Travels in North Ameftca. lîl 



tin It, unlefs Tome particular Reafons make them fubftitufe 

 others. 



Thus the Huron Nation is the Nation of the Porcupine, Its 

 iîrfi: Tribe bears the Name of the Bear, or of the Roc^Buck. Au- 

 thors diiFer about this. The two others have taken for their 

 Animals, the ?Foîf and the Tortoife. In fhort, each Village has 

 alfo its own Animal ; and probably it is this Variety which has 

 occalioned fo many Miilakes in the Authors of Relations. Fur- 

 thermore, it is proper to obferve, that befides thefe Diilin6lions 

 of Nations, Tribes, and Villages, by Animals, there are yet 

 others which are founded upon fome Cuftom, or on fome 

 particular Event. For Inftance, the Tto?inontatex Huronsy wha 

 are of the érft Tribe, commonly call themfelves the Nation of 

 tobacco -y *and we have a Treaty, in which thefe Savages, who 

 were then at MichilUmakinac, have put for tiieir Mark the Figure 

 of a Beaver. 



The Iroquois Nation have the fame Animals as the Huron, of 

 Ohfer^ation on ^^^^^ appears to be a Colony ; yet with 

 the Nams ^of The ^^^^ Difference, that the Family of the Tor- 

 Chieù^ ^ ^^^^^ divided into two, which they call the 



' great and the little Tortoife, The Chief of 



each Family bears the Name of it, and in public Tranfadions 

 they never give him any other. It is the fame in Refped: to the 

 Chief of the Nation, and of each Village. But befides this 

 Name, which is, as I may fay, only a Reprefentation, they have 

 another which dillinguilhes them more particularly, and which 

 is, as it were, a Title of Honour. Thus one is called the moft 

 mhky another the moji antient, &c. Lallly, they have a third 

 Name which is perfonal ; but I am apt to think that this is only 

 ufed among the Nations, where the Rank of Chief is hereditary. 

 The conferring or giving thefe Titles, is always performed 

 with great Ceremony. The new Chief, or if he is too young, 

 he who reprefents him, muft make a Feafl and give Prefents, 

 fpeak the Elogium of his Predecefîbr, and fmg his Song. But 

 there are fome perfonal Nam.es fo famous, that no one dares to 

 affume them ; or which, at leaft, remain a long Time before 

 they are re-alTumed : When they do it, they call it, railing from 

 the Dead the Ferfon who formerly had that Name. 



In the North, and in all Places where the Algonquin Language 

 Of the Succef P^^^ails, the Dignity of Chief is eleftive ; 

 Ron and of ûe' ^ Ceremony of the Eleélion and In- 

 EleSîion of the lallation conlifts in Feafls, accompanied with 

 Ch^efs^ ^ Dances and Songs. The Chief eleded 

 never fails to make the Panegyrick of him 

 whofe Place he takes, and to invoke his Genius. Amongft the 

 Huronsy where this Dignity is hereditary, the Succcflion is con^ 



tinued 



