LOUISIANA. 249 



up with bear's oil ; and in a word, they re-» 

 nounce all forts of diverfions. When a woman 

 lofes her hufband, ftie is obliged to be in mourn- 

 ing for a whole year, and to lay afide all her 

 ornaments. 



All the AUihamcns drink the Cafflne * ; this is 

 the leaf of a little tree, which is very fhady 5 

 the leaf is about the fize of a farthing, but den- 

 tated on its margins. They toaft thefe leaves 

 as we do coffee, and drink the infufion of them, 

 with great ceremony. When this direutic pe^ 

 tion is prepared, the young people go to prefent 

 it in calebafhes formed into cups, to the chiefs 

 and warriors, that is the honou rabies, and af- 

 terwards to the other warriprs, according to 

 their rank and degree. The fame order is ob- 

 ferved when they prefent the Calumet to fmokc 

 out of: whiift you drink they howl as loud as 

 they can, and diminifh the found gradually ; 

 when you have ceafed drinking, they take their 

 breath, and when you drink again, they fet up 

 their howls again. Thefe forts of orgies fome- 

 times laft from fix in the morning to two o'clock 



in 



* This is the Prinos glaher of Linnsus. Sp. pi. p. 471. 

 and Caffena 'vera FlorUanorum. Cateiby's Carol. 2. t. 57. 



