dbms] the assintboin 513 



Longevity 



The changes, exposures, and deprivations attending on the life of 

 the roving tribes are without doubt great causes of the slow increase 

 of Indian population. We think from actual observation that not 

 more than two out of five children live until youth is passed. Even 

 a few days after their birth, and sometimes but a few hours after, 

 they are packed on the backs of their mothers in all weather, exposed 

 to cold, snow, and wet. They must be iron to stand this. Should 

 they be so fortunate as to reach the age of 4 to 6 years they follow 

 the camp on foot through spring thaws, exposed to rain and cold, 

 for weeks together, and a great many thus die from cold, pleurisy, 

 and rheumatism. No question but the uncertainty of their food also 

 contributes to their mortality, not that they often absolutely starve 

 to death, but are rendered weak and unable to stand the hardship the 

 life requires. In maturity war takes off another portion of the re- 

 mainder, and diseases contracted by the exposures of their youth, 

 together with their continued exertions as required by their pre- 

 carious life, places it .beyond probability of many arriving at extreme 

 age. It is evident that the hard labor the women perform after mar- 

 riage ruins their constitutions. A woman is old on the plains a ^ the 

 age of 35 years, and seldom healthy. They have from 2 to 5 chil- 

 dren, more are occasionally seen, but 7 or 8 is a rare occurrence. 

 There are but few very old women. The usual diseases by which 

 they are carried off are pains in the head, heart, and side, con- 

 sumption, hemorrhages from the nose and other ducts, puerperal 

 fever, peritoneal inflammations, deliveries, and rheumatism. 



Some of these complaints are certainly produced by their continued 

 stooping when in the act of scraping skins, others from exposure, and 

 all aggravated by their injudicious medical treatment. 



A woman ceases to bear at 40 years, often earlier. Children have 

 been produced by women at the age of 15, though this is uncommon ; 

 from 18 to 35 is the usual period. Twins are often seen ; that is as 

 frequently as this happens among the same number of white women. 

 It is remarkable that women who bear twins are liable to a repetition 

 of twin bearing, and two or three pairs follow. Two instances have 

 happened under our observation where women had three children 

 at a delivery. Barrenness is met with, but is by no means common. 



Hospitality 



Entertaining visitors forms one of the Indian's chief employments. 

 Some of these meetings partake of the nature of dinner and supper 

 parties. They are then called feasts. -But as these will meet with 

 consideration elsewhere we will allude in this place only to the cus- 

 tom of private entertainment, generally ascribed to hospitality. In- 



