550 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1897. 



Their captain installed his presents, which pass witli all the savages 

 as writings do ^vith iis, or as contracts do. P^veryone being seated, lie 

 raised himself and invoked the sun as a witness of his thoughts, as a 

 torch which banished the night and darkness of his heart and gave 

 day to his words. The i^resents consisted of beaver skins and porce- 

 lain (wampum beads), and each had its name and made evident the 

 desire of him who spoke and those who sent him. 



The first, to dry the tears shed for braves killed. 



Second. A talisman to prevent vindictiveuess of the French for the 

 loss of their people. 



Tliird. A covering for the dead to prevent the recurrence of old 

 quarrels. 



Fourth. To keep the dead buried and to prevent them from leaving 

 their graves and showing animosities. 



Fifth. To pack up their arms that they might not again be touched. 



Sixth. To purify the stream soiled with blood. 



And last, to exhort the Hurons to agree to what Onontio decided 

 about the peace. 



In reply the governor made speech for speech and present for present.' 



According to I, A. Lapham "the first white persons who penetrated 

 into the regions of the upper lakes were two young fur traders who left 

 Montreal for that purpose in 1654 and remained two years among the 

 Indian tribes on their shores. It appears that they returned with infor- 

 mation-relative to Lake Superior and perhaps Lake Michigan and Green 

 Bay, for in 1659 fur traders are known to have extended their traffic to 

 that bay."^ 



"The Sonontonans" (Senecas, Hewitt) "to the number of fifty or 

 sixty assembled in our cabins. Their custom is, on entering, to take 

 the first vacant place, without regard to rank, and at once take fire for 

 lighting their pipes, which are not taken from their mouths during the 

 whole time of the council. They say that good thoughts come with 

 smoking."^ And among the presents enumerated on the occasion were 

 capots, cooking pots, beads, etc. 



At a council in the year 1670 on the shores of Lake Ontario, which 

 Comte de Frontenac held with the Onondagas, Mohawks, OneidavS, 

 Cayugas, and Senecas, he said : "I have lighted a fire to see you smoke 

 (petuner) and to talk to you."* Among other things presented at this 

 council were 25 capots.'' 



The French, after their settlement on the Ohio, sent out their fur 

 traders and presumably their fur hunters, who eagerly sought for new 

 fields where the game had not been thinned out and which afforded the 

 most abundant supply. These traders and hunters were the first per- 



' Marc Lescarbot, Relation de la Nouvelle France, p. 19. 



"I. A. Lapham, Wisconsin; its Geography and Topography, p, 18, Milwaukee, 1846. 



■'Pierre Margry, Doconvertes et fitablissenients des Franvais, Relation de I'Abbe de 

 Gallinee, p. 128, Paris, 1875. 



^ Pierre Margry, Doconvertes et fitablissements des Fran^ais, Voyage de M. le 

 Comte de Frontenac an lac Ontario, p. 212, Paris, 1875. 



•'•Idem, p. 223. 



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