9S TRAVELS through 



bly were obliged to ftrike againji the pft *, that 

 is, to f'A'ear that they never would reveal what 

 they had feen or done in this difiblute ball : the 

 dancers of both fexes appeared quite naked 

 there, in attitudes and geftures of proftitution, 

 accompanied with fongs of the fame kind, which 

 you mud excufe my tranfcribing, though, in the 

 language of the Indians, they are purely pieces 

 of genteel wit. 



The Akanzas have expert fellows among 

 them, v/ ho would perhaps amaze our jugglers. 



I faw 



under two names : Brijfon calls it, in II. 242. an American 

 ouzel ; and U. 449. he reprefents it as a Louiftana flare. 

 Lifin^sus makes likevvife two birds of it ; he calls it a lark, 

 p. 289. Alauda magna, and p. 290. z. Itare, Sturnus Lu- 

 dovicianus ; but, upon comparifon, it may be eafily deter- 

 mined, that both are but a Hare, and that it ought to be 

 erafed fi-om among the Larks and Ouzels. 



27. Thp-ushes. There are at leaft feven North Americmi 

 thrufhes, which of them are upon the river Miffijippi cannot 

 be determined for want of information, F. . 



* Whenever the Indians fwear or take oaths, they take a 

 club with v/hich they ftrike againft a poft, calling to mind 

 their Ene aftions in war, and promifmg to keep their word 

 religioufiy : an oath of this nature is irrevocable among them: 

 every Cacique fwears to lead his nation well, and ftrikes the 

 poft; \v4th6ut taking that oath, he cannot beinilalledin the 

 dignity. 



