292 lawson's history 



tune befallen tliem. After this oration is over, 

 every man, according to his quality, throws him 

 down upon the ground some present, vfhich is 

 commonly beads, ronoak, peak, skins, or furs, and 

 which very often amounts to treble the loss he has 

 suffered. The same assistance they give to any 

 man that wants to build a cabin, or make a canoe. 

 They say it is our duty thus to do ; for there are 

 several works that one man cannot effect, therefore 

 we must give him our help, otherwise our society 

 will fall, and we shall be deprived of those urgent 

 necessities which life requires. They have no 

 fence to part one anothers lots in their corn fields, 

 but every man knows his own, and it scarce ever 

 happens that they rob one another of so much as 

 an ear of corn, which, if any is found to do, he is 

 sentenced by the elders to work and plant for him 

 that was robbed, till he is recompensed for all the 

 damage he has suffered in his corn field ; and 

 this is punctually performed, and the thief held in 

 disgrace that steals from any of his country folks. 

 It often happens that a woman is destitute of her 

 husband, and has a great many children to main- 

 tain ; such a person they always help, and make 

 their young men plant, reap, and do every thing 

 that she is not capable of doing herself; yet they 

 do not allow any one to be idle, but to employ 

 themselves in some work or other. 



They never fight with one another unless 

 drunk, nor do you ever hear any scolding amongst 

 them. They say the Europeans are always rang- 



