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threatened with hell by a Jefuit, afked this mif- 

 fionary, whether he thought his friend who was 

 lately departed had gone into that place of torment: 

 the father anfwered him, that he had good grounds 

 to think that the Lord had had mercy upon him : 

 Then 1 wont go neither, replied the Indian ; and 

 this motive brought him to do every thing that was 

 defired of him ; that is to fay, that he would have 

 been full as willing to go to hell as to heaven had 

 he thought to find his companion there ; but 

 God makes ufe of every thing for the faction of 

 his elect. They add, that thefe friends when they 

 happen to be at a diftance from each other, reci- 

 procally invoke one another in ail dangers ; but 

 this, no doubt, ought to be underftood of their tute- 

 lary genii. Prefents are the ties of thefe afibcia- 

 tions, which are ftrengthened by intereft and their 

 mutual neceffities ; and the afMance they afford 

 may be certainly depended on in almoft every cafe. 

 Some pretend that thefe friendships open a door to 

 certain irregularities ; but I have good grounds 

 to think, that this is at leaft far from being ge- 

 neral. 



The colour of the Indians does not, as many 

 believe, conftitute a third fpecies of men between 

 the blacks and whites. They are very tawny and 

 of a dirty and obfcure red, which is more fen* 

 fible in Florida, of which Louifiana makes a 

 part; but this is not natural to them. The fre- 

 quent friilions they ufe, is what gives them this 

 copper complexion, and it is really wonderful 

 that they are not4Hll blacker, being continually 

 expofed to the fmoke in winter, and to the great- 

 eft heats of the fun in fummer, and at ail feafons 

 to all the intemperance of the air. 



