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told me, that there was as much of art as chance in 

 this game, and that the Indians are great cheats 

 at it, as well as at all others ; that they are fo ea- 

 ger at it, as to fpend whole days and nights at it ; 

 and that fometimes they do not give over playing 

 till they have ftript themfeh es naked and have no- 

 thing more to lofe. They have another kind of 

 game, which excites no ftrong defire of gain. 

 This is for pure diverfion only, but is almoft al- 

 ways attended with fatal confequences with refpect 

 to their morals. At night fall fcveral pofts are 

 erected, in a round form, in the middle of fome, 

 great cabbin ; in the midft of all are the inftru- 

 ments, on each pod is fixed a packet of down, of 

 which there muft be fome of every colour. The 

 young people of both fexes promifcuo.fly dance 

 round the pofts, the girls having alfo fome down 

 of the colour which they love : from time to time 

 a young man goes out from the reft, and takes 

 from a poll fome down, of the colour which he 

 knows is agreeable to his miftrefs, places it upon 

 her head, dances round her, and by a certain fig*- 

 nal gives her to underftand fome place of affigna- 

 tion. The dance ended, the feaft begins and lafts 

 the whole day long, in the evening all the com- 

 pany retire, when the girls manage matters with 

 fo much addrefs, that in fpite of the vigilance 

 of their mothers they reach the place of rendez- 

 vous. 



The Miamis have alfo two other games; the firft 

 of which is called the game of the crofs. This 

 is played with a ball and crooked flicks, ending 

 like a fort of racket. Two pofts are erected 

 which ferve as limits, and which are diftant from 

 each other in proportion to the number of the play- 

 ers. As for inftance, if there are fourfcore players, 

 H 4 the 



