282 An Hijîorical Journal of 



The Rain, and ftiil more a Speftacle, which filled me wîîh 

 2> r *L Horror, hindered me from making the Tour 



Reception of the ^^^^^ ^^^^^^ ^^^^ I hoped to dif^ 



Prtjoners among ^^^^^ ^ ^^^^^ Country. I perceived at the 

 ibe ILLINOIS. End, and juft above the Village, the Bodies of 

 two Savages that had been burnt a few Days before, and which 

 were abandoned according to Cuftom, to the Birds of Prey, in 

 the fame Pofture, in which they were executed. The Way of 

 burning the Prifoners among thefe fouthern Nations, is fome- 

 thing fingular ; and they have alfo fome Cuftoms different from 

 the others in their Manner of behaving towards thefe unhap- 

 py Wretches. 



When they have made a military Expedition, which has fuc- 

 ceeded, the Warriors order their March fo, that they never arrive 

 at the Village till Night. As foon as they are near it, they 

 halt ; and when it is Night, they depute two or three young 

 People to the Chief, to acquaint him with the principal Adven- 

 tures of the Campaign. Next Day, at the Appearance of the 

 Dawn they drefs their Prifoners in new Robes, adorn their Hair 

 with Down, paint their Faces with various Colours, and put a 

 white Stick in their Hands, which is fet round with the Tails of 

 Roe-Bucks. At the fame Time the War-Chief makes a Cry, 

 and all the Village affembles at the Water-fide, if they are near 

 a River. 



As foon as the Warriors appear, four young Men in their fineft 

 Drefs embark in 2iPettiaugre(a J, the two firft carry a Calumet, and 

 go finging all the Way, to fetch the Prifoners, which they bring as 

 in Triumph to the Cabin, where they are to be fentenced. The 

 Mafter of the Cabin, to whom it belongs to decide their Fate, firfi: 

 gives them fomething to eat, and during this Meal he holds a Coun- 

 cil. If they give his Life to any one, two young Men go and untie 

 him, take him each by one Hand and make him run full Speed 

 to the River, where they throw him in Headforemoft. They 

 throw themfelves in after him, wafh him well, and lead him to 

 the Perfon whofe Slave he is to be. 



As to thofe who are condemned to die, as foon as the Sentence 

 Their Manner of P^^^^^^^^^^j Cry is made to a/femble 

 7 . /^^^^^ V the Village; and the Execution is deferred, 

 turning them. ^^j^ .^^ ^.^^ tn^xx^\i to make the Prepara- 



tions for it. They begin by Gripping the Sufferer quite naked : 

 They fix in the Earth two Polls, to which they fatten two crofs 

 Pieces, one about two Feet from the Qround, and the other fix or 

 feven Feet higher, and this is what they call a Frame. They 



(a) This is a long Boat, made of the fingk Trunk of a Tree, 

 but few Canoes of Bark in thefe Faits. 



Tbey ufc 

 make 



