Tra'velsîn North America. 139 



m& this ÎS eafier to obtain. In fome Places, as among the Iro^ 

 ■ quoisj as foon as a military Expedition is refolved upon, they fet 

 on the Fire the Kettîe of War, and they give Notice to their 

 Allies to bring jfomething for it ; in doing which they declare 

 that they approve the Undertaking, and will go Part in it. 



All thofe who engage themfelves, give to the Chief, as 2 

 Sign of their Engagement, a Bit of Wood, with their Mark. 

 Whoever, after this, fhould go back from his Word, would run 

 a Rifque of his Life, at leaft h,e would be difgraced for ever. 

 The Party being form.ed, the War Chief prepares a new Feail, 

 to which all the Village muft be invited ; and before any Thing 

 is touched, he fays, or an Orator for him, and in his Name, *^ Bre- 

 thren, I know that I am not yet a Man, but you know^ ne- 

 *^ verthelefs, that I have feen the Enemy near enough. We have 

 *^ been ilain, the Bones of fuch and fuch a one remain yet unco- 

 < « vered, they cry out againll us, we muft fatisfy them : They were 

 ** Men ; l^0)v could we forget them fo foon, and remain fo long 

 quiet upt)n our Mats? In fhort, the Spirit that is interefted in 

 my Glory has infpired pie to revenge them. Young Men take 

 Courage, drefs your Hair, pdntyour Faces, fill your Quivers, 

 and make our Fprefts echo with your Songs of War; let us re- 

 *^ lieve the Cares of our dead, and inform them that they are 

 going to be revenged." 



After this Difcourfe, and the Applaufes that never fail^ to 

 e J T\ follow it, the Chief advances into the midft 

 ^ongs/indDan. Afiembly with his Fighting-Club or 



7f\h wtrZf' Head-breaker in his Hand, and fmgs ; all his 

 cj- e armors. Soldiers anfwer him finging, and fwear to 

 fupport him well, or to die in the Attempt. All this is ac- 

 companied with very expreffive Geftures, to make one underftand 

 ^ that they will not fly from the Enemy. But it is to be remarked, 

 that no Soldier drops any Expreffion that denotes the leaft De- 

 pendence. They only promife to a6l with a great deal of Union 

 and Harmony. On the other Hand, the Engagement they 

 take, requires great Returns from the Chiefs. For Inftance, 

 every Time that in the public Dances, a Savage, ftriking his 

 Hatchet upon a Poft fet up on Purpofe, puts the Afiembly in 

 Mind of his brave Aélio^is, as it always happens, the Chief un- 

 der whofe Condu6l he performed them, is obliged to make 

 him a Prefent; at leaft this is the Cuftom among fome Na- 

 tions.. 



The Songs are followed by Dances : Sometimes it is only walk-^ 

 cr-i TiT .7 r ins: with a proud Step, but keepins: Time; 

 Peotle ha^e of ^^her Times they have pretty lively Mo- 

 '^^^ tions, reprefenting the Operations of a Cam^ 



ourage, paign, and always keeping Time. At length 



Ù\t Feaft puts an End ta the Ceremony, The War-Chief is only 



T Z a Spec- 



