THE SQUAWS. 115 
One old squaw, with a head of long, matted white hair, 
pointed first to the stalwart men among the dancers and 
then to her naked, shrivelled breasts, thereby informing us 
that five of them were her sons, and then pointing to one of 
the squaws and a boy along side, showed by signs that he was 
her grandson. She also, by raising her hands seven times, 
with her fingers spread open, informed us she was seventy 
years old. 3 
We soon left, quite satisfied that were we to take them 
prisoners and either confine or kill them, in either case 
we would be doing good service, for. except their greater 
capacity for mischief, there was no difference between them 
and the wolves, which at the time, were keeping their nightly 
patrol around camp in search of plunder. 
July 15th.—The Indians left this morning, passing by our 
camp in true Indian style, viz., Ak-a-quash first, carrying 
nothing but his weapons, then the men of the party, ena last, 
the squaws, some with a child tied in a bag and fastened : 
around her loins, or seated upon a bundle of et upon the 
horse’s croup. 
The women rode astride, and their duty was to drive the 
pack horses and take care’ of the baggage, this being done 
even by the aged squaw, naked and bareheaded, but astride 
upon a pack, and armed with a whip, labouring away at the 
straggling pack horses, whilst her great louts of sons and 
grandsons rode along, listless, naked, and bratal, thinking of 
nothing but where they should get their next meal, or steal 
