MANNERS AND CUSTOMS. 



501 



of feasts, and generally cheerful, 

 they are never gay. E\'ery thing 

 they see excites their attention 

 and inquiries, but having :,een 

 accustnuied to see the whites, 

 nothing appeared to give them 

 more astonishment than the alr- 

 gnn. To all our inquiries they 

 answer with great intelligence, 

 and the conversation rarely slack- 

 ens, since there is a constant dis- 

 cussion of the events, and trade, 

 and politics, in the little but 

 active circle of Killamucks, Clat- 

 sops, Cathluiuahs, Wahkiaiums, 

 and Chinnooks. Among them- 

 selves, the conversation generally 

 turns on the subjects of trade, 

 or smoking, or eating, or con- 

 nexion with feniaks, before whom 

 this last is spoken of with a fa- 

 miliarity which would be in the 

 highest degree uulecent, if custom 

 had not lendered it inoffensive. 



The treatment of women is 

 often considereil as the standard 

 by >\hich the moral qualities of 

 savages are to be estimated. Our 

 own observation, however, in- 

 duced u>< to think that the im- 

 portance of the female in savage 

 life has no necessary relation to 

 the virtues of the men, but is re- 

 gulated wholly by tiieir ca[)acity 

 to be useful Jhe Indians, whose 

 treatmenti)f thefeniales i- mildest, 

 and who pay most deference to 

 their opinions, are liy no means 

 the most distinguished for their 

 virtues ; nor is this deference at- 

 tended by any increase of attach- 

 ment, since they are equaly w 1 

 ling with the nio-t brutal hus 

 band, t(j prostitute iheir wive- to 

 strangers. On the other hand, 

 the tribes amongwhomtiie women 

 are very much debased, po,~sess 

 the loftiest sense of honour, the 



greatest liberality, and all the 

 good qualities of which their si- 

 tuation demands the exercise. 

 Where the women can aid in 

 procuring subsistence for the 

 tribe, they are treated with more 

 equality, and their importance is 

 proportioned to the share which 

 they take in that labour; while 

 in countries where subsistence 

 is chiefly procured by the exer- 

 tions of the men, the women are 

 considered and treated as burdens. 

 Thus, among the Clatsops and 

 Chinnooks, who live upon fi»h 

 and roots, which the women are 

 equally expert with the men in 

 procuring, the former have a 

 rank and influence very rarely 

 found among Indians. 'I'he fe- 

 males are permitted to sijeak 

 freely before the men, to whom 

 indeed they sometimes address 

 themselves in a tone of authority. 

 On many subjects their judgments 

 and opinions are resj ected, and 

 in matters of trade, their advice 

 is generally asked and pursued. 

 The labours of the family, too, 

 are shared almost equally. The 

 men collect wood and make fires, 

 assist in cleansing the fish, make 

 the houses, canoes, and wooden 

 utensils; and vvheneverftrangeis 

 are to be entertained, or a great 

 feast prepared, tlie meats are 

 cooked and served up by (he men. 

 The peculiai' province of the fe- 

 male is to collect roots, and to 

 manvifacture the vanous ai tides 

 which aieforme I of' ru-hes, Hags, 

 cedar-baik, and bear-grass ; but 

 the manageii.Ci t of the cauoes, 

 ami many of the occupations, 

 which elsewhere devolve wholly 

 on the female, are here common 

 to both sexes. 



The observation with regard 



to 



