i38\ An Uiftorical Journal of 



one is not wiped away, his Body is not covered, and I wilf 

 acquit myfelf of this Duty towards him.'* He declares alfo 

 the other Motives which make him take Arms. Then he adds<^ 

 I am therefore refoved to go to fuch a Place, to pull off 

 Scalps^ or to make Prifoners ; or elfe I will eat fuch or fuch a 

 f Nation* If I perifh in this glorious Enterprize^ or if any of 

 *^ thofe who will accompany me fhonld lofe their Lives, this 

 Collar lhall ferve to receive us, that we may not continue to 

 lie in the Dull, or in the Dirt." By which is meant, probably, 

 that it fhall belong to him who fhall take Care to bury the dead« 

 In pronouncing thefe lail Words, he lays the Collar on the 

 Ground,' arid he who takes it up, declares himfelf by doing it his 

 Lieutenant ! Then he thanks him for the Zeal he fhews to re- 

 venge his Brother, or to fupport the Honour of his Nation. Af- 

 terwards they heat Water, they vvalhthe Face of the Chief, they 

 fet his Kair in Order, greafe it, and paint it. They alfo paint 

 his Face with various ColourSj and put on his finefi: Robe. Thus 

 adorned, he fings in a low Tone the Song of Death ; his Soldiers, 

 i/yaf is to fay^ all who have offered to accompany him, (for no 

 Perfon is conftrained to go) then fing out with a loud Voice, 

 one after another, their War-Song ; for every Man has his own, 

 which no other is allowed to ling. There are fome alfo peculiar 

 to each Family* 



After this Preliminary, which paffes in a remote Place, and 

 <ri T\ I t J.' often in a Stove, the Chief goes to communi- 

 tfthe Counrt ^ Project to the Council, which con- 



cj e ounc. . ^^-j^^ upon it without ever admitting to this 

 Confultation, the Author of the Enterprize. As foon as his 

 Project is accepted, he makes a Feall, of which the chief, and 

 fometimes the only Diih, mud be a Dog. Some pretend that 

 this Animal is offered to the God of War before it is put into 

 the Kettle, and perhaps this is the Cuftom among fome Na- 

 tions. For I muft inform you here. Madam, that what I 

 fliall fay to you on this Article, I do not warrant to be the ge- 

 neral Cuflom among all the Nations. But it appears certain, 

 that on the Occalion now mentioned, they make a great many 

 Invocations to all the Spirits good and evil, and above all to the 

 God of War. 



All this lafls many Days, or rather is repeated many Days 



TheMeaAtr sthe ^°g^^^^^ • '^"^ though all the People feem en- 

 je ea^tires .ey ^-^^i^ employed in thefe Feads, each Family 



Toners ^^^^^ ^^^^^ Meafures to have its Share of the 



-^^ Prifoners that fhall be made, in order to re- 



pair their Loffes, or to revenge their Slain. With this View 

 they make Prefents to the Chief, who, on his Side, gives his 

 Word and Pledges. In Cafe of Want of IJrifoners they aS Scalps, 



and 



