swANTONl INDIAN TinBKS OF 1111, LOWER MISSISSIPPI V.\I-,LEY 89 



own history only tlifon^ii li'ndil ion. 'I'hns il is iinpossihlc for (licin to learn it 

 t«xci'i)t by frccinont convi'rsalions. Tin- old men arc the dcpositark's of this, 

 juul as it has been very faitiifully (ransniittcd from trcni'ration to generation 

 they call it "the ancient word." What contrihntes nnich to i)rcscrve it in ,ill 

 its purity is that they do not teach it to all the youns,' iieoi)le indifferently. This 

 tradition is all their science and the only authority on which they are ahle to 

 l)ase tlieir reasoniiiiis. This is why reason makes them vividly conscious of the 

 fact that they ou^ht not to waste this treasure, and that the surest means of 

 preserving it unaltered is not to intrust such a precious deposit to people who 

 have not the prudence ifecessary to make good use of it, or who in a little while 

 would entirely deform it by additions or hy omissions equally unfortunate for the 

 truth. They tlier(>fore choose for this purpose those among the youths of whom 

 they had the best opinion in oidcr to teach them past things. Moreover, this 

 choice is very easy for them, because tlie children are always under their eyes 

 and the old men are in a very good position to know them, the same cabin 

 ordinarily embracing the same family.^ 



In another place he declares : 



It is inconceivable with what exactness the preeminence of men is observed 

 among these peoples. In any assembly whatever, whether of tue nation as a 

 whole or of many families together or of a single i^ai-ticular family, the smallest 

 boys luive precedence of the most aged women, and when food is distributed at 

 a meal it is presented to the women only after all the males have received their 

 share, so tliat a boy of 2 is served before his mother. 



The women, always busy, without being distracted or seduced by the gal- 

 lantries of lovers, never think of rebelling against a usage in which they have 

 been steadily reared, and never having seen any example to the contrary they 

 never shun it. They have not even the least idea of it. Submissive as much 

 by habit as by reason, they preserve through their docility the peace which they 

 have in their families, peace which they would very soon make vanish if, like 

 others, they pretendt^d to have the right to give it.* 



Thi.s account of Du Pratz is prqbabl_v correct in most particulars, 

 but it is rather idealized, and tliere seems to be a serious mistake 

 made in speaking of the care of the fields as work performed solely 

 by men. It is po.ssible that he had in mind the preparation of cer- 

 tain sacred fields, the product of which was intended for the harvest 

 feast, to be described later, but such is not the impression conveyed. 

 Duniont and all other writers invariably assio:n this work to the 

 Avomen, and it is evident that it was at least shared \Sy them. 



The ground covered in the above is not reviewed so thoroughly b}^ 

 Dumont, but the following paragraphs bear upon the same subjects: 



It may be perceived from w^hat I have said of the ornaments and dress of 

 these peoples that they ought to be well hardened to cold. Besides, they never 

 fear it. They are seen, even in quite severe frosts — men, women, and children — 

 going after daybreak to bathe in the river in order to make themselves harder 

 and more insensible. They also have the custom of rubbing themselves fre- 

 iinently with bear's oil, which contributes still further to harden the skin and 

 protect them from the bites of gnats (nmringouina) and mosquitoes. When 

 their children come into the world they take care to crush and flatten the upper 



« Du Pratz, Hist, de La Louisiane, ii, 309-321. » Ibid., 385-386. 



