2 King, Folk-lore of the North American Indians. 



sion left by the ' Relations ' is one of great ability, absolute 

 devotion, and indomitable perseverance, seasoned with a 

 Gallic gaiety, which carried the good fathers through all 

 their troubles and privations. 



My object is to consider these Relations, not as a record 

 of missionary enterprise, but as a record of savage 

 customs, usages and beliefs, given at first hand by 

 skilled witnesses. The object of the Jesuits was not that 

 of, for instance, Messrs. Spencer and Gillen in Central 

 Australia, i.e., to give simply an accurate and scientific 

 account of savage custom and belief. Their object was 

 to study the savages with a view to finding out the weak 

 points in their armour for purposes of conversion. They 

 are not the less skilled or accurate in their accounts for 

 that reason. Their first view of the natives was not 

 favourable ; they found them savage, full of bad habits, 

 wanderers without possessions or love of country, lazy, 

 gluttonous, profane, treacherous, cruel, lewd, and vain- 

 glorious. The language was difficult to learn, and the 

 savages made bad teachers. It was deficient in words 

 suitable for the expression of even the most common 

 ideas — though with great wealth of words applicable to 

 common objects. Further, their religion is said to consist 

 of incantations, dances, sorcery ; they sought baptism 

 almost entirely as an aid to health, and came to the 

 missionaries for what they could get* 



The savages believe in two main sources of disease — 

 desires in the mind of the patient and evil practices by an 

 enemy. Desires vex the body till they are gratified. 

 Soothsayers can look into the mind and ascertain such 



• P^our groups of tribes may he distinguished — 



1. Algonkin group (Montagnais, &c.). 



2. Iroquois group (the " five nations" and Hurons). 



3. Southern group (Chickasavvs, &c. ). 



4. Dacota or Sioux group. 



