Joutel's Journal of La Salle's Last Voyage, 1684-7Joutel, Henri
History
Joutel's Journal of La Salle's Last Voyage, 1684-7
Joutel, Henri
La Salle, Robert Cavelier, sieur de, 1643-1687; Louisiana -- History -- To 1803; Mississippi River -- Discovery and exploration
The Country of those _Indians_ being generally subject to no Cold,
almost all of them go naked; unless when the _North_ Wind blows, then
they cover themselves with a Bullock’s Hide, or Goat’s Skin cur’d. The
Women wear nothing but a Skin, Mat, or Clout, hanging round them like
a Petticoat, and reaching down half way their Legs, which hides their
Nakedness before and behind. On their Heads they have nothing but their
Hair platted and knotted behind.
[Sidenote: _Manners._]
As for their Manners, it may be said of these as of all other _Indians_
of that great Continent, that they are not Mischievous, unless wrong’d
or attack’d; in which Case they are all Fierce and Revengeful. They
Watch all Opportunities to be Reveng’d, and never let any slip, when
offer’d, which is the Cause of their being continually at War with
their Neighbours, and of that Martial Humour, so Predominant among
them.
[Sidenote: _Religion._]
As to the Knowledge of a God, they did not seem to us to have any fix’d
Notion of Him; it is true, we met with some on our Way, who as far as
we could judge, believ’d, there was some Superior Being, which was
above all Things, and this they testify’d by lifting up their Hands and
Eyes to Heaven, yet without any Manner of Concern, as believing that
the said exalted Being does not regard at all, what is done here below.
However none of them having any Places of Worship, Ceremonies, or
Prayers, to denote the divine Homage, it may be said of them all, that
they have no Religion, at least those that we saw.
[Sidenote: _Ceremonies._]
However, they observe some Ceremonies; but whether they have any
Regard to a real or pretended Superior Being, or whether they are
only popular, and proceeding from Custom, is what we were not able to
discover. Those Ceremonies are as follows. When the Corn is ripe, they
gather a certain Quantity in a Maund or Basket, which is placed on a
Sort of Seat or Stool, dedicated to that Use, and serving only upon
those misterious Occasions, which they have a great Veneration for.
The Basket with the Corn being placed on that honour’d Stool, one of
the Elders holds out his Hands over it, and talks a long Time; after
which, the said old Man distributes the Corn among the Women, and no
Person is allow’d to eat of the new Corn, till eight Days after that
Ceremony. This seems to be in the Nature of Offering up or Blessing the
first Fruits of their Harvest.
At their Assemblies, when the _Sagamite_, or Pottage, which is the most
essential Part of their meal, is boil’d in a great Pot, they place that
Pot on the Stool of Ceremony above mention’d, and one of the Elders
stretches out his Hands over it, muttering some Words between his Teeth
for a considerable Time, after which, they fall to eat.
[Sidenote: _Tabacco._]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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