20^ FROM THE ST. LAWRENCE ISLANDS 



the withered skeleton of a hog. Though the 

 smell was to me very disagreeable, and the sight 

 of the idols laughable, I did not let the islanders 

 perceive it, that I miglit not offend them j but I 

 was the more astonished when the priests them- 

 selves made me observe the caricatures, felt their 

 noses and eyes, tried to imitate, in various ways, 

 the distorted faces, and laughed heartily at their 

 wit. Near a hut stood two complete statues, whose 

 sexes could be distinguished, clumsily as they were 

 carved ; between them a pole was fixed in the 

 ground, the point of which had been hung with 

 bananas. The woman, turning her face to the 

 man, seized with her left hand the fruit, while he 

 stretched out his right hand towards it. On seeing 

 this, every one must think of Adam and Eve ; and 

 I was very sorry to have nobody with me to ex- 

 plain this allegory. The priests made me notice 

 that both statues, which had tlieir mouths wide 

 open, were furnished with a row of human teedi. 

 One of the small chapels was covered round about 

 with mats ; from this proceeded the noise of the 

 muffled drum, sometimes interrupted by the lament- 

 able cries of a man ; and the whole made so un- 

 pleasant an impression on me, that I was glad to 

 go away. On my return, I found in front of a 

 house, a large assemblage of ladies, who had placed 

 themselves round a fire on which a dog was roast- 

 ing. They politely invited me to partake of the 

 least, but my time would not permit me to-day. 



17 



