I seperated next day with my wife and children. They were under great apprehensions, but I mocked all their conjurings. I very shortly killed two moose, but these indeed were the last. I walked and hunted every day. And seldom one day passed but I fired at the buffaloe, moose, or some other animal, but never got anything, anything! I and my family were near dying with hunger. I tried everything in my power, never giving myself the least trouble about the Indian's menaces. At last the spring arrived. Ducks and geese came, but no better success. At last one day, prowling in my canoe, I met two other _free-men_, [one of whom], after mutual inquiries, told me the same thing had happened him. And [he said] that an Indian told him to file off a small piece of the _muzzle_ of his gun and wash it well with water in which _sweet-flag_ had been boiled. And [it] killed after that as before. I laughed at the idea. But reflecting that it was an innocent experiment, and I could not offend the Almighty, I tried. And the first animals I saw I immediately killed. This sir (continued he) I assure you is a positive fact!!! I find that the Indians have recourse to this method also. But you must observe: as is the disease, so is the remedy. [The Iroquois' Account] Another story just now occurs to me which I shall relate, not so much to multiply these pretended proofs, as to show that our Iroquois, Algonquins [and others] are not such complete converts to the Christian faith as most people may complacently imagine. But rather [they] have a mongrel religion like those whom the King of Babylon sent to inhabit Samaria when he carried Reuben and Ephraim captives (in the Bible). This winter an Iroquois {35} told me that one winter he was out a beaver hunting with many of his friends. The oldest man of their party proposed one day that a certain number of them should go out a hunting moose or buffaloe, and the others beaver. This one says: I returned at night after a good success--the old man nothing. He became envious, a quarrel ensued, and after this many others. One day I fired at a moose as he was running past me. He fell. I went to him, and just as I was for beginning to skin, he rose up, but with my axe I brought him down. It was very far from home. I merely opened him and returned light, trusting to the others of our party, for I had no desire of partaking of the dry provisions the old fellow had of his own. Immediately on entering the lodge, we had another severe quarrel, and he told me I should not any more exult in my prowess as he should take care I should not kill any more animals for _some time_.