ACCOUNT OF THE INDIANS. 



347 



knees upon the floor or ground, and lean forward 

 over something, raised about two feet high. It is 

 seldom more than a quarter or a half an hour, 

 before the child is born; and, in a few days the 

 mother is as active and vigorous as ever. The 

 Indian women rarely ever die, at this critical pe- 

 riod. 



Among the natives, those persons who are in 

 any way deformed, or have any blemish about 

 them, receive their name from this circumstance ; 

 while the others are named, after some beast or 

 bird. No Indian will inform another, even if 

 requested, what his own name is ; though he 

 will, if asked, give the name of other Indians. 

 Of the reason of this reserve I am ignorant. 



•It is not often that an Indian chastises his 

 children ; and, indeed, it is not necessary, for they 

 appear, in general, to have much affection and 

 respect for their parents, and are therefore ready 

 to obey them. A father npver interferes in the 

 bringing up of his daughter; but leaves her 

 wholly to the care of her mother. When a 

 son becomes of a suitable age, his father takes 

 him with him in hunting, and learns him the dif- 

 ferent modes of taking animals. A son until he 

 is married, considers himself as under his father's 

 controul ; and even after that, he will generally 

 listen to any advice, which his father may give 



