23i PEARLS AND PEEBLES. 



When older, the arms of the children are allowed 

 to be free, and great care is taken to keep the little 

 ones bright and happy. 



The North-West papoose cradles are much better 

 than those of our Ontario Indians, which are generally 

 made of thin board or bark, while any sort of rags or 

 blanket forms the bed for the babe. The squaw, when 

 entering a house, will just slip the loop from her head 

 and stick the cradle up against the wall, with very little, 

 care for the • poor prisoner, who rarely cries, but peeps 

 out from its shock of black hair perfectly contented to 

 remain a silent spectator of the novelties by which it 

 may be surrounded. 



The mother often has a pad attached to the strap of 

 the cradle, to prevent its sharp edges hurting her fore- 

 head when carrying the child in this way. 



Now, it strikes me that our British ancestry may 

 have been nursed in just, such a fashion as that of 

 the North-West Indian moss-bag. You know the old 

 nursery lullaby song : 



"Rock-a-by, baby, on the tree-top, 

 When the wind blows the cradle will rock, 

 When the bough breaks the cradle will fall, 

 Then down comes cradle and baby and all." 



This ditty is as old as any of the ancient chrbnicles, 

 handed down from age to age verbatim by nursing 

 mothers of ancient days, a history in rhyme of how our 

 ancestors were cradled. 



