Those Women have their Faces still more disfigur’d, than the others we had seen before; for they make several Streaks, or Scores on them, whereas the others had but one. They adorn themselves with little Locks of fine red Hair; which they make fast to their Ears in the Nature of Pendants. In other Respects they are not disagreeable, and neither Women nor Maids are so ill-natur’d as to make their Lovers pine for them. They are not difficult of Access, and they soon make a Return for a small Present.
The Men wear their Hair short, like our _Capucins_, they anoint it with a sort of Oyl, or Grease, and curl it like snails, after which they strew on it a Sort of Down, or Lint, died red, as we do Powder, which is done when they design to be very fine, in order to appear in their Assemblies. They are very fond of their Children, and all the Way of chastising them they use, is to throw Water at them, without ever beating or giving them ill Words.
The _Indians_ that were of the Village of _Cohainihoua_[113] and to conduct us thither, not being ready to set out on _Wednesday_ the 2d of _July_, as they had promis’d, a young _Indian_ offer’d himself, saying, he would conduct us safe thither, and we set out with him, still directing our Course towards the _N. E._ We kept close along the same River we had cross’d, and found it very pleasant and navigable, the Banks of it cover’d with fine Trees of several Sorts.
We had not travell’d above a League, before our Guide gave us to understand, that he had forgot a Piece of hard dry’d Skin he had to make him Shoes, which he would go fetch and return to us, pointing to us with his Hand, which Way we were to go, and telling us we should soon come to a River.
This sudden Change in the _Indian_ was somewhat surprizing and very much perplex’d us; however we held on our Way, and soon came to the River he had mention’d to us, which was very pleasant and deep. We cross’d it the next Day, on a Sort of Float, which we made with much Toil and Labour, and our Horses swam over. Some Time after we were passed, we saw the _Indians_ coming, who had promised to bear us Company, and were glad to find our Float, to cross the same River, as they did, and proceeded on our Journey all together.