M LTERIAL CULTURE. i-> 



Some years ago a Museum field-worker chanced 

 upon an old blind man smoothing down a walking 

 stick with a stone flake, an interesting survival of 

 primitive life. We can scarcely realize how quickly 

 the civilized trader changed the material culture of 

 the Indians. Perrot, one of the first French explorers 

 visiting the eastern border of this area gives the fol- 

 lowing report of an address he made to some Fox and 

 other Indians, '"I see this fine village filled with young 

 men, who are, I am sure, as courageous as they are 

 well built; and who will, without doubt, not fear their 

 enemies if they carry French weapons. It is for these 

 young men that I leave my gun, which they must 

 regard as the pledge of my esteem for their valor; they 

 must use it if they are attacked. It will also be more 

 satisfactory in hunting cattle (buffalo) and other ani- 

 mals than are all the arrows that you use. To you who 

 are old men I leave my kettle; I carry it everywhere 

 without fear of breaking it. You will cook in it the 

 meat that your young men bring from the chase, and 

 the food which you offer to the Frenchmen who come 

 to visit you.' He tossed a dozen awls and knives to 

 the women, and said to them: 'Throw aside your 

 bone bodkins; these French awls will be much easier 

 to use. These knives will be more useful to you in 

 killing beavers and in cutting your meat than are the 

 pieces of stone that you use.' Then, throwing to them 

 some rassade (beads) : ' See ; these will better adorn 

 your children and girls than do their usual ornaments. ' ' 

 (p. 330). This is a fair sample of what occurred every- 



