WER G UN TA Ne DEE ER; 
When this matter is fettled, they feparate into fmall parties, travel 
and hunt for fubfiftence all the day, and reft at night; but the wo- 
men have no certain refting-places. The Savages have their particular 
hunting countries ; but if they invade the limits of thofe belonging 
to other nations, feuds enfue, fatal as thofe between Percy and 
Douglas in the famed Chevy Chace. 
As foon as they arrive on the borders of the hunting country, 
(which they never fail doing to a man, be their ref{pective routes ever 
fo diftant or fo various) the captain of the band delineates on 
the bark of a tree his own figure, with a Rattlefnake twined round 
him with diftended mouth; and in his hand a bloody tomahawk. 
By this he implies a deftruétive menace to any who are bold enough 
to invade their territories, or to interrupt their diverfion *. 
The chafe is carried on in different ways. Some furprife the Deer 
by ufing the ftale of the head, horns, and hide, in the manner be- 
fore mentioned: but the general method is performed by the whole 
_body. Several hundreds difperfe in a line, encompaffing a vaft fpace 
of country, fire the woods, and drive the animals into fome ftrait or 
peninfula, where they become an eafy prey. The Deer alone are not 
the object ; Foxes, Raccoons, Bears, and all beafts of fur, are thought 
worthy of attention, and articles of commerce with the Europeans. 
The number of Deer deftroyed in fome parts of America is incre- 
dible ; as is pretended, from an abfurd idea which the Savages have, 
that the more they deftroy, the more they fhall find in fucceeding 
years. Certain it is that multitudes are deftroyed ; the tongues only 
preferved, and the carcafes left-a prey to wild beafts. But the motive 
is much more political. The Savages well difcern, that fhould they 
overftock the market, they would certainly be over-reached by the 
European dealers, who take care never to produce more goods than 
are barely fufficient for the demand of the feafon, eftablifhing their 
prices according to the quantity of furs brought by the natives. The 
hunters live in their quarters with the utmoft feftivity, and indulgence 
* Catefoy, App, ix. 
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