( 27* ) 



Mourning amongfl: thofe Indians confifts in cut- 

 ting off their hair, in forbearing to paint their 

 faces, and in abfenting themfelves from the afifem- 

 blies ; but I am ignorant how long it lafts. Nor 

 have I been able to learn whether they celebrate 

 the feftival of the dead, of which ceremony I have 

 already given you a defcription ; it feems, that in 

 this nation where all are in fome manner flaves to 

 thofe who command, funeral honours are fet apart 

 for thefe alone, and efpecially for the grand chief 

 and the woman -chief. 



Treaties of peace and alliance are concluded with 

 a great deal of form and ceremony, in which the 

 grand chief conftantly maintains his dignity like a 

 real fovereign. So foon as he is informed of the 

 day of the arrival of AmbafTadors, he gives or- 

 ders to the mailers of the ceremonies to make pre- 

 parations for their reception, and appoints thofe 

 who are to take their turns of maintaining the en- 

 voys. For it is at the expence of his fubjects that 

 he defrays the charge of an embafTy. On the day 

 of the entry of the AmbafTadors, every one has 

 his place appointed according to his rank, and 

 when thefe minifters are at the diftance of five 

 hundred paces from the grand chief, they make a 

 halt and fing the peace-long. 



An embafTy, for the molt part, confifts of thirty 

 men and fix women. Six of the belt voices put 

 themfelves at the head of the train and fing, the 

 reft following them, whilft a chichikoue regulates 

 the meafure. When the grand chief makes a fign 

 to the ambafTadors to draw near, they again begin 

 their march thofe who carry the calumet dance 

 and fing, turning themfelves on all fides, and ma- 

 king a thoufand antick motions, grimaces, and 



contortions. 



