SOURCE OP ST. Peter's river. 123 



likes. Although the Indians have notions of right and 

 wrong, they have no means of rewarding the former and 

 redressing the latter; the chief cannot punish a man for 

 any offence whatsoever. If the crime committed be flagrant, 

 the party that deems itself injured may seek for redress in 

 a forcible manner, but there is no mode of obtaining it by 

 fair and legal means. In some cases, however, a breach of 

 faith may be punished ; if, for instance, a chief wishes to 

 undertake a military operation, he convenes his warriors, 

 and states his views ; should they agree to it, they declare 

 their assent by presenting him with a string of wampum, 

 which is kept as an evidence of their acquiescence. Should 

 any one of those who have agreed to go, afterwards break 

 his promise, he is liable to be punished by forfeiture of 

 part of his property, or by expulsion from the village. A 

 string of wampum is sometimes sent from one village to 

 another, with a piece of tobacco attached to it as a proof of 

 the faith of the messenger. It has often been stated, that 

 the Indians in no instance whatever punished their children. 

 This is not correct as a general rule. Mr. Colhoun was in- 

 formed, that the Potawatomis sometimes enjoin upon their 

 children, as a punishment, the use of the charcoal and its 

 accompanying fast. He also observes, that the circum- 

 stance of chastisement being inflicted by some Indians, is 

 confirmed by Joutel's statement, that the Illinois and 

 Cadoquias punished their children by throwing water in 

 their faces ; and by Jones's observations, that the Shawa- 

 nese had the same practice, and likewise threw them into 

 brooks.* The power of the chief is only exercised as 



• Vide " Journal Historique du dernier Voyage de M. de la Salle, par 

 Joutel." Paris, 1713, p. 284 and 342, and "Journal of two visits to some 

 nations of Indians west of Ohio river, in 1772 and 1773, by Rev. D. 

 Jones." 



