Travels in ISlorth America. 137 



So that there is no depending upon Peace being folidly efcablifh* 

 ed betweeh two Nations which have been Enemies a long Time. 

 On the other Hand, the Defire of fupplying the Place of the 

 Dead by Prifoners, or of appealing their Spirits, the Whim of 

 a private Perfon, a Dream that he explains his own Way, and 

 other Reafons or Pretences as frivolous, are the Caufes that we 

 often fee a Troop of Adventurers fet out for War, who thought 

 of nothing lefs the Day before. 



It is true that thefe little Expeditions, without the Confent of 

 the Council, are commonly of no great Confequence, and as 

 they require no great Preparations, little Notice is taken of 

 them; and generally fpeaking, they are not much difpleafed to 

 fee the young People thus exercife themfelves, and they muit 

 have very good Reafons who would oppofe it. Authority is fel- 

 dom employed for this Purpofe, becaufe every one is Mafter of 

 his own Condud. But they endeavour to intimidate fome by 

 falfe Reports, which they give out; they folicit others un- 

 der-hand, they engage the Chiefs by Prefents to break the Par* 

 ty, which is very eafy ; for to this Purpofe there needs only 

 a true Dream or a feigned one. In fome Nations the lail Re- 

 fource is to apply to the Matrons, and this is almoll always ef» 

 feélual ; but they never have Recourfe to this but when the Af- 

 fair is of great Confequence. 



A War which concerns all the Nation is not concluded on fo 



rrj T^jT J eafily : They weigh with a great deal of 

 The Manner hoiv i ^ i ' r • • j aj 



a War is refolded hought the Inconveniencies and the Ad» 

 . vantages of it; and Vv^hilil they deliberate, 



they are extremely careful to avoid every 

 Thing that would give the Enemy the leaft Caufe to fufpect that 

 they intend to break with them. War being refolved on^ they 

 dire6lly confider of the Proviiions and the Equipage of the 

 Warriors, and this does not require much Time. The DanceS;^ 

 Songs, Feafts, a,nd fome fuperfritious Ceremonies, v/hich vary 

 much, according to the different Nations, require much more* 

 He who is to command does not think of railing Soldiers till 

 The Prêta failed feveral Days, during which he 



/^^7 ni ' r is fmeared with black, has fcarce any Con- 

 tions of the Chief, - r - -.-l • i -r**^ \ 



verlation with any one, invokes Day and 



Night his tutelar Spirit, and above all, is very careful taobferve 

 his Dreams. Being fully perluaded, according to the prefumptuous 

 Nature of thefe Savages, that he is going to obtain a Vidory, 

 he feldom fails of having Dreams according to his Willies. The 

 Fall being over, he afîembles his Friends, and with a Collar of 



