At last, one of them gave her a Stroke with a heavy Club on the Head, and another run her Stake several Times into her Body, with which she fell down Dead on the Spot. Then they cut that Miserable Victim into Morsels, and oblig’d some Slaves of that Nation, they had been long possess’d of to eat them.
Thus our Warriors return’d Triumphant from that Expedition. They spar’d none of the Prisoners they had taken, except two little Boys, and brought Home all the Skins of their Heads, with the Hair, to be kept as Trophies and glorious Memorials of their Victory.
The next Day all those Savages met in their Chief’s Cottage, whither all the abovemention’d Heads of Hair were carry’d in State. Then they made extraordinary Rejoicings in that Cottage, whence they went to the Huts of the other Prime Men, to perform the same Ceremony. This Rejoicing lasted three Days, our _French_ Companions, who had been the Cause of their Victory, being call’d to it, and highly entertain’d, after their Manner. It will not be disagreeable to the Reader, that I here particularly describe that Ceremony, which after having been perform’d in the Cottages of the Chief Men, was repeated in ours.
In the first Place, the Cottage was made very clean, adorn’d, and abundant of Mats laid on the Floor, on which the Elders, and the most considerable Persons sate; after which, one of them, who is in the Nature of an Orator, or Master of the Ceremonies stood up and made a Speech, of which we understood not a Word. Soon after that Discourse was ended, the Warriors arriv’d, who had slain any in Battle, marching in their proper Order, each of them carrying a Bow and two Arrows, and before every one of them went his Wife, carrying the Enemies Head of Hair. Two little Boys, whose Lives they had spar’d, as has been said before, one of them who was wounded being a Horseback, clos’d the procession; at the Head whereof, was a Woman carrying a large Reed, or Cane in her Hand.
As they came up to the Orator, the Warrior took the Head of Hair his Wife had brought, and presented it to him, which the said Orator receiv’d with both his Hands, and after having held it out towards the four Quarters of the World, he laid it down on the Ground, and then took the next, performing the same Ceremony, till he had gone over them all.