( up ) 



fca!l it a houfe and not a cabin, for thefe Indians 

 hive for iome time lived after the French man- 

 ner. 



The women on fuch occafions teftify their grati- 

 tude only by their filence and mocjefty ; but becatife 

 this was the firft lady in the colony, who had ever 

 regaled the whole village, an orator was granted to 

 the Huron women, by whofe mouth they difplayed 

 all the grateful fentiments of their hearts towards 

 their illudrious benefaclrefs. As for the men, after 

 their chief had harangued the Intendant, they danced 

 and fung as much as they thought fit. Nothing, 

 JMadam, can be lefs entertaining than thofe fongs 

 and dances. At firrl, they feat themfelves on the 

 ground, like fo many apes without any order; from 

 time to time one man rifes, and advances (lowly to 

 the middle of the place, always as they fay in ca- 

 dence, turning his head from one fide to the other, 

 and finging an air, containing not the fmalleft melody 

 to any ear but that of a favage or Indian, and pro- 

 nouncing a few words which are of no fignification. 

 Sometimes it is a war-fong, fometimes a death-fong, 

 fometimes an attack, or a furprize; for as thefe 

 people drink nothing but water, they have no drink- 

 ing fongs, and they have not as yet thought of 

 making any on their amours. Whilfl this perfon 

 is finging, the pit or audience never ceafe beating 

 time, by drawing from the bottom of their breaft 

 a He, being a note which never varies. The con- 

 noilfeurs, to whom I refer the matter, pretend that 

 they are never once out in keeping time. 



As foon as one perfon has given over, another 

 takes his place, and this continues till the fpeclators 

 thank them for their entertainment, which they 

 would not be long of doing were it not convenient 



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