LOUISIANA. 237 



without their confent. They likewife take great 

 care of the old men, and I have feen their chiefs 

 on their return from a hunting parry, before they 

 fhared the game, lay afide the fnare of the old 

 people, which is likewife appropriated to the ufe 

 of widows and orphans, whofe hufbands and fa- 

 thers have been killed in defence of their country. 

 The Indians are very hofpitable towards ftrangers 

 with whom they are in peace, and kind to their 

 allies and friends, but cruel and unmerciful to 

 their enemies. They are furprifed and even 

 fcandalized to fee a number of Engliihmen at 

 New Orleans^ drawn thither in time of war, 

 for the fake of trading under the fpecious pre- 

 tence of coming to exchange prifoners *. A 

 cacique la-tely returned from New Orleans freely 

 owned to me, that he had a great mind to 

 break their heads for killing the French in 

 the north, that is, during the fiege of Quebec, 

 and that he was tempted to take his revenge 

 upon thofe that were at New Orleans. He 



added, 



* Here our author inferts a long inveclive againll the Eng- 

 liih who come in vefTels to A>w Orleans with prifoners o'l 

 war on board, which they offer to exchange, and that under 

 this cloak, they get information of the ftrength and fica- 

 ation of the colony, and buy up all the furs they can get. 

 Some allowance muft be made for national prejudice aad 

 Prench pertnefs. F. 



