My sisters made me clean for that
purpos, and greased my haire.
My mother decked me with a new cover and a
redd and blew cappe, with 2 necklace of porcelaine. My sisters tyed me with
braceletts and garters of the same porcelaine. My brother painted my face,
and [put] feathers on my head, and tyed both my locks with porcelaine. My
father was liberall to me, giving me a garland instead of my blew cap and a
necklace of porcelaine that hung downe to my heels, and a hattchet in my
hand. It was hard for me to defend myselfe against any encounter, being so
laden with riches. Then my father made a speech shewing many demonstrations
of vallor, broak a kettle full of Cagamite [Footnote: Cagamite, Cagaimtie,
Sagamite, a mush made of pounded Indian corn boiled with bits of meat or
fish.] with a hattchett So they sung, as is their usual coustom. They weare
waited on by a sort of yong men, bringing downe dishes of meate of
Oriniacke, [Footnote: Oriniacke, Auriniacks, horiniac, the moose, the
largest species of deer. Called by the French writers - Sagard-Theodat, La
Hontan, and Charlevoix - Eslan, Orinal, or Orignal.] of Castors, and of
red deer mingled with some flowers. The order of makeing was thus: the
corne being dried between 2 stones into powder, being very thick, putt it
into a kettle full of watter, then a quantity of Bear's grease. This
banquett being over, they cryed to me Shagon, Orimha, that is, be hearty,
stone or ledd. Every one withdrew into his quarters, and so did I.
But to the purpose of my history. As I went to the fields once, where I
mett with 3 of my acquaintance, who had a designe for to hunt a great way
off, they desired me to goe along. I lett them know in Huron language (for
that I knew better then that of the Iroquoits) I was content, desiring them
to stay till I acquainted my mother. One of them came along with mee, and
gott leave for me of my kindred. My mother gott me presently a sack of
meale, 3 paire of shoos, my gun, and tourned backe where the 2 stayed for
us. My 2 sisters accompanied me even out of the wildernesse and carried my
bundle, where they tooke leave.
We marched on that day through the woods till we came by a lake where we
travelled without any rest. I wished I had stayed att home, for we had sad
victualls. The next day about noone we came to a River; there we made a
skiffe, so litle that we could scarce go into it. I admired their skill in
doing of it, ffor in lesse then 2 hours they cutt the tree and pulled up
the Rind, of which they made the boat. We embarked ourselves and went to
the lower end of the river, which emptied it selfe into a litle lake of
about 2 miles in length and a mile in breadth.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 24 of 223
Words from 11989 to 12503
of 117345
