( m ) 



the altar itfelf, in order to make room for the bones 

 of him who died laft. 



With refpecl: to the Jafl article, I can eafily fay, 

 that I faw a few bones in one or two of the trunks ; 

 that they would not have made one half of thofe 

 belonging to the human body \ that they feemed 

 very old, and lay not on the table which is called 

 the altar. As to the other articles, firft, as I never 

 was in the temple but in the day time, I am entirely 

 ignorant of what pafTes there during the night ; 

 and, in the next place, there was no watch in the 

 temple when I was there. I obferved, as I have 

 already faid, fome wooden monkeys, but law no 

 figure of a ferpent. 



What I have feen in fome relation, of this tem- 

 ple being hung with tapeftry, of its pavement be- 

 ing covered with matts of canes, of its being kept 

 in the greateft neatnefs* and of their carrying to it 

 every year the firft fruits of their harveft, muni 

 certainly be read with great allowances. On the 

 contrary, I have never feen any thing more flovenly, 

 or in greater diforder. The billets of wood were: 

 burning updn the bare ground, on which there was 

 no matts, no more than on the walls. M. le Noir* 

 Who was with me, only told me, that every day 

 he put a frefti billet to the fire^ and, at every new 

 moon they provided wood for the whole month. 

 He had this however only from hear-fay, for this 

 was the firft time he had feen the temple as well as 

 myfelf. 



Here follows what I have been able to learn of 

 the nation of the Natchez in general. In their ex- 

 ternal appearance they differ in nothing from the 

 other Indians of Canada and Louifiana* They 

 S 3 feldom 



