q-8 TRAVELS through 



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they went towards M. de Belle- TJle, whom they 

 took for a ghoft, becaufe he was lean ; he 

 pointed to his mouth, and made figns of being 

 hungry. The Indians would not kill him be- 

 caufe he was excelTively lean •, they offered him 

 fome human flefh, but he preferred fifli, of 

 which he eat greedily. The Indians looked at 

 this cloathed man, ftripped him naked and di- 

 vided his cloaths among themfelves : they then 

 carried him to their village in order to fatten 

 him. There he had the good fortune to become 

 the dog * of an old widow. He recovered his 

 fVrength gradually ; but was extremely fad, 

 conflantly apprehending, that his hofts would 

 facrifice him to their falfe deities, and afterwards 

 make a feait of his flefh ; his imagination was 

 always ftruck with the terrible fight of the feafls 

 which thofe barbarians made of the flelli of their 

 fatteft prifoners of war, which I cannot help 

 lliuddering at, whilfl I relate it. He always ex- 

 peded to receive a blow with the club, as foon 

 as he fhould be fat. The Indians held a coun- 



cij 



tions. When they take an enemy in tlie wars, they make a 

 great feaft and eat his fieih. They commonly live upon filli 

 and drink the Caffine. They can fpeak by ligns, and hold 

 long pantomime converfations. 



• An expreffion which f:gnifies/rt-i'^. 



