( 370 ) 



take care never to touch any part where a blow 

 might prove mortal. During this operation any 

 one has the liberty to flop the fufferer, who is like- 

 wife permitted to (land in his defence, though it is 

 feldom done to any purpofe. As foon as they ar- 

 rive at the village, they are led from cabbin to cab- 

 bin, and are every where treated in the fame man- 

 ner. Here they pluck off a nail, there they take 

 off a finger, either with their teeth, or a bad knife 

 which cuts like a faw ; an old man tears off their 

 flefh to the bones, a child pierces them with an awl 

 wherever he can, a woman beats them unmerci- 

 fully till her arms fall down with fatigue ; all this 

 time none of the warriors lay hands on them, tho* 

 they are ftill their mafters. They are not even fuf- 

 fered to be maimed without their permiffion, which 

 is feldom granted. This excepted, every one may 

 make them fuffer what torments he pleafes, and if 

 they are led about in feveral villages, either of the 

 fame nation, or of their neighbours, or allies, who 

 happen to defire it, they every where meet with the 

 fame reception. 



Thefe preliminaries over, they fet about dividing 

 the captives whofe lot depends upon thofe into whofe 

 power they are delivered up. As foon as the coun- 

 cil, where their fate has been determined is over, a 

 crier calls an aflembly of the people in the fquare, 

 where a diftribution is made without any noife or 

 difpute whatfoever. Thofe women who have loft 

 their fons or hufbands in the war, are commonly 

 fatisfied in the firft place. Afterwards they fulfil 

 the engagements entered into with thofe from whom 

 they have received collars of Wampum ; if there is 

 not a fufBcient number of prifoners for this pur- 

 pofe, the defect is fupplied with fcalps, which are 

 worn by way of ornament on days of rejoicing, 

 7 bwc 



