( sts ) 



for this reafon, they refrain during a certain time 

 from mentioning their names ; and that, if any 

 other of the family hears it, he quits it all the time 

 the mourning continues. This like wife is probably 

 the reafon, why the higheft affront that can be of- 

 fered to any one, is to tell him : Tour father is 

 dead, or Tour mother is dead. 



When an Indian dies in the time of hunting, 

 his body is expofed on a very high fcaffold, where 

 it remains till the departure of the company, who 

 carry it with them to the village. There are fome 

 nations who have the fame cuftom, with refpecl to 

 all their dead ; and I have feen it praclifed among 

 the MifTifaguez at the Narrows. The bodies of 

 thofe who are killed in war are burnt, and the afhes 

 carried back, in order to be depofited in the fe- 

 pulchres of their anceftors. Thefe fepulchres, a- 

 mong thofe nations who are bed fixed in their 

 fettlements, are a fcrt of burial grounds near the 

 village. Others inter their dead in the woods at 

 the foot of fome tree, elfe dry them, and preferve 

 them in boxes till the feftival of the dead, of which 

 I (hall prefently fay fomewhat ; but -in fome 

 other places, a ceremonial ridiculous enough is 

 put in practice, with refpecl: to thofe who have 

 been drowned or ftarved to death by the cold. 



Before I enter on the defcription of it, it will be 

 proper to take notice, Madam, that the Indians 

 believe when fuch accidents happen, that the fouls 

 are angry, and will not be appeafed till the bodies 

 are found. Then the preliminaries o» weeping, 

 dancing, ringing and fearing being firft over, the 

 body is carried to the burial-place, or if that is at 

 too great a diflance, to the place where it is to re- 

 main 



