138 EXPEDITION TO THE 



of the buflaloe, but to the great facility that attends the di- 

 gestion of this food, and to the irregular habits which even 

 the most civilized men readily acquire as soon as they find 

 themselves beyond the pale of society. Certain it is, that 

 if well provided with food, and not engaged in hunting, the 

 Potawatomi will eat from ten to twenty times a day. Fre- 

 quent exposure to privation of food has, however, accus- 

 tomed him to endure the want of it with more fortitude, 

 and perhaps with less real inconvenience, than the white 

 man. There is also probably a moral support which the 

 red man receives from the recollection, that however fre- 

 quent, and however long have been the intervals during 

 W'hich he was deprived of all subsistence, they have al- 

 ways terminated in time to secure him from absolute fa- 

 mine ; he therefore always retains the hope of being soon re- 

 stored to abundance. The white man, less accustomed to 

 these privations, considers himself as lost the very first time 

 that he misses his usual allowance, and is deprived of the great 

 accession of physical strength which proceeds from moral 

 courage. Notwithstanding their great fortitude, the men 

 of this nation are sometimes liable to unaccountable de- 

 pression of spirits, which seldom, however, leads them to 

 commit suicide ; we heard of two instances only, one of 

 which was in a fit of intoxication, and the other to get rid 

 of a scolding wife. 



This account of the Potawatomis might have been 

 lengthened out by adding many circumstances which were 

 related to us concerning their manners and opinions ; but 

 having given the most important, we shall withhold notic- 

 ing the remainder, except in a few instances, when treat- 

 ing of other Indian tribes ; in which case they may assist 

 in a comparison between the different nations. 



