134 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 
The girls at the forts, particularly the daughters 
of Canadians, are given in marriage very young; 
they are very frequently wives at twelve years of 
‘age, and mothers at fourteen. Nay, more than 
one instance came under our observation, of the 
master of a post having permitted a voyager to 
take to wife a poor child that had scarcely attain- 
ed the age of ten years. The masters of posts 
and wintering partners of the Companies deemed 
this criminal indulgence to the vices of their set- 
vants, necessary to stimulate them to exertion for 
the interest of their respective concems, Another 
practice may also be noticed, as shewing the state 
of moral feeling on these subjects amongst the 
white residents of the fur countries. It was not 
very uncommon, amongst the Canadian yoyagels, — 
for one woman to be common to, and maintained 
at the joint expense of, two men ; nor for a voy 
ager to sell his wife, either for a season or alte 
gether, for a sum of money, proportioned. to het 
beauty and good qualities, but always inferior 19 
the price of a team of dogs, Fd 
The country around Cumberland House is flat 
and swampy, and is much intersected by small : 
lakes. Limestone is found every where under@ 
thin stratum of soil, and it not unfrequently. shows 
itself above the surface. It lies in strata generally 
horizontal, but in one spot near the fort, dippilé 
