ISO JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



the others with a keg of rum, he becomes 

 the chief of a night, assumes no little state- 

 liness of manner, and is treated with defer- 

 ence by those who regale at his expense. 

 Prompted also by the desire of gaining a 

 name, they lavish aw T ay the articles they 

 purchase at the trading posts, and are well 

 satisfied if repaid in praise. 



Gaming is not uncommon amongst the 

 Crees of all the different districts, but it is 

 pursued to greater lengths by those bands 

 who frequent the plains, and who, from the 

 ease with which they obtain food, have 

 abundant leisure. The game most in use 

 amongst them, termed puckesann, is played 

 with the stones of a species ofprunus, which, 

 from this circumstance, they term puckesann- 

 meena. The difficulty lies in guessing the 

 number of stones which are tossed out of a 

 small wooden dish, and the hunters will 

 spend whole nights at the destructive sport, 

 staking their most valuable articles, powder 

 and shot. 



It has been remarked by some writers, 

 that the aboriginal inhabitants of America 



