Volume 1

122 HUNTING AND TRAPPING.
also required a quarter of a yard of scarlet cloth to hang
up as a sacrifice.''^ The Indians being all gone and my
buildings finished, I treated my people to a gallon of high
wine, with a few pounds of
for themselves after their hard labor.
sugar and flour, to make a feast
This evening my sick man found himself suddenly
relieved by something which burst inside, when instantly
he felt a looseness and discharged a great quantity of foul
matter. He was soon after inclined to eat and appeared
much recovered. The wounded woman is perfectly well,
and does duty as if nothing had happened. My men have
caught 20 raccoons and 5
foxes.
Sunday, Oct. igtJi. The Indians who went toward the
mountain yesterday brought us in two cows. All the men
are setting traps along the river. They bring in daily
some raccoons, foxes, fishers, and wolves ; of martens
\Mtistela americaria], there are none. The raccoons are
very fat, having depouilles two or three inches thick, and
are excellent eating when stripped of their fat and
roasted.
Oct. 20th. Men out trapping. I examined my store,
shop, etc., and put everything in order. The kegs of high
wine I placed in a small cellar dug under the shop powder
and tobacco also. I have 15 ninety-pound packages
;
of
skins and furs.
Oct. 2ist. Strong wind with heavy rain, which fell in
such torrents as to penetrate the earth and straw which
cover over our houses, and it was only by means of oil
cloth we could keep the property from getting wet. The
floors
were covered with water, making us very uncomfort-
The rain continued all day and night.
able.
Oct. 22d. I desired my men to begin to cut our winter
" During a voyage I lately made to the source of the Mississippi, I frequently
noticed a similar " sacrifice " the Ojibways had made on killing a moose,
the object being hung up on a tall stake planted at the water's edge. Some of
the ceremonies with which Indians used to appease the ghosts of dead bear
were curious : read for example the story the elder Henry tells, pp. 143-145.