Ch.VII. south AMERICA, 377 



him lord of the country, but without any alteration 

 in their way of living or fubmitting themfelves to 

 his laws and fo far were they from paying any tri- 

 bute, that they received annually from France a quan- 

 tity of apparel, gunpowder, and mulkets, brandy, 

 and feveral kinds of tools, in order to keep them 

 quiet and attached to the French int.ereft: and this 

 has alfo been the politic practice of that crown with 

 regard to the favages of Canada. For the fame end 

 priefts v^ere lent among them to inftru6l them in 

 the chriftian religion, and performing divine fervice 

 and all the other offices of the church, as baptifm, 

 burial, &c. And as the end to be anfwered was of 

 the higheft importance to the French commerce, the 

 perfons chofen for thefe religious expeditions were 

 men of parts, elocution, graceful carriage, and irre- 

 proachable lives : and accordingly they behaved with 

 that prudence, condefcention, and gentlenefs towards 

 the Indians under their care, that befides the uniyer« 

 fal veneration paid to their perfons, their converts 

 looked upon them as their fathers ; and, with all 

 the tendernefs of filial affeftion, fnared with them 

 what they caught in hunting, and the produce of 

 their fields. 



L'Ifle Royale had only one of thefe mifTionaries v/ho 

 was the Abbe Mallard one afTiduous perfon being 

 fufficient for the few Indians which inhabit this and 

 the adjacent iflands. 



These Indians, like thofe of Canada, live in mi- 

 grating companies ; and though chriftians, and already 

 formed into villages, (lay but; a fmall time in 

 one place ; accordingly they run up their dwellings' 

 very (lightly, knowing that they foon fhall leave 

 them. Their firfb bufinefs in a new place where they 

 intend to fettle fome time, is to build a chapel and a 

 dwelling for the prieft ; afterwards every one builds 

 himfelf a hut, and here they remain two, three, four, 

 Ik months, er more, according to the plenty of 



gamo 



