INDIANS. 185 



their (the Sauk) ideas of moral excellence, we asked Wen- 



nebea what, in their opinion, constituted a good man. He 



immediately replied, that, " in order to be entitled to this 



appellation an Indian ought to be mild in his manners, affable 



to all, and particularly so to his squaw. His hospitality 



ought to be boundless. His cabin, as well as all that he can 



procure, should be at the disposal of any one who visits him. 



Should he receive presents, he ought to divide them among 



the young men of his tribe, reserving no share for himself. 



But what he chiefly considered as characteristic of a good 



man, was to be mild and not quarrelsome when intoxicated. 

 ***** 



" It is the duty of a good Indian to offer sacrifices to the 

 Master of Life. The business of men consists in hunting, 

 fighting, building their lodges, digging their canoes, taking 

 care of their horses, making wooden spoons, &c. ; while it 

 is the duty of the women to hew wood, to carry water, to 

 plant and raise corn, to take care of their families, and, in the 

 absence of the men, they must attend to their horses, build 

 their lodges, &c. Man's chief and best occupation is hunt- 

 ing. He will never fight unless aggrieved by his enemies, 

 in which case it becomes his duty to resent the injury. A 

 good hunter is held in high esteem, and will obtain as many 

 wives as he chooses, because they know that he can support 

 them, but the good warrior is esteemed the first man in the 

 nation. 



" A woman, in order to deserve the appellation of good, 

 ought to be endued with most of the qualities which consti- 

 tute virtue among civilized females. To be obedient and 

 affectionate to her husband is her first duty. Kind to all her 

 children, partial to none : affable and courteous to all men, 

 avoiding however the appearance of familiarity with any. 

 Her chastity should be inviolate, even at the risk of death. 



