As this Savage gave me an occasion to speak of their God, let me say that it is a great mistake to think they have no knowledge [76] of any divinity. When in France I was astonished at that, knowing that Nature has given this sentiment to all other nations of the earth. I confess that the Savages have no public or common prayer, nor any form of worship usually rendered to one whom they hold as God, and their knowledge is only as darkness. But it cannot be denied that they recognize some nature superior to the nature of man. As they have neither laws nor government, therefore there is no ordinance which concerns the service of this superior nature; each one acts according to his own understanding. I do not know their secrets; but, from the little that I am about to say, it will be seen that they recognize some divinity. Ils disent qu'il y a vn certain qu'ils nomment _Atahocan_, qui a tout fait: parlant vn iour de Dieu dans vne cabane, [77] ils me demanderent que c'étoit que Dieu, ie leur dis que c'estoit celuy qui pouuoit tout, & qui auoit fait le Ciel & la terre: ils commencerent à se dire les vns aux autres _Atahocan, Atahocan_, c'est _Atahocan_. They say that there is a certain one whom they call _Atahocan_, who made all things. Talking one day of God, in a cabin, [77] they asked me what this God was. I told them that it was he who could do everything, and who had made the Sky and earth. They began to say one to the other, "_Atahocan, Atahocan_, it is _Atahocan_." Ils disent qu'vn nommé Messou repara le monde perdu dãs les eaux; Vous voyez qu'ils ont quelque tradition du deluge, quoy que meslée de fables, car voicy comme le monde se perdit, à ce qu'ils disent. They say there is one named Messou, who restored the world when it was lost in the waters. You see that they have some traditions of the deluge, although mingled with fables. This is the way, as they say, that the world was lost. Ce Messou allant à la chasse auec des loups ceruiers, au lieu de chiens, on l'aduertit qu'il faisoit dangereux pour ses loups (qu'il appelloit ses freres) dans vn certain lac aupres duquel il estoit. Vn iour qu'il poursuiuoit un eslan, ses loups luy donnerẽt la chasse iusques dedans ce lac; arriuez qu'ils furent au milieu, ils furẽt abysmez en vn instant. Luy suruenãt là dessus, & cherchant ses freres de [78] tous costez, vn oiseau luy dit qu'il les voyoit au fond du lac, & que certaines bestes ou monstres les tenoient là dedans: il entre dans l'eau pour les secourir, mais aussi-tost ce lac se desborde, & s'aggrandit si furieusemẽt, qu'il inonda & noya toute la terre.