BUFFALO SOCIETY OF NATURAL SCIENCES 271 



They were licentious and immoral. "Their life is im- 

 pure", wrote Father Dallion. Their women were immodest; 

 and they were unrestrained in their licentiousness. More even 

 than the Huron women were they dissolute and shameless. 



Peculiar to this nation was the large number of "lunatics" 

 found amongst them. Great numbers of persons, actually or 

 apparently mad, wandered about in the towns. Most of these 

 were "more knaves than fools", for they only pretended insan- 

 ity, thus to appease their own especial demons; or more prob- 

 ably, thought the missionaries, they could thus better further 

 their own designs (i). 



The Neutrals celebrated the "Feast of the Dead" much as 

 did the Hurons. At intervals of about ten years the dead of a 

 whole village, or even of several villages, were buried together, 

 to the accompaniment of feasting and dancing, in a common 

 grave. When any member of a family died, his relatives 

 wrapped the body in fur, and until the odor of decomposition 

 became unbearable, they kept it in their house. Then with 

 few or no ceremonies, they bore the body to some near-by spot 

 and laid it upon a scaffold. When it had entirely decomposed 

 they scraped the bones clean, wrapped them once more in fur, 

 and stored them in the house, there to remain until the "Feast 

 of the Dead". 



At some stated time, decided upon in council, the relatives 

 took the bundle of bones, and any others that were in the 

 house, and joined their neighbors, who bore similar bundles, in 

 a solemn procession to the spot set apart for the ceremony. 

 There a hole about ten yards square had been dug. On a given 

 night, after days and nights of feasting, condolences and "dan- 

 ces of the dead", the relatives ranged the bundles along the 

 edge of the hole. Speakers, lighted up by flaring torches, in- 

 toned the bravery and virtues of the dead. At a signal all the 

 people rushed forward and cast their bundles into the pit and 

 over them threw their most valuable and precious possessions. 

 The pit was then filled with earth, covered with stones and 

 surrounded with Palisades. 



"Our Indians", said Father Brebeuf, "in the respect to- 

 wards the dead and in the decency they observe in the practices 

 held sacred in the country, are not behind many of our civil- 



i. Father Lalement, Jes. Rel., Vol. 21, P. 199, Burrows edition. 



