190 ROMANCE OF THE BEAVER 



beaver in remote places where never had soUtude 

 seemed to him sweeter — a band of Onneiochronnon 

 Iroquois, who had gone thither to hunt men, 

 captured this hunter of animals." This led to 

 much trouble which fortunately did not end in 

 bloodshed, as by diplomacy and the fairness of a 

 chief of the Onnontachronon Iroquois named 

 Sagochiendagnte, and the surgeon, after being 

 badly frightened, returned to Montreal. 



It is curious that while the Indians killed and 

 eat the beaver, esteeming it the greatest luxury of 

 the country, that they should regard the animal as 

 being in some senses sacred to such an extent that 

 under no conditions might the bones be given to 

 their dogs, but gathered with the utmost care and 

 put into the pond for fear that the beaver spirit 

 should be offended. So great was their solicitude 

 for the proper treatment of the animals' bones that 

 even when they gave a beaver as a present. Father 

 Le Jeune says, it was accompanied by the request 

 that the recipient " should be most careful not to 

 give the bones to the dogs, otherwise they believe 

 they will take no more beavers." When it was 

 not convenient to put the remains in a pond or 

 river, they burned them to avoid any possibihty of 

 their hunting being spoiled. 



Needless to say the pursuit of the beaver led to 

 bloodshed in many instances, for not only did 

 individuals commit murders, but tribal wars 

 resulted in which horrible atrocities were com- 



