travels in North America. • 57 



he Winter, without having any Thing given them to eat or to 

 drink, and at the End of fix Months they were as fat as before. 

 It is without Doubt furprizing that a Creature cloathed with fuch 

 a good Fur, and who has not the Appearance of being very ten- 

 der, fhouid take fuch Precautions againft the Cold, which no 

 one elfe would think there was any Need of. This fhews we 

 muft not judge by Appearances : Every one beft knows his own 

 Wants. 



There is no Need of running much to catch the Bear : 

 ^ It is only neceffary to know the Places 



The Manner ùf ^^^^^^ ^^^^^^ Number is hid. As foon 



hunting the Bear. Hunters think they have found fuch a 



Place, they form a Circle of a Quarter of a League in Circum- 

 ference, or more or lefs, according to the Number of Hunters : 

 Then they advance, coming ftill clofer and clofer together ; and 

 every one looks before him, to find Out the Retreat of fome 

 Bear ; fo that if there is any, it is difficult for one to efcape, for 

 our Savages are excellent Ferrets. The next Day the fame Ma- 

 nœuvre begins again at fome Diftance from thence, and all thé 

 Time of thq Chace is employed in this Manner. 



When a Bear is killed, the Hunter puts the End of his 



J J r lighted Pipe between his Teeth, blows into 



remon^hma ^^"^^ ' ^^"^^ .^^^'"S t^e Mouth and 



remofiy '^^^ ^ Throat of the Beaft with Smoak, he conjures 

 J^ear zs killed. .^^ ^p.^.^ ^^^^ Malice for what he has 

 juft done to the Body, and not to oppofe him in his future 

 Huntings : But as the Spirit does not anfwer, the Hunter (to 

 know if his Prayer is granted) cuts the String under the Bear's 

 Tongue, and keeps it till he returns to the Village : Then they 

 all throw, with great Ceremony, and after many Invocations, 

 thefe Strings into the Fire : If they crackle, and fhrink up, as 

 feldom fails to happen, this is taken for a certain Sign that the 

 Spirit of the Bear is appeafed ; if not, they believe they are en- 

 raged, and that the Chace of next Year will not be fuccefsful, 

 unlefs they can find a Way to reconcile them ; for, in ihort, there 

 is a Remedy for every Thing. 



The Hunters make good Cheer, as long as the Chace lalls ; 

 Ho^ the Hun ' ^^^^ they have but little Succefs, they 

 ters 17e recli^edlf "^^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^ enough to treat their , 

 their Return Friends, and reed their Families a long Time. 



This Flefti is in Reality no great Ragout, 

 but every Thing is good to the Savages. To fee how they are 

 received, the Praifes they give them, the pleafed and felf-fufE- 

 cient Airs they take upon themfelves, one would fay they were 

 returning from fome grand Expedition, loaded with the Spoils of 

 a whole Nation deftroyed. The People of the Village fay, h 



