Travels in North America^ 1 3 '1 



It appears. Madam, that in thefe Soùgs they invoke the God 

 Of the God o'^ War, whom the Hurens call , jrejkoui ; an<i 

 "^^ ^ the Iroquois call him Agrejkoue, " I know not 

 what Name they give him in the Algonquin 

 Language. But is it not fomething ilraage that in the Greek^^ oxài. 

 Ares, who is the Mars^ or the God of War, in all the Countries 

 where they have followed the Theology of îîomer^ we find the 

 Root from which feveral Terms oi the Huron and Iroquois Lan- 

 guage feem to have been derived, which relate to War ? Aregoueji 

 lignifies to make War, and is thus declined ; Garego^ I make 

 War; •î^r^^^, thou makeH War; Arego^ he makes War. For the 

 reft, Arejkoui is not only the Mars of thefe People ; he is alfo their 

 cK^ef God ; or, as they exprefa it, the Great Spirit^ the Creator 

 and Maftirr of the World, the Genius who governs every Thing : 

 But it is chiefly for Military Expeditions that they invoke him ; 

 as if the Attribute which does him the moft Honour, was that of 

 the God of Hojîs : His Name is the War-Cry before the Battle, and 

 in the Height of the Engagement : Upon the March alfo they 

 often repeat it, by Way of Encouragement to each other, and to 

 implore his Afliftance. 



To take up the Hatchet, is to declare War ; Every private 

 Of the Déclara ^^^'^'^^ a Right to do it, without any one 

 'on of War " having a Power to hinder him; unlefs it be 

 tion Of ar. among the Hurons and the Iroquois^ with whom 



the Mothers of Families can declare or forbid War when they 

 pleafe» We fhall fee, in its proper Place, how far their Authority 

 extends in thefe Nations. But if a Matron wouid engage one who 

 has no Dependence on her, to make a Party of War, either to 

 appeafe the Manes of her Hufband, of her Son, or of a near 

 Relation, or to get Prifoners to fupply the Places of thofe in her 

 Cabin whom Death or Captivity have deprived her of, fhe is 

 obliged to make him a Prefentof a Collaror Necklace of Shells;^ 

 and it is very feldom that fuch an Livitation is without, Effeil.. 

 "i^nieir tKF B ufô a War in all the Forms between 



two or more Nations, the Manner of expreHing it is, to ha?tg the 

 Kettle upon the Fire ; and it has its Origin, without Doubt, from 

 the barbarous Cuftom of eating the Prifoners, and thofe that^ 

 were killed, after they had boiled them. They fay alfo in direél " 

 Words, that they are going to ^12/^ Nation ; to fignify, that they will 

 make a cruel War againft it ; and it feldom happens oth^i-wife. 

 When they would engage an Ally in a Quarrel, they îp\à him a 

 Porcelain ; that is to Jay, a great Shell, to invite him t6 drink the 

 Blood, or (according to the Meaning of the Terms they isfe) the 

 Broth of the Flefh of their Enenries. After all, this Caftom 

 may be very antient ; but it does not follow from hence, that 

 thefe People were always Man-Eaters : It was perhaps, in the 



