344 



ACCOUNT OF THE INDIANS. 



All the Indians consider women as far inferi- 

 our in every respect, to men ; and, among 

 many tribes, they treat their wives much as they 

 do their dogs. The men chastise their wives, 

 frequently, with an axe, or with a large club ; and 

 in the presence of their husbands, the women 

 dare not look a person in the face. When they 

 decamp, the women transport the baggage ; and 

 when they stop, while the men are quietly smok- 

 ing their pipes, the women are required to pitch 

 the tents, and to set the encampment in order. 

 Among the Sauteux, Crees, Muscagoes and As- 

 siniboins, however, the women are treated with 

 more gentleness and respect. The husband shares 

 the labour with his wife ; and the women govern 

 every thing in their tents, so that the husband pre- 

 sumes not to dispose of the most trifling article, 

 without the consent of his wife. Among them 

 the husband kills animals and generally brings 

 the meat to his tent, where his wife prepares it 

 for drying, and melts down the fat. She, also 

 generally does the cooking ; not, however, with- 

 out the occasional assistance of her husband. 

 He assists her, likewise, in taking care of the 

 children ; and, if his wife is too much loaded, 

 in marching from one place of encampment to 

 another, he will take one of the small children 

 in addition, to the load already on his own back. 



