L O U I S I A ]Sr A. 261 



en a cord made of the bark of a tree, to the 

 other end ; when they are upon the lakes in 

 their canoes, they throw this dart or harpoon 

 into the water at the fifh, and draw it up again 

 by means of the cord ; others llioot the fifh with 

 a bow and arrows, and when they have wounded 

 a fifh, it comes to the furface of the water. 



Before I have done with the Allihamons^ I 

 fhould not forget to tell you, that in July, when 

 their harveft begins, they have a great feaft. 

 That folemn day they pafs without eating-, they 

 light a new fire for phyfic, as they call it, or jug- 

 gling, after which tliey take a purge, and offer 

 to their Mayiitou the firftlings of their fruit : 

 they finifh the day in religious dances. 



This nation has likewife jugglers or quacks ; 

 I fhall relate to you a very droll adventure which 

 happened to me with one of them. As I was 

 going up the river of AUibamons^ a quack and 

 juggler came to fee me with feveral Indians, 

 men and women. He afked for fome brandy, 

 I gave him a bottle full of it, which he drank 

 with his companions. He afked me for fome 

 more, but I told him I had no more ; he would 

 not believe me, and feeing that he could not 

 get any thing, he thought he would intimidate 



S 3 me, 



