SWANTO.N] INDIAN TRIBES OF TTIK LOWER MISSISSIPPI VAELEV 145 



Tlii'ii lio nlfort'd llii> dc.itli cry. which wns iv|M>iil(Ml hy ;ill tlutsc in tho ciiltiii. 

 They roitlletl in tlu' villaKO. and from voice to voice the same cry passed in 

 an instant into the other viJIai^es of the nation, who all together made the air 

 reverl)erate with their doleful cries. 



The conii)any in the cahin was composed of the favorite wife of the defunct, 

 of a second wife, whom he kept in another village, to visit when his favorite 

 wife was pregnant, his chancellor, his doctor, his head servant (/owe), his pipe 

 bearer, and some old women, all of whom were going to be strangled at his 

 burial. 



To the number of the victims there joined herself a Noble woman, whom the 

 friendship that she had for the Tattooed-serpent led to join him in the country 

 of the spirits. The French called her La (ilorieuse. because of her ma- 

 jestic bearing and her proud air and because she was intimate only with 

 distinguished Frenchmen. I regretted her so much the more that, possessing 

 a deep knowledge of simples, she had saved the lives of many of our sick, 

 and I myself had drawn good lessons from her. These things filliug us with 

 sadness, the favorite wife, who perceived it. rose from her place, came to 

 us with a smiling air, and spoke to us in these terms: "French chiefs and 

 nobles, I see that you regret my husband's death very much. It is true that 

 bis death is very grievous, as well for the French as for our nation, because he 

 carried botli in his heart. His ears were always full of the words of the French 

 chiefs. He has always traveled by the same road as the French, and he loved 

 them more than himself. But what does it matter? He is in the country of 

 the spirits, and in two days I will go to join him and will tell him that I have 

 seen your hearts shake at the sight of his dead bod}\ Do not grieve. We will 

 be friends for a much longer time in the country of the spirits than in this, 

 because one does not die there again. It is always fine weather, one is never 

 hungry, b(K-ause nothing is wanting to live better tliau in this country. Men do 

 not make war there any more, because tliey make only one nation. I am going 

 and leave my children without any father or mother. When you see them, 

 Frenchmen, remember that you have loved the father and that you ought not 

 to repulse the children of the one who has always been the true friend of the 

 French." After this speech she went back to her place. * * * 



[After the Frenchmen had prevailed upon the great Sun not to kill himself,] 

 the fire of the great Sun being relighted, the signal was given to relight all the 

 others. 



* * * A few moments afterwards the young Sun came to tell me that 

 orders had been given (as he had promised, although feignedly) to have only 

 those die who were in the cabin of the deceased, because they were his food; 

 that besides there would be put to death a bad woman, if she had not already 

 been killed, and an infant which had already been strangled by its father and 

 mother, a forfeit which purchased their lives at the death of the great Sun, 

 ennobled them, and raised them from the dirade of Stinkards.^ 



A few moments later the grand master of ceremonies appeared at the door 

 of the dead man's house with the ornaments which were proper to his rank and 

 which I have described. He uttered two words and the people in the cabin 

 came out. These persons were the favorite wife and his other wife, his 

 chancellor, his doctor, his head servant, his pipe bearer, and some old women. 

 Each of these victims was accompanied by eight male relations, who were going 

 to put him to death. One bore the war club raised as if to strike, and often 



"According to the marriage laws it would seem that the wife might have belonged to 

 some grade of the nobility already, hut evidently Stinkards were permitted to marry each 

 other. 



83220— Bull. 43—10 10 



