CHAP, xx, THE NASQUAPEE AND THE SUGAR. 341 



clouded in the form in which it is presented to them, 

 with other superstitions of a more refined and exalted 

 character. 



We had a dinner party on the following day. I in- 

 vited Otelne, Arkaske, the Nasquapees who had arrived 

 a few days before, Donienique, Bartelmi, Michel, and 

 Louis. I gave them fried pork and potatoes, fresh cod 

 fish, pancakes, and molasses, also tea and sugar. With- 

 out thinking that our wild visitors were not accustomed 

 to the ways of the polite world, I handed to one of 

 the Nasquapees a canister containing about three 

 pounds of lump sugar, in order that he might sweeten 

 his tea. He looked at the sugar, asked Otelne a 

 question, put a piece in his mouth, nodded his head, 

 saying Ho ! ho ! ho ! With lump after lump he charged 

 his capacious mouth, holding firmly on to the canister. 

 He had got through about half a pound when the cook, 

 a French Canadian, said to me ' that Nasquapee 's eating 

 all the sugar.' I touched Domenique and called his 

 attention to the Nasquapee. Domenique himself was so 

 deeply engaged with the molasses that he had not ob- 

 served his neighbour's partiality for the sugar, but as 

 soon as he observed him putting three or four lumps in 

 Ms mouth and grinding them between his magnificent 

 teeth, he snatched the canister and upbraided him for his 

 greediness. The Nasquapee laughed ; Louis laughed so 

 heartily he could scarcely interpret what the Indian said. 

 It was to -the effect that he thought the sugar was his 

 share of the dinner, but he had no objection to try the 

 pancake and molasses. Domenique, with wise caution, 

 helped him, but he found taking the sweet stuff up with 



