- taining the Indulgences granted to the Missioners of New
Mexico. After this they left us to go on, to our People, for which Reason I writ a Note, giving an Account of our having met them.
We alighted to eat, and let our Horses graze on the Bank of a Rivulet; but it was not long before the same Natives, who had been with us before, appear'd again hard by us. We made Signs to them to draw near and eat with us; which they did, and then went along with us towards the Village, which we would not go into, because it was Night. The Indian that was clad, stay'd all Night with us, and the two others went away.
The Cenis meet the French in solemn Manner. When it was Day, we held on our Way to the Village; the Indian that was with us conducting us to their Chief's Cottage. By the Way, we saw many other Cottages, and the Elders coming to meet us in their Formalities,[1] which consisted in some Goats Skins dress'd and painted of several Colours, which they wore on their Shoulders like Belts, and Plumes of Feathers of several Colours, on their Heads, like Coronets. Six or seven of them had square Sword Blades, like the Spanish, on the Hilts whereof they had fasten'd great Plumes of Feathers, and several Hawks Bells; some of them had Clubs, which they call Head-*breakers, some only their Bows and Arrows;[2] others, Bits of White Linen, reaching from Shoulder to Shoulder. All their Faces were daub'd with black or red, There were twelve Elders, who walk'd in the Middle, and the Youth and Warriors in Ranks, on the Sides of those old Men.
Being come up to us in that Manner, he that conducted us, made a Sign for us to halt, which when we had done, all the old Men lifted up their Right Hands above their Heads, crying out in a most ridiculous Manner; but it behov'd us to have a Care of laughing. That done, theyC. C. edit.]
