ACCOUNT OF THE INDIANS. 



297 



be the interiour of the earth, where they expect 

 that they shall all at length be happy. 



The Carriers have little that can be denom- 

 inated civil government, in the regulation of their 

 concerns. There are some persons among them, 

 who are called Mi-u-ties or Chiefs, and for whom 

 they appear to have a little more respect than 

 for the others ; but these chiefs have not much 

 authority or influence over the rest of the com- 

 munity. Any one is dubbed a Mi-u-ty, who is 

 able and willing, occasionally, to provide a feast, 

 for the people of his village. An Indian, howev- 

 er, who has killed another, or been guilty of 

 some other bad action, finds the house or tent of 

 the chief a safe retreat, so long as he is allowed 

 to remain there. But as soon as he leaves it, 

 the Chief can afford the criminal no more protec- 

 tion, than any other person of the village can, un- 

 less he lets him have one of his garments. This 

 garment of the Chief, will protect a malefactor 

 from harm, while he wears it ; for no person 

 would attack him, while clothed with this safe 

 guard, sooner than he would attack the chief 

 himself; and if he should, the chief would re- 

 venge the insult, in the same manner as if it 

 were offered directly to himself. The revenge 

 which the Chief, in this case, would take, would 

 be to destroy the life of the offending person, or 

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