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
When the young Folks are grown up to be fit to go to the Wars, and
take upon them to be Soldiers, their Garment, consisting of some Skin,
or Clout, together with their Bow, Quiver and Arrows, is placed on
the aforesaid Stool, an old Man stretches out his Hands over them,
mutters the Words as above, and then the Garments, Bows, Quivers, and
Arrows are given to the Persons they belong to. This may be compar’d to
Something of a Ceremony of Knighting among them. The same Ceremonies
are us’d by them in the cultivating of their Grain and Product, but
particularly of the Tabacco, whereof they have a Sort, which has
smaller Leaves than Ours; it is almost ever green and they use it in
Leaves.
This is what we observ’d among the _Cenis_, whose Customs and Manners
differ very little from those of other Nations, which we had seen
before, and saw afterwards. As to the Point of Religion, it is not to
be infer’d from what I have said above, that there is none throughout
that vast Continent: The Account I have given only regards those
Nations we saw; there may be others that have some Worship, and I
remember I have heard Monsieur _de la Sale_ say, that the Nation call’d
_Takensa_, neighbouring on the _Islinois_, ador’d the Fire, and that
they had Cottages which they made use of, as Temples.
[Sidenote: _Nation, what is meant here by it._]
Before I conclude this short Account of the Religion, Customs and
Manners of the _Cenis_, which belong’d properly to this Place, it
is fit here also to observe, that the Word Nation, is not to be
understood, among those _Indians_, to denote a People possessing a
whole Province, or vast Extent of Land. Those Nations are no other than
a Parcel of Villages, dispers’d for the Space of fifteen, of twenty or
of thirty Leagues at most, which compose a distinct People or Nation;
and they differ from one another rather in Language than in Manners,
wherein they are all much alike, or at least they vary but little, as
has been mention’d above. As for the Names of them, here follow those
of such as we travel’d through, or were near the Way we held from our
leaving our Habitation near the Bay of the Holy Ghost, till we came
among the _Cenis_.
[Sidenote: _Names of Nations._]
The _Spicheats_, _Kabayes_, _Thecamons_, _Theauremets_, _Kiabaha_,
_Chaumenes_, _Kouans_, _Arhau_, _Enepiahe_, _Ahonerhopiheim_,
_Koienkahe_, _Konkone_, _Omeaosse_, _Keremen_, _Ahekouen_, _Meghty_,
_Tetamenes_, _Otenmarhem_, _Kouayon_ and _Meracouman_. All these
Nations are on the North of the River called _la Maligne_. Those that
follow, are on the West and North-West of the same River.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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