THE INDIANS 217 



Yet I do not know that we have a right to blame a practice 

 in them which they have undoubtedly learned from us. 

 What do they obtain from us without payment ? Nothing ; 

 not a shot of powder, not a ball, not a flint. But whatever 

 may be said of their conduct towards the whites, no people 

 can exercise the laws of hospitality with greater generosity, 

 or show less selfishness toward each other, than the Nascau- 

 pees. The only part of an animal a hunter retains for him- 

 self is the head ; every other part is given up for the com- 

 mon benefit. Fish, flesh, and fowl are distributed in the 

 same liberal and impartial manner ; and he who contributes 

 most seems as contented with his share, however small 

 it may be, as if he had no share in procuring it. In fact, a 

 community of goods seems almost established among them. 

 The few articles they purchase from us shift from hand 

 to hand, and seldom remain more than two or three days in 

 the hands of the original purchasers.' 7 



The Cree, which is considered the parent language of all 

 the Algic dialects, is believed to have had its early home 

 and centre of development not far from its present place. 

 The Iroquois also are thought to have emerged from the 

 same quarter, " somewhere north of the St. Lawrence 

 and east of Hudson Bay." The development of either 

 race in such a latitude would seem to be one of numbers 

 rather than of racial type or language, for the last Glacial 

 period there ended only a few thousand years ago, while 

 the physical type of both these peoples appears to have 

 been very long established ; and, as well as their accessories 

 of clothing and other belongings, gives a strong impression 

 of development in more moderate latitudes. 



The Algonquin group of languages, to which all the dia- 

 lects of the peninsula belong, are both well developed in 

 method and generally agreeable in sound. Their accept- 



