SOURCE OP ST. Peter's river. 127 



of cattle, implements of agriculture, and other useful or in- 

 nocent articles, while the introduction of spirituous liquors 

 would be closely guarded against, the great evil of intoxi- 

 cation would be rendered still more rare. Whatever mea- 

 sures congress may choose to adopt to civilize the Indians, 

 it is not difficult to foresee that they will ever prove un- 

 successful, unless a check be immediately put to the sale of 

 ardent liquors among them. The law that prohibits the 

 sale of it upon their territory having proved insufficient, a 

 more general system of restriction must be adopted. 



Experience has likewise proved, that the term sale was 

 not sufficiently comprehensive. The giving of spirits ought 

 to be subjected to the same regulation ; for it has been ob- 

 served on the Missouri, as well as on the Mississippi, and 

 probably every where throughout the Indian country, 

 that if prohibited from selling it, the traders will give it to 

 the Indians as an inducement to trade with them, taking 

 care that the price of the liquor be included in that of the 

 tobacco or other article sold to them at the time. 



All Indians concur in considering intoxication as impro- 

 per, and as the source of every evil. Among crimes, those 

 that are held to be most atrocious, are murder, theft, and 

 the violation of the advice and directions of their parents. 

 Many, however, are said to be " foolish," and not sensible 

 of crime. Rape is considered as visited by the anger of the 

 Great Spirit, and is never practised but upon females in a 

 state of intoxication. In the treatment of their wives, they 

 are often severe and brutal ; if they should prove lazy, or 

 be deemed so by their unrelenting husbands, or if careless 

 of their children, they arc not unfrequently beaten with 

 clubs. Among women no crime is considered so flagrant 

 as infidelity to their husbands ; this is punished with blows, 

 and sometimes by cutting off the nose, or other mutilations. 



