346 
A JOURNEY TO THE 
in the clumfieft manner into clothing for theit 
aged parents; who, as they had, in all probabi- 
lity, treated their fathers and mothers with the 
fame neglect, in their turns, fubmitted patiently. 
to their lot, even without a murmur, knowing 
it to be the common misfortune attendant an old 
age; fo that they may be faid to wait patiently 
for the melancholy hour when, being no longer 
capable of walking, they are to be left alone, to. 
ftarve and perifh for want. This, however, 
Shocking and unnatural it may appear, is never- 
thelefs fo common, that, among thofe people, one 
half at leaft of the aged perfons of both fexes ab- 
folutely die in this miferable condition. 
The Northern Indians call the Aurora Borealis, 
Ed-thin ; that is, Deer*: and when that meteor is 
very bright, they fay that deer is plentiful in that 
part of the atmofphere ; but they have never yet 
extended their ideas fo far as to entertain hopes 
of tafting thofe celeftial animals. 
Befide this filly notion, they are very fipaehe 
tious with refpect to the exiftence of feveral kinds 
of fairies, called by them Nant-e-na, whom they 
frequently fay they fee, and who are fuppofed by 
them 
* Their ideas in this refpeét are founded on a principle one would not 
imagine. Experience has thewn them, that when a hairy deer-fkin is 
brifkly ftroked with the handin a dark night, it will emit many fparks of — 
eleétrical fire, as the back of a cat will. The idea which the Southern 
Indians have ofthis meteor is equally romantic, though more pleafing, as 
they believe it to be the fpirits of their departed friends dancing in the 
clouds ; and when the Aurora Borealis is remarkably bright, at which time 
they vary moft in colour, form, and fituation, they fay, their deceafed 
friends are very merry, 7 
