cause the first acts of hostility in the field began
from them. Those who mean to begin the war, detach a certain number of
men to make incursions on the territories of their enemies, to ravage
the country, to destroy the game on it, and ruin all the beaver-huts
they can find on their rivers and lakes, whether entirely, or only
half-built. From this expedition they return laden with game and peltry;
upon which the whole nation assembles to feast on the meat, in a manner
that has more of the carnivorous brute in it than of the human creature.
Whilst they are eating, or rather devouring, all of them, young and old,
great and little, engage themselves by the sun, the moon, and the name
of their ancestors, to do as much by the enemy-nation.

When they have taken care to bring off with them a live beast, from the
quarter in which they have committed their ravage, they cut its throat,
drink its blood, and even the boys with their teeth tear the heart and
entrails to pieces, which they ravenously devour, giving thereby to
understand, that those of the enemies who shall fall into their hands,
have no better treatment to expect at them.

After this they bring out _Oorakins_, (bowls of bark) full of that
coarse vermillion which is found along the coast of Chibucto, and on the
west-side of Acadia (Nova-Scotia) which they moisten with the blood of
the animal if any remains, and add water to compleat the dilution. Then
the old, as well as the young, smear their faces, belly and back with
this curious paint; after which they trim their hair shorter, some of
one side of the head, some of the other; some leave only a small tuft on
the crown of their head; others cut their hair entirely off on the left
or right side of it; some again leave nothing on it but a lock, just on
the top of their forehead, and of the breadth of it, that falls back on
the nape of the neck. Some of them bore their ears, and pass through the
holes thus made in them, the finest fibril-roots of the fir, which they
call _Toobee_, and commonly use for thread; but on this occasion serve
to string certain small shells. This military masquerade, which they use
at once for terror and disguise, being compleated, all the peltry of the
beasts killed in the enemy's country, is piled in a heap; the oldest
_Sagamo_, or chieftain of the assembly gets up, and asks, "What weather
it is? Is the sky clear? Does the sun shine?" On being answered in the
affirmative, he orders the you