INDIAN TRIBES OF THE MISSOURI VALLEY. 24 
It is seen by the above that the Crees, as is the case with most if not all the Northwest 
tribes, count entirely by tens. From one to ten, each number has a separate name, but 
afterwards the word “sap” is added, meaning beyond, as, pa-4-kwo-sap, one beyond ten, = 
eleven ; né-so-sap, two beyond ten,=twelve ; and so on until we reach seventeen, when the 
name for ten and for seven is mentioned, as me-ti-ta-ta--wa-ta-pa-ko. This continues 
to twenty, which becomes né-si-ta-no, and to it are prefixed the names of the first ten 
numerals in their order up to thirty, &c. ‘They can count with correctness as far as a 
thousand, but farther than this, they have very little occasion to enumerate. Should it 
become necessary, they use small sticks as counters, to prevent confusion. They have no 
number representing a million, nor do they add, subtract, or divide, without the use of 
counters to aid their memory. ; 
It is customary with the-traders of the Hudson’s Bay Company to facilitate hunting by 
crediting the Indians for small amounts, varying according to the character of the person 
credited. Indians that have always paid their debts promptly can get advances to the 
amount of thirty plues, while others of more doubtful reputation are credited with an 
amount sufficiently large to enable them to hunt, say five to ten plues. A plue is an imagi- 
nary amount placed on the value of skins, equal to about two shillings sterling. The pro- 
ceeds of all hunts are reckoned in plues, and the prices of merchandise are fixed to conform 
to this standard, by which the Indians are able to calculate with certainty how much of 
each article they will receive for furs collected. ‘The traders’ accounts are kept in the fol- 
lowing manner. 
Dr. Le Chef du Tonnérre. Cree. CR. 
1854. 1855. 
Aug. To 6 feet blue cloth, .-. . . 8plues. March. By 10 muskrat skins, . 2 plues 
J foot scarlet cloth, 3 “ large beaver skin, . . . 4 & 
“ 1 white blanket, 3 points, lyf es Bisse Bs BZ os 
“ 20 loadsammunitio,. . . Jl “ 10 otter skins, average 2p... 20 “ 
“ 3 feet N. W. twist tobacco, i “ 6 cross fox skins, “ 4% . Q4 & 
a LIN, Vivo Guia, woe os “rgiver 6 6 @ HG 5 IMG 
COIR OUSC ete sy teres Mie team emerer cpt) () tcc 36 Il [omiN® HONG, 9 6 co a co B & 
65 65 
Now although a plue has a nominal value of about two shillings sterling, it is not to be 
inferred that the actual value of that amount of money is paid in merchandise, at prime 
cost, with expenses of transportation and a fixed per cent. added. All articles of trade 
are reduced to a standard price, and made proportionally higher or lower as they are neces- 
sary or indispensable to the Indians. Care is taken, however, not to rate too high such 
articles as guns, ammunition, hoyrses, traps, and other things absolutely required for hunting 
VOL. XIT.—32 
