"Travels in North Âinerica. 177 



ît happens fometlmes that thefe Parties of Play are made by 



- ^. . Oider of the Phylician, or at the Requeil of 



SuperfiittousUfe g.^j.^ ^j^^^^ ^^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^ 



this ^cime for ^m^oit than a Dream of one or the other. 

 iheCureofD^jh7n^ This Dre^^ 43 always taken for the Order of 

 P^^^' fome Spirit ; and then they prepare them- 



felves for Play with a great deal of Care. Théy affemble for feve- 

 ral Nights to try, and to fee who has the luckieft Hand. They 

 confult their G enii, they fa ft, the married Perfons obferve Con* 

 tinence ; and all to obtain a favourable Dream. Every Morn- 

 ing they relate what Dreams they have had, and of all the 

 Things they have dreamt of, which they think lucky 5 and they 

 inake a Colieftion of all, and put them into little Bags which they 

 carry about with them ; and if any one has the Reputation of 

 being lucky, that is^ in the Opinion of thefe People, of having a 

 familiar Spirit more powerful, or more inclined to do Good, 

 they never fail to make him keep near him who holds the Dilh : 

 They even go a great Way fometimes to fetch him ; and if 

 through Age, or any Infirmity, he cannot walk, they will carry 

 him on their Shoulders. 



They have often prefTed the Miffionaries to be prefent at thefe 

 Games, as they believe their Guardian Genii are the moft 

 powerful. It happened one Day in a Huron Village, that afick 

 Perfon having fent for a Juggler, this Quack prefcribed the 

 Game of /i'f T>ipy and appointed a Village at fome DiHance 

 from the fick Perfon's, to play at. She immediatelyfent to afk 

 Leave of the Chief of the Village : It was granted : They 

 played ; and when they had done playing, the lick Perfon gav(^ 

 a great many Thanks to the Players for having cured her, as Ihe 

 faid. But there was nothing of Truth in all this : On the con- 

 trary, fhe was worfe ; but one muft always appear fatisfied, 

 even when there is the leaft Caufe to be fo. 



The ill Humour of this Woman and her Relations fell upon 

 the Miffionaries, who had refufed to affift at the Game, notwith- 

 ftanding all the Importunities they ufed tO engage them : And 

 in their Anger for the little Complaifance they ftiewed on this 

 Occafion, they told them, by Way of Reproach, that fince their 

 Arrival in this Country, the Genii of the Savages had loft their 

 Power. Thefe Fathers did not fail to take Advantage of this 

 Confeffion, to make thefe Infidels fenfible of the Weaknefs of 

 their Deities, and of the Superiority of the God of the Chrif" 

 tians. But befides that on thefe Occafions it is rare that they 

 are well enough difpofed to hear Reafon, thefe Barbarians re- 

 ply coldly, ** You have your Gods, and we have our's : 'Tis a 

 ^* Misfortune for us that they are not fo powerful a^your's." 



A a The 



