252 An Hijî or ical Journal of 



Men ; perhaps, becaufe they do not find them fo much Employ- 

 ment. 



They make to all thefe Spirits different Sorts of Offerings; which 

 <? ^ // y^^ pleafe, Sacrifices. They 



Sa^afs''' ^^^?'^ ^''^'^ ^^^^^ 



âges» Tobacco, or Birds that have had their Throats 



cut, to render the God of the Waters propitious to them. In 



Honourof the Sun, andfometimes alfo of the inferior Spirits, they 



throw into the Fire Part of every Thing they ufe, and which they 



acknowledge to held from them. It is fometimesout of Gratitude, 



but oftener through Intereii : Tiieir Acknowledgment alfo is in- 



terelled ; for thefe People have no Sentiments of the Heart towards 



their Deities. We haveobferved alfo on fome Occafions aKind of 



Libations, and all this is accompanied with' Invocations iu 



myfcerious Terms, which the Savages could never explain to 



the Europeans, either that in Fa6l they have no Meaning, or that 



the Senfe of them has not been tranfmitted by Tradition 



with the Words ; perhaps alfo they keep it as a Secret from 



us. 



We find alfo Collars of Porcelain, Tobacco, Ears of Maiz, 

 Skins, and whole Animals, efpecially Dogs, on the Sides of 

 difficult and dangerous Ways, on Rocks, or by the Side of the 

 Faîis ; and thefe are fo many Offerings made to the Spirits which 

 prefide in thefe Places. I have already faid that a Dog is the 

 mofc common Vidim that they facrifice to them : Sometimes they 

 hang him up alive on a Tree by the hind Feet, and let him 

 die there raving mad. The "War Feaft, which is always of 

 Dogs, may very v/ell alfo pafs for a Sacrifice. In fhcrt, they 

 render much the fame Honours to the mifchievous Spirits, as to,, 

 thofe that are benefcent, when they have any Thing to fear 

 from their Malice. 



Thus, Madam, among thefe People, whom fom.e have repre- 

 Qffi p^n. fented as having no Idea of Religion, or a 

 y/ ^y^-f- Deity, almoU every Thing appears to be the 

 Objeft of a Religious Worlliip, or at leaft to have fome Relation 

 to it. Some have f^mcled that their Fafts were only intended to ac- 

 cuftorn them to bear Hunger, and I agree that they may be partly 

 defignedfor this End ; but all the Circumftances v/hich accompany 

 them, leave no Room to doubt that Religion is the principal 

 Motive; was it only their Attention, which I have fpoken of, to 

 obferve their Dreams during that Time; for it is certain that thefe 

 Dreams are efieemed as real Oracles, and Notices from Heaven. 

 There is ilili lefs Room to doubt that Vows are among thefe 

 y People pure Ads of Religion, and the Cuftom 



/ yo^vs. ^^^^ abfolutely the fame as with us. For 



Inftance, when they are out of Provifions, as it often happens ir/ 



their 



