236 THE GREAT NORTH-WEST 



country; for their hateful austerity, combined with their 

 hostiUty to one of the chief of Nature's laws, and their 

 utterly unnatural existence in general, is far more dange- 

 rous to real religion than open immorality. Austerity 

 causes the young to hate religion ; vice often causes a 

 disgust that drives men to virtue and piety as a welcome 

 refuge. 



Originally all the houses on the estate were what is 

 known in America as " frame buildings," i.e. timber houses 

 constructed of planks nailed to a beam frame-work, and 

 roofed with shingles. The houses were painted a buff 

 colour, with red or vermilion shingles, and consequently 

 presented a gaudy appearance. These frame buildings 

 are considered superior to log-houses ; but in my opinion 

 they are neither so comfortable nor so substantial as well- 

 built log-houses; and they are certainly more infested 

 with insect and other pests, while in summer the heat in 

 them is intolerable, and I have seen them warp until 

 they looked like huge chests which had been partly 

 crushed. The window-frames, in particular, of a frame 

 house, are rarely on the square after the first summer of 

 its erection. At the time of my visit most of the erec- 

 tions devoted to general purposes were still of this des- 

 cription; but there were also some built of brick and 

 stone. The bricks, I was told, had been made by the 

 saints, as they seemed to have made everything else 

 which they use. 



None of the men and women seemed to be living alone. 

 A number of men, or a number of women, lived together ; 

 and a certain band of women waited on a certain band of 

 men. This was a common, but not a general, arrange- 

 ment. To my surprise I found certain houses tenanted 

 by a man, his wife and, sometimes, a large family — all 

 born before their parents were " converted." Though 

 they live together the sinful intercourse of the " worldly 

 married " ceases — they are now simply " brothers " and 

 " sisters." That this most singular arrangement should 



