travels in North America. 23c 



even fay, that this additional Weight is an Eafemcnt that renders 

 the reft lighter. 



Nothing can be neater than thefe Cradles : The Child lies 

 very conveniently, and very eafy in them ; but it is bound only 

 as high as the Waift ; fo that when the Cradle is upright, thefe 

 little Creatures have their Heads and half their Bodies hanging 

 down. In Europe they would fancy that a Child that was left in 

 this Condition, would grow quite deformed ; but it happens di- 

 reétly contrary : This renders their Bodies fupple ; and they are 

 all, in Fad, of a Stature and Port, that the beft fhaped among 

 us would envy. What can we fay againft fjch a general Expe- 

 rience ? But what I am going to mention, cannot be foeafily 

 juftified. 



There are on this Continent fome Nations which they call 

 The ridiculous -^^^ Headsy which have in Fa6t their Foreheads 

 ^e ri ÎCU OUS very flat, and the Top of their Heads fome- 

 Uapes ^^hub/ome ^j^./ ^^^^^^^ f j^.^ ^^^^ ^j.^^ 



gj^^e^tot^:rChtl^ Work of Nature; it is the Mothers who 

 give it their Children as fooa as they are 

 born. For this End, they apply to their Foreheads, and the 

 back Fart of their Heads, two Maffes of Ciay, or of fome other 

 heavy Matter, which they bind by little and little, till the Skull 

 has taken the Shape they defire to give it. It appears that this 

 Operation is very painful to the Children, whofe Noilrils fhed 

 a whitilh Matter, pretty thick. But neither this Circumilance, 

 nor the Cries of thefe little Innocents, alarm their Mothers, jea- 

 lous of procuring them a handfome Appearance, without which 

 they can't conceive how others can be fatisiied. It is quite, the 

 reverfe with certain Algonquins amongft us, named Round Hekds^ 

 or Bd-lvI Heads ^ whom I have mentioned before ; for they Fdake 

 their Beauty conûft in having their Heads perfedly round, and 

 Mothers take Care alfo very early to give them this Shape. 



I would willingly. Madam, take Advantage of the Leifare I 

 have in this Place, and which perhaps will be longer than I de- 

 lire, to finiih what I have to fay to you on this Subjed ; but" 

 fome Troubles which have happened to me, and the approaching 

 Departure of a Traveller, who is returning to the Colony, oblige 

 me to interrupt this Recital, which I ûiall refume the firft Oppor- 

 tunity. 



LETTER 



