OF THE POLAR SEA. 139 



groans of the sufferer, and, probably for the 

 same reason, the process is accompanied 

 with singing. An indelible stain is pro- 

 duced by rubbing a little finely-powdered 

 willow-charcoal into the punctures. A 

 half-breed, whose arm I amputated, de- 

 clared, that tattooing was not only the most 

 painful operation of the two, but rendered 

 infinitely more difficult to bear by its tedious- 

 ness, having lasted in his case three days. 



A Cree woman, at certain periods, is laid 

 under considerable restraint. They are far, 

 however, from carrying matters to the ex- 

 tremities mentioned by Hearne in his de- 

 scription of the Chipewyans, or Northern 

 Indians. She lives apart from her husband 

 also for two months if she has borne a boy, 

 and for three if she has given birth to a 

 girl. 



Many of the Cree hunters are careful to 

 prevent a woman from partaking of the 

 head of a moose-deer, lest it should spoil 

 their future hunts ; and for the same reason 

 they avoid bringing it to a fort, fearing lest 



