272 



An Hîjîorical Journal of 



LETTER XXV. 



Departure from the Fort of the Ri^er St. Joseph, The S Sur ces of 

 IKI, What pajfej at the Death of the Salvages : Of 

 their Funerals ; of their Tombs ; of their Mourning ; of Widow- 

 hood ; of the Fejii'val of the Dead. 



Mad AM, From the Source of //^^ Theakiki, Sept. ij, 



I Did not expect to take up my Pen to write to you fo foon ; 

 but my Conductors have juft now broke their Canoe, and 

 here I am detained the whole Day in a Place where I can find 

 nothing that can excite the Curiofity of a Traveller ; therefore 

 I can do nothing better than employ my Time in entertaining 

 you. 



I think I informed you in my lalt, that I had the Choice of 

 two Ways to go to the Illinois : The firft was to return to Lake 

 Michigan, to coaft all the South Shore, and to enter into the lit- 

 tle River Chidagoif, After going up ic five or fix Leagues, they 

 pafs into that oi' the Illinois^ by the Means of two Portages, the 

 longefl of which is but a League and a Quarter. But as this 

 River is but a Brook in this Place, I was informed that at that 

 Time of the Year I fhould not find Water enough for my 

 Canoe ; therefore I took the other Route, which has alfo its In- 

 Conveniencies, and is not near fo pleafant, but it is the fureft. 



I departed Yelterday from the Fort of the River St, Jofsph^ 

 ^ and I went up that River about fix Leagues. 

 2.^trTr I laii^ed on the Right, and I walked a 



tort bt. jolepn. League ^nd a Quarter; at firlt by the Bank of 

 the River, then crofs the Country in a vaft Meadow, interfperfed 

 all over with little Clufters of Trees, that have a very fine Efreét. 

 They call it the Meadov/ de la T He de Bœuf (the Buffalo's Head) 

 becaufe they found here a Buffalo's Head of a monltrous Size. 



Why fhould there not be Giants among thefe Animals ? -I 



encamped in a very fine Place, which they call the Fort des Re- 

 nards y (of the Foxes J y becaufe the Renards ^ that is to say, 

 the Outagamis, had here, and not long fince, a Village fortified 

 after their Manner. 



TKis Morning I walked a League further in the Meadow, 

 having almoil all the Way my Feet in Water. Then I met with a 

 little Pool, which communicates with feveral others of different 

 Bignefs, the largeft of which is not one hundred Paces in Com- 

 pafs, Thefe are the Sources of a River called Theakikiy and 



which 



