ACCOUNT OF THE INDIANS. 



361 



present, the chief lights his pipe, and smokes 

 a few whiffs himself ; and he then presents the 

 stem toward the sun, as if offering it to that lumin- 

 ary, and to the earth, and then to his deceased 

 relations, pointing it toward the fire. These cer- 

 emonies being over, he presents it successively to 

 each person present, who smokes a few whiffs in 

 his turn. A small quantity of meat or drink is 

 then sacrificed, by throwing it into the fire, or on 

 the earth, and the provisions are served round. 

 While the company are partaking of them, the 

 chief sings, and accompanies his song, by the che- 

 che-quy or tambourin. The person who devours 

 his portion the soonest, is considered as deserving 

 applause. If any cannot eat all that is set before 

 him, as custom does not allow him to leave any 

 thing, he endeavours, by the promise of a reward 

 of tobacco or ammunition, to prevail upon his 

 friends to assist him. These substitutes, it is fre- 

 quently difficult to procure, as the food provided 

 on these occasions, is generally much more than 

 is necessary to satisfy the calls of nature. At 

 some of their feasts, a more rational custom pre- 

 vails, of permitting the guests to carry away what 

 they do not wish to eat, of their portions. The 

 meat which is generally eaten on these occasions, 

 is that of the beaver ; and the bones of this ani- 

 mal, which are extremely hard, that remain 

 46 



