42 
later, when Frontenac attacked the same tribe, he spent three days in 
destroying the growing corn, which extended from a league and a 
half to two leagues from its fort. Agriculture, indeed, was at once the 
strength and the weakness of the Irociuoian tribes. It permitted them 
to congregate in large, semi-permanent villages, assured them of an 
adequate supply of food for every season of the year, and even gave 
them a surplus stock to barter witli neighbours, or to carry on the 
war-trail. But it likewise exposed them to the danger of a sudden 
invasion which could inflict a disaster almost as serious as a crushing 
defeat by destroying the ci’ops that siqiplied their winter sustenance. 
Although wild rice was plentiful in the territory of the Iroquoians 
they seem to have made no use of it, probably owing to the abundance 
of maize. It is strange that the Alicmac of New Brunswick, where it 
45758 
Modern Ojibwa Indians liarvestin^ wild rice in the same manner as their 
forefathers. (Photo hi/ F\ TV. Waufjh.) 
was eclually common, should have neglected it also; for the Ojibwa 
north and west of lake Superior gathered it in large quantities, and 
the Assiniboine a little farther west even sowed it occasionally, 
although they made no further progress in its cultivation. ^ The 
1 “Indian Tribe.s of the Upper Missis.sippi and the Groat Lakes Regions”; edited by E. H. Blair, I, 
103 f. (Clovelund, 1011). The Ojibwa of Geoipdan hay state that their foreful heis used to throw into 
the water a few seeds of the wild rice, wrapped in mud, to supply new plants for the succeeding 
year. It may have been a similar custom that gave birth to agriculture in the Old World. 
