JM'Keevor's Voyage to Hudson s Bay. 35 



of some land-animal. In other respects her dress was like 

 that of the rest : she appeared to have the command of the 

 entire, as none of them bartered, even the most trifling article, 

 without first asking her permission. I uniformly observed 

 that men and women, when they had gotten any thing in ex- 

 change, immediately commenced licking it, to intimate, as I 

 afterwards learned, that it was then their property. While 

 trading with the women, I had an opportunity of observing 

 how far they were from despising all sort of authority ; they 

 all appeared attentive to the voice of wisdom, which time and 

 experience had conferred on the aged. It is age which teaches 

 experience, and experience is the only source of knowledge 

 amongst a barbarous people. I remarked that several of the 

 mothers pointed repeatedly to the children's heads, as I sup- 

 posed for the purpose of selling them ; in this, however, I 

 was quite mistaken, as they have for their children the great- 

 est affection, and do not part with them for any consideration. 

 I understood afterwards, that it was merely to recommend 

 them to my notice, in order that I might give them something. 

 The children, most of whom were about nine or ten years old, 

 appeared of very lively dispositions, and many of them were 

 really very well looking. I did not observe that they repri- 

 manded them in any way ; indeed, I am told that this is 

 never done. Liberty is their darling passion ; it is this which 

 makes life supportable, and to it they are ready to sacrifice 

 every thing ; their education is directed, therefore, in such 

 a manner as to cherish this disposition to the utmost. Reason, 

 they say, will guide their children when they come to the use 

 of it, and before that time their faults cannot be very consi- 

 derable; but blows, by producing a slavish motive to action, 

 might damp their free and martial spirit. 



A few of the women had young children at the breast. I 

 recollect one in particular, who, while very busy trading, was 

 much annoyed with the crying of her young squaw, about six 

 months old, which she had in the hood of her garment, Un- 

 willing to be at the trouble of holding it to the breast,* she 

 went up to the stern of the boat, where the old woman was 

 sitting, and took out a small bag of blubber, applied the open 

 extremity to the infant's mouth, and pressing it between her 

 thumb and forefinger, she in this way forced a quantity of it 

 into the young thing's mouth ; the crying immediately ceased, 

 and, in a few minutes, the young savage was fast asleep. 



* I may here remark, that their breasts, though very long and flaccid, are 

 by no means of sufficient length to throw over their shoulders, as seme have 

 msserted. 



F2 



