Rocky Mountains. 239 



middle of the abdomen, leaving every other part of the body 

 perfectly naked. In wintry weather they have the addition 

 of leggings, mockasins, and a small robe. 



The female children are furnished with a short piece of 

 cloth, in imitation of a petticoat, but destitute of a seam, belt- 

 ed round the loins, and depending as low as the knees. 

 Their hair, when dressed, is parted longitudinally on the top 

 of the head, and collected each side behind the ear, into a 

 vertical, cylindric form, of the length of five or six inches, 

 decorated with silver and brass rings, and ribands ; the line 

 of separation of the hair is coloured with vermillion. 



This disposition of the hair into two rolls is generally 

 observed in the girls, and is often continued one or two 

 years after their residence with a husband. 



The girl is kept in a state of considerable subjection ; she 

 habitually conforms to all the commands of the mother, and 

 is obliged to assist her in her ordinary occupations; if she 

 is refractory, she receives a blow upon the head or back 

 from the hand of the mother, but hardly ever from the fa- 

 ther. At the age of four or five years, she is taught the use 

 of the hoppas, and is gradually familiarised to carry bur- 

 dens. They are trained up to industry, and are taught to 

 cut wood, to cultivate maize, to perform the scalp dance, 

 and are early informed of the sexual relations of men and 

 women, and warned against the arts, which will be aimed at 

 the subjugation of their virtue. 



The experienced parent, however, in addition to these sa- 

 lutary counsels, keeps a vigilant eye to the deportment of 

 her unmarried daughter, and so sedulously guards her steps, 

 that the arts of seduction, notwithstanding the free use of 

 the licentiousness of language, appear to be more rarely tri- 

 umphant over the Omawhaw maid, than over the civilized 

 fair. 



Hence, a prostitute, who has never been married, is of ex- 

 ceedingly rare occurrence. Yet, notwithstanding the vigilance 



