12              ILLINOIS  HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS
they put them in a skin of the form of a bag, which is then forced into a hole, made on purpose, in the ground; they then tread it out so long and so well, that the grain being freed from the chaff is easily winnowed; after which they pound it to reduce it to meal, or even unpounded, boil it in water seasoned with grease, and in this way, wild oats are almost as palatable as rice would be when not better seasoned.
I informed these people of the Wild Oats of my design of going to discover distant nations to instruct them in the mysteries of our Holy Keligion; they were very much surprised, and did their best to dissuade me. They told me, that I would meet nations that never spare strangers, but tomahawk them without any provocation; that the war which Tiad broken out among various nations on our route, exposed us to another evident danger—that of being killed by the war parties which are constantly in the field; that the Great River is very dangerous, unless the difficult parts are known; that it was full of frightful monsters who swallowed up men and canoes together; that there is even a demon there who can be heard from afar, who stops the passage and engulfs all who dare approach; lastly, that the heat is so excessive in those countries, that it would infallibly cause our death.
I thanked them for their kind advice, but assured them that 1 could not follow it, as the salvation of souls was concerned; that for them, I should be too happy to lay down my life; that I made light of their pretended demon, that we would defend ourselves well enough against the river monsters; and, besides, we should be on our guard to avoid the other dangers with whieh they threatened us. After having made them pray and given them some instruction, I left them, and, embarking in our canoes, we soon after reached the extremity of the Bay of the Fetid,