NORTHERN OCEAN 157 



the same proportion as the materials which are made are 1771. 

 less attainable.* 



To do Matonabbee justice on this occasion, I must say 

 that he endeavoured as much as possible to persuade his 

 countrymen from taking either furrs, clothing, or bows, from 

 the Copper Indians, without making them some satisfactory 

 return ; but if he did not encourage, neither did he endeavour 

 to hinder them from taking as many women as they pleased. 

 Indeed, the Copper Indian women seem to be much esteemed 

 by our Northern traders ; for what reason I know not, as they 

 are in reality the same people in every respect ; and their 

 language differs not so much as the dialects of some of the 

 nearest counties in England do from each other. 



It is not surprising that a plurality of wives is customary 

 among these people, as it is so well adapted to [i 25] their situa- 

 tion and manner of life. In my opinion no race of people under 

 the Sun have a greater occasion for such an indulgence. Their 

 annual haunts, in quest of furrs, is so remote from any 

 European settlement, as to render them the greatest travellers 

 in the known world ; and as they have neither horse nor water 

 carriage, every good hunter is under the necessity of having 

 several persons to assist in carrying his furrs to the Company's 

 Fort, as well as carrying back the European goods which he 

 receives in exchange for them. No persons in this country 

 are so proper for this work as the women, because they are 

 inured to carry and haul heavy loads from their childhood, 

 and to do all manner of drudgery ; so that those men who 

 are capable of providing for three, four, five, six, or more 

 women, generally find them humble and faithful servants, 

 affectionate wives, and fond and indulgent mothers to their 

 children. Though custom makes this way of life sit appa- 

 rently easy on the generality of the women, and though, in 

 general, the whole of their wants seem to be comprized in 



* See Postlethwayt on the article of Labour. 



