88 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [bull. 43 



renewing nmning for fear lest they heat themselves too much. The swifter 

 at this exercise jest sometimes at those who are slower, but the old man who 

 directs them prevents the raillery from going too far, for he carefully avoids 

 subjects of quarrel and discord among them. It is, without doubt, for this 

 reason that they never let them wrestle, in order to cut off the road to all that 

 might give birth to division among them. I am well persuaded that this educa- 

 tion, added to the gentleness of their character and that of the climate, renders 

 them as sociable as we see them among themselves and with those who come 

 to know them. 



In order that the youths maintain that agility which running exacts at the 

 same time that it gives it, the youths are early accustomed to bathe every morn- 

 ing to fortify the sinews and to harden them in the cold and by the fatigue, 

 besides teaching them how to swim that they may be able to flee from or pur- 

 sue an enemy. For this purpose an old man is chosen to call them every 

 morning in the year until they know how to swim well, boys and girls without 

 exception, another labor for the mothers who go there to teach their infants, 

 who are compelled to go from the age of 3 years. Those who already know 

 fairly well how to swim make a great noise in winter beating the water to drive 

 away the alligators and to warm themselves. The old man tells them this; 

 they must believe it. 



All that I have so far reported enables one to see sufficiently well that the 

 women are very much tied down by work, and I am able to assure you that I 

 have almost never seen them enjoying any leisure. However, I have never 

 heard them complain of their sufferings, unless it was for those which the 

 children give them, which arise as much from the anxiety which maternal 

 love gives as from the labors which they have around them. Besides, the 

 labors of their state having become familiar from their earliest youth, they 

 give themselves to them without repugnance. 



The girls are warned from their earliest years that if they are lazy or awk- 

 ward they will have only a lout for a husband. By this means they are made 

 to emulate one another and to see who will do best. I have noticed in all the 

 countries which I have visited that the girls make good use of this threat. 



Let not one think on that account that the young men are entirely lazy. 

 Their occupations, indeed, are not of such long duration, but they are much 

 more painful, and, as they need more strength, reason demands that they 

 husband their youth so much the more without being exempted from the 

 exercises. Great attention is paid never to beat them in infancy, for fear lest 

 a bad blow might wound them. I leave the reader to decide which would moi'e 

 inspire sense in a child, fear or beatings, in order to give them an education 

 which vanishes as soon as they are away from the impression of the blows 

 which they were obliged to receive in order to learn to think well. 



By sparing their youth in this manner the body grows, shapes itself, and 

 becomes strong without trouble. In their youth they follow the men onlj^ to 

 the hunt to learn the rules and to accustom themselves to be patient. Beyond 

 that they are not employed in any rough work, in order not to weaken them 

 and render them incapable of going to war and do work which exacts much 

 Strength. But when they are grown men they work the field or waste, and 

 prepare it to receive seed." They go hunting and to war, dross skins, cut down 

 trees, make their bows and arrows, and aid each other in building their cabins. 



I admit, however, that much more time is left to them than to the women, 

 but this time is not always lost. On the contrary, I find it veiy well employed. 

 These people have no assistance from writing, and are able to preserve their 



" See note «, p. 87. 



