378 



ACCOUNT OF THE INDIANS. 



ers, they also dye in a similar manner, and these 

 colours never fade. 



Many of the Indians, particularly those on the 

 west side of the Rocky Mountain, who have not 

 procured steels from us, for the purpose of strik- 

 ing fire, produce it, by placing one end of a 

 small dry stick against another piece of dry 

 wood ; and by rolling it briskly between their 

 two hands, the -friction, in a short time commu- 

 nicates fire to dry hay or touchwood, placed 

 around it. 



Among the Indians, there are poets, who 

 are also musicians. The person who composes 

 a song, does it by singing it over alone, in the 

 air which he designs shall accompany it ; and 

 he repeats this exercise, until he has committed 

 both sufficiently to memory. After that, he fre- 

 quently teaches it to others. Songs are fre- 

 quently composed for particular occasions, such 

 as feasts, &c. Among the Carriers, there are 

 often several competitors for this honour; and 

 he who composes the best song, is rewarded, 

 while the unsuccessful poets are treated with 

 derision. The subjects of their songs are gene- 

 rally love and war, though they have some which 

 are ludicrous and obscene. They have a great 

 variety of songs ; and I have known an Indian 



