LOUISIANA. 233 



they miift apply themfelves to their duties in 

 their houfes, fuch as preparing their hufbands 

 meals, drefling the flcins, making fhoes, fpin- 

 ning the wool of the wild oxen, and making 

 little bafkets in which they are very well fldlled 

 and induftrious. 



The manner of punifliing the infidelity of their 

 wives IS as follows : the hufband muft firft be 

 perfe6lly convinced of his wife's mifbehaviour 

 by his own eyes, and then fnc is watched by his 

 relations and her own. The hufband is then no 

 longer allov/ed to keep his wife, though he 

 Ihould wilh it •, becaufe the Indians fay, that it 

 is unworthy and beneath a true man to live with 

 a wife who has failed fo effentially in her duty to 

 him. In this cafe, the hufband goes to the Ca- 

 dque, and tells him his flory. The chief im- 

 mediately orders fome people to go and cut little 

 fwitches, and all keep a profound fecret. The 

 chief then gives orders for a grand dance, which 

 every man, woman, boy, and girl in the village 

 is obliged to attend, unlefs they will expofe 

 themfeves to be fined ; but there are hardly ever 

 any abfent : in the m.idfl of the dance the guilty 

 woman is extended on the floor, and beaten on 

 the back and flomach without mercy, and her 

 leducer undergoes the fame ceremony. 



When 



