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names of Pecrias, Tamarouas, Caoquias, and Kaf 

 kafquias - 9 thefe tribes are at prefent very much 

 confounded, and are become very intonfiderable. 

 There remains on!y a very fmall number of the 

 Kalkafquias, and the two villages of that name 

 are almoft entirely compofed. of the Tamarouas 

 and Metchiganoias, a foreign nation adopted by 

 the Kafkafquias, and originally fettled on the, banks 

 of a fmall river you meet with going down the 

 MiffifipjfL 



This is, Madam, all I can at prefent inform 

 you of with refpect to Louifiana, which country 

 I have but juft entered but before I conclude 

 this letter, I muft impart to you a few circum- 

 fiances which I have learned on my journey from 

 the river St. Jofeph to this place, and which will 

 ferve as a fupplement to what I have already faid 

 of the Indians in general. 



You might have feen in the fable of Ata- 

 hentfic expelled from heaven, fome traces of the 

 firft woman driven out of the terreftrial para- 

 dife, as a punifhment of her difobedience and 

 of the deluge, as alfo of the ark in which Noah 

 faved himfelf with his family. This circum- 

 ftan'ce prevents me from agreeing to the opi- 

 nion of P. de Acofta, who alledges that this tra- 

 dition does not refpecl the univerfal deluge, but 

 another peculiar to America. In effect, the Al- 

 gonquins and all the nations who fpeak their lan- 

 guage, fuppofing the creation of the firil man, 

 fay that his pofterity having almoft entirely pe- 

 ri [he d by a general inundation, a perfon named 

 Mejfon, whom others call Saketcbak> who faw the 



whole 



