286 



ACCOUNT OF THE INDIANS. 



spoken by the Beaver Indians and the Sicaunies. 

 Between ail the different villages of the Carriers, 

 there prevails a difference of dialect, to sucji an 

 extent, that they often give different names to the 

 most common utensils. .Every village has its par- 

 ticular name, and its inhabitants are called after 

 the name of the village, in the same manner as 

 people in the civilized world receive a name, from 

 the city or country whioh they inhabit. 



Their clothing consists of a covering made of 

 the skins of the beaver, badger, muskrat, cat or 

 hare. The last they cut into strips, about one 

 inch broad, and then weave or lace them togeth- 

 er, until they become of a sufficient size to cover 

 their bodies, and to reach to their knees. This 

 garment they put over their shoulders, and 

 tie about their waists. Instead of the above 

 named skins, when they can obtain them from 

 us, they greatly prefer, and make use of blank- 

 ets, capots, or Canadian coats, cloth or moose 

 and red deer skin. They seldom use either 

 leggins or shoes, in the summer. At this sea- 

 son the men often go naked, without any thing 

 to cover even that part of the body which 

 civilized, and the most, even of savage people, think 

 it necessary to conceal. Indeed they manifest as' 

 little sense of shame in regafd to this subject, as 

 the very brute creation. The women, however. 



