LOUISIANA. 259 



The Indians generally fct out a hunting to- 

 wards the end of October. The Allibamons o-o 

 fixty, eighty^ and fometimes an hundred leagues 

 from their villages, and they take their whole fa- 

 milies with them into their piraguas : they do 

 not return till March, which is the time of fow- 

 ing their corn-grounds. They bring back many 

 furs, and a great quantity of dried flefh. When 

 they are returned into their villages, they regale 

 their friends, and make prefents to the old men, 

 who have not been able to go with them, and 

 have kept in the huts during the time of the 

 great hunt. 



Thefe nations have fingular methods of catch- 

 ing the roe-deer ; an Indian takes the head of a 

 roe-buck, and dries it -, he then carries it with 

 him into the woods, where he covers his back 

 with the Ikin of this animal, he puts his hand 

 into the neck of the dried head, taking care to- 

 put little hoops under the fkin to keep it firm on 

 the hand ^ he then kneels down, and in that at- 

 S 2 . ^ titude, 



rapes occafion the wars among the different tribes ; for they 

 fight not for land, having more of that than they can culti- 

 vate. It is a capital crime among the Indians to carry off 

 another man's wife; if it is the Cacique's wife, the whole 

 nation is obliged to a\ enge the affront dfFered to their chief. 



