Travels in North America. 219 



6ur moft elTential Duties. And what demonftrates more evi- 

 dently th^ Advantages of the Chrîjîian Religion, is, that it has 

 frroduced in the Hearts of thefe Barbarians, in all thefe Re- 

 {ftdi$y 2k Change which appears wonderful. 

 But if the Savages know not how to tafte the Sweets of 



Particular Friends ^ ^^''^ fT^'f 



^70 Ufelumels. Jivery one amono-ft them has a 



i ^ ^ l^nend nearly of his own Age, between 



^ ' whom there is a mutual Engagement, which 



is indiflblublc. Two Men thus united for their common In- 

 tereft, are obliged to do every Thing, and to run all Hazards to 

 affift and fuccour each other. Death itfelf, as they believe, fepa- 

 rates them only for a Time : They depend on meeting agaii) in 

 the other World, never to part more, being perfuaded that they 

 ftiall ftill want each other's Affiftance. 



I have heard it reported, on this Occafion, that a Chriftîan Sa^ 

 vage, but one who did not purfue the Maxims of the Gofpel, 

 being threatened with Hell by a Jefuit^ afked this Miffionary, if 

 he thought his Friend, who was lately dead, was gone to that 

 Place of Punilhment ? The Father replied, that he had Reafon 

 to judge that he had found Mercy with God. I <vjon't go to 

 Hell neither faid the Savage ; and this Motive engaged him 

 to do all we required, that is to fay, that he was as willing to go 

 to Hell as to Heaven, to meet with his Companion : But God 

 makes Ufe of all Means to fave his Eled. They add, that 

 thefe Friends, when they are at a Diflance from each other, ufe 

 mutual Invocations in any Dangers they meet with ; which is to 

 be underftood, without Doubt, of their Guardian Deities. Thefe 

 AfTociations are bound by Prefents, and ftrengthened by Intereft 

 and Neceffity. This is a Support on which they can almoft al- 

 ways depend. Some report, that there is fomething unnatural 

 in thefe AfTociations ; but I have Reafon to believe at leaft it is 

 not general. 



The Colour of the Savages does not prove a third Species be- 



cTL n 1 ^ tweentheWhite and the Black, as fome People 

 V be Colour of . . . , mi. r j 



the Sa have imagined. They are very Iwarthy, and 



'vages. ^ dirty dark Red, which appears more in 



Florida, of which Louijiana is a Part : But this is not their natu- 

 ral Complexion. The frequent Fri étions they ufe, gives them 

 this Red ; and it is furprifmg that they are not blacker, being 

 continually expofed to the Smoke in Winter, to the great Heats 

 of the Sun in Summer, and in all Seafons to all the Inclemen- 

 cies of the Air, 



F f 2 



It 



