EARLY DEVELOPMENT OF ABORIGINAL WOMEN. 



183 



taken, it would be found that the catamenia first appeared in these at 



the following ages : — 



Between the Tenth and the Eleventh year in 



Eleventh 



Twelfth 

 Thirteenth 

 Fourteenth 

 Fifteenth 

 Sixteenth ' 

 Seventeenth 

 Eighteenth 

 Nineteenth _' 

 Twentieth ' 



Twelfth 



Thirteenth 



Fourteenth 



Fifteenth 



Sixteenth 



Seventeenth 



Eighteenth 



Nineteenth 



Twentieth 



Xwpnty-iirst 



22 



150 



185 



78 



40 



17 



3 



2 



1 



1 



•. . . 1 



500 

 I have myself noted only one case in which conception undoubtedly 

 took place befoi-e the age of eleven, that of Lavinia Wastasicott, 

 who gave birth to a fully developed child at the age of eleven years 

 and six months, and another child within the year following. 

 Another case that I was called upon to attend was that of C.G., aged 

 twelve years, who was delivered of a fine child at the full period. 

 Another, that of Ellen Wosie — about twelve years old — who gave 

 birth to a child equally at the full period. I have noted three other 

 cases at and before the age of thii^teen, and there are several cases of 

 between thirteen and fourteen. In short, I know of so many 

 thoroughly well authenticated cases of conception having taken place 

 between the ages of eleven and fourteen that I think them sufiiciently 

 intei'esting to note, as evidencing the px-ecocious development of the 

 Indian in the Sub-ai^ctic regions of North America. 



And further, as regarding precocious maternity, we observe the 

 same to be the case when we travel northward. Indeed, among the 

 Eskimo, early marriage, or rather co-habitation (a synonym for mar- 

 riage), is more generally rioted than among what may be termed 

 Sub-arctic Indians. This fact has, I believe, been referred to by 

 Arctic writers, but I am without authorities on the subject. It is, 

 however, certainly borne out by facts which I myself have been able 

 to gathei'. One Eskimo lad aged about sixteen, who was a constant 

 companion of mine for upwards of two yeai's, told me that he had 

 been married for many years, and that such was the custom among 

 the people of his tribe, who dwelt beyond Chesterfield Inlet, and, as 

 may be expected, early ^niberty is equally met with in the male. 



