Travels in North America. 253 



their Journies and in their Huntings, they promife their Genii 

 to give in Honour of them, a Portion of the firft Beaft they fhall 

 kill to one of their Chiefs, and not to eat till they have perform- 

 ed their Promife. If the Thing becomes impoflible, becaufe the 

 Chief is at a great Diftance, they burn what was defigned for 

 him, and make a Sort of Sacrifice. 



Formerly the Savages in the Neighbourhood of Acadia 

 had in their Country, on the Side of the Sea, a very old 

 Tree, of which they ufed to tell many wonderful Stories, and 

 which was always loaded with Offerings. • The Sea having laid 

 all its Roots bare, it fupported itfelf ft ill a long Time againft 

 the Violence of the AVijids and Waves, which confirmed 

 the Savages in their Notion, that it was the Seat of fome great 

 Spirit : Its Fall was not even capable of undeceiving them, and 

 as long as there appeared fome Ends of the Branches out of the 

 Water, they paid it the fame Honours as the whole Tree had re- 

 ceived while it was ftanding. 

 Thegreateft Part of their Feafts, their Songs, and their Dances 

 cTL ' f appear to me to have had their Rife from 



I he Apmty of p^^i^ ^^^^ to preferve fome Traces 



, , «i> of It; but one muft have good Eyes, or ra- 



^ J^^^^* ther a very lively Imagination, to perceive 



in them all that fome Travellers have pretended to difcover. I 

 have met with fome who could not help thinking that our Sa- 

 vages were defcended from the Je^.vs, and found in every Thing 

 fome Affinity between thefe Barbarians and the People of God. 

 There is indeed a Refemblance in fome Things, as not to ufe 

 Knives in certain Meals, Sc not to break the Bones of the Beaft they 

 eat at thofe Times, and the Separation of the Women during the 

 Time of their ufual Infirmities. Some Perfons, they fay, have 

 heard them, or thought they heard them, pronounce the Word 

 Hallelujah in their Songs : But who can believe, that when 

 they pierce their Ears and Nofes, they do it in Purfuance of the 

 Law of Circumcifion ? On the other Hand, don't we know that 

 the Cuftom of Circumcifion is more antient than the Law that 

 was given to Abraham and his Pofterity ? The Feaft they make 

 at the Return of the Hunters, and of which they muft leave no- 

 thing, has alfo been taken fora Kind of Burnt- Offering, or for a 

 Remain of the Paftbver of the Ifraelites ; ajld the rather, they 

 fay, becaufe v/hen any one cannot compais his Portion, he may- 

 get the Afiiftance of his Neighbours, as was pradifed by the 

 People of God, when a Family was not fufticient to eat the whole 

 Pafchal Lamb. 



An antient Milfionary (a)^ vv^ho lived a long Time with the O//- 

 ^hnr Priefls taouais, h.2i^ written, that among thefe Savages 

 ^ar lej s. p^^^ performs the Office of a Prieft at 



fa J Father Claude Allouera, a Jefuit. 



the 



