g2 
1771. twenty-firft was appointed for moving; but oné | 
\-v~ of the women having been taken in labour, and 
April. 
- moans, were a fuflicient proof of the great pain 
A JOURNEY TO THE 
| 
it being rather an extraordinary cafe, we were | 
detained more than two days. The inftant, 
however, the poor woman was delivered, which | 
was not until fhe had fuffered all the pains ufually | 
felt on thofe occafions for near fifty-two hours, the 
fignal was made for moving when the poor creas 
ture took her infant on her back and fet out with 
the reft of the company; and though another 
perfon had the humanity to haul her fledge for 
her, (for one day only,) fhe was obliged to car= 
ry a confiderable load befide her little charge, and 
was frequently obliged to wade knee-deep in water) 
and wet fnow. Her very looks, exclufive of her’ 
fhe endured, infomuch that although fhe was a 
perfon I greatly difliked, her diftrefs at this time 
fo overcame my prejudice, that I never felt mor 
for any of her fex in my life; indeed her fig 
pierced me to the foul, and rendered me very mt- 
ferable, as it was not in my power to relieve her. | 
When a Northern Indian woman is taken in law 
bour, a {mall tent is erected for her, at fuch a dif 
tance from the other tents that her cries cannot 
eafily be heard, and the other women and young 
girls are her conitant vifitants: no male, except 
children in arms, ever offers to approach her. ft 
is a circumftance perhaps to be lamented, that 
thefe people never attempt to aflift each other on 
thofe occafions, even in the moft critical cafes. 
This 
