Travels in North America. 



Women have all the Authority, and thofe where they have no- 

 thing to do with the Affairs of Government. Thefe fame Wo- 

 men, who are in fome Degree the MiftrelTes of the State, at 

 leaft for Form, and who make the principal Body of it, when 

 they have attained a certain Age, and have Children in a Con- 

 dition to make them refpeéled, are not at all refpefted before 

 this, and are in their domeftic Aifairs the Slaves of the Huf- 

 bands. 



In general there are perhaps no People in the World who 

 r> more defpife the Sex. To call a Savage a 

 7 ^/ Woman, is the greateft AfFront that can be 



f f 1 '^'"^ giv^^ ^i"^- Notwithftanding, the Children 

 the tat her 5. belong only to the Mother, and acknowledge 



her alone. The Father is always as a Stranger with Refpecl to 

 them ; in fuch a Manner, however, that if he is not regarded 

 as a Father, he is always refpeéled as the Mafter of the Cabin, 

 I know not, however, if all this is univerfai amongft all the 

 People of Canada that we are acquainted with ; no more than 

 what I have found in fome good Memoirs, that the young 

 Wives, befides' what their Hufbands have a Right to require of 

 them for the Service of the Cabin, are obliged to fupply all the 

 Wants of thtir own Parents ; which probably muâ be under- 

 ftood of thofe who have no longer any Ferfcn to render them 

 thefe Services, and who are not, by Reafon of their Age or In- 

 firmities, in a Condition to help themfelves. 



However this may be, the new married Man is not without 

 ^Employment. Belides Hunting and Fifhing, which he is ob- 

 liged to follow all his Life, he muil: at iiril make a Mat for his 

 Wife, build her a Cabin, or repair that they are to live in ; and 

 as long as he lives with his Wife's Parents, he mull carry to 

 their Cabin all that he gets by Hunting and Filhing. Among 

 the Iroquois y the Woman never leaves her Cabin, becaufe fhe is 

 judged the Miflrefs, or at leaft the Heirefs of it. Among other 

 Nations, after a Year or two, flie goes to live with her Mother- 

 in-law. 



The Savage Women in general are brought to Bed without 

 Of their L inp- ^^7^^^"' without any AfTiftance ; but 

 ' J ^^'^ n^^r there are fpme who are a long Time in La- 



^^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^ happens, 



quences. ^1^^^ ^.^^ Notice of it to the young People, 



who all on a fudden, and when the Patient leaft expe£ls it, come 

 and make great Noifes at the Door of the Cabin, the Surprife 

 of which has fuch an EfFed upon her^ as inftantly to procure 

 her Delivery. The Women never lay-in in their own Cabins % 

 many are taken fuddenly, and bring forth their Children as they 

 ;ire at Work, or on a Journey: For others^ when they find 



them- 



