( i36 ) 



being over, they begin their lamentations, which 

 are interrupted with taking their laft farewell of 

 the dying perfon, wifhing him a good voyage, 

 comforting him on his feparation from his 

 friends and relations, and a (Turing him that his 

 children will maintain all the glory he has ac-* 

 quired. 



It muff be confeffed, Madam, that the indif- 

 ference with which thefe people face death, has 

 lbme thing admirable in it; and this is fo uni- 

 verfal that an Indian has feidom been known to be 

 uneafy, on being informed that he has but a few 

 hours to live; the fame genius and principle pre- 

 vail every where, though the ufages with refpect to 

 what I have been now relating vary greatly in the 

 different nations. Dances, fongs, invocations and 

 feafls are every where prescribed by the phyficians, 

 remedies almofl all of them more likely, according 

 to our notions, to kill a man in perfect health, 

 than to recover a fick perfon. In fome places they 

 are contented with having recourfe to the fpirits, 

 who, if the patients recover their health, have 

 all the honour pf the cure, but the fick perfon is 

 always the moil unconcerned about his fate. 



On the other hand, if thefe people mow little 

 judgement in the manner of their treating the fick, 

 it muft be confefTed that they behave with regard 

 ro the dead, with a generofity and an affection 

 that cannot be too much admired. Some mothers 

 have been known to preferve for years together the 

 corpfe of their children, and others to draw the 

 milk from their breafts and fprinkle it on their 

 graves. If a village in which there are any dead 

 corps happens to be fet on fire, the firfb thing done 

 is to remove them to a place of fafety : they ftrip 

 4 themfelve* 



