448 ST/ENGTI1 AND WEAKNESS or SInMAN aSÀsoÑ. Okton, or Atahouta, made the world, andone Mcssoo, or Otkoit, going a bunting, with his dogs, were lost in a great lake, which overflowed the whole earth in a little time ; but afterwards, this. Otkon gathered a little earth, by the help of some animals, and repaired the world. Others say, the woman that made the world came down from heaven, and fluttering in the air awhile, but finding no ground, when the earth was thus overflowed, the tor- toise offered her back to her, on which she lighted, andby little and little such a quantity of mud and dirt gathered about the tor- toise's hack, that it increased so as to make America. In the southern parts of this vast northern country, the peo- ple are something more sensible, and are attentive to the things of their religion. But in the north there is scarce any thing to be met with but an inconceivable blindness, blockish insensibility, and prodigious remoteness from their Maker, so that whole ages would scarce be sufficient to reduce them to piety and virtue. These are the sentiments of the traveller. And they have, saith he, such vices amongst them as are directly contrary to the spirit of christianity. Their cruel and barbarous revenges are prac- tices which they cannot part with. They will wait three or four days behind a tree, to kill a manwhom they hate. Gluttony and drunkenness in a high degree prevail amongst them, and mere brutish addictedness, to eating and drinking ; their intemperance of every kind, their inconstancy to thepartners of their bed, im- moderate letchery, polygamy, changing and forsaking their wives, are great hindrances to their conversion, becausechris- tianity forbids them. They have such a universal indifference to every thing of religion in which they are instructed, that it is very amazing. Theywould suffer themselves to be baptized six times a day, for a glass of aqua vitae, or a pipe of tobacco. They will sometimes offerinfants to the font, but without any motive of religion. They look upon all our mysteries as tales and dreams, as some of them do upon their own accounts of any thing sacred. If you bid them pray, and teach them prayers, they readily comply : Bid them iá11 on their knees, not smoke, be uncovered, hearken to me, &c. they do all. Say to-morrow is Sunday, or a day of prayer ; they say, I am glad of it : Tell them you must make a vow to the Master of life, that you will never be drunk again ; they say, I will do it ; and are drunk again to-morrow, if they can get brandy. They do every thing with such a careless air, such a negligent thoughtlessness, and universal indifference, that it is to little purpose to have them to do any thing. If images or beads are given them, they use them for ornaments. In a word if they hope to get any favour or present for themselves, or their nation, some of them will do any thing in these respects, that you enjoin ahem. They never contradict any man's speech
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