Travels in Norih America, 207 



This Ceremony is properly a military Feall. The V/ arriors 

 rs r ' ' r Adors, and one would fay, that it 



D^crtption of inftituted only to give them an Opportu- 

 tms Dance. ^1^^^ publilhing their great Atchievements 



in War. I am not the Author of this Opinion, v/hich does not 

 agree well with their's, who have maintained that the Calumet 

 took its Origin from the Caduceus of Mercury, and that in its 

 Inftitution it was eHeemed as a Symbol of Peace. All thofe I 

 faw dance, fing, lhake the Chichicoue, and beat the Drum, were 

 young People equipped, as when they prepare for the March i 

 they had painted their Faces with all Sorts of Colours, their 

 Heads were adorned with Feathers, and they held fome in their 

 Hands like Fans. The Calumet was alfo adorned with Fea- 

 thers, and was fet up in the moft confpicuous Place. The Band 

 of Mufic, and the Dancers were round about it, the Spefiators 

 divided here and there in little Companies, the Women fe- 

 parate from the Men, all feated on the Ground, and drefTed 

 in their fineft Robes, which at fome Diftance made a pretty 

 Shew. 



Between the Mufic and the Commandant, who fat before the 

 Door of his Lodging, they had fet up a Poll, on which at the 

 End of every Dance a Warrior came and gave a Stroke with 

 his Hatchet ; at this Signal there was a great Silence, and this 

 Man repeated with a loud Voice, fome of his great Feats ; and 

 then received the Applaufes of the Spedlators, and after went to 

 to his Place, and the Sport began again, Thislafced two Hour^ 

 for each of the Nations ; and I acknowledge to You, Madam, 

 that I took no great Pleafure in it, not only on Account of th« 

 fame Tone, and the Unpleafantnefs of the' Mufic, but becaufe 

 all the Dances confilled in Contoriions, v/hich feemed to me ta 

 cxprefs nothing, and were no Way entertaining. 



This Feaft was made in Honour of the new Commandant ; 

 yet they did him none of the Honours which ^ are mentioned ia 

 fome Relations . They did not take him and place him on a new 

 Mat ; they made him no Prefent, at leaft that I know of ; they 

 did not pafs any Feathers over his Head ; I did not fee the Calu« 

 met prefented to him ; and there were no Men quite naked, 

 painted all over their Bodies, adorned with Plumes of Feathers, 

 aad Beads, and holding a Calumet in their Hands. Perhaps it 

 is not the Cuflom of thefe People, or IVL de Montigny had ex- 

 empted them from thefe Ceremonies. I obferved only, that 

 from Time to Time all the AfTembly fet up great Shouts to 

 applaud the Dancers, chiefly during the dancing of the Otchagras^ 

 who, in the. Opinion of the French^ bore awa/ all the Honour of 

 the Day. 



Ifliould 



