476 TRIBES OF THE UPPER MISSOURI [bth. ann. 46 



their horses having had several owners, they are always a precarious 

 gift or purchase. Property obtained by gambling is also held by a 

 very slight tenure, so much so that the loser has many chances in 

 his favor and these operations are much fairer among them than 

 among whites. 



Robberies of each other on any large scale are seldom attempted. 



They would attract the notice and induce the interference of the 

 camp soldiers and relations of the robbed, and bloodshed would be 

 the consequence. Infractions of smaller rights are left to individual 

 settlement and are paid for. What prevents impositions in smaller 

 matters is the disgrace and disgust that would fall upon any man 

 guilty of petty infringements of personal rights. 



With regard to the Indian of the British dominions applying to 

 an agent of the United States for the payment of a private debt 

 contracted by a north Briton, a resident of Hudson Bay, the prob- 

 able operation of his mind was as follows : " All whites are very par- 

 ticular in endeavoring to collect their debts from Indians, and the 

 richer are less generous. White traders are interlopers. The country, 

 game, and all else in the territory belong to the Indians. The whites 

 have no claims upon our generosity; are entitled to nothing without 

 paying for it. Now a white man owes me, and from him I can 

 get nothing. Indian agents are sent expressly to see justice done 

 the Indians, are responsible and sensible, besides being rich and 

 powerful. He will perhaps allow me my claim, or interpose his 

 authority with the Hudson Bay people to make them pay. It is 

 at least worthy of a trial, for if I gain nothing I lose nothing." 



Most Indians of the British possessions in America, at least the 

 Cree and Chippewa, are a great deal farther advanced in knowledge 

 of every kind than those of whom we write. They have tolerably 

 correct ideas of right and wrong and are famed for the shrewdness 

 they exhibit in all kinds of dealings, to their own advantage. It is 

 not even likely that if this Indian claim was not settled by the agent 

 .spoken to, he therefore abandoned it, but it is more probable that he 

 dunned every one of the Hudson Bay traders for years until he got 

 some remuneration. We have known an Indian at, Fort Union to 

 claim payment for carrying out three bundles belonging to one of our 

 people when the fort was on fire. This demand was made 12 years 

 after the circumstance happened. They never forget a claim on 

 whites, but never recollect one upon themselves. 



Territorial Rights 



How right to territory originally accrued can perhaps be learned 

 by the way in which it is here discussed. None of these prairie tribes 

 claim a special right to any circumscribed or limited territory. Their 



