Travels in North America. 239 



ftaiice: Thi^ is being reduced to what is juft fofficient to keep 

 them from ftarving. I ftill find it harder to conceive, which yet 

 I have heard affirmed by Perfons of Credit, that fome Savages 

 eat by Way of Dainty a Sort of Maiz, which they leave to rot in 

 a {landing Water, as we do Hemp, and they take it out all black 

 and (linking. They add alfo, that tliofe who have a Liking to 

 fuch a ftrange Mefs as this is, will not lofe any of the Water, or 

 rather Mud, that drops from it, the Smell of which alone would 

 make the Heart heave of any other People. It was probably 

 Neceffity that difcovered this Secret, and if this does not giv© 

 it all its Relifh, nothing proves more clearly that there is no 

 difputing about Taftes. 



The Savage Women make Bread of Maiz, and tho' it is only 

 L J r ^ Mefs of Pafteill wrought, without Leaven, 

 AM and baked under the Alhes, thefe People 



thematic. find it very good, and treat their Friends 



with it ; but it muft not be eaten hot : It is never kept when it 

 is cold. Sometimes they mix with it Beans, various Fruits, 

 Oil, and Greafe. They muft have good Stomachs that can 

 digeft fuch Hotch-potch. 



The Sun-Flowers only ferve the Savages for an Oil, which 

 . ^ they rub themfelves with. They eet it more 

 Various Roots ^^^^ Seed than' from the 



&c. and their Uje. ^^^^ ^^^^ p^^^^^ ^-^.^ ^^^^ j.^.^^^ 



little from a Sort of Potatoes, which we call in France T rpi- 

 nambours. The Potatoes which are fo common in the Weft -Indian 

 Illands, and in the Continent of South America^ have been 

 planted with Succefs in Louiftana, The continual Ufe which all 

 the Nations of Canada made of a Sort of Fetun, or wild To- 

 bacco, which grows every wheie in this Country, have made 

 fome Travellers fay that they fwallowed the Smoke, and that it 

 ferved them for Food ; but this is not found true, and was 

 founded only on obferving them often rem.ain a long Time with- 

 out eating. Since they have tailed our Tobacco, they can 

 fcarcely bear their Fetun^ and it is very eafy to fatisfy them on 

 this Head, for Tobacco grows very well here ; and they fay 

 alfo, that by chufing proper Soils, we nîiight have a moft-^xcellent 

 Sort. 



The little Works of the Women, and which are their common 

 Works of the ^^P-^^X"^^^^ in' the Cabins, are to mak<? 

 / e '^pi^j.g^^ Qf ^i^ç inner Membranes of the Bark 



Women^ ^ ^ r^^^^^ ^^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^ ^^.^^ ^^^^^ 



and they work it pretty nearly as we do Hemp. The Women 

 alfo dye every Thing : They make alfo feveral Works with 

 Bark, on v^hich they work fmall Figures with Porcupines Hair ; 

 They make^ little Cups, ©r other Utenfils of Wood 5 they paint 



and 



