( '53 ) 



There are others who acknowledge two fouls in 

 men ; to the one, they attribute every thing I have 

 been juft now fpeaking of, and pretend that the 

 other pever quits the body, unlefs it is to pafs 

 into fome other, which however happens only, fay 

 they, to the fouls of little children, which having 

 enjoyed but a fhort term of life, obtain leave to 

 begin a new one. It is for this reafon that they 

 bury children by the high-way fides, that the wo- 

 men who pafs that way may colled their fouls. 

 Now thefe fouls which are fuch faithful compa- 

 nions to their bodies muft be fed, and it is in order 

 to difcharge this duty, that eatables are laid upon 

 their tombs ; but this is of fhort continuance, fo 

 that the fouls muft begin in time to learn to faft. 

 They are fometimes hard enough put to it to fub- 

 fift the living, without the additional charge of 

 feeding the dead. 



One thing with refpect to which the Indians are 

 never forgetful, let them be in ever fo great an ex- 

 tremity, whereas amongft us the living are enrich- 

 ed by the fpoils of the dead ; the Indians on the 

 contrary, not only carry along with them to the 

 grave every thing that belonged to them, but alfo 

 receive prefents of their relations and friends be- 

 fides. For this reafon they were extremely fcan- 

 dalized, on feeing the French open the fepulchers 

 in order to ftrip the dead of their robes of beaver 

 fkins. Tombs are held fo facred in this country, 

 that to violate them is the greater! hoftility that can 

 be committed againft a nation, and the ftrongeft 

 proof that you fet them at defiance. 



I have already faid, that the fouls, when the time 

 of leaving their bodies forever is come, go into a 

 region which is allotted for their everlafling abode. 



This 



