cation with these poor Barbarians, who have need of great assistance, both temporal and spiritual, to draw them out of the slavery which oppresses them. Since the conclusion of this Chapter, Father Pijart, who recently arrived from the Hurons, has brought me a stone that Father Brebœuf sent me, which was used by a Sorcerer in this way. This man, wishing to cure a sick person, placed the stone in the fire, and left it there a long time, until it was red-hot. Meanwhile, he entered in a frenzy, drew this burning stone out of the fire, [166] took it between his teeth, ran like a madman through the Cabin, and cast the still glowing stone away without having received any injury therefrom. Father Pijart was an eyewitness of this act; and, as the stone is quite large, he wished to see if it had not burned his lips or tongue; he found it had not. This made him believe that it could not have been done without the agency of some Demon. I send to Your Reverence this same stone, which is still marked with the Sorcerer's teeth. As it had been in the fire, it was, as it were, calcined and made softer; hence, in pressing it with the teeth, he made the two notches which appear.

I'

[167] CHAPITRE XI.

DE LEVRS COVSTVMES, & DE LEUR CROYANCE.

E ne pretends pas reïterer ce que i'ay dit autresfois fur ce fujet: mais i'ay deffein d'adiouster feulement ce que i'en ay appris de nouueau. Si i'vse de redite, c'eft pour auoir oublié ce que i'ay defia dit, ou pour l'expliquer plus amplement. Entre les fuperftitions dont fe feruent les malades pour guerir, ils font quelquesfois demeurer aupres d'eux quelque homme, ou femme, ou enfant, s'imaginans que cela les aide à recouurer leur fanté. Ils font fi condefcendans en ce poinct, que fi vn malade demande quelque perfonne pour demeurer en cefte forte aupres de luy, il est tellement obei, qu'on croiroit celuy-là bien ingrat qui luy refuferoit cefte courtoisie, quoy que bien ennuieufe: car il faut demeurer là faineant [168] fans autre exercice que d'eftre affis aupres du patient.

Ils font prendre des vomitoires à leurs malades, ils font bouillir des feuilles ou branches de Cedre, dont ils boiuent le jus contre la diffenterie. Le P. Buteux dit auoir veu guerir vn enfant en fort peu de temps, ayant prins cefte medecine.

Ils iettent le fiel de l'Ours dans le feu, pour voir s'il petillera, conjecturans par ce bruit s'ils en prendront d'autres.

Le P. Buteux demandant à vn Sauuage pourquoy ils plantoient leurs efpees la pointe en haut: Il repar

[167] CHAPTER XI.

OF THEIR CUSTOMS AND THEIR BELIEF.

Do not propose to repeat what I have previously said upon this subject, but intend to add only what new things I have learned about it. If I use repetitions, it is because I have forgotten what I have already told, or that I may explain it more fully. Among the superstitions used to cure the sick, they sometimes induce a man, a woman, or a child to remain near them, imagining that this helps them to recover their health. They are so compliant in this respect that, if a sick person asks some one to stay near him in this way, he is so readily obeyed that one who should refuse him this kind office would be considered very ungrateful, although it is a very tiresome duty; for he must remain there idle, [168] without other occupation than to sit beside the patient.

They have their patients take emetics; dysentery is cured by drinking the juice of leaves or branches of the Cedar, which have been boiled.1 Father Buteux said he saw a child recover very soon, after having taken this medicine.

They throw the Bear's gall into the fire to see if it will crackle, conjecturing from this noise whether they will capture others.

Father Buteux asked a Savage why they fixed their javelins point upward. He replied that, as the thunder had intelligence, it would, upon seeing these naked javelins, turn aside, and would be very careful

tit que le tonnerre ayant de l'efprit, & voyant ces efpees nuës fe detourneroit, & fe donneroit bien de garde d'approcher de leurs cabanes. Le P. demandant à vn autre d'où venoit ce grand bruit du tonnerre, c'est, dit il, le Manitou qui veut vomir vne grosse couleuure qu'il a auallee, & à chaque effort de fon eftomach il fait ce grand tintamarre que nous entendons. En effect, ils m'ont fouuent dit que la foudre n'eftoit autre chofe que des couleuures qui tomboient fur la terre: ce qu'ils recognoissent aux arbres frappez de la foudre: car, difent-ils, on y remarque la figure de ces animaux comme imprimee par replis & [169] tortuëmens à l'entour de l'arbre. On a trouué mefme de grandes couleuures fous ces arbres, difentils: Voilà vne Philofophie bien nouuelle.

Les Sauuages ayant eu du pire en guerre, enuoient deuant quelqu'vn de leurs gens comme vn Heraut, qui crie à pleine tefte fi toft qu'il apperçoit les Cabanes, prononçant les noms de ceux qui font prins ou tuez: les filles & les femmes entendans nommer leurs parens, refpandent leurs cheueux fur leur vifage, & fondent toutes en larmes, fe peignant de noir.

Quand ils retournent de la guerre, ils pendent à vn arbre, d'où ils commencent à tourner visage pour se retirer en leur pays, autant de petits baftons qu'ils eftoyent de foldats, peut-eftre pour donner à cognoiftre à leurs ennemis, s'ils paffent en ces lieux-là, combien d'hommes ils eftoient, & iufques où ils font venus, afin de les intimider. le n'en fçay point d'autre raifon.

Dans le conflict de leurs guerres, ils crient à chaque fois que quelqu'vn de leurs ennemis eft frappé, s'ils s'en appercoiuent: le me doute que c'est pour se refouyr & fe donner courage.

not to come near their cabins. When the Father asked another one whence came that great clap of thunder, "It is," he said, "the Manitou who wishes to vomit up a great serpent he has swallowed; and at every effort of his stomach he makes this great uproar that we hear." In fact, they have often told me that flashes of lightning were nothing but serpents falling upon the ground, which they discover from the trees struck by lightning. "For," say they,

"here is seen the shape of those creatures, stamped, as it were, in sinuous and [169] crooked lines around the tree. Large serpents have even been found under these trees," they say. A new kind of Philosophy, truly!

When the Savages have been defeated in war, some one of their number is sent on ahead as a Herald, who cries out in a loud voice as soon as he perceives the Cabins, uttering the names of those who have been captured or killed. The daughters and wives, hearing their relatives named, spread their hair over their faces, burst into tears, and paint themselves black.

When they return from war, they hang to a tree, at the spot where they begin to turn back to retire into their own country, as many little sticks as there were soldiers, perhaps to let their enemies know, if they pass by those places, how many men there were, and how far they went, in order to intimidate them. I know no other reason for it.

In their wars, while fighting, they shout every time one of their enemies is struck, if they perceive it. I am inclined to think this is to cheer themselves and increase their own courage.

[170] They believe the earth is entirely flat, and