14^ TRAVELS through 



from the Indians. He complained much of 

 thefe proceedings, and laid his grievances be- 

 fore the great chief, who anfwered him very 

 gravely : That he fhould have juflice done him, 

 but that for that purpofe he muft wait for the 

 gun-powder harveft, his fubjedls liaving fown 

 that commodity by the advice of his country- 

 man -, that he might believe upon the word of a 

 fovereign, that, after that harveft was over, he 

 would order a general hunt, and that all the 

 fkins of the wild beafts which fhould be taken, 

 fhould be given in return for the important fe- 

 cret, which the other Frenchman had taught 

 them. 



Our traveller alledged, that the ground of the 

 Mjffouris was not fit for producing gun-powder, 

 and that his fubjedls had not taken notice, that 

 France was the only country where it fucceeded 

 in. All his reafoning was ufelefs ; he returned 

 much lighter than he came, and alhamed of 

 having been corre6led by favage men. 



This lefTon did not prevent others from going 

 to the MiJJouris , one of them intended to play a 

 good trick there ; he got ready a piragua, which 

 he loaded with trifles ; and, being informed of 

 the preceding adventure, he filled a little cafk 



with 



