by an Indian Chief. 203 
down this river a whole day, and then arrived at the village 
a party of the Offers, who were going to carry a calumet of 
peace to a nation beyond them, and we embarked in a petti- 
augre, and went down the river for eighteen days, landing 
now and then to supply ourselves with provisions. When I 
arrived at the nation who were at peace with the Oféers, I 
staid with them till the cold was past, that I might learn 
their language, which was common to most of the nations 
‘that lived beyond them. 
“© The cold was hardly gone when I again embarked on 
the Fine River, and in my course I met with several uations, 
with whom I generally staid but one night, till f arrived at 
the nation that is but one day’s journey from the Great IVater 
on the west. This nation live in the woods about the dis- 
tance of a league from the river, fron their apprehention of 
bearded men, who come upon their coasts in floating: vil- 
lages, and carry off their children to make slaves of them. 
These men were described to be white, with long black 
beards that came down to their breasts ; they were thick 
and short, bad large heads, which were covered with cloth ; 
they were always dressed, even in the greatest heats ; their 
cloaths fell down to the middle of their legs, which with 
their feet were covered with red or yellow stuff, ‘Their arms 
made a great fire anda great noise; and when they saw 
themselves out-numbered by Red Men, they retired on board 
their large pettiaugre, their number sometimes amounting 
to thirty, but never more, 
Those strangers came from the sun-setting, in search of 
a yellow stinking wood, which dyes afine yellow colour ; 
but the people of this nation, that they might not be tempt- 
ed to visit them, had destroyed all those kinds of trees. Two 
other nations in their neighbourhood however, having no 
other wood, could not destroy the trees, and were still visited 
by the strangers ; and being greatly incommoded by them, 
had invited their allies to assist them in making an attack 
upon 
