386 STUDIES OF NATURE. 



After flie had thus fpokcn, (he attentively con- 

 fidered the different parts of my habit, admired 

 the finenefs of their texture, and made her women 

 examine them, who Hfted up their eyes to Heaven 

 in aftonifhment. After a fhort paufe, looking at 

 me, fhe thus proceeded : " Though thou comeft 

 *' from a Country replenilhed with every fpecies 

 ** of wealth, and every produftion of ingenuity, 

 " do not imagine that 1 am in want of any thing, 

 " and that I myfelf am deftitute of intelligence. 

 *' My father has trained me up in the love of la- 

 ** hour, and he caufes me to live in the greateft 

 '* abundance of all things.'* 



At the fame time, fhe introduced me into her 

 palace, where twenty of her women were employed 

 in plucking river-fowls, to make, for her, ornaments 

 and robes of their plumage. She lliewed me baf- 

 kets and mats of very delicate rulhes, woven by 

 her own hand ; vefl'els of fine pewter in great 

 quantities ; a hundred fkins of wolves, martens, 

 and foxes, with twenty bear-fkins. " All this 

 ** treafjre," faid fhe to me, " fhall be thine, if thou 

 ** efpoufeft me ; but upon thefe conditions, that 

 " thou takeft no other wife but me ; that thou 

 *' Qialt not oblige me to labour the ground, nor 

 ** to go in queft of the fkins of the deer and of the 

 *' buffaloes which thou mayefl kill in hunting in 



" the 



