that they had braided with the roots of a sort of green herb. In
the middle of the house they then put a man who was very sick,
and who was treated without success during a considerable time.
Close by sat an old woman with a turtle shell in her hands. In the
turtle shell were a good many beads. She kept clinking all the
while, and all of them sang to the measure; then they would
proceed to catch the devil and trample him to death; they trampled
the bark to atoms so that none of it remained whole, and wherever
they saw but a little cloud of dust upon the maize, they beat at it in
great amazement and then they blew that dust at one another and
were so afraid that they ran as if they really saw the devil; and after
long stamping and running one of them went to the sick man and
took away an otter that he had in his hands; and he sucked the sick
man for awhile in his neck and on the back, and after that he spat in
the otter's mouth and threw it down; at the same time he ran off like
made through fear. Other men then went to the otter, and then there
took place such foolery that it was a wonder to see. Yes; they
commenced to throw fire and eat fire, and kept scattering hot ashes
and red-hot coals in such a way that I ran out of the house. Today
another beaver skin was presented to me.

January 5. I bought four dried salmon and two pieces of bear bacon
that was about nine inches thick; and we saw thicker, even. They
gave us beans cooked with bear bacon to eat to-day, and further nothing
particular happened.

January 6. Nothing particular than that I was shown a parcel of flint
stones wherewith they make fire when they are in the forest. Those
stones would do very well for firelock guns.