332 



HUDSON'S BAY. 



Hudson's wrinkled before they reach the age of thirty. But 

 Ba )- they are remarkably chaste, mild, and obliging crea- 

 ""Y"^ tures, making the most faithful servants, affectionate 

 wives, and indulgent mothers. A plurality of wives 

 is customary among all these Indians, and every man 

 takes as many as he is able to maintain, or has occa- 

 sion to employ in his service. It is not uncommon to 

 see six or eight in one family ; and they are changed 

 or increased in number, at the pleasure of the husband. 

 From the early age of eight or nine years, the girls are 

 kept under the greatest restraint, and are not permitted 

 to join in any amusements with the children of the 

 other sex ; but are obliged to be constantly beside the 

 old women, learning their domestic labours. They are 

 betrothed at an early period of life, without any choice 

 of their own, but entirely at the will of their relations, 

 who are chiefly anxious to connect them with men able 

 to maintain them. No ceremonies attend their mar- 

 riages, or divorces ; and they are taken or dismissed as 

 the husband chooses. When he suspects any of them 

 of incontinency, or is not pleased with her accomplish- 

 ments, he administers a beating and turns her out of 

 doors, telling her to go to her lover or relations, as the 

 case may be. It is also a daily occurrence among them 

 to take by force, the wives of others, whom they may 

 happen to fancy ; and all that is necessary to decide the 

 claim, is to vanquish the former husband in wrestling. 

 On these occasions, the by-standers never attempt to 

 interfere ; nor will one brother even offer to assist an- 

 other, except by giving his advice aloud, which being 

 equally heard, may be equally followed by both the 

 parties engaged. In these contests, there is properly 

 nothing like fighting ; and it is very rarely that either 

 of the combatants receives any hurt. The whole affair 

 consists in pulling each other about by the hair of the 

 head, or, if they should have taken care to cut off their 

 hair and grease their heads before beginning the con- 

 test, they endeavour to seize each other around the 

 waist, and struggle to prove their superior strength 

 and title, by throwing their antagonist to the ground. 

 When one of them falls or yields, the other is entitled 

 to carry of the woman, who was the cause of conten- 

 tion ; but as the children usually go with the mother, 

 it is chiefly for the younger wives, that these contests 

 take place. It is a common custom among them to 

 exchange wives for a night, as one of the strongest ties 

 of friendship between the two families ; and, in case of 

 the death of either husband, the other considers him- 

 self bound to support the children of the deceased. 

 , The women among the Northern Indians are less pro- 



lific than the females of more civilized nations ; and 

 their children are commonly born at such intervals, 

 that the youngest is usually two or three years old be- 

 fore another is brought into the world. The wife, 

 when taken in labour, is removed to a small tent erect- 

 ed for her separate accommodation, at such a distance 

 from the other tents, that her cries cannot be heard ; 

 and no male above the age of childhood approaches 

 the place. No assistance is offered by the other women 

 to facilitate the birth, which is generally easy, and the 

 recovery of the mother not less speedy. A woman af- 

 ter delivery, however, is accounted unclean for a month 

 or more, and continues to occupy a separate tent with 

 one or two female acquaintances ; nor does the father, 

 during all that time, even see the child, in the appre- 

 hension that he might dislike its appearance, before its 

 countenance is duly formed. At certain monthly pe- 

 riods, also, the women are not permitted to remain in 

 the same tent with their husbands, and are obliged to 



Hudson'* 

 Bay. 



make a small hovel for themselves at a little distance 

 from the rest. When these periods arrive, they creep 

 out of the tent at the side where they happen to be 

 sitting, as on such occasions they arc not permittfd to 

 go out or in by the door ; and it is said, that, upon any 

 disagreement with their husbands, they often make a 

 pretence of being in that situation, as a reason for a 

 temporary separation. During these periods, a woman 

 is restricted from walking on the ice of rivers or lakes, 

 or where a fishing net is placed, or from crossing a path 

 where the head of any animal has been carried, or from 

 eating of any part of the head ; and all this from a su- 

 perstitious notion that by so doing she would impede 

 their success in hunting. The children are not put in 

 cradles as among the Southern Indians, but merely have 

 a small bundle of dry moss placed between their legs, 

 and are thus carried on the mother's back next her 

 skin, till they are able to walk. Though managed in _ . 

 this awkward manner, very few deformed persons are 

 seen among them. The children are named by the 

 parents or near relatives ; and the names of the boys 

 are generally taken from that of some animal, place or 

 season. Those of the girls are most frequently ex- 

 pressive of some quality or part of the martin, such as 

 White Martin, Black Martin, Summer Martin, Mar- 

 tin's-head, Martin's-foot, Martin's -tail, &c. The men, 

 though very indifferent about their wives, express much 

 affection to their children, especially to the youngest ; 

 apparently actuated by no other principle than mere 

 natural instinct. 



When two parties of these Indians chance to meet, salutations. 

 their mode of salutation is rather singular, and quite 

 different from all European practices. When about 

 twenty or thirty yards distant from each other, they 

 make a full halt ; and sit or lie down upon the ground 

 without speaking for some minutes. At length the 

 oldest on one side breaks silence by relating to the other 

 party all the misfortunes which have befallen him or 

 his companions, since they had last seen or heard of 

 each other, and also all the deaths or calamities of any 

 of their countrymen, as far as may have come to his 

 knowledge. A similar communication is made in re- 

 ply ; and, should any of the two companies be nearly 

 affected by any of the bad news announced, they be- 

 gin to sob and cry, in which all the rest unite with the 

 utmost vehemence. They then advance by degrees, 

 and mix together, the two sexes, however, always asso- 

 ciating separately. The pipes are passed freely, if any 

 tobacco can be found among them ; conversation be- 

 comes general ; the good news circulate ; cheerfulness 

 appears on every countenance ; and small presents of 

 provisions, ammunition, or other articles,are made, some- 

 times as gifts, but more frequently as speculations to 

 draw forth a greater present in return. Their princi- Amuw- 

 pal amusements are shooting at a mark with the bow menu, 

 and arrow ; playing a game resembling that of quoits, 

 in which they make use of short clubs sharpened at one 

 end ; or shifting a button, or small bit of wood from 

 hand to hand, as in " which hand will you take ?" in 

 which the player, whenever he guesses rightly, receives 

 a counter or chip of wood from his antagonist, and he 

 who first gains all the sticks, is winner of the stake, 

 which is usually an arrow, or a single load of powder 

 and shot, or something of inconsiderable value. At 

 times they amuse themselves with dancing, which is 

 always performed during the night ; but in which they 

 have nothing peculiar to their own nation, and always 

 imitate the songs and dances of the Southern tribes, or 

 more commonly of the Dog-ribbed Indians. These 



