210 An Hijiorical Journal of 



This makes their Feafts very tirefome to an European after he 

 has feen them once, becaufe they laft a long Time, and you hear 

 always the fame Thing. 



As the Nations near the Bay, if we except the Pouieoutamis, are 

 much more rude and ignorant than the others, they are alfo 

 more given to Superftition. The Sun and Thunder are 

 their principal Deities, and they feem to be more ftrongly per- 

 fuaded than thofe we are converfant with, that every Species 

 of Animals has a Guardian Genius, who watches for its 

 Prefervation. A Frejtchman having one Day thrown away a 

 Moufe he had juil catched, a little Girl took it up to eat it: The 

 Father of the Child, who faw it, fnatched it from her, and began 

 to make great Carefles to the dead Animal. The Frenchma?i 

 afked him the Reafon, he replied, // is to appeafe the Genius 

 of the Mice y that he may not torment my D aught sr^ after Jhe has 

 eaten this.^^ After which he returned the Animal to the Child, 

 who eat it. 



They have above all much Veneration for Bears : As foon 

 as they have killed one, they have a Feaft, accompanied with 

 fome odd Ceremonies. The Head of the Bear, painted with 

 all Sorts of Colours, is placed during the Repaft on an elevated 

 Place, and there receives the Homage of all the Guefts, who 

 celebrate by Songs the Praifes of the Animal, while they cut his 

 Body in Pieces, and fead upon it, Thefe Savages have not 

 only, like the reft, the Cuftom of preparing themfelves for their 

 great Hunting Matches by Fafting, which Ùïq Out agamis extend 

 even to ten Days together, but alfo, while the Hunters are 

 in the Field, they often oblige their Children to fall. They 

 obferve their Dreams while they faft, and draw from thence 

 good and ill Prefaces of the Succefs of the Chace. The In- 

 tention of thefe Falls is to appeafe the Guardian Genii of the 

 Animals which they are to hunt; and they pretend that they in- 

 form them by Dreams, whether they will hinder or favour the 

 Hunters. 



The Nation which for twenty Years laft has been the moft 

 talked of in thefe weflern Parts, is the Outagamis, The natu- 

 ral Fiercenefs of thefe Savages, four'd by the ill Treatment 

 they have feveral Times met with, fometimes without Caufe, 

 and their Alliance with the Iroquois, who are always difpofed to 

 create us new Enemies, have rendered them formidable. They 

 have fmce made a flriél: Alliance with the Sioux, a numerous 

 Nation, which has inured itfelf to War by Degrees ; and this 

 Union has rendered all the Navigation of the upper Part of the 

 Mfpjpppi almoft impraticable to us. It is not quite fafe to na- 

 vigate the River of the Illimis, unlefs we are in a Condition to 



prevent 



