The Life-history of an Indian. 139 



joyful that she had given birth to a boy, it is impossible 

 to say. Probably it was a matter of course to her — a 

 part of her duty as a woman, in doing which she neither 

 required assistance nor would have accepted it if offered. 



On her return to the benab she lay down with the 

 baby in her arms for a few hours, but her household 

 duties soon drew her forth. Her husband could no more 

 attend to these than she could hunt or shoot. With her 

 babe slung at her breast in its little hammock, she turned 

 over the meat on the barbecue and baked the cassava 

 bread, no one seeming to care for her in the least. Not 

 so however her husband. He must not hunt, shoot, or 

 fell trees for some time, because the child's spirit was 

 still invisibly attached to him and might be shot, chopped, 

 or injured by a fallen tree. Round his hammock, where 

 he sat with a self-satisfied expression on his face, the 

 other members of the community gathered, and he was 

 deluged with advice from the older men. He must be 

 very careful of himself and not go to any great dis- 

 tance, as the little spirit that necessarily followed him 

 would become tired. If obliged to cross a creek on a 

 fallen tree the spirit must have its own little bridge first 

 laid across, and if the father waded through the water 

 too deep for his companion he must make a leaf canoe 

 for it. 



The father was perfe6lly content to carry out his instruc- 

 tions and remained quietly at home for a few days. His 

 wife looked upon it as matter of course that he should 

 do so, even if they suffered from want of meat. It was 

 his duty to see that no harm came to the tender little 

 one, and it was hers to look after the household. She 

 could not help him, nor could he relieve her of any part 



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