Rocky Mountains. 243 



the first child, when he returns with his little family to his 

 father's dwelling, where he continues to reside. On national 

 hunts he provides a separate skin lodge for his family. 



When more advanced in age, and of some little conse- 

 quence or influence amongst the people, he unites with two 

 or three families in the building of a permanent dirt lodge 

 in the village, similar to those already described of the Kon- 

 zas. 



The labour of erecting this edifice, devolves almost ex- 

 clusively upon the squaws. The interior is readily furnish- 

 ed ; the indispensable requisites being only a kettle, a wood- 

 en bowl, and a couple of horn spoons, a few skins for a bed 

 and covering, a pillow made of leather stuffed with hair, 

 and a bison's stomach, instead of a bucket, for carrying 

 water. 



On the death of the husband, the squaws exhibit the sin- 

 cerity of their grief, by giving away to their neighbours, 

 every thing they possess, excepting only, a bare sufficiency 

 of clothing to cover their persons with decency. They go 

 out from the village and build for themselves a small shelter 

 of grass or bark ; they mortify themselves by cutting off their 

 hair, scarifying their skin, and in their insulated hut they 

 lament incessantly. If the deceased has left a brother, he 

 takes the widow to his lodge after a proper interval, and 

 considers her as his wife, without any preparatory formality.* 

 If the deceased has not left a brother, the relations of his 

 squaw take her to their lodges. This lamentation and mor- 

 tification, which the squaws impose upon themselves, contin- 

 ue for a period of six or eight months, or even a year. 



Many circumstances tend to show, that the squaw is sus- 



* This custom is the same with that of the ancient Jews under the law of 

 Moses, for which we have the authority of St. Luke. ' Moses wrote unto 

 us, if any man's brother die, having- a wife, and he die, without children, 

 that his brother should take his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother.' 

 And Elphinstooe, in his account of Caubul, informs us, that among- the Af- 

 ghauns, as among- the Jews, it is thoug-ht incumbent on the brother of the 

 deceased to marry his widow. 



