tribes, and is never undertaken without much ceremony. A
principal warrior gives a general invitation to all the hunters. This
is followed by a strict fast of eight days, in which they totally
abstain from food, but during which the day is passed in continual
song. This is done to invoke the spirits of the woods to direct the
hunters to the places where there are abundance of bears. They even cut
the flesh in divers parts of their bodies, to render the spirits more
propitious. They also address themselves to the manes of the beasts
slain in the preceding chases, and implore these to direct them, in
their dreams, to an abundance of game. The chief of the hunt now gives
a great feast, at which no one dares to appear without first bathing.
At this entertainment, contrary to their usual custom, they eat with
great moderation. The master of the feast touches nothing, but is
employed in relating to the guests ancient tales of feasts in former
chases; and fresh invocations to the manes of the deceased bears
conclude the whole.

"They then sally forth, equipped as if for war, and painted black. They
proceed on their way in a direct line, not allowing rivers, marshes, or
any other impediment, to stop their course, and driving before them all
the beasts they find. When they arrive at the hunting-ground, they
surround as large a space as they can, and then contract their circle,
searching, at the same time, every hollow tree, and every place capable
of being the retreat of a bear; and they continue the same practice
till the chase is expired.

"As soon as a bear is killed, a hunter puts into his mouth a lighted
pipe of tobacco, and, blowing into it, fills the throat with the smoke,
conjuring the spirit of the animal not to resent what they are about to
do to its body, or to render their future chases unsuccessful. As the
beast makes no reply, they cut out the string of the tongue, and throw
it into the fire. If it crackle and shrivel up, which it is almost sure
to do, they accept this as a good omen; if not, they consider that the
spirit of the beast is not appeased, and that the chase of the next
year will be unfortunate."

When our forefathers first settled in America, bears were common in all
parts of the country along the Atlantic. Many adventures with them took
place, some of which are recorded in the histories of the times. The
following is said to have occurred at a later period:--

Some years since, when the western p