520 CHARACTER. 



while the men hunt and make war; though injustice to them 

 we must remember that the former at least of these two occu- 

 pations was of the greatest possible importance, and that upon 

 it depended their principal means of subsistence. Polygamy 

 generally prevailed ; the husband had absolute power over 

 his wives, and the marriage lasted only as long as he pleased. 

 Among some of the North Californian Indians it is not thought 

 ricrht to beat the wives, but the men " allow themselves the 



o 



privilege of shooting such as they tired of."* Among the 

 Dogribs and other northern tribes, the women are the property 

 of the strongest. Every one is considered to have both a legal 

 and moral right to take the wife of any man weaker than he 

 is. In fact, the men fight for the possession of the women, 

 just like stags and the males of other wild beasts.^ Lending 

 wives is a frequent custom. J 



" Imperturbability, in all situations, is one of the most 

 striking and general traits of the Indian character. To still 



o o 



his muscles to resist the expression of all emotion, seems to 

 be the point of attainment ; and this is particularly observed 

 on public occasions. Neither fear nor joy are permitted to 

 break this trained equanimity." Even among relations "it 

 is not customary to indulge in warm greetings. The pride 

 and stoicism of the hunter and warrior forbid it. The pride 

 of the wife, who has been made the creature of rough endur- 

 ance, also forbids it." 



But perhaps the most remarkable evidence of this is the 

 fact that the Algonquin language, although one of the richest, 

 contained no word for "to love;" and when Elliott translated 

 the Bible for them in 1661, he was obliged to coin one. He 

 introduced the word " wornon" to supply the want. Again, 



* Col. M'Kee in Schoolcraft's t Hearne ; 1. c. p. 128 ; Carver's 

 Indian Tribes, vol. iii. p. 127. Travels, p. 131 ; James' Expedition 



t See Hearne's Journey to the to the Rocky Mountains, vol. i. 

 Copper- Mine River, p. 104. p. 212. 



Schoolcraft, vol. iii. p. 58. 



