which seem merely designed to give the warriors. an opportunity of relating their military exploits. He who gives the feast invites all the village to assemble round his cabin, where the warriors dance, one after another; and at the end of each dance they proclaim their most gallant atchiev ments, which are generally crowned with shouts of applause; but if any individual happen to boast of feats he never performed, it is customary for some of the company to blacken his face with dirt, saying, "We do this to hide your shame, for the first time you meet an enemy you will turn pale."-This dance is invariably performed at night.

Among some of the Indian tribes is performed the dance of the bull; in which the dancers form several circles, and the musicians are placed in the middle. The dancers do not join hands, but every one carries in his hand his arms and buckler. All the circles turn different ways, and caper extremely high; yet they always keep good time and measure. From time to time, the chief of a family presents his shield, which is covered with a bull's hide; and whilst the dancers strike upon it, he recounts some of his exploits. Then he cuts a piece of tobacco from a post where some is hung, and gives it to one of his friends, but if any person can prove that he has performed greater feats than those the other boasts of, he has a right to take the piece of tobacco that was presented, and give it to another.

As we have already observed that the Canadian Indians subsist principally by hunting, we shall here give a description of their bear hunt, which holds the first place in this part of their employ, and which, among those who are not converted

to Christianity, is performed with great super

stition.

It is always a war-chief who fixes the time of the chace and has the care of inviting the hunters. This invitation is made with great ceremony, and is always followed by a rigid fast, in order to induce their genii to discover the places where they may find many bears; some of them indeed will even cut their flesh in several parts of their bodies, and practise many other austerities, to render their genii more propitious: they do not, however, ask assistance to conquer the animals, but wish only to be told where to find them.

The fast having been duly kept, and the place of hunting appointed, they assemble at a feast, where the chief relates his prowess at former huntings; and when the repast is finished they make a solemn invocation to the manes of the animals previously killed. Then they begin their march, amid the acclamations of a whole village; for the chace among these people is accounted so honourable an employment that the alliance of a good hunter is generally preferred to that of a famous warrior.

When the hunters think they have arrived at a place where a great number of bears are con cealed, they form a circle of a quarter of a league in circumference, and gradually draw nearer and nearer, till at length they close quite in upon the animals and take them.-When a bear is killed, the hunter puts the end of his lighted pipe into his teeth, blows into the bowl, and thus filling the mouth of the animal with smoke, conjures its spirit to bear him no malice, and not to oppose him in his future huntings. But as no answer is

returned, the hunter cuts the string under the bear's tongue, and on his return to the village, throws it into a fire, when its crackling and shrinking up are regarded as infallible tokens that the spirit of the animal is appeased.

In hunting buffaloes various methods are adopted by the Indians; but the greatest number of these animals are taken in pounds, which are either of a square or circular form, according to the fancy of the tribes by whom they are constructed. The square ones are composed of trees, laid one upon another to the height of about five feet, each square side being fifty feet long. On that side where the animals are to enter, a bank of earth is raised with an easy descent, so as to be on a level with the top of the enclosure, or the other side of the square. Several branches of trees are then placed, in a straight line, from the raised bank to the distance of a hundred and ten feet, the lines spreading continually from each other, so as to be two hundred feet apart at the distance of one hundred feet from the pound. These lines of trees are lengthened out by a number of poles about fifteen feet long, with a piece of buffalo dung on the top of each, whilst a certain number of men lie concealed in buffalo skins, to drive the animals in a straight direction to the pound.

Every preparation being made, three or four men set off on foot to find a herd of female buffaloes, and having discovered them, they drive them along to the neighbourhood of the pound; when the other Indians assemble on horseback, but keep at a proper distance so as not to frighten the animals. Thus they are conducted within the poles, and when any of them attempt to

carry it to those places where thei spirits are supposed to walk.

As soon as a sick person expires, the place is filled with hideous cries and lamentations, which are continued as long as the family can afford to keep open table; and in the mean time, the dead body, finely drest and painted, is exposed at the cabin door, in the posture it is to be laid in the tomb.-The custom of some tribes is, for the relations of the defunct to fast till the end of the funeral: and all this interval is passed in lamentations, in treating the visitors, and in mutual compliments.

The body is carried to the place of sepulture without much ceremony, but it is deposited in a little cave, lined with skins, and much better adorned than any of the cabins, and especial care is taken to cover it in such a manner that the earth shall not touch it. A post is then erected over the grave, and a number of things hung upon it, in token of esteem for the deceased. Fresh provisions are also brought to the spot for several mornings, and are supposed to be eaten by the spirit of the deceased; though in reality they are devoured by dogs and other animals.

When any one dies in hunting, his body is exposed on a high scaffold till the departure of his companions, who carry it with them to the vil lage: and the bodies of those that fall in war are burnt, and their ashes brought back, to be deposited in the burial place of their ancestors.-In some places they observe a very singular ceremony for those that are drowned, or frozen to death. The preliminaries of tears, mournful dirges, &c. being ended, they carry the corpse to the place of interment, where they dig a large