the old man holding it in his hand, behelde it a
long while on euery place, to see if he could finde any blood vpon it,
which might shew that any of their enemies had bene killed: for the
Indians are woont to bring their weapons wherewith their enemies haue
beene defeated, with some blood vpon them, for a token of their victories.
But seeing no signe thereof vpon it, he was vpon the point to say vnto him
that he had killed none of them of Thimogoa: when as Vasseur, preuenting
that which hee might obiect, declared and shewed vnto him by signes, the
maner of his enterprise, adding, that by reason of the two Indians which
he had slaine, his sword was so bloudy, that hee was inforced to wash and
make it cleane a long while in the Riuer: which the olde man beleeued to
be like to be true, and made no maner of replie thereunto.

Vasseur, La Caille, and their other companions went out of the hal to goe
into the roome whither they had carried the Indian; there they found the
Paracoussy sitting vpon tapestries made of small reedes, which was at
meate after the Indian fashion, and the Indian that was smitten hard by
him, lying vpon the selfe same tapistry, about whom stoode the wife of the
Paracoussy, with all the young damsels which before bewailed him in the
hall: which did nothing else but warme a great deal of mosse instead of
napkins to rub the Indians side. Hereupon our men asked the Paracoussy
againe for what occasion the (M441) Indian was so persecuted in his
presence: hee answered, that this was nothing else but a kinde of
ceremonie, whereby they would call to minde the death and persecutions of
the Paracoussies their ancestours executed by their enemie Thimogoa:
alleaging moreouer that as often as he him selfe, or any of his friends
and allies returned from the Countrey, without they brought the heads of
their enemies or without bringing home some prisoner, hee vsed for a
perpetuall memorie of his predecessors, to beate the best beloued of his
children with the selfe same weapons wherewith they had beene killed in
times past: to the ende that by renewing of the wound their death should
be lamented afresh. Now when they were thus informed of those ceremonies,
they thanked the Paracoussy for their good intertainement which they had
receiued, and so setting saile came to me vnto the fort: where they
declared all vnto me as I haue recited it heretofore. (M442) The eight and
twentieth day of Iuly our shippes departed to return