So this is what took place in this consultation, after which I wished to get hold of the juggler; but, as it was night, he made his exit from the tent and from our little cabin so swiftly, that he was outside almost before I was aware of it. He and all the other Savages, who had come from the other Cabins to these beautiful mysteries, having departed, I asked the Apostate if he was so simple as to believe that the Genii entered and spoke in this tent. He began to swear his belief, which he had lost and denied, that it was not the juggler who spoke, but these Khichikouai or Genii [54] of the air, and my host said to me, "Enter thou thyself into the tent, and thou wilt see that thy body will remain below, and thy soul will mount on high." I did want to go in; but, as I was the only one of my party, I foresaw that they might commit some outrage upon me, and, as there were no witnesses there, they would boast that I had recognized and admired the truth of their mysteries.

Or j'auois grande enuie de sçauoir de quelle nature ils faisoient ces Geniés, l'Apostat n'en sçauoit rien. [170]Le sorcier voyant que i'esuantois ses mines, & que i'improuuois ses niaiseries, ne me le vouloit point enseigner, si bien qu'il fallut que ie me seruisse d'industrie: Ie laissay escouler quelques sepmaines, puis le jettant sur ce discours, ie luy parlois comme admirant sa doctrine, luy disant qu'il auoit tort de m'esconduire, puisque à toutes les questions qu'il me faisoit de nostre croyance, ie luy respõdois ingenument, sans me faire tirer l'oreille: En fin il se laissa gagner à ses propres loüanges, & me descouurit les secrets de l'escole: voicy la fable qu'il me raconta, touchant la nature [55] & l'essence de ces Geniés.

Now I had a great desire to know the nature of these Genii; the Apostate knew nothing about them. The sorcerer, seeing that I was discovering his mines, and that I disapproved of his nonsense, did not wish to explain anything to me, so that I was compelled to make use of my wits. I allowed a few weeks to pass; then, springing this subject upon him, I spoke as if I admired his doctrine, saying to him that it was wrong to refuse me, since to all the questions which he asked me in regard to our belief, I answered him frankly and without showing any reluctance. At last he allowed himself to be won over by this flattery, and revealed to me the secrets of the school. Here is the fable which he recounted to me touching the nature [55] and the character of these Genii.

Deux Sauuages consultans ces Geniés en mesme temps, mais en deux diuers tabernacles, l'vn d'eux, homme tres-meschant, qui auoit tué trois hõmes à coup de haches par trahison, fust mis à mort par les Geniés, lesquels se transportans dans le tabernacle de l'autre Sauuage pour luy oster la vie, aussi bien qu'à son compagnon, ils se trouuerent eux mesmes surpris; car ce iongleur se defendit si bien, qu'il tua l'vn de ces Khichikouai, ou Geniés, & ainsi l'on a sçeu comme ils estoient faicts, car ce Geniés demeura sur la place. Ie luy demanday donc de quelle forme il estoit, il estoit gros comme le poing, me fit-il, son corps est de pierre, & vn peu long; Ie conceu qu'il estoit faict en cone, gros par vn bout, s'allant tousiours appetissant vers l'autre. Ils croiẽt que dans ce corps de pierre il y a de la chair & du sang, car la hache dont ce Genié fust tué resta ensanglantée. Ie m'enquestay s'ils auoient des pieds & des ailes, & m'ayant dict que non, & comment donc, leur fis-ie, peuuent ils entrer ou voler dans ces tabernacles, [56] s'ils n'ont ny pieds ny aisles, le sorcier [172] se mit à rire, disant pour solution, en verité ceste robe noire n'a point d'esprit, voila comme ils me payent quand ie leurs fais quelque obiectiõ à laquelle ils ne peuuent respondre.

Two Savages having consulted these Genii at the same time, but in two different tents, one of them, a very wicked man who had treacherously killed three men with his hatchet, was put to death by the Genii, who, crossing over into the tent of the other Savage to take his life, as well as that of his companion, were themselves surprised; for this juggler defended himself so well that he killed one of these Khichikouai or Genii; and thus it was found out how they were made, for this One remained in the place where he was killed. Then I asked him what was his form. "He was as large as the fist," he replied; "his body was of stone, and rather long." I judged that he was cone-shaped, large at one end, and gradually becoming smaller towards the other. They believe that in this stone body there is flesh and blood, for the hatchet with which this Spirit was killed was bloody. I inquired if they had feet and wings, and was told they had not. "Then how," said I, "can they enter or fly into these tents, [56] if they have neither feet nor wings?" The sorcerer began to laugh, saying in explanation, "In truth, this black robe has no sense." This is the way they pay me back when I offer some objections to something which they cannot answer.

Comme ils faisoient grand cas du feu que iettoit ce iongleur hors de son tabernacle, ie leur dis, nos François en ietteroient mieux que luy, car il ne faisoit voler que des estincelles de quelque bois pourry qu'il porte auec soy, comme ie me persuade, & si i'eusse eu de la resine, ie leur eusse faict sortir des flammes. Ils me contestoient qu'il estoit entré sans feu dans cette maison, mais de bonne fortune, ie luy auois veu donner vn gros charbon ardant qu'il demanda pour petuner.

As they made a great deal of the fire which this juggler threw out of his tent, I told them that our Frenchmen could throw it better than he could; for he only made a few sparks fly from some rotten wood which he carried with him, as I am inclined to think, and if I had had some resin I could have made the flames rise for them. They insisted that he entered this house without fire; but I had happened to see some one give him a red-hot coal which he asked to light his pipe.

Voila leur creance touchant les principes des choses bonnes: Ce qui m'estonne, c'est leurs ingratitudes, car quoy qu'ils croyent que le Messou a reparé le monde, que Nipinoukhé & PipounouKhe rameinent les saisons, que leur KhichiKouai leurs apprẽnent où il y a des Eslans, ou Orignaux, & leurs rendent milles autres bõs offices: si est ce que ie n'ay peu iusques icy recognoistre [57] qu'ils leur rendent aucun honneur: i'ay seulement remarqué que dans leurs festins, ils iettent par fois quelques cuillerées de gresse dãs le feu, prononcant ces parolles Papeouekou, PapeoueKou, faites nous trouuer à manger, faites nous trouuer à manger: ie crois que cette priere s'addresse à ces Genies, ausquels ils presentent cette gresse comme la chose la meilleure qu'ils ayent au monde.

So that is their belief touching the foundations of things good. What astonishes me is their ingratitude; for, although they believe that the Messou has restored the world, that Nipinoukhé and Pipounoukhe bring the seasons, that their Khichikouai teach them where to find Elks or Moose, and render them a thousand other good offices,—yet up to the present I have not been able to learn [57] that they render them the slightest honor. I have only observed that, in their feasts, they occasionally throw a few spoonfuls of grease into the fire, pronouncing these words: Papeouekou, Papeouekou; "Make us find something to eat, make us find something to eat." I believe this prayer is addressed to these Genii, to whom they present this grease as the best thing they have in the world.

Outre ces principes des choses bonnes, ils recognoissent vn Manitou, que nous pouuons appeller le diable, ils le tiennent comme le principe des choses mauuaises, il est vray qu'ils n'attribuent pas grande [174]malice au Manitou, mais à sa femme, qui est vne vraye diablesse: le mary ne hait point les hommes, il se trouue seulement aux guerres, & aux combats, & ceux qu'il regarde sont à couuert, les autres sont tués: voila pourquoy mon hoste me disoit, qu'il prioit tous les iours ce Manitou de ne point ietter les yeux sur les Hiroquois leurs ennemis, & de leur en donner tousiours quelqu'vn en leurs guerres. Pour la femme du Manitou, elle est [58] cause de toutes les maladies qui sont au mõde, c'est elle qui tuë les hommes, autrement ils ne mouroient pas, elle se repaist de leur chair, les rongeant interieurement, ce qui faict qu'on les voit amaigrir en leurs maladies: elle a vne robe des plus beaux cheueux des hommes & des femmes qu'elle tuë, elle paroist quelquefois comme vn feu, on l'entend bien bruire comme vne flamme, mais on ne sçauroit distinguer son langage: d'icy procedent à mon aduis ces cris & ces hurlemens, & ces batements de tambours qu'ils font alentour de leurs malades, voulans comme empescher cette diablesse de venir dõner le coup de la mort: ce qu'elle faict si subtilement, qu'on ne s'en peut defendre, car on ne la voit pas.