SOURCE OF ST. PETER's RIVER. 225 



wanted, such as cloth, guns, &c. To the red man he gave 

 nothing but his bow and his dog ; intending him therefore 

 for no other occupation than that of hunting. This appear- 

 ed to be a favourite idea with Wennebea ; he frequently- 

 dwelt upon this partition of the good things of the earth, in 

 which the poor Indian had received but his bwv and his 

 faithful dog. It was not alluded to in the spirit of com- 

 plaint or as a hardship, but .merely in support of a deep 

 conviction on his part, that, while the white man was made 

 capable of improvement in the arts, the red man was pre- 

 destined to remain stationary, and to live by hunting, for 

 which alone he had received, from the All-ruling Spirit, natu- 

 ral advantages. We related to him the belief entertained by 

 other Indians, who justify their hunting life by saying 

 that, in the origin, God divided all animals equally be- 

 tween the red and the white man ; and that while the 

 latter took great care of his share, the former merely 

 wrapped his up, loosely, in his blanket, and having left it for 

 a while, he found on his return that all the animals be- 

 longing to him had escaped into the woods : it was there- 

 fore to recover his lost property that he had addicted himself 

 to hunting. Wennebea observed that he had never heard of 

 this belief before ; but he thought, if it were true, it was a 

 wise decree of the Master of Life, for, he added, if the In- 

 dian had not suffered his share to escape into the woods, 

 he would have destroyed and wasted it in a short time, 

 and been ever after left to starve, as he wants the provi- 

 dent care of the white man ; but as it is at present, the In- 

 dian can only use his property gradually and according as 

 his wants require it. 



Wennebea declined entering upon any particulars re- 

 lating to their belief in after life, being apprehensive that 

 any conversation on that subject would disturb the quiet 



Vol. I. 29 



