382 LAWSON'S HISTORY 



under this diabolical purgation. Moreover, they 

 either really are, or pretend to be dumb, and do 

 not speak for several days ; I think, twenty or 

 thirty, and look so ghastly, and are so changed, 

 that it is next to an impossibility to know them 

 again, although you was never so well acquainted 

 with them before. I would fain have gone into 

 the mad house, and have seen them in their time 

 of purgatory, but the king would not suffer it, be- 

 cause, he told me they would do me or any other 

 white man an injury, that ventured in amongst 

 them, so I desisted. They play this prank with 

 girls as well as boys, and I believe it a miserable 

 life they endure, because I have known several of 

 them run away at that time to avoid it. Now the 

 savages say if it was not for this, they could never 

 keep their youth in subjection, besides that it har- 

 dens them ever after to the fatigues of war, hunt- 

 ing, and all manner of hardship), which their way 

 of living exposes them to. Beside, they add, that 

 it carries off those infirm weak bodies, that would 

 have been only a burden and disgrace to their na- 

 tion, and saves the victuals and clothing for better 

 people that would have been expended on such 

 useless creatures. These savages are described 

 in their proper colors, but by a very few ; for those 

 that generally write histories of this new world, 

 are such as interest preferment and merchandize, 

 drew thither, and know no more of that people 

 than I do of the Laplanders, which is only by hear- 

 say. And if we will make just remarks how near 



