OF THE POLAR SEA. 111 
painful operation of the two, but rendered in- 
finitely more difficult to bear by its tediousness, 
having lasted in his case three days. 
A Cree woman, at certain periods, is laid 
under considerable restraint. _ They are far, how- 
ever, from carrying matters to the extremities 
mentioned by Hearne in his description of the 
Chipewyans, or Northern Indians. She lives 
apart from her husband also for two months if she 
has borne a boy, and for three if she has given 
birth to a girl. 
Many ofthe Cree hunters are careful to ‘pre- 
vent a woman from partaking of the head of a 
moose-deer, lest it should spoil their future hunts } 
and for the same reason they avoid bringing it 
to a fort, fearing lest the white people should 
give the bones to the dogs. 
The games or sports of the Crees are various. 
One, termed the game of the Mitten, is played 
with four balls, three of which are plain, and one 
marked. These being hid under as many mit- 
tens, the opposite party is required to fix on that 
which is marked. He gives or receives a feather 
according as he guesses right or wrong. When 
the feathers which are ten in number, have all 
passed into one hand, a new division is made; 
-but when one of the parties obtains possession of 
them thrice, he seizes on the stakes. 
* 
