114



ORIGIN OF THE



then they wrap it up in the skin of an eel or serpent, in
the fashion of whiskers which hang down to their waist.
As to their faces, they are satisfied with tracing some
lines on them with vermillion or other colours.
  " Their nostrils are never bored, and it is only among
some nations that they bore their ears; then they wear
in them pendants, as do also the men, made of beads of
porcelain. When they are dressed in all their finery.
they have robes painted with all sorts of figures, with
little collars of porcelain, set on without any order or
symmetry, with a kind of border tolerably worked with
porcupines' hair, which they paint also with various
colouirs. They adorn in the samne manner the cradles
of their children and they lovad them with all sorts of
trinkets; these cradles are made of light wood, and have
at the upper end one or two semicircles of cedar, that
they may cover them without touching the head of the
child.
    Many men make various fioures all over their bod-
ies, by pricking themselves, others only in some parts.
rrTley do not do this merely for ornament, for they find
also, as it is said, great advantages by this custom. It
serves greatly to defend them from the cold, renders
them less- sensible of the other -injuries of the air, and
frees them from the persecution of the Gnats. But it is



only in countries possessed by the English, espe
Virginia, that the custom ofpricking themselves
the body, is very common. In .New France the



part are satisfi
other animals.
without order
fancy, often ir
lids. Many v
that answer to
  '"4This ope



ed with some figures of birds,
and even of leaves, and such 1
or symmetry, but according to
i the face, and sometimes even
vornen are marked in the parts
the jaw-bones,- to prevent the
ration is not painful in itself



cially in
all over
greatest



serpents, or
ike figures,
every one's
on the eye-
of the face
tooth-ache.
  It is per-



torrmed in this manner: They begin by tracing on the
skin, drawn very tight, the figure they intend to make;
then they prick little holes close together with the fins