services as guide, but furnished Indian porters to
carry their packs and their scanty provisions. They slept five nights
in the woods, and on the sixth day arrived at the village of the
Neutrals. In this as well as in four other villages which they visited,
they were hospitably entertained with presents of food, including
venison, pumpkins, "neintahouy," and "the best they had." Their dress
excited the astonishment of their Indian hosts, who were also surprised
that the missionary asked nothing from them but that they should raise
their eyes to heaven, and make the sign of the cross.

What excited raptures of admiration, however, according to his narrative
was to see him retire for prayer at certain hours of the day: for they
had never seen any priests beyond passing glimpses when visiting amongst
the neighboring Hurons and Tobacco Indians.

At the sixth village, Ounontisaston, in which Daillon had been advised
to take up his abode, a council was held at his instance. He observes
that the councils are called at the will of the chiefs, and held either
in a wigwam or in the open air, the audience being seated on the ground;
that silence is preserved whilst a chief is addressing the assembly, and
that what they have once concluded and settled is inviolably observed
and performed by them.

Daillon explained that he had come on the part of the French to make
alliance and friendship with them and to invite them to come and trade,
and begged them to permit him to stay in their country "to instruct them
in the laws of our God, which is the only means of going to Paradise."
They agreed to all he proposed and in return for his gifts of knives and
other trifles, they adopted him as "citizen and child of the country,"
and as a mark of great affection entrusted him to the care of
Souharissen, who became his father and host. The latter was, according
to Daillon, the chief of the greatest renown and authority that had ever
been known in all the nations, being chief not only of his own village,
but of all those of his nation, to the number of twenty-eight, besides
several little hamlets of seven to eight cabins built in different
places convenient for fishing, hunting, or cultivating the ground.
Souharissen had acquired his absolute and extraordinary authority by his
courage and his success in war. He had been several times at war with
the seventeen tribes, who were the enemies of his race, and from all he
had brought back the heads