C 279 ) 



face painted with black. The feaft being ended, 

 the candidate offers up a facrifice to the great fpirit, 

 confiding of a morfel of each of the animals he 

 has been ufed to hunt, being commonly the tongue 

 and muzzle, which, except on fuch occafions, are 

 always the portion of the hunter himfelf. His pa- 

 rents and relations would rather die of hunger than 

 touch it, and he is allowed to regale his friends and 

 Grangers only in this manner. 



It is further aflferted, that thefe Indians are per- 

 fectly difinterefted, that they pofTefs a fidelity proof 

 againft all temptation, that they cannot endure a 

 lie, and hold deceit in abhorrence. This, Madam, 

 is what I have been able to learn with refpect to 

 thefe northern people, with whom we have never 

 maintained any regular commerce, and have only 

 feen them in a tranfient manner. We (hall now 

 proceed to thofe with whom we are better acquaint- 

 ed, who may be divided into three clanes diftin- 

 guimed by their languages and their peculiar ge- 

 niufes. 



In this vaft extent of country, properly called 

 New France, and bounded on the north by Hud- 

 fon's-Bay, which was difmembered from it by the 

 treaty of Utrecht, on the eaft by the fea, by the 

 Englifh colonies on the fouth, by Louifiana on the 

 fouth-eaft, and by the Spaniih pofleffions on the 

 weft I fay, in this vaft extent of country there 

 are but three mother-tongues, from which all the 

 reft are derived ; thefe are, the Sioux, Algonquin, 

 and Huron languages we are but little acquainted 

 with the people who fpeak the firft, and nobody 

 knows how far they extend. We have hitherto had 

 no tr^de with any but the Sioux and Afliniboils, and 



S 4 even 



