236 TRANSACTIONS OF THE CANADIAN INSTITUTE. [ Vou. JUOL 
victuals of any sort in their huts they do nothing but smoke, eat or 
sleep. It is on these occasions that the beaux and belles make their 
mutual conquests and dress in their best attire. They amuse themselves 
at times with a diversion something similar to the game of shinty which 
is in use among our boys, in which females play against the males, and 
often come off victors. My master used to deck me out in the richest 
manner, putting on me all the ornaments of the family, and taking me 
out to the plain, where he made me strut about to exhibit myself in the 
presence of the whole village, calling out to the people to look at the 
little white man. All this time I was made a show of without being 
allowed to join in the game. Towards the end of May we began 
to make preparations for our voyage to join the rest of the warriors 
encamped within a few miles of Detroit, for which purpose my master 
deemed it necessary to build a canoe, and which he and I accomplished 
in two days. It was of a sufficient size to carry all the family for many 
thousand miles. The evening before our departure I was surprised to see 
the master seize one of the dogs, of which animals he had several in the 
hut, and they were constantly poking their noses into our victuals, an. 
operation easily performed as the floor was our only table, and neither 
chairs nor tables stood in the hut. This dog was killed, which I was not 
sorry for, and given over to the squaw, who scraped him as we doa 
hog in hot water. My master then invited all his neighbours, sending 
me round with a number of painted sticks, which were left with each one 
invited. Upon entering the hut where the feast is held, every one pro- 
duces his stick and lays it upon the platter for the purpose. Each of the 
guests gets a double portion, eating one and carrying home the other in 
a dish which they bring with them to receive it. I sat in a corner of the 
hut, a silent spectator of my master’s feast, being looked upon as a slave 
and unworthy to partake of so fine a repast. After killing or rather 
drowning another dog for the purpose of appeasing the evil spirit, as they 
gave me to understand, we set out next morning in our canoe, making 
short day voyages, always landing before sunset, putting up at that time 
our cabin and cooking our fish, which culinary office fell to my lot, as 
well as that of cutting firewood. The cabin or hut is soon made, it con- 
sists of about twenty trees put up in the shape of a sugar loaf, and 
covered all over with a sort of matting, excepting the hole at the top to 
let the smoke out. Every one carries his or her bed clothes upon his 
back, which are either the skins of a wild beast or a coarse blanket. All 
lie down promiscuously, men, women and children with their feet to the 
fire, which is in the centre. The second day of our voyage we came to 
an island where was an Indian burial ground. Here we halted ronnd a 
particular grave, which my master afterwards told me was the grave of 
