66 BR^BEUF AND HIS ASSOCIATES. [1634-35. 



covery were revealed to him. These were equally 

 ridiculous and difficult; but the elders met in coun- 

 cil, and all the villagers lent their aid, till every 

 requisition was fulfilled, and the incongruous mass 

 of gifts which the madman's dream had demanded 

 were all bestowed upon him. This cure failing, 

 a " medicine-feast " was tried ; then several dances 

 in succession. As the patient remained as crazy 

 as before, preparations were begun for a grand 

 dance, more potent than all the rest. Brebeuf 

 says, that, except the masquerades of the Carnival 

 among Christians, he never saw a folly equal to it. 

 " Some," he adds, " had sacks over their heads, 

 with two holes for the eyes. Some were as naked 

 as your hand, with horns or feathers on their heads, 

 theu' bodies painted white, and their faces black as 

 devils. Others were daubed with red, black, and 

 white. In short, every one decked himself as 

 extravagantly as he could, to dance in this ballet, 

 and contribute something towards the health of the 

 sick man."^ This remedy also failing, a crowning 

 efi'ort of the medical art was essayed. Brebeuf 

 does not describe it, for fear, as he says, of being 

 tedious ; but, for the time, the village was a pande- 

 monium.^ This, with other ceremonies, was sup- 

 posed to be ordered by a certain image like a 

 doll, which a sorcerer placed in his tobacco-pouch, 

 whence it uttered its oracles, at the same time 



1 Relation des Eurons, 1636, 116. 



2 " Suffit pour le present de dire en general, que iamais les Bacchantes 

 forcenees du temps passe ne firent rien de plus furieux en leurs orgyes. 

 C'est icy h. s'entretuer, disent-ils, par des sorts qu'ils s'entreiettent, dont la 

 composition est d'ongles d'Ours, de dents de Loup, d'ergots d'Aigles, de 



