( 34 ) ' 

 which are punifhed with death on the fpot, at 

 leaft among fome nations \ fuch as wichcraft. 



Whofoever is fufpected of this crime can never 

 be fafe any where ; they even caufe him undergo, 

 when they can lay hold on him, a kind of rack, in 

 order to oblige him to name his accomplices, af- 

 ter which he is condemned to the fame punifhment 

 with the prifoners of war but they firft afk the 

 confent of his family, which they dare not refufe. 

 Thofe who are leaft criminal are knocked in the 

 head, before they are burned : thofe who disho- 

 nour their families, are treated much in the fame 

 manner, and it is generally their own family that 

 does juftice upon them. 



Amongft the Hurons who are very much gi- 

 ven to thieving, and who perform it with a dexte- 

 rity which would do honour to our mod expert 

 pick -pockets, it was lawful, on difcovery of the 

 thief, not only to take from him what he had fto~ 

 len, but alfo to carry off every thing in his cabr 

 bin, and to {trip himfelf, his wife, and children 

 ftark naked without their daring to make the leaft 

 refiflance. And further in order to fhun all 

 fuch conteftation which might arife on this head, 

 certain points were agreed upon from which they 

 never deviated. For example, every thing found, 

 were it but a moment after it was loft, belonged 

 to the finder, provided the former proprietor had 

 not before reclaimed it ; but on difcovery of the 

 leaft difhonefty on the part of the former, they 

 obliged him to make reftitution, which occafioned 

 f6metimes diffentions, which were with difficulty 

 put an end to : the following is an inftance of this 

 fort fmgular enough. 



