256 An Hijîorical Journal of 



been wrecked ; of a Dog, from which they find it hard to de- 

 fend themfelves ; of a Place of Torment, where they expiate 

 their Faults ; of another, where the Souls are tormented of the 

 Prifoners of War that have been burnt. 



This Notion is the Reafon why, after the Death of thefe 

 Wretches, for Fear their Souls fhould ftay about the Cabins, to 

 revenge their Sufferings, they very carefully vifit all Places, 

 flriking continually with a Stick, and fending forth hideous Cries, 

 to drive away thefe Souls. 



The Iroquois fay, that Atahentsic makes her ordinary Re- 

 lidence in this Tartarus, and that fhc is folely employed in de- 

 ceiving Souls, to deftroy them. But Jouskeka omits nothing 

 to defend them againft the evil Defigns of his Grandmother. 

 Among the fabulous Stories which they tell of what paffes in 

 this Hell, v/hich fo much refembles thofe of Homer and Virgil, 

 there is one that feems to be copied from the Adventure of Or- 

 fheus and Eurydice, There is fcarce any Thing in it to change 

 but the Names. 



For the reft, Madam, the Happinefs which the Savages hope 

 Honjj the tre ^^PY their fancied Elijium, they do 



jey pre- j^Qi^^çr^ivà. precifely as the Reward of Vir- 

 tend to ment eter- ^ Vp i, u j nr ^ 1 



nal Hattinefs ^ nave been a good Hunter, a gal- 



na app js. j^^^^ Warrior, fortunate in all his Enter- 

 prizes, to have killed and burnt a great Number of Enemies ; 

 thefe are the only Titles which give them a Right to their Pa- 

 radife : All the Happinefs of which confifts in finding a hunt- 

 ing and fifhing Place that never fails, an eternal Spring, great 

 Plenty of all Things, without being obliged to labour, and all 

 the Pleafures of Senfe : And this is all they afk of their Gods 

 in their Life. All their Songs, which are originally their Prayers, 

 run only on the prefent Good. There is no Mention made, 

 no more than in their Vows, of a future Life. They think 

 themfelves fure of being happy in the other World, in Propor- 

 tion to what they have been in this. 



The Souls of Beafts have alfo their Place in the Country of 

 Of the Souls of ^^"^^ ^ ^^^^ according to the Savages, they 

 / ou s J l^^g immortal than our's. They alfo 



^' allow them a Sort of Reafon ; and not only 



each Species, but alfo each Animal, if we may believe them, has 

 alfo its Guardian Genius. In a Word, they make no Difference 

 between us and Brutes, but that our Souls are fomething of a 

 better Sort^ Man, they fay, is the King of Animals, which 

 have all the fame Attributes ; but Man poifefTes them in a much 

 higher Degree. They believe alfo that in the other World there 

 are Models of all Sorts of Souls 5 but they don't trouble them-r 



felves 



