The 2 Gratters Weare To Dresse The Skins;
The Combes, The Paint, To Make Themselves Beautifull; The Looking-Glasses
To Admire Themselves.
The 3rd guift was of brasse rings, of small bells,
and rasades of divers couleurs, and given in this maner.
We sent a man to
make all the children come together. When they weare there we throw these
things over their heads. You would admire what a beat was among them, every
one striving to have the best. This was done uppon this consideration, that
they should be allwayes under our protection, giving them wherewithall to
make them merry & remember us when they should be men.
This done, we are called to the Councell of welcome and to the feast of
ffriendshipp, afterwards to the dancing of the heads; but before the
dancing we must mourne for the deceased, and then, for to forgett all
sorrow, to the dance. We gave them foure small guifts that they should
continue such ceremonyes, which they tooke willingly and did us good, that
gave us authority among the whole nation. We knewed their councels, and
made them doe whatsoever we thought best. This was a great advantage for
us, you must think. Amongst such a rowish kind of people a guift is much,
and well bestowed, and liberality much esteemed; but not prodigalitie is
not in esteeme, for they abuse it, being brutish. Wee have ben useing such
ceremonyes 3 whole dayes, & weare lodged in the cabban of the chiefest
captayne, who came with us from the ffrench. We liked not the company of
that blind, therefore left him. He wondred at this, but durst not speake,
because we weare demi-gods. We came to a cottage of an ancient witty man,
that had had a great familie and many children, his wife old, neverthelesse
handsome. They weare of a nation called Malhonmines; that is, the nation of
Oats, graine that is much in that countrey. Of this afterwards more att
large. I tooke this man for my ffather and the woman for my mother, soe the
children consequently brothers and sisters. They adopted me. I gave every
one a guift, and they to mee.
Having so disposed of our buissinesse, the winter comes on, that warns us;
the snow begins to fall, soe we must retire from the place to seeke our
living in the woods. Every one getts his equipage ready. So away we goe,
but not all to the same place; two, three att the most, went one way, and
so of an other. They have so done because victuals weare scant for all in a
place. But lett us where we will, we cannot escape the myghty hand of God,
that disposes as he pleases, and who chastes us as a good & a common loving
ffather, and not as our sins doe deserve. Finaly wee depart one from an
other. As many as we weare in number, we are reduced to a small company. We
appointed a rendezvous after two months and a half, to take a new road & an
advice what we should doe.
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