56 Aîî Hiftorical Journal of 



as for War, and their Faces befmeared with Black, amîdfi:* the^ 

 Acclamations of the whole Village ; for the Chace, amongfi: 

 thefe People, is as noble as War. The Alliance of a good Hun- 

 ter is more fought after than that of a famous Warrior, becaufe 

 the Chace provides the whole Family with Provifion and Cloath^ 

 ing, and the Savages defire nothing more : But a Man is not 

 efteemed a great Hunter, till he has killed twelve great Beafts in 

 one Day. 



Thefe People have two great Advantages over us in this Ex- 

 crcife ; for, in the firft Place, nothing flops them, neither Bulhes, 

 Pitches, Torrents, Ponds, nor Rivers. They always go for- 

 ward upon a ftraitLine. In the fécond Place, there are few, or 

 rather no Creatures, which they cannot overtake in running : 

 They have been feen, as it is faid, entering a Village, leading 

 Bears in a Wythe, (which they had tired by running down) as 

 if they had been leading a Flock of Sheep ; and the nimbleft 

 peer is not fwifter than they are. Laftly, the chief Hunter 

 muft make little Advantage himfelf of his Game : He is oblig'd 

 to be very liberal of it : If they even prevent his Gift, and 

 take it away from him, he muft fuffer the Lofs without faying 

 jiny Thing, and be contented with the Glory of having laboured 

 for the Public. Neverthelefs, it is not complained of, if in the 

 Diflribution which he makes of the Game, he gives the firfl 

 Part to his own Family. Eat we muft confefs, that thofe Sa- 

 vages with whom we have moft Commerce, have loft fomething 

 of that antient Generof^ty, and that wonderful Difmtereftednefs 

 which they were remarkable for.— ^Nothing is more contagious 

 than the Spirit of Intereft, and nothing more capable of alter- 

 ing the Manners of a People. 



Winter is the Seafon for hunting the Bear : Then thefe Ani- 

 Bear is Rx are hid in hollow Trees ; or if they £nd 



Months Without ^"^ blown down, they fhelter thenifelves un- 



on js n}ji ou ^1^^ Roots of them, and ftop up the En* 



trance with Branches of Pine, fo that they 

 are perfeélîy fcreened from the Rigour of the Seafon ; otherwife, 

 they make a Hole in the Earth, and take great Care, when they 

 are in, to ftop up the Opening. Some have been found at the 

 Bottom of a Cavern, hid in fuch a Manner as not to be per- 

 ceived, though looked very narrowly for. But in what Manner 

 foever the Bear is lodged^ he never leaves his Retreat for the 

 whole V/inter: This is no longer doubted of. It is as certain that 

 he never makes any Provifion for the Winter, and of Confe- 

 quence, that during all that Time he never eats or drinks : As 

 to his living aU this Time by fucking his Paws, as fome Authors 

 have affirmed, every one is allowed to believe what he pleafes : 

 But this is certain, that they have been kept chained up during 



the 



