swantonJ TNDIAN TRIBES OF THE LOWER MTSSTSSTPPT VALLEY 341 



answered, "Yes." They then seated Iheuiselves on the eai'tli, restiui; their faces 

 on their hands, the word-bearer, wlthont doubt, in order to collect himself 

 before delivering his speech, the others to keep silence, and all to recover their 

 breath in accordance with their cnstctni. In this interval we were warned not 

 to laugh or speak during the harangue, which they would have regarded as a 

 great insult on our part. 



The word-bearer some moments afterward rose with two others; one filled 

 the pipe of the calumet with tobacco, the other brought fire, and the first lighted 

 the pipe. The word-bearer smoked and presented it, after having wii)ed it, to 

 M. de Bienville, that he might do the same thing; the governor smoked; we did 

 the same thing one after the other ; and this ceremony finished, the old man took 

 back the calumet and gave it to M. de Bienville, that he might keep it. Tlien 

 this word-bearer remained standing alone, and the other deputies reseated them- 

 selves near the present which they had brought for the governor. It consisted 

 of untanned skins of deer and some other animals. The word-bearer was 

 dressed in a robe made of many beaver skins, sewed together, which might be 

 five quarters (45 inches?) square each way. It was fastened to the right shoul- 

 der and passed under the left arm. He wrapped his body in this I'obe and began 

 the harangue, with a majestic air, in these terms, addressing his words to the 

 governor : 



" My heart laughs with joy at seeing myself before you. We have all heard 

 the word of peace which you have had sent us ; the heart of all our nation 

 laughs with joy even to trembling ; the women, forgetting on the instant all that 

 is past, liave danced; the children have jumped, like young deer, and run about 

 as if they had lost their senses. Your word will never be lost ; our hearts and 

 our ears are filled with it, and our descendants will preserve it as long as the 

 ancient word [or tradition] shall endure. As the war has made lis poor, we 

 have been compelled to liunt, in order to bring you the peltries, and prepare tlie 

 skins before coming ; but our men did not dare to go far on the chase, on account 

 of the other nations, for fear lest they had not yet heard your word, and 

 because they are jealous of us. We ourselves even have only followed our 

 course in coming hither with trembling until we have seen your face. 



" How satisfied are my heart and my eyes to see you now, to speali myself to 

 yourself, without fear that the wind carry oQ' our words on the way ! 



'* Our presents are small, but our hearts are large to obey your word. When 

 you speak you will see our legs run and leap like those of stags, to do what you 

 wish." 



Here the orator or word-bearer struck an attitude; then raising his voice, he 

 began again with gravity : 



"Ah ! how beautiful is this sun now in comparison with what it was when you 

 were angry with us ! How dangerous is a bad man ! You know that -one single 

 person killed the Frenchman, wliose death has made fall with him our best war- 

 riors ; there remains to us only old men, women, and children ; you have 

 demanded the head of the bad man, in order to make peace ; we have sent it to 

 you, and there is the only old warrior who has dared to attack him and kill him. 

 Be not surprised at it ; he has always been a true man and a true warrior ; he is 

 a relation of our sovereign, and his heart wept day and night because his wife 

 and child are no more since this war; but he is satisfied and I also now, because 

 he has liilled your enemy and his. Formerly the sun was red, the roads filled 

 with brambles and thorns, the clouds were black, the water was troubled and 

 stained with our blood, our women wept unceasingly, our children cried with 

 fright, the game fled far from us. our houses were abandoned, and our fields 

 uncultivated, we all have empty bellies and our bones are visible. 



