26 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 190 



good supply of merchandise it was to his advantage to divide it with 

 few companions, as he thus secured all that he desired. If a man en- 

 gaged in trade without permission from the master of that trade, he 

 might conduct a good business in secret. But if he was surprised re- 

 turning with liis goods, he was treated as a thief : unless he was well 

 accompanied all his possessions were taken from him. If, however, 

 he returned with his baggage, safe, there were only complaints about 

 his actions, but no prosecution ( JR 10 : 223-225) . 



Indians from neighboring villages came to Quieunonascaran (St. 

 Joseph) seeking permission of Onorotandi, brother of the great chief 

 Auomdaon, to go to the Saguenay, for he was the master and overlord 

 of the roads and rivers that led there, up to the limits of the Huron 

 country. Similarly, the Indians had to get permission from Auoin- 

 daon to go to Quebec. As each brother wished to be master in his own 

 country, no one of another tribe of Indians was allowed to pass 

 through his respective country to go trading unless each was recog- 

 nized as master and his favor secured by a present ( S 99) . 



According to the laws of the country, the trade with the French 

 belonged to the Arendahronons, as they were the first Huron nation to 

 meet the French. They could have enjoyed the privilege of being sole 

 traders with the French, but they shared it with the other nations, re- 

 taining the special character of allies with the French ( JR 20 : 19) . 



From one point of view, the priests were also traders in Huron 

 country. As gifts and for their food, wood, houses, and other necessi- 

 ties, they gave the Huron little beads or tubes of glass or wampum 

 (plain and colored) , knives, awls, needles, fishhooks, iron arrow points, 

 blankets, kettles, hatchets, rings, earrings, and similar items (JR 7: 

 223; 8: 97, 105-107, 145, 149; 10: 249; 12: 119-121; 15: 159, 163; 18: 

 19; S 84, 87, 245), and tobacco (JR 13: 141, 171, 219; S 85). The 

 wooden plates used by the Jesuits were expensive ; they cost one beaver 

 robe worth a hundred francs ( JR 15 : 159) . The Jesuits also gave the 

 converted Indians rosaries to wear around their necks as a sign of their 

 faith (JR26:287). 



Other Indians wanting to control trade with the French forced the 

 Huron to travel the longer way, a distance of 300 instead of 200 

 leagues, to Quebec. This route, which went by way of the River des 

 Prairies, was also the more difficult one as it had more falls and 

 rapids — some, 2 or 3 leagues long — on it ( JR 8 : 75 ; 15 : 151 ; 16 : 227; 

 18: 15; 33: 65). The route had more than 60 falls around which 

 canoes and baggage had to be carried ( JR 33 : 65) or had 35 portages 

 and at least 50 places where the canoe had to be dragged (JR 8: 77). 

 When these rapids or strong currents were reached, the men in the 

 canoes landed and carried the canoes and the baggage on their 

 shoulders around these unnavigable sections. This entailed some 

 work : a number of portages were 1, 2, or 3 leagues long and several 



