ACCOUNT OF THE INDIANS, 



293 



As the Carriers are fond of their wives, they 

 are, as naturally might be supposed, very jealous of 

 them ; but to their daughters, they allow every 

 liberty, for the purpose, as they say, of keeping 

 the young men from intercourse with the married 

 women. As the young women may thus bestow 

 their favours on whom, and as often as they 

 please, without the least censure from their pa- 

 rents, or reproach to their character, it might 

 naturally be expected that they would be, as 

 I am informed they actually are, very free with 

 their persons. — In the following particular, the 

 Carriers differ from all the other Indian tribes, 

 with whom I have been acquainted. Among oth- 

 er tribes, the father or mother in law, will never, 

 excepting when drunk, speak to a son or daughter 

 inlaw; but the Carriers make no distinction, in 

 this respect. 



The Carriers reside a part of the year in vil- 

 lages, built at convenient places for taking and 

 drying salmon, as they come up the rivers. These 

 fish they take in abundance, with little labour ; 

 and they constitute their principal food, during 

 the whole year. They are not very unpalatable 

 when e.aten alone ; but with vegetables, they are 

 pleasant food. The Natives, however, are too 

 slothful to raise vegetables, and use none, except- 

 ing a few which they obtain from us. 



