( 157 ) 



of thefe animals. But in order to mew you, Ma- 

 dam, to what a length thefe barbarians carry their 

 extravagance, with, regard to dreams, I will relate 

 to you a fact attefted by two irreproachable perlbns 

 who were eye witneffes to it. 



Two miffionaries were travelling in the com- 

 pany of fome Indians, and one night as their 

 guides were in a profound deep, one of them a- 

 waked fuddenly quite out of breath, making ef- 

 forts to cry out, and beating himfelf as if he had 

 been porTeded with fome devil. The noife he 

 made foon waked every body : they at firft thought 

 the man mad ; they feized him and tried eve- 

 ry means to bring him to himfelf, but all to 

 no purpofe : his fury continued to encreafe and 

 as they were no longer able to hold him, they 

 hid all the arms for fear of the word. ' Some of 

 them afterwards bethought themfelves of preparing 

 for him a beverage made of certain herbs of great 

 virtue ; but when they were leaft aware the pa- 

 tient leaped into the river. 



He was immediately drawn out, and though he 

 confeffed he was cold, he refufed to come near a 

 good fire that had been juft lighted : he fat down 

 at the foot of a tree, and as he appeared more com- 

 pofed, they brought him the draught they had pre- 

 pared for him. It is to this child, faid he, you 

 mud give it, pointing to a bears fkin fluffed with 

 ftraw ; he was obeyed, and the whole of the be- 

 verage was poured down the throat of the animal. 

 They then afked what had been the matter with 

 him ? I dreamed, faid he, that a racoon had 

 got into my belly. They all burft out a laughing, 

 but there was a neceffity of curing his diftempered 

 imagination, which was done in this manner. 



They 



