n 



trORBOY. 



NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS. 



97,; 



I in the modern customary of the same island. In Alderney 



thk"oBr U styled juga. In each island he is appointed by the 

 crown ; and his authority continues much the same as laid down in 

 the ancient C-mtumitr. It is his duty to maintain order, to deside 

 according to law and usage all disputes arising between parties i 

 within his jurisdiction ; and to put down all thieves, incendiaries, ana 

 other malefactors. 



The first commentary on the Grand Coutumier of Normandy was 

 written by Rouille', a jurist of Alt-neon (Guillaume de RouilU, ' Com- 

 menUire sur la Coutume de Normandie,' foL, 1534, reprinted in 

 It was followed by that of Terrien of Dieppe, which was published in 

 1574. after his death (GuUlaiime Terrien,' Comment-lire sur lea Cmitunic* 

 anciennes de Normandie,' fol.). After the revision of the customary 

 in 1585, several modem commentaries appeared. The best editions are 

 'Decisions sur chaque article de la Coutume de Normandie,' Ac , par 

 Pierre de Merville, Paris, 1731, fol. ; Borault, Josias, born 15(>3. died 

 1640, ' Commentaire sur la Coutume de Normandie,' Rouen, 1684, in 

 fol.; Basnage, Henri, born 1615, died 1695, 'Commentaire sur la 

 Coutume de Normandie,' Rouen, 1678-1681 ; Godefroy, Jacques, 

 ' Coutume du Pays et Duchd de Normandie avec les Comment-lire* de 

 Bereult, Godefroy et d'Aviron,' Rouen, 1684, 2 vola fol. ; Flauat, Jean 

 Baptisto, born 1711, died 1783, ' Explication de la Jurisprudence et de 

 la Coutume de Normaudie,' 2 vols. fol. ; Pesnelle, ' Coutume de Nor- 

 mandie avec la observations de Roupnel,' Rouen, 1759, in 4to ; Houard, 

 David, born 1725, died 1803, 'Traitd BUT les Coutumes Anglo-Nor- 

 mindes,' Rouen, 1776, 4 vols. 4to. 



Hale, in his ' History of the Common Law of England ' (chap, vi.), 

 maintains that the ' Coutumier of Normandy ' was written long after 

 Glanville's tract, which was written in Henry the Second's time ; and 

 that the Norman collection waa made after the time of Henry II. appears 

 from its mentioning his coronation, and appointing it for the limitation 

 of actions ancestral, which must at least have been thirty years after. 

 " Nay, the ' Coutumier ' appears to have been made after the act of 

 settlement of Normandy in the crown of France, for therein is specified 

 the institution of Philip, king of France, for appointing the coronation 

 of king Richard I. for the limitation of actions, which was after the said 

 Philip's full possession of Normandy." Hale's opinion is, that " this 

 similitude of the laws of England and Normandy was not by confor- 

 mation of the laws of England to those of Normandy, but by con- 

 formation of the lawa of Normandy to England." 



NORROY. [HERALDRY. 



NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS. The name of Indians was applied 

 to the indigenous inhabitants of America on the first discovery of that 

 continent, on the supposition that it formed a part of Asia, and the 

 name has been retained ever since. By the great majority of those of South 

 America considerable progress in civilisation had been made at the time 

 of the discovery, as ia proved by our knowledge of the kingdoms of Peru, 

 Quito, and, farther north, Mexico, and vestiges of this civilisation have 

 been even preserved. A further portion waa reduced to a state of semi- 

 civilisation by the exertions of the Roman Catholic missionaries, and 

 their influence is still visible in Paraguay and other places. Still there 

 are a few tribes, as the Abiponea in Paraguay [ABIPONIANS, in GEOO. 

 Drv.], the Guarinia in Brazil, and a few others, which maintain a species 

 of independence by living apart from the more civiliaed portion. But in 

 North America, though pressed on all sides by the rapid increase of 

 the immigrant European population, dispossessed of the -most fertile 

 parts of their territories, and vastly reduced in numbers by successive 

 wan and the introduction of European diseases and vices, they have, 

 with few exceptions, refused to amalgamate, or accept the opportunities 

 of improving their position, but maintain their savage tastes, manners, 

 and customs, with a precarious independence, depending on their 

 withdrawal to still wilder regions as civilised man advances on their 

 position. Their numbers now are not estimated at more than 1,500,000 

 in the whole ; they are scattered over a vast region, and they consist of 

 a great variety of nations, as they term themselves, from the fact of 

 their speaking a variety of languages, said to be full 500 in number, 

 though certainly many roots are common to most of them. 



George Catlin, in his Letters and Notes on the Manners, Customs, 

 and Condition of the North American Indians,' London, 1 841, saya that 

 there U no idolatry found amongst them ; all worship or acknowledge 

 one Great Spirit, and know nothing of any intermediator. The Mandana 

 he thinks the relics of the mythic Welsh expedition of Madoc. They 

 have little government, though each tribe has a chief. The chief, 

 however, has littl real authority, and ia in fact only a leader in war. 

 They have no established laws beyond the few penalties established by 

 custom, and their punishments when inflicted are cruel. War is 

 decided on by the chiefs in council ; the chief's pipe, coloured red, is 

 sent through the country by messengers, and every volunteer draws the 

 moke once through its stem, and thus pledges himself to serve : but 

 he is still a volunteer, and is only "restrained by pride, or the 

 shame of retreat, or by feeling an immediate interest in the contest, 

 from quitting the chief whenever he chooses. He adds that little 

 progress has been made in mechanical arts, and the figures cut on 

 rucks or in turf show but little skill in design. 



The physical character and appearance of these natives has been 

 given in the Man of AMERICA, in the GEOO. Div., col. 2fl4 ; but we may 

 *dd that on the whole they do not exceed the average stature of 

 Europeans, but in some tribes the men exceed six feet in height ; that 



they are more formed for fleetness than for strength ; that they hnve 

 the virtues and vices of most savage tribes, hospitality and protection 

 to strangers who trust them, revenge against enemies, \\.mt of prudence, 

 and intemperance. Names are given to about 120 tribes or nations, 

 most of them speaking a language different from the rest, though some 

 of them now number but a few scores, and many but a few hundreds. 

 We shall only notice a few of the more important of these tribes, taking 

 them alphabetically, in accordance with our general arrangement. 



Algoiujuiiu. [AlXJOXQf iss, in GEOO. Div.l 



Arapahai, a small tribe of about 4000 souls, inhabiting the plains of 

 the river Platte, at enmity with the Crows. 



Araphoet are neighbours of the Camanchee, inhabiting the Rocky 

 mountains, with Santa K<5 on the south and the coast of California on 

 the west. They, with the Navahoes, who inhabit nearly the same 

 districts, have much harassed the American settlers in California. 



Arirarai, or Hiiareet, dwell on the plains of the Upper Missouri, 

 between 46 and 47 N. lat. They are skilful horsemen, were allied 

 with the Mandans and Minatareee, and hostile to the Sioux, which are 

 the neighbouring tribes. Their habitations are formed, in a conical 

 shape, of wooden frames interlaced with osiers ; and they amount to 

 about 3000. 



Attinaboim, or stone-boilers, so called because they cook their food 

 by inserting hot stones successively in a pit filled with water till the 

 water boils. They inhabit the plains along the base of the Rocky 

 Mountains, around the upper part of the Missouri, at its junction with 

 the Yellow-sand river. Their number is supposed not to exceed 7""". 

 They are horsemen, and use the gun with effect ; they are a branch 

 of the Sioux, and are usually allied with the Crees and the Ojibbeways, 

 and at variance with the Blackfeet. 



The Bearer Indians, of whom little is known, dwell about the forks 

 of the Mackenzie river, west of Bear Lake. Their district is a wide 

 one. With the Hare Indiana and Loucheux, who extend along the same 

 river to the north, it reaches from about 61 to 70* N. lat., where they 

 are bounded by the Esquimaux. Their numbers are unknown. 



The Blackfeet is one of the moat powerful tribes of the Rocky 

 mountains ; it includes several minor tribes, as the Blood Indians, the 

 Surcees, Grosventres, Cotonnois, &c., and their numbers a> 

 at 20,000. Wilks (' Narrative of the United States Exploring 

 dilion, 1 838 to 1842 ') thinks the number exaggerated ; but Catlin, who 

 was among them, estimates the number, including all the sulitriii- 

 ( which, however, he thiuks are improperly classed as Blackfeet), at 

 23,000. The Blackfeet proper inhabit the district around the sources 

 of the Missouri, but the Blood Indians extend to the roots of the 

 Rocky Mountains on the west. The Blackfeet are of middle stature 

 and robust make ; are good horsemen, brave, and almost continually at 

 war with one or other of the surrounding tribes. 



Jlonactt, or liannacla, tiro widely scattered around the Snake river, 

 and are neighbours and foes of the Blackfeet. Their numbers are 

 small, but they are brave and enterprising, and accustomed to the uae 

 of fire-arms. 



Camancheei, with the Pairnte Picts and a few minor tribes, such as 

 the Kioways and Wicos, occupy a great portion of Texas about tin- 

 Wiuhita river, and the head waters Rio del Norte and the Arkansas 

 river, the Pawnees extending to northern California. They amount 

 together to about 19,000 souls, have large numbers of horses, are daring 

 and expert riders, but, unlike most of the tribes, are not active on their 

 feet. The women cultivate maize and a few other vegetables ; the men 

 are all warriors, and have maintained many contests with the An 

 settlers. The Kioways are said to be a handsomer race than the 

 Camanchees, and to speak a different language, but they are closely 

 allied in manners. 



Chrrotta. [Cm itnkn s, in GEOO. Div.] 



I'kiuiHiki is apparently a general name foe a number of tribes that 

 inhabit British Columbia, in the neighbourhood of the Oregon. They 

 are short, bow-legged, with wedge-like heads, produced by compres- 

 sing the skulls of tlicr infants, high cheek-bones, long hair, aquiline 

 noses, and of a light copper-colour. They live chiefly on fish. The 

 (J/'iUcoalam are found about Frascr's river. Other sub-tribes are the 

 Callapayas, Cathlamahs, Clatsops, Klackatacks, Wohkiacums, and 

 Wallawallas, the whole amounting to between 3000 and 4000. They 

 live princi|>ally by Hulling, the salmon caught in the Columbia river 

 forming the chief part of their food. This they prepare by pounding 

 the salmon, presaing the flesh between mats, and drying it, in which 

 state it will keep good 1 for three or four years. 



The Cliiel-tawt and Choctawi were located in Mississippi, and numbered 

 about 10,000 souls, but they have been transferred by the United 

 States government to the district west of the Mississippi, where they 

 now remain, reduced in number. 



Cheyennn number about 2000 ; they are a branch of the Shawnys, 

 and were originally located in Wisconsin, whence they were driven by 

 the Sioux, and now dwell about the Cheyenne river, towards the .- 

 of the Upper Missouri. They are a tall and handsome race, possess 

 many horses, and the women raise some corn and other vegetables. 



Creel and Cli /'/" '// constitute at present one of the most numerous 

 and most widely extended of the aboriginal nations which inhabit the 

 interior of North America, amounting to upwards of 10,000. The 

 Crees, formerly called by the l-'n -nrh linitineaux, inhabit the shores 

 of Hudson's Bay from Moose river, which falls into the south-we.tU-rii 



