I 



Travels in North America. 135 



C€rn ; or when they ftrive to gain the Good-will of thofe with 

 whom they treat ; and from thence comes the Care they take to 

 give more Ornament to the Prefects they make. For the reil, 

 they fay that the Calumet was given by the Sun to the Panisy 

 2L Nation fettled upon the Borders of the Miffouri, and which ex- 

 tends much towards iWw Mexico. But thefe Savages have pro- 

 bably done like many other People, they have pretended fome- 

 thing marvellous, to make a Cuftom eileemed, of which they 

 were the Authors ; and all that we can conclude from this Tradi^ 

 tion is that the Pants were the moft antient Worfhippers of the 

 Sun, or were more diftinguifhed in their Way of Worfhip of it, 

 than the other Nations of this part of the Continent of Ameri-» 

 cas, and that they were the firft who thought of making the Ca« 

 lumet a Symbol of Alliance. In fiiort if the Calumet was in 

 in its Inftitution, the Caduceus of Mercury^ it would be employ- 

 ed only for Peace, or for Trade ; but it is certain that it is ufed 

 in Treaties which concern War. Thefe Reflexions, Madam, ap- 

 peared neceffary to me, to give you a perfeél Knowledge of what 

 concerns the War of the Savages, which I fhall entertain you 

 with in my Letters, till I have entirely exhaufled this Subjed ; 

 if they are Digreffions they are not quite foreign to my Subjeft* 

 Befides, a Traveller endeavours to place in the bell Order he 

 can, whatever he learns on his Route. 



lam, &c. 



LETTER Xni. 



J Defcrtption of the Country from Famine là ay y to the Ri^er of Sa-, 

 BLES. Moti<ves of the Wars of the Savages* Departure of the War^ 

 riorsy and njohat preceeds their Departure, Their FarenjoelL Their 

 Arms Offenf^e and Defenjlue* The Care they take to carry uoitb 

 them their Tutelar Deities. Particulars of the Country up to 

 Niagara. 



Madam, River of Sables, 19, 



I AM again detained here by a contrary Wind, which arofe 

 the Moment that we were in the faireft Way to proceed. It 

 alfo furprifed us fo fuddenly, that we Ihould have been in a bad 

 Contlition if we had not very luckily met with this little River 

 to Ihelter us. You muft allow, Madam, that there are many 

 Difficulties and Inconveniencies to get over in a Journey like 

 this. It is very melancholy to travel fometimes two hundred 

 Leagues without finding a Houfe, or meeting a Man 5 not to be 



able 



