— 335 — 



figures on the face, and on the whole body, which are 



stained into the skin, so as to be indelible 



These figures are commonly black ; some have a snake 

 painted on each cheek, some have several crosses, some 

 an arrow, others the sun, or anything else their imagi- 

 nation leads them to." (Vol. II, p. 320.) What an 

 observant man, the Swedish Professor seems to have 

 been ! 



These Indian Councils, with their wampum belts 

 fantastic, airy and grotesque costumes of the chiefs, &c, 

 have more than once been trying to the gravity of 

 Europeans — whether French or English. Professor Dus- 

 sieux, probably on the authority of Charlevoix, gives 

 some humorous incidents which happened at the grand 

 Indian Councils held in 1700 and 1701, at Montreal. 



"The Algonquin chief, says he, a winsome and brave 

 young warrior proud of his victories on the Iroquois, 

 had done his hair in a ridge like the comb of a cock, 

 with a scarlet plume, erect on the crest and hanging 

 over behind ' 



Another chief of note and wit, wore on his pate the 

 skin of the head of a young bullock, with the horns 

 falling over his ears 



An Outagami chief had smeared his face with red 

 paint, and had on his head an old looudrde and disor- 

 dered perruque, which gave him a hideous, but mirth- 

 provoking appearance. Wishing to honor the French 

 Governor with a French bow, he removed his wig : this 

 caused an explosion of laughter among the French, 

 without interfering with his own gravity ; he then 

 demurely replaced his wig and got through with his 

 harangue." (1) 



One is reminded of the interview of one of our Vice- 

 Boys with the great Chief (Peter Basket possibly ?) of 



(1) Lb Canada sous la Domination Frangaise. L. 

 p. 95. 



