'( "4 ) 



water boil by throwing into it red hot pebbles. 

 Our iron pots are eiteemed by both as much more 

 commodious than the others, and are the commo- 

 dity you can promife mod to difpofe cf qu'ckly, 

 in trading with Indians. Among the weftern na- 

 tions they ufe wild oats inftead of maize : this is 

 likewife very whole fome, and if lefs nourifhing, 

 the hunting of the buffalo which is very plentiful 

 in thole parts, abundantly compenfates that de- 

 fect. Amongft the wandering Indians who never 

 cultivate the ground, tne refource when their 

 hunting and flfhing fall fhort, is in a kind of mofs 

 which grows on certain rocks, and which our 

 Frenchmen call Trippe cle Roches : nothing can be 

 more infipid than this food, which is even very far 

 irom being fubftantial ; and can at moft keep one 

 from dying of hunger. 1 am lefs ftill able to con- 

 ceive what has, however, been attefted by perfons 

 worthy of credit, that the Indians eat as a great 

 dainty a kind of maize, which is laid to rot in 

 Handing water as we do hemp, and which is taken 

 out quite black and (linking. They even add, that 

 fuch as have once taken a liking to this ftrange 

 difh, do not with their will lofe any of the water 

 or rather of the dirt that runs from it, and the 

 fmell of which alone, would be enough to turn 

 the flomach of any other perfon. It is probably 

 neceffity alone which has difcovered this fecret, and 

 if this does not likewife conftitute all the feafoning 

 to it, nothing can be a ftronger proof that there is 

 no difputing of taftes. 



The Indian women make bread of maize, and 

 though this is only a mafs of ill kneaded pafte* 

 without leaven, and baked under the alhes, thefe 

 people reckon it excellent, and regale their friends 

 with it \ but it muft be eaten hot for it will riot 



keep 



