SOURCE OP ST. Peter's river. 157 



Messed. A Chippewa having ill-treated his wife during 

 pregnancy, she abandoned him, withdrew to her fa- 

 ther's, and was delivered of a child. She soon after re- 

 turned to the vicinity of her former residence ; the father 

 claimed the infant; she refused to deliver it; he seized 

 upon it and attempted to take it, while she strongly op- 

 posed his effort ; in this conflict the poor infant's arm was 

 broken and torn off. Such instances are probably very rare. 

 Generally speaking, the Chippewas become attached to 

 their wives and seldom repudiate them. But in their man- 

 ners they are rough, even when they do not wish to pro- 

 duce serious injury. Thus, in punishing their children, 

 they frequently strike them so rudely as to stun them. 

 Frequently, likewise, their brutal conduct to their wives 

 produces abortions. 



The Chippewas have no marriage ceremony. The busi- 

 ness of promoting unions rests principally with the female 

 relations, and originates with those either of the man or 

 woman. In such cases the preliminaries are settled be- 

 tween the mothers without consulting their children. 

 When the terms are agreed upon, and the customary pre- 

 sents exchanged, the property of the girl is removed to the 

 lodge of the man, whom tlie mother has selected. The 

 disappearance of her property is the first intimation which 

 she receives of the contemplated change in her condition. 

 She is then accompanied to the man's cabin ; this is ge- 

 nerally done during his absence. On his return he finds 

 a female at his usual resting place, and her baggage placed 

 near his ; the purport of this change he cannot misunder- 

 stand. If the parties give consent they are from that 

 moment considered as man and wife. If, as is often the 

 case, one or both of them be unwilling, they remain as 

 strangers to each other, avoiding all conversation ; but the 



Vol. II. 21 



