only of earth, but that
well lined with palifadoes, and defended with a
numerous artillery. There is alfo a pretty ftrong
garrifon, an etat major compleat, and almoft all
the officers have their families with them, Their
houfes are neat and commodious, indifferently well
furnifhed, but in the ftreets you walk up to the
ankle in fand. The ladies never come abroad but
when they goto church, and that always with a
train and a gravity which is not to be feen any where
but amongtt the Spaniards,

Next day after our arrival, which was on the
twenty ninth, there was a grand dinner at the fer-
jeant major’s. We had {een this officer formerly
at Louifiana, and had treated him magnificently,
fo that he was ravifhed with this opportunity of
fhewing his gratitude. |

He had entered into a particular intimacy and
friendfhip with Monf. Hubert, who was then com-
miffaire ordannateur, a kind of furveyor, and who

" . vias

f

cps cy

was then with us. We learnt that a daughter of -

his friend three years of age, and whom her father
was conveying back into France, was no more than,

{prinkled, and he was therefore defirous the re~
maining part, of the ceremonies of the Sacrament.

of Baptifin fhould be performed here, and that he
fhould ftand godfather. This was performed with

great ceremony, and under adifcharge of the can-—

non; the godmother was a niece of fe eovernor’s,
who gave at night a magnificent fupper, and by an
excels of politenefs, rare enough amongtft Spaniards,
would have the ladies to be prefent at it. Ee con-
cluded fo many civilities with furnifhing us with

rovifions to enable’ us to continue our journey,
tho’ he had not as yet received. the convoy which
was to fupply him with provifions from the Ha-

vannah, and had for that reafon refufed any to the

officers of Biloxi: but our fituation had touched
him extremely.

We fet out on the thirtieth, with the two fhal-
lops, and were faluted by the fort with five pieces
of cannon, We advanced feven leagues that day,
and came to an anchor at the mouth of a river
which comes from a bay which opens to the fouth-
eaft. At eleven at night the wind becoming fa-
vourable, we took the “advantage of it and failed

weft north-weft; the whole coaft lies open to the

fame winds for twenty leagues, as far as the ifland
of Saint Rofe; and there is not one place where
you can be fheltered from the fqualls or gales of
wind which fhould come large or full upon the

fhore. On the thirty firft at four in the afternoon,

we had failed thefe twenty leagues, and came to an
anchor behind the ifland, which inclofes the great
bay of St. Rofe, the entry of which is dangerous

when thé fea is high. Had we been buta moment’

later

¢ }

eae ie

~ ater we fhould have been hard put to it, the wind

changing fuddenly from north-eaft to fouth-weft,
and the fea rifing fo high at the fame inftant, that
it had been impoffible for us to ride it out.

On the firft of June, towards two or three in

the morning, the tide beginning to flow we reim-

barked, and after advancing a fhort league, en-

tered the channel of St. Rofe, which is fourteen
leagues in length. It is formed by the ifland of.

St. Rofe which is of this length, but very narrow,
appearing to be covered with fand, but for all that
not ill wooded: the continent is very high, and
bears trees of all forts: the foil is almoft as fandy
as at St. Mark, but on digging even fo fhort a
way into the ground, you meet with water. The
wood here is very hard, but eafily rots.. All this
coaft fwarms with game, and the fea with fifh.

The channel is narrow at the mouth, but grows.

broader afterwards, and retains as far as the Bay
of Penfacola half a league of breadth; the cur-
rent here was very ftrong, but favourable for us,

Towards eleven o’clock, we doubled the Poznie
aux Chevreuils, or Roebuck point, beyond which
the bay begins. Here you turn firft to the north,
and afterwards to the north-eaft. The fort ftands
a fhort lague farther, and you difcover it from the
| point aux Chevreuils. We arrived here at noon,

and were much furprifed to fee it in fo bad a con-
dition, and it appears to be pretty much neglected.
The Sieur Carpeau de Montigni who commands in
it, was gone to Biloxi, and we only found a few
foldiers in it. The Spanifh fort which was taken
two years ago by the Count de Champmélin, was
behind this, and there remains nothing of it but a
very fine ciftern, which is faid to have coft four-

-

teen. _

foe ae
teen ». thant piaftres building. Both of them
ftand on the ifland, almoft clofe to the main land,
and not above fifteen toifes long; and the foil of
which appear to be none of the beft.

_ The bay of Penfacola would be a very good port,

were it not for the worms which eat thro’ the bot-
toms of fhips, and if its entry had a little more depth
of water. But the Hercules, on board of which
Monf..Champmélin was, ftruck upon it. This
entry is directly between the weftern extremity of
St. Rofe, where the Spaniards had alfo built a fort,
and a reef of rocks. It is fo narrow that one fhip only
can pafs at a time: its opening lies north and fouth.

Beyond the reef is another pafs, where there is
only water for {mall veffels, and which opens to the
fouth-weft. This is alfo very narrow. The an-
chorage of fhips in the bay of Penfacola, is along
the ifland of St. Kofe, and is very good holding
ground,

We fet out from Penfacola at midnight, and

about four in the morning we left on our right the —

Rio de los Perdidos: this river was fo named, be-
caufe a Spanifh fhip was caft away in it, and all

the crew loft. The ifland Dauphine is five leagues _

farther on the left, and is five leagues long, but
very narrow. Here is at leaft one half of this
ifland without a fingle tree on it, and the other is
not a whit better. The fort, and the only human
habitation remaining on it, are in the weftern part
of it, Between this, and the [fe a Corne, which
ys about a league diftant, there is fcarce any water.
At the end of this, is another very fmall one called
P ifle Ronde, on account of its figure, We pafled
the et on this laft. eu

Op-

ee Baa | |

Oppofite, is the Baye des Pafcagoulas, where Ma-
dame de Chaumont has a grant, whichis not likely
very foon to repay the money advanced on it.
There is a river of the fame name which comes
from the north, and difcharges itfelf into the fame
bay. Next day about ten o’clock, one of our fai-
lors died of a quinfey. This is the only man we
Joft in our tirefome and dangerous paflage. An
hour after we came to an anchor at Biloxi, where
every body was aftonifhed to fee us. I went im-
mediately to celebrate the Holy Mafs, to render
thanks to Almighty God, for having fupported us
amidft fo many fatigues, and delivered us from fo
many dangers. eee

Tam, &c.

LETTER

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Ci ont 3

Wr TT ER XXXV.

Voyage from Biloxi to Cape Francois 72 St. Do-

mingo,.

Cape Francois, September 65.1922.

Madam,

f Did not venture to tell you in my laft letter
A what I had informed you of in my former,
that you fhould hear no more from me, till I fhould
arrive at Cape Francois, for fear I fhould not be
able to keep my word, and indeed my apprehen-
fions were very near being juftified by the event.
Iam, however, at laft arrived at this fo long de-
fired harbour, having entered it at a time when we
had almoft loft all hopes of ever feeing it. But
before I enlarge upon the adventures of this voyage,
I muft refume the courfe of my journal.

The firft news we learned upon our: arrival: at
Biloxi was, that a peace was concluded with Spain,
-and a durable alliance agreed on betwixt the two
crowns. One article of the peace was, the refti-
tution of Penfacola, the news of which was brought
to Louifiana by Dom. Alexander Walcop, an Irifh-
man,

i 43 F * Pies ete
y ¥ ‘ ee ie ~ F, " RedL J Rr’
ft SL, eee as Caaiyneiicarac ak ae HE ASMENH 1°28 MELON sy OIE ENE ROG oR

» U5? op rua
man, and captain of a veffel in New-Spain. He
had embarked at Ia Vera Cruz on board a brigan-
tine, commanded by Dom, Auguftin Spinola, and
carrying one hundred and fifty men, and mounting
fourteen pieces of cannon. It is given out here,
that the Spaniards intend to make a great fettle-
-ment at Penfacola, and to tranfport thither “the
garrifon with the whole inhabitants of St. Jofeph ;
and that D. Alexander Walcop is to be the gover-
nor, who is a man of an exceeding good appear-
ance, great piety, and extreme good fenfe.

D. Auguftin Spinola is a young man full of fire,
and of avery amiable character; his fentiments
and behaviour, fufficiently declare his, high birth,
and are every way worthy of the name he bears.
He is lieutenant of the veflel, and has engaged to
ferve three years in Mexico, after which he pro-
pofes to return to Spain, and there to fettle. He
was a good deal chagrined on being informed,
that an Enelifh interloper called Marfhal, had juft
left the road of Biloxi, where he had been carry-
ing on a confiderable trade with the French as he
left it. ‘his man would not have gone, faying he
was not afraid of the Spaniards, had not M, de
Bienville obliged him to it, not chufing to be fpec-
tater of a combat, which our officers imagined
would not end in the favour of the agereflorsthough
fuperior in force. We fhall foon fee if they were
miftaken in this advantageous idea they had con-
ceived of Marfhal. 3°

Notwithftanding fome of the company’s fhips
had brought in fome provifions to Louifiana, yet
the {carcity there was ftill very great, and the difcon-
tent of the inhabitants encreafed every day fo much,
that in fpite of all the care M. de Bienville took —

3 | tO

| 053530)

~ to make them eafy, nothing was heard of but
fchemes for deferting. Befides, the loop which
we had met on the route from St. Mark to St. Jo-
feph, all the Swifs, who were at Biloxi with their
captain and officers at their head, having been or-
dered for New Orleans on board a coafter, which
had been extremely well victualled and fitted out on
purpofe for them, inftead of fteering for the Mifif-
fippi, had been feen with their colours flying, ftand-
ing for the eaftward ; and it was not doubted, in-
tended for Carolina, as being all proteftants, there
was no probability of their ftopping any where
among the Spaniards *.

Finally, I difcovered on the 8th of June a con-
{piracy formed to carry off the Spanifh brigantine,
About feven o’clock in the evening, I got fecree
information of it, and was aflured that before nine
o'clock it would be put in execution, the com-
mander of the brigantine not being ufed to goon
board before that time. ‘The confpirators were to
the number of an hundred and fifty, and their in-

__ tention was, if they fucceeded in their enterprize,
to turn pirates. I immediately fent to give notice
of it to M. de Bienville, who was then at table
with D, Auguitine Spinola, who rofe up that
inftant and went on board, and the major of
Biloxi had orders immediately to go the rounds,

From thefe different movements the confpirators

_ perceived their defign had taken air, and the major
could not obferve above four or five men toge-
ther, who making off as foon as he faw them, he
was not able to lay hold on any of them, fo that it
was believed I had given afalfe alarm; but befides
that for fome time after, the foldiers and inhabi-
tants were every day difappearing, fome of thefe

* We have fince learned that they have gone there.
Vou. I. Aa . deferters

Bae Wes x

(( 354. y

deferters being retaken, confeffed the conteinee of :

which I had: given information.

On the 12th, one of the chiefs of the. Tchac-
tas came to inform M. de Bienville, that the
Englifh had made them great promifes, to bring
them over to their intercft, and to engage them
‘to have no more commerce with the French,
On this occafion the commandant gave a proof
of his great dexterity in managing the Indians.
He io well cajoled this chief, that, by means of
a few inconfiderable prefents, he fent him back
extremely well difpofed to remain firm in our

alliance. This nation would have occafioned us

great trouble, had they declared againft us; the

Bhiiwathas! Natchez, and Yafous would hawe im-

mediately joined them, and there would. have
-been no longer any fafety in our navigating on
the Miffifippi; even though thefe four nations
had not carried all the reft along with them;

which, however, in all probability, woula have. bear
the cafe. .

About the end of the month, an inhabitant of

the country of the Illinois, who had been trading -

atthe Miffouri, arrived at Biloxi, and gave an ae-
count, that he and one or two Frenchmen more,
having penetrated as far as the Octotatas, who
in 1719 defeated the Spaniards, in the manner

already mentioned, had been very well received by.

them ; and that the goods they had carried along
with them, had produced feven or eight hundred
franks of filver, partly wrought, and “partly in in-
gots; that fome of thefe. Indians had accompanied

them as far as the Illinois, and had affured. M. de »

Boifbriant, that the Spaniards, from whom they
-had taken that money, got it from a mine at no
| great

/

PTE Pri eh WS
WOU AEN
i

j

( S55)
_ teat diftance from the place, where they encountered
with them; and that they had offered to conduc
the French thither, which offer the commandant
had accepted. Time will inform us, whether thefe
Indians have been more fincere than many others,
who for a long time had béen endeavouring to
draw the French amongft them, with this bait of
their having mines, all which have hitherto iva
only imaginary *

On the 22d, I embarked on board the Bellbnds
which fet fail on the 30th. On the fecond of .
July, we reckoned ourfelves north and fouth
of Penfacola, from whence we thought it beft
to depart ; becaufe the longitude of the mouth
of the Miffiffippi is not, as yet, well determined.
Since that time till the twentieth, nothing remark-
able happened. We had then the fun directly
above our heads, and in our voyage from the
Martyrs to Biloxi, had laboured under the greateft
heats of the folftice, without being able to defend
ourfelves again{t them in any fhape, no more than
again{ft the dews which fell during the nights in
great abundance. Yet, would you believe it, Ma-
dam, we fuffered much lefs from the heat in this
feafon, than we had done in the month of April, ?
before our fhip-wreck.

Noothives is, however, more certain, and I then
called to mind, that I had been often much fur-
prized to fee perfons born within the tropicks com-
plaining heavily of the great heats in France.
We were in the fame fituation in the month of |
Apfil, we then experienced the fame heats which

_ ® This mine has never been heard of fince that time.

Aa 2 are

C3):

are felt.in France and even in Italy ; ; in the tine \y |

of July, during the dog-days, we had the
fun above our heads, and the heat was cer-
tainly much greater, but more {upportable. This
difference does not arife from the winds, for
we not only had them, but always have the
fame in both feafons. Neither was it owing to

their being more accuftomed to them, for we

were not fubject to thofe continual fweats which
had been fo troublefome to us in the month of
April.

We mutt therefore fearch for fome other reafon,
and this readily prefents itfelf to me. In the fpring,
the air is ftill full of thofe vapours which have been
collected during the winter. Thefe vapours, at
the approach of the fun, are at firft fet on fire,

and this is what occafions thofe unfufferable heats —

and profufe {weats with which we were opprefied
in the month of April; we were almoft always as
it were in Balneo Mariae. ‘Thefe vapours are dif:
fipated in the month of July, and though the fun
was much nearer us, the leaft air of wind was fuff-

cient to refrefh us, by blunting the vigour of his —

rays, then almoft perpendicular over our heads ;
whereas in France the fun never thoroughly dif-
fipates the vapours, as he does between the tro-
picks, at leaft they are here not near fo grofs,
which is the caufe that produces, not only the dif-
ference of heat, but likewife of the fenfation of
that heat.

On the twentieth, we’ difcovered the fame land
of Cuba which we had feen: feven days, three
months before. Two things occafioned this de-
lay. The firft was, the not being able to depend

upon an obfervation, led the fun is fo high, be-_

caufe

: Nets
ee a ee - . E eens eS a - = ; = => — F PRT core eis Ps
NN Ee eS ee ee ee ee ee ee ey Kees ee eae

: Ge BF *) 7

caufe at that time his rays make no fenfible angle :
on which account, when there is the leaft fulpicion —
of being near the land, failors dare not carry much
— fail in the night-time. The fecond was, that the
captain of the Bellona was refolved to touch at
the Havannah; and, being perfuaded, that the
currents fet to the eaft, he made as much weft-
ing as he thought neceflary, not to overfhoot his
‘port. :

He was, however, very near paffing by the Ha-
vannah, without knowing it. 1 was told, early
in the morning, that they faw land; I afked how
it appeared, and from the defcription he gave me,
I was certain, that it was Cape de Sed. They laugh-
ed at me, and two officers of the Adour, who
were with us, were the firft to maintain that I
was miftaken. I got upon deck and ftill perfifted —
in my opinion contrary to that of the whole crew,
our pilots affuring us, that we were fixty leagues
farther to the weft. At fun-fet I perceived the table
of Marianne, but I was ftill fingular in my opi-
nion; in the meantime we had a contrary wind,
which obliged us to tack all night, ftanding out to
fea-wards, and then afterwards, in towards the
fhore. i

‘On the morrow, at mid-day, we were ftill in -
fight of the two lands which had been the fubjeét
of our difpute, when drawing nearer the fhore,
, we perceived the Havannah before us, which gave
great joy to the captain, he having a large private
adventure, which he expected to difpofe of to ad-
vantage among the Spaniards. His intereft did
not concern me; but if we had been farther out
at fea, and had not had contrary winds during the

Ag 3 night,

i! 358 )

night, the miftakes and obftinacy of our pilét

and officers had coft us dear. The wind was fair
for the Havannah, and about five in the evening

we were about a league from it, when we fired

two guns, one upon hoifting our colours, and the
other after we had made a fignal with the enfign,
for a pilot from the fort. :

None appearing, it was refolved to fend the
canoe to afk leave to goin; but it being now
late, this was deferred till next day, and the whole

night was fpent in tacking. On the twenty-third, |

an officer of the Bellona went afhore, in order to afk

the governor’s permiffion to water and purchafe —

provifions in his harbours; becaufe we had not

been able to Jay in a fufficient quantity at Biloxi.

This was only a pretence, which I did not then
know, and the captain defiring me to accompany

his officer, I thought- myfelf obliged to comply
with his requeft. , |

Phe entrance of the port of the Havannah lies
north-weft quarter weft: on the left-hand, on go-

ing in, isa fore built upon a rock, at ‘the foot

of which all veffels muft pafs: it is called the
‘fort du More. It is a folid building, and has three
good batteries of brafs cannon, one above the
other, On the right-hand is a row of baftions,
which feemed to me to be newly finifhed, or but
Jately repaired. The entrance is in this place but
five or fix hundred paces in breadth, and is fhut
wp with an iron chain, which would ftop a fhip
for a confiderable time, till having fhatrered it

with cannon-fhot they fhould be able to break
‘The

through it.

-

saa ee

~ i

| ( 359 ) |
The paffage grows afterwards a little larger,
till you come to the town, which 1s about the dif-

_ tance of two or three hundred paces. The chan-
. nel tarns from thence to the left beyond the town,

which lies upon the right, ‘and thisis all I can fay
of it, having been no farther. The town takes
up the point of a peninfula; and the land ‘fide,
which is its whole length, is defended by a good
wall with baftions. It has a very agreeable pro-

fpect, after you have paffed the fort du More.

The ftreets are well latd out, the quay large and
in good condition, and the houfes, for the moft
part, well burit ; the churches are pretty numerous,

and fome of them make a good appearance,

but I did not vifit any of them. In a word,
attown in which there is twenty thoufand inhabi-
tants does not make a finer fhow, but the Ha
vannah, as I have been told, has not near that
number. )

On my landing, I met with feveral failors who |

had belonged to the Adour, and of thofe who had

gone both in the fhallop and in the canoe. The
firft informed me, that they had been five days in
making this port, from the place where they were
caft away, having been almoft the whole time in
the moft immediate danger of perifhing. I had
not titne to learn, by what means the fecond had »
got there. But the furgeon who went on board
our canoe at fort du More as our guide, took
great pains to fhew me Marfhal’s brigantine, men-
tioned in the beginning of this letter. He had.

_ Caft anchor along-fide of a floop fo very {mall that

it could not contain above fifteen or twenty men,
who, however, carried her by boarding. It mutt
be confeffed, that the crews of the armed veflels

| Aad belonging

a a De ;
belonging to Cuba and the neighbouring iflands
are very brave, our buccaneers having been
enured to war: but confidering the difpropor-
tion of force, the valour and cannon of the

Englith, thefe laft muft needs have been fur-
prized. . ‘ )

The governor received us coldly, and after ha-
ving heard us, told us, that he fhould have been
very glad to have granted our requeft, but that
the King his mafter had tied his hands, in particue —
Jar, exprefsly forbidding him to receive into the
harbour any veffel coming from Louifiana. He
added, that there were feveral places on the fame
coaft, where we might {top without any danger,
and furnifh ourfelves with what refrefhments we
{tood in need of. We were obliged to reft con-
tented with this anfwer, and after paying a vifit to
othe rector of the jefuit’s college in this city, I re-
turned on board.

Next day being the 24th, we were north of the Pan
of Matanzas, and at half an hour after eleven op-
pofite to the Rzo de Ciroca, where there is a Spanifh
fettlement. But as the captain was refolved to try
if he could fucceed better at Matanzas than he
had done’ at the Havannah; and we were ftill at
the diftance of feven leagues from it, he turned
to and fro during the whole night; and, on the
twenty fifth, at break of day we found ourfelves
at the entrance of the bay, which is two leagues
over, | fy

| But, before you goin, you muft firft double a
point which does not advance very far into the fea,
then make a weft courfe for the fpace of a lena

aiter

aN ua eee*

after which you perceive on the fame hand, being
the right, another point, behind which lies the fort,
and a large quarter of a league farther than the town
cf Matanzas, between two rivers which wath its
walls on each fide. About ten o’clock an officer
was fent to the fort in a canoe, who did not find
the commandant at home. He informed the lieu-
tenant of the pretended neceffity we were in; but
this officer told him, he could not. take it upon ~
himfelf to grant him the permiffion he demanded ;
that all-he could do was to fend a courier to the
Havannah, to know the intentions of the go-
vernor of that city, who-was his general; and
that if this fuited us, we might wait at anchor
on the other fide, where we fhould be in more
fafety.

This anfwer, together with the declaration which
the pilots then thought fit to make, that they could
not undertake to carry the veffel into the bay of
Matanzas, by reafon they were not fufficiently ac-
quainted with it, at laft determined the captain
~to continue his courfe, with all his adventure on
board, for the fake of which he had made us lofe
at leaft fifteen days of our moft precious time.
The next day at fix in the morning, we had ftill be-
hind us and within fight the Pan of Matanzas,
from which we reckoned ourfelves diftant from
12 to fifteen leagues ; and, on the 27th, at five in
the morning, wedifcovered the land of Florida,
from the maft-head.

Upon feeing this, we fteered north-north-eaft ;
two hours afterwards, we fteered a little more
eaftward, but at nine o’clock kept our former
courfe, and found ourfelves in the real current ee

3 : the

~

(eee, |
the gulph; for we went like an arrow out of
a'bow. At this time we faw the Adour from ~
the maft-head, whofe hull was almoft entirely un-
der water, and now perceived chat fhe was not
caft away at the northernmoft of the Martyrs,
as fome had believed ; for we were abreaft of her
at half an hour after ten, and half an hour after
one, the laft of thefe iflands was ftill to the north-
ward of us. |

About three o’clock, we faw from the tops a
breaker, clofe along-fide of which ‘our courfé lay,
and fomewhat farther a fhoal, which run out in-
to the offing. This fhoal feemed to be the end
of the Martyrs, and in order to Clear it, we
-fteered the remaining part of the day fouth and
by eaft, the current {till carrying us to the north-
ward, and-‘about evening we made a north-ealt
‘courfe. On the twenty eighth at mid-day, the
pilot reckoned himftlf at the ‘entrance of the
gulph, being in twenty-five degrees thirty mi-
nutes; but, at half an hour after feven, fearing
he was too near the land, he turned her head
fouth-fouth-eaft till mid-night with a very good
wind. At mid-night he continued his former
courfe; and on the twenty ninth we were
phy of fight of land, At fun-fet we reckoned
we were out of the gulph, but for the great-
er fafety we fteered north-north-eaft, tll ten
o’clock. | : St el

During all the reft of our voyage, till our ar-
rival at cape Francois, we had light winds and
frequently calms. From tite to time there arofe
ftorms, when the fky and fea were on fire, and
the vefiel lying along on one fide, went phen

wind 3.

fas, )

winds but this did not laft, and rain of a quar-

ter of an hour’s duration cleared the fky and
laid the waves of the fea; which greatly re-
fembled thofe perfons, who are of a foft and
mild temper, but are fometimes liable to violent
fits of paffion,. which, however, are foon ap-
peated. I imagine that the currents contribute
to calm the fea fo fpeedily after thefe violent
agitations. ‘They are indeed very fenfibly fele
throughout all this paflage, and, befides, with their
continual variation, difconcert the moft expert |
pilots.

Mer leaving the gulph of F lorida, the ftreight
courfe for St. Domingo would be fouth-eaft ; but
the winds, which almott conftantly blow from the
eaftern quarter, prevent this courfe being fteer-
ed, fo that it is neceflafy to go as high as Ber-
mudas, which it would even be convenient to
make, if poffible, in order to be certain of the
Jongitude. For want of this, vefiels are fome-
times obliged to go as far to the north-ward as
the great bank of Newfoundland, that they may be.
fure of being far enough to the ‘eaftward to avoid
all thofe Poe of which lie to the northward of

a Domingo,

This great circuit, however, has not always
been taken in going from the ‘gulph of Mexico

to this ifland. At the firft difcovery of the mew —
world, after coafting along the northern fide of ©

Cuba, as far as point Itaque, which is its eaf-

_ tern extremity, about fourteen leagues from Ma-

tanzas, they turned to the right, leaving on

the left all the Lucayo iflands, of which Ba-

hama is the chief. This is what is called the.
| old

364 |
old ftraits of Bahama, in which there is ‘nite
for the largeft fhips, but fo full of rocks and

_ fhoals, that at prefent it is only ufed bg ;

veffels.

After having made the latitude of eniceyll fa:

‘eiebes and a half, our pilots reckoned them-

felves far enough to the eaft to fteer fouth, —
without fear of falling upon any of thofe
fhoals I have mentioned. ‘They therefore fteer-
ed boldly to the fouth, and in a few days made,
great way, failing continually upon a fine fea,
and carried along by the trade winds. On the |
twenty feventh ‘of Auguft the man who was -
looking out. at the majft-head, cried out Land,
which occafioned a great joy, which, however,
was but fhort; for on his coming down and
being afked if it was high land, he anfwer-
ed that it was very low, confequently could

be no other than one of the Caicoes or bs urk

iflands. -

We were very lucky in feeing them by aug
for had we fallen in with them in the night, we
muft have been infallibly fhip-wrecked and every
perfon loft; for thefe iflands have no banks,
moft of het are furrounded with reefs of rooke:
which run far out to fea, between which there are
fmall channels, where there is not water enough
for a fhallop. Befides, they are fo very low,
that'they are not feen in the night-time, till one
is epee them. |

But our having difcovered our aati did se
fave us; the land which we faw before us feem-
. ed

ne’ ( 365 ) ve |
ed a pretty large’ ifland and well-wooded in fe-
veral places, which made us conclude it was
the Grand Caicos, and confequently that we were
forty or fifty leagues too far to the weftward.
To gain our longitude, we mult, perhaps, have
been obliged to fteer two or three hundred
leagues to the northward, and laid ‘our account
with a voyage of. five or fix weeks, But this
was impracticable; for we had fcarce’ water
and provifions for fifteen days, with the great-
eft ceconomy.: ‘The captain was prodigioufly
embarrafied, he faw his pilots in the fault, he
had reafon to reproach himfelf with having re-
pofed too much confidence in them, and not
having taken an obfervation himfelf, and with
having conttantly. preferred the opinion of the fe-
cond pilot, a young blundering prefumptuous
‘fellow, to that of the firft, who was a much abler
and more experienced feaman, and never had ap-
proved their management.

) i '
y

It was, in the mean-time, neceflary to take a.
refolution on the fpot: had we met with a
gale of wind at north, it would have thrown us
upon thefe low lands, where we muft all have
infallibly perifhed, But as no meafure could
be. pitched upon which had not: its inconve-
niencies, the captain refolved to have the ad-
vice of all the people. One propofed a fafe
expedient, which was to bear away before the
wind for Carolina, where we could arrive in ten
or twelve days, and there purchafe provifions.
This advice was rejected and another followed,
which put all to the hazard, and feemed to me
to be folely infpired by defpair; and this was to

oh coaft

w
§

x iv

Me yt 3 x MURS Ei GRE
(Se ERAN [Se <a: eon Re WE Se NTN a ARNT yee

366 ‘: |
coaft along the grand Caicos, till we came to tts
bg between “all thefe rocks and ‘the Bahama
ifla - 9) arid,

This is the pafface for all the veflels x

return from St. Domingo to France, but then
there is nothing to fear, for they can take their

own time to enter the ftraits, and this paflage

lying open to the north-weft, they are almoft
certain of having good weather to carry them
through it. But in order to enter on the fide in
which we were, we muft reckon on the north-
eaft, and it is.a great chance to find the wind on
that point. Thus none that we know of have as
yet attempted this paffage. In fhort, we were rer
folved to run all hazards, and drew.s near the grand
Caicos.

Two hours after mid-day, we were no more
than a cannon-fhot from it, and, perhaps, we were
the firft, who without an indifpenfable neceffity
had ventured fo near it in a fhip. The coaft
is, however, very clear, and about feven or.cight

foot high, fometimes a little more, but fteep and

He hg any beach. ‘The foil has not every where

the appearance of barren. Geographers place

this ifland dire€tly under the tropick, which
was a point we could not examine Into, it

being then hazy weather; but I believe it~

lies a little farther to the fouthward, for there
certainly is not three degrees difference of la-
titude, between this ifland and cape Frangois. »

We ‘eaalleal along the grand Caicos. till four

o'clock in the evening, - having both wind and

curr ents

>

‘

‘oe Ss ee
z oe ; 5

( by .'3

currents in our fayour. Then fending a man
up to the matt- head to obferve what was before

us, he foon came down, telling us that he had

feen the extremity. of the ifland; but that be-

yond it he could difcover nothing but low lands »

interfected with channels in which the water
appeared entirely white. Upon hearing this, we
thought proper to tack, and lay the veffel’s
head north-north-eaft. At mid-night we lay
fouth-fouth-eaft, and it feemed as if the wind
turned about at our pleafure; but it was very
weak and the currents carried us with grearc
violence to the weftward; fo that at break
of day the low lands and fhoals which we
the evening before faw fo far a-head of us,

“were now almoft as far behind us, and the

pafflage we were in queft of began to open.

The moment now approached which was to
decide our fate, and what gave us great hopes
Was, that the wind by degrees veered about

to the north-eaft. At eleven o’clock we lay

fouth-eaft one quarter fouth, and foon after
fouth-eaft; but the currents made us fall fo
faft to leeward, that we fcarce made a fouth
courfe. At noon we had no obfervation, and
the weftern point of the Caicos lay north quar-
ter north-eaft. At laft, in an hour’s time we
were got into the paflage; and I cannot bet-
ter explain to you what appeared on the faces
of all, in proportion as we advanced in the
channel, than by comparing it to what hap-
pens to thofe animals which are put into
the receiver of an air-pump, and lie as dead
when the air is amet all extracted out of it,

but

Seay aeiate i Uy) gee MET

+ ie")

but are reftored to life by degrees, when it is

fuffered flowly to enter again.

We durft not, however, flatter ourfelves with
being able to make cape Francois, which lay

to the windward, but we could not mifs Port de
paix, or at leaft Leogane; and after the extreme
danger we had juft efcaped, we thought our-
felves very lucky, provided we could get into
any harbour. At mid-night, we had a pretty

violent gale of wind at fouth, but of fhort du-

ration 3 ‘and next day about nine o’clock in the
morning, we perceived the land of St. Domin-
go, but could not diftinguifh what part it was
all that day, it being very foggy. - A vefiel, which
we reckoned from her appearance might be a pri-
vateer, took us up good part of the afternoon:
we prepared ferioufly for an engagement, or ra-
ther to defend ourfelves in cafe we fhould be at-
tacked ; for we did not change our courfe to give

chace.

At laft we difcovered, fhe was only a fmall

veffel, a hundred and fifty tons burthen at mofft, |

and. was probably more afraid of us. By her
courfe we imagined fhe had come out of Cape
Francois, and feemed to be deep loaded. The
whole night we made tacks to the north-eaft,

with a little variation, which gained us ground,

and as foon as it was day, we perceived to
our great joy, that we were to the windward
of cape Francois. We had a full view of it,
and were almoft clofe in with it, but there was
fo little wind, that we could not get in’ be-

fore the firit ‘of September, at four “o'clock in
; the

nent ‘to ge Is give you an (ee

this country 5 and this letter is afked
he on board a veffel which is bound

I intend to depart myfelf in ff-
yy for Havre de stig ACT whence

Iam, &c.

( 37t )

ok TT E Rw XXXVL

Defcription of Cape Francois im St. Domingo.
Return to France, and the Author’s touching
a in England.

| Rouen, January 5, 172 2.

Madam, ?

Staid but a day at Havre, not caring to mifs
I the Rouen coach, and am come here to re-
frefh myfelf after the longeft and fevereft voy-
age I have ever as yet made at fea. I am now
entirely recovered, and fhall make ufe of the fhort
leifure my waiting for the Paris coach affords
me, to finifh the account of all my adventures
for thefe laft two years and an half I have been
rambling over the different parts of the world.

Cape Francois in St. Domingo, is the harbour
where the French carry on the greateft trade in
all America, Properly fpeaking, it is only a bay,
- hot quite a league in age the entrance of which
Bba is

\

6.398) a
is very wide: but this entrance is encumbered ~
with reefs, in failing betwixt which too much —
‘precaution’ cannot be ufed. On going in, you
muft keep on your right along a point on which
is a redoubt mounted with cannon; but it iscuf- .
tomary before engaging in thefe narrow pafies, «—
where two fhips cannot go a-breaft, to get a pilot
from the fort; and in order to prevent the defire
_ of faving a piftole; which is his fee, from occa-

fioning people to rifk the lofing’ their veffels, it
is very wifely ordered, that this fum fhall be
paid, even fhould they come in without his affif- :
tance. OM

(
\

The town ftands in the bottom of the bay, |
upon the right fide. It is not very confider- |
able, becaufe almoft all but thofe who are tradef-
men, fhop-keepers, foldiers, or inn-keepers, re-
fide in the plain, as much as their duty will fuf-
fer the officers; the exercife of juftice, the ma-
giftrates; and the affairs of trade thofe who are
concerned in it, that is to fay, almoft all thofe who
are reckoned here people of credit: fo that, in
order to fee genteel company, you muft go to the
country. Thus nothing can be more charming
than the plain, and the vallies betwixt the moun-
tains with which it is furrounded. The houfes
are not magnificent but decent and conveni-
ent, and the roads are in a ftreight line, of
a good breadth, bordered with hedges of ci-
trons, and fometimes planted with large trees,
and cut from fpace to fpace with rivulets of
a clear frefh water. All the plantations feem
very well cultivated, and are indeed very fine
pleafure-houfes: an air of eafe is every where
to be feen, which gives a great deal of mag

} 1$

—— -

Ae i aim Sa Seas me Sint Py erate = ee =
GS SEES IIE VO ge aaa ee Bie per Fe I

*®

= ae Ee “5

-*

Py.

ae, Oe he ae

This plain isthe north-weft extremity of that
famous Vega Real, fo much fpoke of in the Spa-
nith hiftories of St. Domingo, and faid to be eigh-

ty leagues in length, and by the famous bifhop

of Chiappa, Bartholomew de las Cafas, to be wa-
tered by five and twenty thoufand rivers. But
founding names coft the Spaniards nothing ;_ thefe
pretended rivers are, for the moft part, no-
thing but fmall brooks, the number of which is

indeed incredible, and would render this royal plain

fomething more delightful and charming than

_ the valley of Tempé, fo much boafted of among

the Greeks, if it did not lie within the torrid
zone. There are even places where the air is ex-
tremely wholfome, and heat fupportable, fuch as
that where the town of St. Fago de los Caval-
Jeros has been built; and.the fame thing may be
faid of the vallies between the mountains, with which
the plain of the Cape is bounded to the fouthward.
They are beginning to be peopled, and will be foon
more fo than the plain itfelf, on account that

there are few fick people there; and that thofe

who come from other places foon recover of their
diftempers, after all other remedies have failed of

fucce{s.

I was in all the plantations near the town, but

* had not leifure to make many obfervations on

them. Befides, in the day-time it was extremes:
ly hot; and in the evening after fun-fet, mufket-
toes and other fuch like infects prevented me from
walking far. Thefe infects fix particularly upon
new comers, who have a tenderer fkin and frefher
blood. I have been informed, that in the Spanifh
part of this ifland, they are free from this incon-

venience; but in recompence we have no venom-

ous ferpents, of which they have great numbers.
3 Bb 3 It

‘ \

ney) ee

)

It has likewife been obferved to me, that all

earden ftuff, except lettuce, muft in this ‘ifland
be renewed every year with feed from Europe. |

. Themoft curious things I have feen here are

the fugar-mills ; but I fhall fay nothing of them, ©

as father Labat has treated of them in a much
better manner than I can pretend to do. Next
to the fugar, the greateft riches of this colony con-
fifts in the Indigo, which the fame author has
likewife handled very learnedly. This plant has
an irreconcileable enemy, which makes as great
havock amongft it, as darnel does among our
corn. It is an herb called Mal-nommée, and -in
{pringing from the earth carries a feed which
{preads every where. It grows ina tuft, and by
its bulk, and prodigious fruitfulnefs, ftifles the

! Indigo in fuch a manner that it kills it; fo that

if it makes the leaft progrefs in a field, it is en-
tirely loft. .

The coafts of St: Domingo are not very plen-
tifully fupplied witb fith ; but a Jittle out at fea, all
forts of them are to be found. Coming from
Louifiana, we caught, in particular, a great many
gilt-heads or bonettas, upon which fith our fea-

_men pretend to have made a very fingular obferva-

tion. Which is, that when this fifh is catched
before the moon comes to its height, its fiefh is
firm and of an exquifite tafte, whereas when it is

taken in the wane, it is infipid, of no confiftence, |

and looks like flefh boiled to rags. It is true, that
we experienced both the one and the other, in the
two feafons; but that this always happens, and
that the moon is really the caufe of it, is what I
cannot take upon me to affirm. |

| We

C. 379.)
We departed from cape Francois in a merchant

fhip belonging to Havre called Louis de Bourbon, —

and commanded by one of the ableft navigators I
have known: but we were fcarce out at fea when

we perceived that fhe made water in two places, ©

fo that during the whole paffage, which lafted for
ninety two days, they were obliged to pump morn-

ing and evening, which together with the {carci-
ty of provifions, which, indeed, had been laid in,

in abundance, but had been by no means mana-
ged during the firft month, occafioned our cap-
tain to be frequently upon the point of touching
at the Azores. We fhould have been reduced
to greater inconveniencies {till, had we fallen into.
the fnare which a captain of an Englifh fthip

daid for us, whom we fell in with about half

Way.

He had left Jamaica, in company with a fleet,
of which, as he faid, he had been at firft the beft
failor; but in loading his fhip, having been fo im-.
prudent as to ftow all his provifions in the fame
place, it happened, that in proportion as thefe
were confumed, his veffel loft her trim, and by
degrees that advantage he had over the reft, fo
that at laft he was left behind by the whole fleet :
we met him, indeed, alone and going fo flowly,
that compared with him our veffel, which was by »
no means a flyer, went like a bird ; and he was afraid |
that his provifion fhould entirely fail him, before
he could reach England. He told us his uneafi-
nefs at this, and to explain himfelf better, invited
himfelf to dine on board us. He was anfwered,
that he fhould be very welcome, and our captain .
fhortened fail to wait for him, :

: Bb 4 _ During

A

| ( 376 ) . cor
During dinner-time the converfation turned upon -
our courfe, and he afked us where we believed we
were. The captain fhewed him, at which he ap-

peared furprized. He affured us afterwards that —

we were at leaft two hundred leagues farther ad-
vanced than we thought we were ;- which he en-
deavoured to prove by the laft lands he had ob-
ferved. . This gave great pleafure to the moft part
of our people, who were already very uneafy at fo
long a _pafiage, and at being obliged to ftruggle
continually againft boiftrous winds and a tempeftu-
ous fea, in avery crazy veflel. But 1 hadfome fufpici-
on‘that the Englifh Captain only faid we were fo far
advanced, in order to induce us to part with fome —

of our provifions. I communicated my fufpicion

to-our captain, who told me he was of the fame
Opinion, and contented himfelf with treating our
eueft genteelly and evading his demand. He
continued his courfe upon his own reckoning,
which he found fo juft, that he entered the chan-
nel the fame day, and almoft the fame hour, he had
faid fome time before he would do.

On the fecond of December, without any ap-
parent neceffity, we went into Plymouth harbour,
but our captain had certainly forme bufinefs there.
We found there Ja Thetis a King’s frigate, which a
gale of wind had entirely difabled, though it was
her firft voyage from Havre de Grace, where fhe
had been built. She was under the command of ©
the Chevalier de Fontenay, who was bound for —
the Ameyican iflam’s againft the pirates, who had
lately: taki wa great many veffels. As foon as he
knew J}>as'in the harbour, he did me the honour —
of paying me a vifit, before I could have the op- —
portunity of paying my duty to him, and carried
“me on board his veilel, where I fpent in a very

at es agreeable

6 Staal

‘

le Mt May 1)

agreeable manner, all the time I was in this

‘port.

~ Plymouth is one of the five large ports of ©
England, and one of the fineft in Europe. It is a

double one, and before you enter it you muft

pafs under the cannon of the citadel. From thence

you turn to the right, in order to go into the

town harbour, which is the {malleft, and there
the Thetis lay at an anchor. You turn to the
left, in order to enter the other harbour, where
the King’s vefiels are laid up oppofite to a mag-
nificent arfenal. This harbour is of great ex-
tent, and we anchored at its mouth, becaufe
the wind was then fair to go higher up the chan-
nel, ;

The town of Plymouth is of no great confe-
quence, but the country about it where I frequent-
Jy amufed myfelf with walking, is very agree-
able. I have not feen a richer country: the
weather was very mild, the fields as green as in
fpring; and I faw fheep of a monftrous fize

feeding upon them. Their wool is very good,

but their flefh being too grofs has a bad relifh;
their beef, on the other hand, is excellent, becaufe
it is very fat.

On the eve of the Conception and all the
day of the feftival, they never ceafed ringing in
one of the two belfreys which are at Plymouth ;
and though there were but two bells, I never
heard ringing which gave me greater pleafure.

I afked in whofe honour this was done; for

I fufpected that it was not done in honour of the
holy virgin, and was told that it was a cuftom in
this country, when any one makes a great enter-:

tainment

"C1878,
tainment, to pay the ringers for their trouble,
likewife obferved juft upon the harbour, and
not far from the town, a large and very ancient

building, which was made: ufe of for an inn, -

but did not feem to have been built for that
purpofe; I was told, that it was the remains of
-a celebrated abby of the Benedictines.

IT fhould have been well pleafed to take the tour
of Plymouth and the country about it, but the’
Chevalier de Fontenay advifed me againft it ;
becaufe every thing was then fufpected in England,
on account of the affair of the bifhop of Rochef-
ter, which was ftill recent. I could not, indeed,
appear in my habit at Plymouth, or in places that
were inhabited, without being expofed to fome

infult, and it was too late to put on another drefs,:

feveral of the Englifh having feen me in my own,
fo that I was reduced to the neceffity of walking on-
ly in fome fields near the harbour, where nobody
was to be met with. I had, however, good com-
pany on board the Thetis. The Chevalier de

Fontenay has been all over the world, and has —

befides, an underftanding extremely well culti-
vated. I have feen and heard of him, inftance

of a generofity truly heroick. But what crowns ©

all thefe eftimable qualities, is a great fund of

religion and fincere piety. He feems to have.

communicated his fentiments to his officers,
whom I faw almoft all of them prefent at the

facraments, and nothing can be more edifying -

than his whole crew, by whom he is adored.

At laft, on @hitfimas night, after I had cele-
brated three mafles, we fet jail, ona the whole day
had a fair wind. Two frigates of fifty guns each
had weighed anchor two hours before us, which

we

‘

0
w

( 379 )

we thes came up with. This furprized me, be-
-eaufe we did not fail very well ourfelves; but

what aftonifhed me ftill more, was to fee thefe vef-

fels under fail, which, if I had not feen them get
under way, I fhould not have believed to be the fame,
which appeared to be fo large in the harbour; on

which I was told this was owing to a particular
conftruction, and manner of rigging, contrived on

‘purpofe to draw‘ the pirates into a inare; and

that on this account they are called in. the ftyle of
failors des Attrapes Lourdeaux. In effect, it is
faid, that the pirates feeing them, and judging
them from their appearance to be merchantmen,

‘bear down upon them,:asto a certain prey. But

when they are engaged in fuch a manner as not
to be able to extricate themfelves, they fnd whom

_they have to dea] with, and are taken in the trap

without being able to: make any refiftance ; fo
that of all the nations of Europe, the Englith are
thofe whom the pirates ftand moft in fear of, and
whom they ufe worft when they can get them in-
to their hands.

The night following, we met with as terrible a
ftorm, as “I have feen for a long time in the Chan-

nel. The next day in the morning, though the

wind was almoft entirely fallen, the fea was ftill
in fuch agitation as to terrify the boldeft; we even
fhipped fome feas which put us in great danger ;
one, in particular, came into the cabbin, when I
was beginning to fay mafs, which prevented me
from going on; and when about noon we got in-
to Havre de Grace, every one afked us how we
had been able to bear up againft the tempeft,
tt had made its effects be felt even in the har-
our. :

ny But

(

‘al o Pi ee
er Cogee ) ~S
But whet might have been ftil much | more fur. 2

prized how we came to ftand it out, when two “ a
days after, our vefiel being hauled afhore, fell
to pieces through rottennefs. This was the firft
news | heard after my arrival here. Judge rod
Madam, on what tenure we held our lives on board
fuch a veflel, during a voyage of eighteen hun-
dred leagues, in a feafon when the fea is always
ina fury; and what thanks we ought to render
to Almighty God, not only for delivering us.
from fo imminent a danger, but likewile for keep-
ing it from our knowledge, which alone would |
have been fufficient to make us die a —
times, through mere fear.

Tam, &c._

BOOKS Printed for R. and J. DODSLEY,
at Tully's Head, in Pall-mall.

Fut oe ifoed, in two large Voluinas, OGavo, illuf-
trated with Maps and ujeful Cuts, BVICE 2 Se.

A Practica Boox for the Usz of SCHOOLS,

ere and made Ufe of by the mof? eminent afters, entituled,

HE Preceptor. Containing a General

Courfe of Education, Wherein the firtt
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~

i x

I N
is | OF THE
PRINCIPAL MATTERS,

Contained in thefe two Volumes.

N. B. ‘The Letters mark the Volume, and the Fi i.
eures the Pages.

e , ‘
: A °

Pie Of the village of thefe Indians at Beckan-
court, 1.176. Of the Abenaquis village of St, Fran-

-, cis, 1. rgo. , Of the Abenaquis nations, 1. 283.
Miiiur: The company’s fhip, the author goes on board
her, ii. 312. This veffel ill commanded, ii. 3143, 314.
_ She fets fail, ii. 315, 316. Bad management on board

this veffel, ii. 318. She is caft away, li. 319, Ge.
oan An Indian nation. Defcription of the river of
Akanfas, different tribes of that people, il. 245, 246.
Mortality amongft thefe Indians, ii. 247.

Algonquins. Of the Algonquin language, 1. 283. The

inferior Algonquins, 204. The fuperior or true Al- © -

gonquins, i. 285. Character of the Algonquin language,
_1. 300. Particular properties of that language, i. 301,

302. Difference between the Huron and the Algon-.

- quin nations, i. 303. Origin of the war between the
Algonquins and Iroquois, i. 304, We. Confequences
of that war, i. 308, 309. a

Ambaffadors. Themanner of their reception amongft the
Natchez, ii. 271, &&e.

+ Americans. Diflertation on their origin: apleions of fe- |

veral learned authors who have handled this 1 cha at
oe II, Ho Gre large,

~

CN DEX

Gare 1. 15 &c. To what this queftion may be core
and how it may be anfwered, i. 47 Se,

Anticofti, Mfland of, its defcription, i. 88.

Apalaches ; an Indian nation, ii. 339. |

Arm;, oftenfive and defenfive of the Indians, i. 337, 338.

Affaffi afi nation; in what manner it is punifhed amongft the
‘Hurons, i. 33.

Affinibsils. Indians, their character, of the lake of the
Affiniboils, 1. 281, &c.

Autmoins. jugelers of Acadia, ii. oud

A ALLA ipt on Ae. Af A lane fe ie *). % bE

\ B

Bahama, opening the gulph of Bahama, ii. 361-2. ‘Coins
from thence to St. Domingo, ii. 363. Old Straits of
Bahama, ii. 364.
Balize, ' Ifland of, ii. 293, 294. |
Bay, St. Bernard, ll. 209. a
Bay of Mutanzas, its defcription, ii. 260. |
Bay, Hudfon’s: the- nations in. its neighbourhood, Ie
276, Ee,
Bay of the Tfonnonthouans, its defcription, i. 340.
Bay of the Neue li. 60.
__ » Bay of the Stinkards, or fimply the Bay : ve and miffion |
j there, ii. 62. . The Indians of this bay iy the dance
of the Calumet, ils. 70.
Bayagoulas, an Indian nation, ii. 284. dee
Bank, (Great) of Newfoundland. Its ieloripteiuatl Tv G8,
fie, Caufes of the winds and afogs which prevail there,
* he aes ore
: Beaver. See Caftor.
: Beckancourt, its fituation, i.173.. River of the fame
name, whence it has got that of the /finking river, 1.
174-5. ) , ;
Balia The nelle veffel, the author embarks in
her, Siig gov saline governor of Havannah refufes her
entrance into his port, ii. 360. Miftake of her pilots
in their reckoning, ii. 364. Their confufion in difco-
vering land; what refolution they take, il. gOBvilte >>.

unexpecied (acces; 3 arrival at Cape | Francois, . ii. | [
aad ms 2 367, 368. :
¥ : Biloxi. Arrival at Biloxi, itt 304. Defcription of the

coaft and road of Biloxi: origin of that name, il, 304,
3055. . ‘Cli-

I N D E X,

Climate of Biloxi. Departure from thence. Remarks —
on its coaft, ii. 310, 311. Return of the author and crew
of the Adour to Biloxi, ii. 349. Second departure
from thence, ii. 355. yen

Buffaloe, of the hunting of the Buffaloe in Canada, 1.

203. Defcription of this animal, 1. 204. —

Buffalee, Mutked, its defcription, i. 205.

Birds. Of the principal kinds of birds in Canada, i. 238,
oe. :

Bears: Superftitious preparations of the Indians for hunt-
ing that animal, i. 181, &c, He pafles fix months with-
out eating, i. 183. Manner of hunting the bears, ri-
diculous ceremony when one of them is killed, recep~
tion of the hunters at their return, i.184, 185. Some-
particulars relating to this animal, i. 186. |

C

Caicos. Defcription of the great Caicos, ii. 366.

Calumet. Of the Calumet of the Indians and its ufe,
i. 320, 327. Of its origin, i. 322, 323. Defcription of
the dance of the Calumet, ii. 67. “Of the treaties made’
by means of that dance, ii. 70.

Canada ; falfe notions entertained of it in France, i. 121,

722. Faults which have been committed in its fettle-

ment, i.125, &c. Bad conduét with refpect to the
fur trade, i. 125, &%c. Of the licences and their a-
bufe, 1.127, &c. Alterations made in their money, -
i146. Difference between the Beaver of Canada and
that of Europe, 1. 151, 152. JLordfhips of Canada:
commerce allowed to the gentlemen of the country, 1.

4172, 173. It is only known in France by its worft
fide, exceflive cold which prevails there, i.253, &c.
Happy condition of its inhabitants, i. 263.° Its extent,
1.279. Of itsvines, i. 312. Why the trees have not
leaves as yet in the month of May, i. 315.

Canadians. Creols of Canada; their bappy condition, i.
263. Many of them know not how to profit by, it,
oh Good and bad qualities of the Creols, i. 264,

Ce /

Canes in Louifiana, ii..239.

Canoet of bark, their defcription, i. 294, 295.

Carcajou; how it hunts the Elk, i. 201, 202. |

| A it LI ce Car-

mB Oe:
i.

f N Dh: X.

Cardinals, abird in Canada, ie QAO.

| Caribou, defeription of that animal, i. 202.

Cape Francois of St. Domingo, its defcription, ii. 371,
372. Of the plain of the Cape: obfervations on that
colony, il. 373. Departure from the Cape, ii: 375.:

Caffina, or Apalachina, a fhrub, virtues of its leaves,
il. 305, 206.

Caftor, or Beaver, difference betwixt the letpes of Cana-

da and that of Europe, i. 151, 152. Of the fkin of
the Beaver, 1.152, 153. Its Anatomical defcription,
i. 153, 154. Of the green Beaver, and the dry Bea-
ver, 1.157. Different ufes made ‘of the fkin of the
beaver, i.158. Of the induftry and labours of the
beaver, 1.159, &e. Their forefight, i. 161, @e. Of
the land Beavers, i. 163. Hunting of thefe animals, i.

164, ce, Some remarkable particulars of thefe amphi- :

bious creatures, i. 166, 167.

Caffor. Of the iflands and nation of the Caftor, ii. 47.

Caftoreum, Whatit is, 1. 156.

Catarocouy. RefleCtion on the fort of Catarocouy, and

on the way that is taken to it, i. 292, 293. Defcrip-
tion of the fort, 1.297. Route from that. place to the
Anfe de la Famine, or Creek of Famine; defcription
of ‘the country, 1. 312, We.

Cedars. Two forts of in Canada, i. 247 | White and

red cedar, il. 4,
Chambly, fort of, its fituation, i. 252.
Charlevoix. (Father) Auther of this journal, his journey
rom Paris to. Rochefort: his danger on the Loire, i.
,; 64. He embarks and fets fail, 1.68. Meets with
yg 1.72, 73. His reception amongft the Poa-

tewatamies, ii. 12. His departure from the Narrows for

Michillimakinac, ii, 39. His adventure on the river
St. Jofeph, ii. 95. His departure from fort St. Jofeph,

ii. 184. The news which he hears at Pimiteouy, he ~

finds himfelf between four parties of the: enemies, ii.
205, 206. . He is greatly embarraffed, ii. 207. Solis.
citude of the chief of Pimiteouy for his fafety, ii, 2105

211. He baptizes the chiefs daughter, ii.212. His

‘departure from the Natchez, ii.270. He embarks on —

board the Adour, ii. 312. He arrives at Havre de
Grace, ii. 379. |
Cats, ri of Louifiana, li, 242. :

ae : Cha- i

\

iy EW ot. -

Chaouacheis, an Indian nation, ii. 292.

Chapitoualas, an Indian nation, fi. 287.

Chetimachas, an Indian nation, if, 20434

_Chicachas, an Indian nation, ii. 243. River of the Chi-
cachas, li. 244.

Chiefs, of the Indians: remarks ontheir names, il. 22.

_. Of the order of fucceffion and election of thefe chiefs :

_ of their power, ii. 23, 24. Of the war-chiefs, ii. 25.

Citrons,° of the narrows, ii. 17.

Colapiffas, an Indian nation, ii. 285.

Collars, of Porcelaine or Wampum: their ufe amongft
the Indians, 1. 319, 320.

Cotton, on a tree of Louifiana, ii. 253. Obfervation on
the root of that tree, ii. 283. .

Council, held by three Indian nations, with the comman-
dant atthe Narrows: refult of it, ii. 8, &@c. Of the af-
fifants or counfellors at the Indian councils, il. 24.
Wifdom of thefe councils ; of the orators who have
right to fpeak in them, ii. 26, 27.

Currents. Obfervation on chaste in the lakes of Cabada,
li, 78. Great currents between the Martyrs and the

- Turtle iflands, ii. 334. ;

Cuba. Defcription ofthe Northern coaft of that ifland,
Wy 2a 7:

Cypre/s of Louifiana : obfervation on its virtues, ii. 283.

Cows, fea; their defcription, and fifhery of them, i. 226.

Cold. Exceflive in Canada, i. 254, 255. Inconvenien-
cies occafioned by it, i. 256. Reflections on the caufes —
of this great cold, i. 257, Ge. :

Compafs, Obfervation on its variations, i. 96.

Corn putrified ; ufe made of it by the Indians, ii. 124.

Crew of the Adour; meafures they take for their-iafety,
ii, 321. Are fufpected by the paflengers, ti. 323, 324.
Their diforder, ii. 325. Diflention which follows ;
refolution of the officers, ii. 327. An Englith fhip en-

' -deavours in vain to affift them, ii. 328. Deliberate -
what toc®, they divide; greateft part return to Biloxi,
iy 233,393 “Pheir defpait, provifions fail them, ii.

- 334, 335. Meet with fome fhipwreckt Spaniards ;
danger of being utterly loft, ii. 336,337. Arrive at
St. Mark of Apalache, ii. 338, 339. Departure from
that place, ii. 341. Are falfely alarmed, ii. 343. Ar-
Tive at St. Joleph, a 344. Departure from thence,

eX. . lle

~ " *
, 4 ns LOLA RT,
ce is ty Rete P ys, : ME iia:
Se aE a “ * Ee ‘ oe *% oa eh
eRe Soe CAR Re a) ty ne RR Re ee li tie ee

INDEX

li. 346. Arrive at Penfacola,' ii. - 349 And at Bie
li, 34

Cid. ‘And its athe i. 73, EF ec,
1:

Dance of fire; amongf the Indians, its defcription, ne
347- Story on that fubject, 1. 348.

Dance, of the Calumet, its defcription, ii. 67,-&c, \ Of
the treatifes made by means of that dance, ii. 70. O-
ther dances, iit. 71. Dance of the Buffalo, ii, 72. .
Dances prefcribed by the phyficians, ii. 72.

ide Tradition of a deluge gears the Indians, it
22

Defeription of the great bank of Newfoundland, i. 68, &e,
Of a ftorm, i. 72, 73. Of the ifland of Anticedth; a
88. Of Quebec, 1.99, Ge. Of the miffion of Lo-
retio, i. 116, &%c. Of the town of the Trois Rivieres, i.
178. Of the Elk, 1.197, 198. Of the wild Buf-

_ falo, andthe mufk Buffalo, i i. 204, 205. Of the ifland

-and city of Montreal, 1. 213.214. Of the fea-wolf,
1.222, 223. Of the Rapides inthe river St. Lawielice,
i. 292, 293. Ofthe bark canoes, i. 294, 295. Of the
fort of Catarocouy, i. 297. Of the fouthern coait of
lake Ontario, i. 326, 327.’ Of the Snow-Shoes and
carriages for baggage, 1. 335, 336. Of the river of
Cafconchiagon, 1. 339. Of the bay of the Tfonnontho-
uans, i. 340. Of the river of Niagara, i. 341. Of
the country in the neighbourhood of that river, 1. 345,

346. Of the fire-dance, 1. 347. Of the falls of Nia-
Gara, 1. 353, Se. Of lake Erie, ii. 2. Of lake Su~
perior, ii. 43. Of-the dance of the Calumet, ii 67,
ée, Of the Feftival of dreams, ii. 150, Se. Of the
Theakiki, ii.197, 198. Of Kafkafquias, ii. Beat OF

the Mififippi above the Illinois, ii. 24, Serio (Oe: the
country of the Natchez, ii. 252, Gc. Of the great
village and temple of the Natchez, 25h Se Here
feftival among the Na tchez, ii..266, Of new Orleans,
Hi. 275, 276. OF the river and village of the Toni-
cas, -ii. 279, 280. Of the mouths of. the Mififippi,
ioe, Oa OF the coaft road and port of Biloxi,

li. 304. .Of the northern coaft of Cuba, i, 317. ub

tne

a

IN DEX,

: fie iflands of the Martyrs, ii. 329, | Of the county
of Apulache, ii. 339. Of St. Joteph ii eager
the bay of Penfacola, ii. 348. Of the port of Havanna,
ii. 358,. 359. Of the bay of Matanzas, ii. 368. Of
the grand Caicos, ii. 366. Of Cape Frangois, il. 372.
Of the harbour of Plymouth, ti. 377.
Defertions frequent in Louifiana, il. 352.
‘Doradses, or Giltheads, a fith ; obfervation on them, ii.
374+
Don Diepo, Cacique of the Indians a the Martyrs, pays a
—-vifit to the French fhipwreckt in the Adour, ii. 330.
His authority; he refufes the French guides to St.
Augutftin, ii. 331. |
Death. What pafles at the death of the Indians, ii. 185,
186. ‘Their generofity with refpe& to the dead : fu-
- nerals, tombs, apparitions, ii. 186, &&c. Different
_ cuftoms with refpect to the dead, il. 189. What pafles
after burial; of their mourning, ii. 190. Notions of
the Dxdicn\aboit thofe who die a violent death, ii. 192.
» Of the feftival of the dead, ii.193. Manner of la-
| menting the dead amoneft the Illinois, it. 210.
Dreams, Of their nature according to the Indians, ii. 156.

- Story on that fubject, ii.157, 158. Manner in which —

_ they dilengage themfelves from a dream, when it would.

- be too troublefome to fulfil it, ii. 158, 159. Of the

-. feftival of dreams; defcription of one of thafe ‘feftivals,
Med §G, Oc. 3

Eclipfes._ The Indians opinion of them, ii. 231.

Erié. Defcription of lake Erié, ii. 2... Of the northern
- coaft of that lake, ii. 4 |

| Efkimeaux, Indians ; their. character and cuftoms, i. 273-

ce.

Eagles of two kindsin Canada, i. 237.

£lk; defcription of that animal, i.197. When it ought

_ to be hunted, i.t99. Different methods of. hunting
‘its 1.20, 21.. Howthe Canajou hunts it, 1.201, 202.

es Eels; of the fifhery of eels in Canada, i. 261, 262.
Englifh, Difference between the French and Englifh colo-

nies, i 113. Fruitlefs oppofition of the Englifh to a fet-
sens } C4 | . Hemet vie

1S

ie
*
MW

I.WD © °x.:

tiement on the river Niagara, i. nai, 345. Englith
_ fhip, attempts in vain. to affift. the crew of the Adour,
dis 328. Englifh interloper at. Biloxi; his, fate, ii.
252. [hey endeavour to draw our allies from us, il.
354. ~Rencounter with an Englifh captain, his cun-
ning, ii. 375. - Artifice of the English to furprize pi-
ates, Mt. 370. 6% 1 |

Bers

Famine. Route acm Catarocouy to the Anfe de ie Fa:
mine, or Creek of famine, i. 312, €%c. Defeription
of that place, 1. 312, &c. Feftival of the dead: among
the Indians of Canada, ii, 192, &c. Feftival of the

_ Natchez, it. 266.

Fire. Deicription of the fire-dance: ftory on that fub-
jet, 1. 347. Religion of fire throughout Florida, ii.
293.

Florida, Inconveniencies of the coaft of Florida, ii.

335:
Fountains, Singular, i. 340.

Forefts of Louifiana, ii. 245.

French. Difference between the French and Enplifh co-.
lonies, i. 113. French deftitute of fpiritual fuccours
among the Natchez, ii. 278. Their frequent defer-
tions in Louifiana : confpiracy of fome of them difco-
Wered, 11. 252, 353- yi

Funerals, of the Indians of Canada, ii. 187.

Fa/is, of the Indians, ii. 148. yeh

Fall of Montmorency, i. 100. Ee ahs | oe

Fall at the Recollet, i. 217. | 7

Fall of St. Lewis : Troquoife village at that fall, iy: an
Origin of that fettlement, 1. 269, 270. pam
geal of its firfb inhabitants, i. yas y!

- -Fifh. Of thofe that are found in the oulph and river of

St Lawrence, i. 233, Se. Fifh peculiar to Canada,
S37 Ba armed ; 3. its defeription, how it hee
‘bifds, i) 2345 235.

- Furs. Bad conduct with peat to the Fur-tradey: ii 124, |

"ES e, ai arent is se the fal) furs, or Peltry, | i =

ses G. pe

BN GDC E Vex

Gu:

Gafpey. Bay and point of that name, i. 86.

Genii, good and evil according to the Indians, iina4.
Difpofitions required to have a tutelary genius, ii. 145.
The Indians change fometimes their tutelary genius ;
and why, ii. 147. . of evil Genii, it. 165.

Gin-Seny. Of that of Canada, ii-99. Gulph in the
place of a mountain rooted up, i. 93. Gulph in the
river Miffifippi, ii. 252. rea

Games. Of the game of the Platter or the Bones, ii. 13.

~ Superftitious ufe of this game for the cure of the fick,

ii. 15. Game of the ftraw, and other games ufed by
the Miamis, ii. 102, “e. ; igh
. Ghofts.. From what reafon the Indians believe in them,
ii. 188.

Havanna. Defcription of the harbour of Havanna, ii.

358, 359. The governor of that place refufes a French
- fhip. the liberty of entering his port, ii. 360. 5

Hebrews. Refemblance of the Indians to the Hebrews,
ii. 150. ? : re:

Fontan, (Baron de la) Ly, which he tells on account of

the fair of Montreal, i. 200. babe! Sa

Horun, (George de) His opinions about the origin of the

mAmericans, 32, Ge.

Huros. An Indian nation: of the people of the Huron
language, ii. 288. Character of the Huron language, —
i. 299. Remarkable things of that language, i. 300.

Difference between the people of the Huron nations,
and thofe of the Algonquin. nations, i. 303. Original
of the war betwixt them and the Iroquois, i. 304, &ec.
Confequences of that war, i. 307, &&c. Extraordi-
nary diftempers of a Huron woman: ridiculous me-
thods ufed for her cure, i. 349, ce. . In what difpofi-

-.tion the author finds the Huronsof the Narrows, ii. 11.
In what manner they punifh aflaffination, ii. 33. :

Hair. Why the Indians have no hair on their bodies,
il. OI. |

I

LuN 4D BE oe

Fefuits. Defcription of their college at Quebec, i. 106,

ein hs ants, Yea eae oe

Ulinsis, an Indian nation; their: origin appears to be oe
fame with that of the Miamies, i. 287. River of the
Illinois, ii. 199. Reception they give to prifoners, ii.

_ 201, &c. Manner in which they burn them, ii. 203.
Remarks on their parties of war, ii. 203. Mournful
fongs of thefe Indians, ii. 204. Remarkable ftory of ©

one of their chiefs, ii. 208, 209. Manner of lament-
ing their dead, ii. 210. Different tribes of thefe-In-
dians, ii. 227, 228. Ufefulnefs of the port of the

_Miinois, ii. 235, 236. © Diftinguifhing marks of the
Hlinois warriors, ii. 243. | Ber-f ars

Indians. Devotion of the chriftian Indians of Loretto, i.
117, 118. Preparations and fuperftitious practices of
the Indians, for hunting the bear, i. 180, Gc. Man-
ner of their hunting that animal: ridiculous ceremony.

when they have killed a bear, i. 184, 185. Reception

of the hunters at their return, i. 185. Of their hunt-

: ing dogs, i. 187. They marry the net before they.

— ufeit, i. 236. Character of the Indians about Hud-
_ ° fon’s bay, i. 276, &c. Of the northern Indians of
Canada, i. 284. Of the other Indians of Hudfen’s

. bay, i. 236, 287. Manner of declaring war among |
the Indians, i. 315; 316. Motives which engage them

- t0,war, i. 327, 328. See War. |

Indians. Their notion of courage, i.\332. Caufe of —
the barbarity they exercife towards their prifoners ef
war, i. 375. Their dexterity in negotiation, i. 380,

' &¥e, Indians of Canada, why more eafily: converted |
than civilized nations, ii. 20. General: idea of their

government, ii. 21. Divifion of the nation into tribes,
i, 21, 22. Obfervation on the names of the chiefs:

_ of the fucceffion and ele€tion of thofe chiefs and their

_ power, ii. 23, 24. Of the affiftants or counfellors ofthe —
body of the elders of the war chiefs, 11.24, 25. Power

_ of the women in fome nations, ti. 25, 26. ee |

! ae pam

€

ee Ae

‘Ni Di Etc.

of their councils: their orators, ii. 26, 27. Of the
government of villages; its defects; their caufes, ii.
29. Of their fenfibility of the point of honour, ii.
36. Care of the young Indians in adorning them-
felves, ti. 40, 41. Indian fable about lake Superior,
ii. 44, 45. Their traditions about Michillimakinac,
ii. 45. Their Marriages, ii. 48, &c. Jealoufy of the
Indians, ii. 50. Of the impofing this name amongft
them: remarks upon it, ii. 55, 56. The-Indians of
the bay dance the Calumet, ii. 67. Superftition of the
Indians bordering on the bay, ii. 73, 74. Different
nations to the northward and the weftward of Canada,

ite 745 75: | | ,
Indians of Canada; their perfonal appearance; their .
ftreneth ; their vices, ii. 78, 79. Why they do not
encreafe; advantages they have over us, ii. 80, 81.
Their eloquence, ii. 83. Their memory, penetration, |
and judgment, ii. 83, 84. Their greatnefs of foul, —
ii. 84. “Their conftancy under pain; their valour, il.
84, &c. ‘Their regard for one another, ii. 86, 87.
Their fiercenefs and other faults; of the qualities of
the heart, ii. 87, 88. Inftances of the little natural
affection children have for their parents; particular fo-
cieties amongft them, ii. 89, 90. Of their colour;
why they have no hair on their bodies, ii. go, gI-
Their fecrefy with refpeét to the fimples and mines of
their country, ii. 10x. Dreadful confequences of
drunkennefs amongft them, ii. 105, 106. ‘Their hap-
pinefs, ii. 107. Contempt of our manner of life, i.
108. Care the Indian mothers take of their children ;
ridiculous fhapes which fome of them give them, i1. |
109, Gc. What ftrengthens and renders them fo well
made ; their firft exercifes and the emulations amongft |

them, ii. 114. To what the education given them
_may be reduced to, ii. 114, 115. Their paffions, il.
115. Their drefs, ii. 116, 117. In what manner they
prick their whole bodies, ii. 118. How and for what
purpofe they paint their faces, il.119. Ornaments of
the men, of the women, il. 119, 120. Their occu-
_pations ; of the culture of the land; of feed-time and
_ harveft, ii. 121, 122. Of the different grains and |
pulfe they cultivate, of their manner of drefling them ;
of their other victuals, ii, 123, 124. Labours of the
men

: ; ‘ |
POP RRO! ee cro R NT ee SE ee) an

& NID Bi x

men and women, 1? E255” 126. Their utenfils; form {
of their villages, ii. 126, 127. "Their manner of for-
tifying eliem}: ii, 128. OF: their winter encampments,
and what they fuffer in them, ii. 129, €@c) Their
* © naftinefs, ii. 133. Imeonveniences which . fummer oc-
cafions them, ii. 134. ‘Their charaGer in brief, il.
136, &c. Origin of mankind according to the Indians,
1.141, Ge, Their notion of fpirits, ii. 143, ‘144.
Their facrifices, ii. 148. Their fafts and vows; ii.
148, 149. Refemblance of the Indians to the Hebrews’;
their priefts, i, 150, 151. © Indian veftals, ii. 151.
Their opinion of the immortality of the foul, of what
becomes of it after it is feparated from the body: why
they carry victuals to the tombs, 11.152, F563. Prefents
which they make to the dead, 1.153. How they pre-
tend to merit eternal happinels, ii. 154, 155. Their |
notion of the fouls of beafts, ii. 155. Of the nature
of dreams according to them, ii. ase &¥c. Ordinary
difeafes amongft thefe people, — » 176, Sud.® i Ufe
\ they make of their fimples, ii. per Divers.’ other
“© remedies they ufe, ii. 174, 175. Principles on which
their medicine is founded ; their extravagant notion of
|, difeafes, ii. 176, 177. What paffes at their death, ii. :
‘'' 789. Their generofity to the dead of their funerals
and tombs, ii. 186, 187. Their notion of ghofts, 11.
188. Their different practices with refpeét to the
dead, ii. 189. -Their notion of thofe who die-a vio-
~ Tent death, ii 192. The pains they take to furprize
, “. gheir enemies, ii: 216. Traditions of the fim of the
~ firft woman, and the deluge amongft the Indians, ii. _
228, 229. Their notion of the ftars, how they know
‘the north when the fky is overcaft, ii..230. ‘Their
“notion of eclipfes gs thunder, i. 231. Their manner

eo -‘of dividing-time, ii. 232, 233. On the iflands of the’

ed Martyrs 3 “what vallés between them and the French

'?" ‘that’ were fhipwrecked, ii, 322. Embarrafiment on

; 0 2eO aya ig ii. th 2 Of Who thefe Indians iki il.
toy hae ee te oe OTE. ,

3

Tritigo of. f oultihacti iE alg 5. >:
if ~ FRoquois of the Pall of St. Lewis and the mountain; diforders :
: ~- amon@ft them: océafioned by brandy, i. 219. Origin —

of their feclementiat ¢ wea re of St. a ie B70."
ey ee . Reli-

FEN 2 Dr Eq Xs &
Religious zeal of the firft inhabitants of that colony, i,
271. Policy-of the Iroquois, ii. 28.
Tflgndvok Bing, BS. oy
ifle aux Coudres, its fituation, 1. 93.
Lfie of Orleans, 1. 97+ Lodge it Ue
ifles of Richelieu and St. Francis, i. 189, 190.
Ife of Fefus, i. 210. | |
Ufles of St. Peter, i. 83.

Fugglers of Canada, il. p69, 168. ° 'Vheirtricks,: ti. 768: :;

sc. . Inftallation.of the Jugglers, ii. 171. Impoftures
of the Jugglers, their cruelty to fick perfons when

civen over, ii. 177- Jugglers of Acadia cailed Aut-—

moins, ii, 178. Jugglers of the Natchez, ii. 270.

Kes

\

Kafkafquiasy defcription of it, ii. 221, 222+
Kicapous, an Indian nation, i. 287.

ie

-

Lakes of Canada, obfervation on their currents, ii. 78. s 8

Lake of Pontchartrain, ii. 212. (
Lake of St. Peter, 1, 177.

- Lake of the Affiniboils, 1, 282.

Lakes, flux and reflux of thofe of Canada, i, 314.

Lake Superior, its defcription, i. 43, 44. Indian fable .

_ about that lake: mines of copper on its banks, il. 44,
; tS A 4 ‘4
Laet, (John de) what he thought of the opinions of :.
ther Acofta, Lefcarbot, Brerewood, and Grotius, of
the origin of the Americans, i. 11, Gc. His quarrel
with Grotius on that fubjet, i. 16, &c. His own
opinion, i. 27, Ge. What he fays of that of Mo-
Laz gil, ZX ; © he
. Languages of Canada. The Huron language; the ,Al-
gonquin language: character of thofe two languages, i.
; bag 299, Se.
Law, (M.) his grant at the Akeonfas, ii. 247. .
Loretto, village in Canada; defcription of his miffion in
Ase place; zeal of the Indians in that place, i, 116,
Cyt AN

~

Louifigna,

ia.

#

< gikhagk , ME Ne Pe ath Ta
eam eye Leen A Ct pein A, eee See Bae

,

I aN ED ee
Louifiana. Fruit trees of that country, ii, 223, ‘Its fo-
refts, ii. 345. Where the fettlements ought to be
placed, ii, 298. Caufe of the unjuft notion enter-—
tained of it in France, ii, 300. Defertions. frequent
in Louifiana, il. 353.
Licenfes, abufe of, i. 127.

M. .

Maiz. The corn of Canada, ii. 122. Of Maiz bread,
li. 124. |
Maladies, the ordinary, -amongft the Indians, ii. 172.
* Weir extravagant notions about them, il. 177.
Magdalen, Cape of, i. 79.
Magicians, their punifhment amongft the Indians, il,
346
Mathomines, or wild-oat men, an Indian nation, ii. 61.
Marameg, river ; its mines, ii, 219. :
Marriages; of the Indians, of the plurality of wives and
hufbands, _ ii. 48, 49. Particular laws relating to mar-
riage, il. 49. In what manner marriages are con-
» tracted, i. 50, Ceremonies ufual in it, il. 52.
Marfoal, Englith interloper at Biloxi, ii. 352. His fate,
He 35 9°
Ne Indians on the Jflands of Martyrs, ii. 322.
Defcription of thefe iflands, ii. 329. Great currents
between thefe iflands and the Tortugas, ii. 334.
Matanzas. Defcription of the bay of Matanzas, i.
361.
Maubile, river of, ii. 308: |
Mafcoutius, an Indian nation, i. 287.
Medicine, principles upon which that of the tadlan turns,
li. 179.
| Miamis, Indians, feem to have the fame original with
the Hlinois, i. 287. Cuftoms peculiar to them in pre-
paring for war, i. 334- Games ufed a them,
ite £02, oe! #
Michigan, lake, danger of the navigation on it: obferva-
tion on the rivers which run into it from the asia ile

rie
Misbiliimakinac. Situation of that’ ‘poft, ii. 43. Tradi-
tions of the Indians about Michillimakinac : plentiful

fithery in that canton, ii. 46. |
ry 2 Ue 45> | Mifffppi.

oN Ie x,

‘Mififippi. Entrance into that river by that of the Iili-
- nois. ii. 217. Confluence of the Miffouri and Miffi-
“fippi, ii. 218. Defcription of it above the Illinois,
ii. 224, &c. Manner of failing on it, il. 237.
Changes which have happened at its mouth, i.
291. Of itschannels, ii. 293. Of its principal mouth ;
otherchannels, ii. 294, &c. Its breadth between the
channels, ii. 297. Difficulty of the navigation, u.
299, 312. . Obfervation on the water of the Miffifippi,
ii. 316. i

Miffisnaries at the Natchez, ti. 277.

Miffourt, the Indians of Miffouri, defeat a Spanifh party,
ii. 64. Miffouri river, of its confluence with the
Miffifippi, ii. 218. Nations fettled on its banks, i. |
224. .

Mines. Secrefy of the Indians with refpect to their mines,
ii. 101. Mines of the river Marameg, ii. 219. Mines
of iron, il. 241.

Money, changes made in that of Canada, i. 146.

Montreal, Difference between the country of Quebec an
that of Montreal, i.212. Defcription of the ifland

- and city of Montreal, 1.213, &c. Of the environs
of that ifland, i. 217. Of the fair of Montreal, i.
220, 221. ; , :

Mourning, of the Indians of Canada, ii. 191. That

af the’ Natchez, ti. 271.

Men, their origin, according to the Indians, ii. 141, &c.
N.

Natchez, an Indian nation, defcription of their country,
li. 252, &c. Defcription of their grand village and
their temple, li. 255, &c. Remarkable particularities |

_ of that nation, ii. 259, 260. Of their grand chief,
and the woman chief, what happens at their death, ii.
260, Sc. Their manners and cuftoms, ii. 264, &c.

Defcription of one of their feftivals, ii. 266. They
offer the firft fruits in their temple: their marriages,
ii. 266, 267. How they levy foldiers; of provifions;
of their marches and encampments, ii. 267, 263.
How they treat their prifoners ; change of name in
their warriors for a reward of their exploits; their
jugglers, ii, 269, 270.. In what their mourning con-
he 6. vai 1 'y ihe g

oN BBS eee

filts ; theic treaties; audience given to embafladors, ii.
271, Je.

Niagara, River; its defceudiam, i. 341. Project for a
- fettlement on that river; fruitlefs oppofition of the
Englifh, 1. 343: Defcription of the country of Nia-
-gara, i. 345. Defcription of the falls of Niagara 5
obfervations on,i. 352, “ec.

Name, obfervation on the names of the Indian chiefs,
ii. 23. Of the ceremony of impefing names among
thefe people: obfervations on that fubject, il. 55) 59.

Noquets, Indians; bay of the Noquets, ii. 60.

Newfoundland, Of the inhabitants of that ifland, i. 273.

stig AOE

Obfervations on. the heat and on the Jatitudes, ii. 955,
356. Obfervations on the colony of Cape Frangois,
in St. Domingy, ii. 373.

Ozjeau Mouche la Canada, in what it differs from ‘the
Colibry of the iflands, i. 241.

Ontario. . Defcription of the fouthern coaft of lake On-

tario, 1. 326, 327.

— Onneyouth, Courage of an iinet ice captain, burnt by |
the Hurons, i. 377, &e.

Orleans New; its defcription, ii. 273, 274. Remarks
on its fituation ; little depth of foil below that city, 1.
289, 290. Its condition at the departure of the au-

_ thor, il. 291.

Onabuche river ; its fituation,. ii. 241.

Oumas, an Indian nation, i. 284.

Outagamies, Indians, ii: 287.

Outaways, Indians, i 285.

Oaks of two kinds in Canada.

Oy/ters of two forts on the coaft of Florida ii. 9 360

Py

Dantes of Louifiana, ii. 205.
Paffengers, ef{caped from the shivers of the Adour ;
what paft between them and the Indians of the Mar-
tyrs, li. 322. They fufpect the crew, ii. 323. Seve-
ral faved by interpofition of providence, ii. 324. ” An-

| mo which the Indians wieiunee a li 325+

Psat diels be

NP EX

Partridges, three kinds of, in Canada, i. 238.

Penfacsla. Vides on that coaft, ii. 342. State of that
portin 1722. Defcription of the bay of Penfacola,

ti, 348. It-is given up to the Spaniards, ii. 351, 352.

Pimiteouy. Village of the Illinois, its 205. Remarkable
ftory of the chief of that village, ii. 209. His folli-

_ itude for the fafety of father Charlevoix, ii, 210, 211.
His daughter is baptized, ii. 212. | m

‘Pines, red and white, ii.97. Of two forts in Canada,
i, 246.

‘Plymouth ; arrival at Plymouth; defcription of that har-
oun ni. 370; °377.

Pointe coupee, it. 249. Second Pointe coupec, it. 282.

Poutewatamies, Indians. i. 286. ‘Their reception of the

_ author, ii. 12. Iflands of the Poutewatamies, ii. 60.
Of their chief and orator, li. 104.

Priefis, who are priefts among the Indians, ii. 151, 171.

Prifoners of war among the Indians; their firft reception,
1. 368. Their bravadoes, i. 369. Their fufferings
on entering a village, i. 370. Diftribution made of.
them, i. 371. In what manner their fate is determined,
1; 371, &c. Of thofe who are adopted : of thofe whoare

- condemned to be burnt, i. 273. In what manner they re-
ceive their condemnation, i. 374. Caufes of the barbarity
exercifed againft them, i. 375. Their reception amongtt
the Illinois, and the manner in which they are burnt, il.
201, &c. How they are treated among the Natchez,
ii. 269. : ;

Provengal. Remarkable adventure of a Provencal fhip,
E2855 116. |

Pyromancy practifed among the Indians, il. 170.

| Q:

Quebec. Origin of the name of that city, i. 99. Its
fituation, ‘1.100: Defcription of that city and its
principal edifices, i. 101, &&c. The bifhoprick, i.
103. The cathedral and feminary, i. 104. ° Of the
fort and cape Diamond, ii. 105. Of the Recollets and -
Urfulines, i,106. Of the college of Jefuits, i. 107.
The Hotel Dieu, i. 108. The hofpital general, i.
109. The fortifications, i. 110. Of the inhabitants,
i. 112. Difference between the country of Quebec
and that of Montreal, i, 212. |
Vou, II Dd Rapides.

LN D Eee

R.

Rapides. Defcription of the rapides ‘el the river St
Laurence, i. 292, 293; 296.

Rat, Mufk ; its defcription, i. 168.

Ras, Cape, of its fituation, i. 82.

Recollets. Defcription of their houfe at Quebec, i.

ayaa 106.

Richelieu. Iflands of, i. 189. Fort of Ritaeliew i.

; 194.

River of Beckancourt, iene it has got t the name of the

> Stinking River, i. 174, 175. 7

River of the Meadows, 1. 217. | ~

River of father Marguette, il. 95, 96.

‘River of the Tlinots, li. 199, (Se. -, Ets courfe, ii. 216, |
217. Its entry into the Miffiffippi, il. 217s :

River Onabache, ii. 240, 241,

River of the Chicachas, ii. 244.

River of the Akanfas : its Defcription, ii. 246.

River of the Yafous, ii. 249+

‘River, Red, ii. 281. .

River of the Maubile, ii. 308.

Rivers. Obfervations on thofe which fall into lake Mi-

? aw od il. nae ahi

Saguenay, river, i. QI.

Sacrifices of the Indians, ii. 147.

Sagamety, ordinary food of the Indians, | li. 123.

St. Bernard, bay of, ii. 309.

St. Mark of Apulache, “ee fort 5 defcription of its
environs, li. 3385 339: :

St. Fofeph. Defcription of the bay and fort of St.

~ Jofeph: civility of the Spanith governor, lie 3459
346.

Si. Domingo. Courfe from the a of Florida to St.
Domingo, ii. 362. © | ,

St. Rofe. Channel and ifland of, ii. 347-

St. Laurence. Gulph of, i. 85.°

St. Laurence. River of, entrance into it, 1. 86, 87. Of
ita tides, and the Variation’ of the compat, 1 —

Fifh found in it, i. 233, &c. Defcription of its Ra-
pides, 1. 292, 293, 296.

St. Francis. “Iflands and village of, i. oP Lake of St..
Francis, i. 295, 290.

St. Paul. Bay of, i. 94.

St. Peter, Ilands of, i. 83. Lake of dt,, Peter, i. 1773

I

Sakies. An Indiant nation, ii, 63. Council held by: Ag

_ and on what account, il. 65; 66.

Saffafras. tree of Canada, ii. 100.

ate The Indians marry that net before they ufe it,

236:
el Secrefy of the Indians with refpe@ to the Pe.
ples of their country, il. to1. Ufe they make of them,
The D720
Snake. nip HAPS {nake ; its defcription; remedy againft its
bite, 1. 243, 244.
- Sioufe Indians, their manner of living, lL. 2005 Fc.
Sorcerers amongtt the Indians, li. 165, 166,
Sweating. Ufe made of it by the Indians, ii. 175.
Spaniards. One of their parties defeated by the Indians
of Miffouri, ii. 64. ,
Sturgeon, Manner of fithing it, i. 236,

Sword-fth. Defcription of it, and its combat with

the whale, 1. 77. . |
Stinkards. Indians fo called, li, Or. Fort and miffion of
the bay of the Stinkards, il. 62.
Spirits: What they are amongit the Indians, ii. 143.:
see Genii.

T. ‘

Taftovffue, Harbour of, i. 92, 93.

-Taénfas, an Indian nation, ii. 286.

Tamareuas, Wiinois netion, their village, i li. 218, 219.

Lempeft. Its bad confequences, ii. 31!,

Temple of the Natchez ; its defcription, 11.255, Se. Firt
fruits offered in that temple, ii. 266, 267.

Lhenkiki river ; its fource, ii. ee Its defcription, 197,
198, ve

Do 2 : _ Thoue

LM DE ae

— Thouloufe, Iftand of, it, 903, 204.
Thunder. Opinion of the Indians about it, ii. 231.
Tombs.

ii. 153. Of the Indian tombs, ii. 187, 188.
Tonicus. Indian nation; defcription of their village ; of
their chief; ftate of that nation, li, 280.
Ton:hata. Iiland, its fituation, i. 296.

Torta: os Ig hat thofe of Canada and Aicalin are. re-

markable, i.'2 24.

Tortugus. Tflands of, great currents hepwese them and
the Martyrs, il. 334.
Trade in brandy; diforders it occafions among the Tro:
a of the fall of St. Lewis, and of La Montagne,
ee ty
Tis Rivieres, Town of, its fituation, i. 176. Des
fcription of it, i. 178. Origin of its fettlement, i.

9° ‘
Turiles. A kind of branchers ; their paflage into Canada,
i. 202.°"

Tides in the river St. Laurence, i. 96. Sort of tide in
the lakes of Canada, i. 314. ‘Tides on the coaft of
Benfacola, ii. 342. 3

Trees peculiar to Canada, i. 249. Why ‘the trees in
Canada have no Jeaves in the month of May, i. 315.
Fruit trees in Louifiana, 11.223. Why the leaves

fall fo foon and come out fo late in Louiftana, ii.
238. |

: V.

* Verchores, (madame and mademoifelle de) brave action
of thefe two. Canadian ladies, i. 195.

Vefials. If there are any ‘fuch anon the Indians, i ii.
15J.

a? /
Villages. Form of the Indian ones; manner in which

they are fortihed, 11.127, Ge.

- Vows of the Indians, ii, 149.

Voyazes. Inconveniencies of voyages in Canada, i. 3255
326. Pleafuresof fuch voyages, il. 3.

U fuliaes of Quebec, i. 1066

Wam-

Why the Indians carry victuals to their tombs,

en

EN: D> &X;

Wampum, or Porcelain of Canada, i. 318. Of the
branches and collars of Wampum, their ufe, i. 319,

. ga. :

Wer. Manner of finging the war fong among the In-
dians, i. 315. Of, the God of. war, i, 316: Of the

- declaration of war, i. 317. Motives, which engage

~ the Indians to make war, i. 327, 328.. In what
manner they refolve upon it; preparations of the
chief, i. 328, 329. Deliberations of the council ;
meafures taken for having prifoners, i. 330. Songs,
dance-, and feafts of the warriors, 1. 331, 332-
Trials made of the warriors; precautions for the
wounded, i. 333. Farewell of the warriors, i. 336,
337. heir arms offenfive and defentive, 1. 3375
338. ‘Their care to take their Gods along with them,
i. 338. Of the march of the warriors, i. 357, 358.
Of their encampment; of the meeting of different
warlike parties, i. 358. Of their entering an ene-
my’s country; of the approaches and attack, i. 359,
360. Their manner of fighting; their inftinét in
finding out the tracks of the enemy, i. 361. The
monuments they leave of victory ; precautions for
fecuring the retreat and guarding the prifoners, i.
362. How they proclaim the victory in the villages,
1. 363. “Triumph of the warriors, i. 368.

Widowhsod. Of widowhood and fecond marriages among
the Indians, ii. 191.

Yeoman. ‘Tradition of the fin of the firft woman among
the Indians, ii, 228, 229. Woman-chief of the
Natchez, il. 260, @ce. Women, their power in fome
Indian nations, ii. 25, 26. Advantages of the mo-
thers over the fathers, ii. 53. Of their lying-in, and
its confequences, ii. 54. Of the care they take of
their children, ii. 55.

Hhale. His combat with the fword-fith, i. 77. Of the
whale-fifhery in the river St. Laurence, i. 229.

Wolf, Sea. Of its fithery, i. 222. Defcription of that

animal; its different kinds, i..223. Ufe of its flefh
and |

y, ay ea i
iS i ae bh |

Ent Ex

l f
| and fkin, i. 204. Remarkable things of that animal,
Pes - 22e, 230,
ge hige wa it ger not fucceeded in Louifiana, ii.
Ne ate - y wider ) S180) DRS ; 239
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