KNISTENAUX. 
river, to the foutli of Lake Winipic, and the fouth branch 
of the Safkatchiwina. 
Thefe people are of a moderate ftature, well propor¬ 
tioned, with few examples of deformity, and very active. 
Their complexion is copper-coloured, and their hair black, 
in which they refemble all the natives of North America. 
They very generally extraff their beards ; and both fexes 
manifeft adifpofition to pluck the hair from every part of 
the body and limbs. Their eyes are black, keen, and pe¬ 
netrating ; their countenance is open and agreeable; and 
they are fond of decorating their perfons. In the ufe of 
'vermilion, to which they are much accuftomed, they con¬ 
trail it with their native blue, white, and brown, earths, 
to which they frequently add charcoal. Their drefs is 
fimple and commodious. It conliftsof tight leggins, reach¬ 
ing near the hip: a ftrip of cloth, or leather, called aflian, 
about a foot wide, and five feet long, whofe ends are drawn 
inwards and hang behind and before, covering a belt tied 
round the waift for that purpofe; a clofe veil or fhirt 
■reaching down to the former garment, and cindtured with 
a broad ftrip of parchment faftened with thongs behind ; 
and a cap for the head, confiding of a piece of fur, or 
Email -(kin, with the brufh of the animal as a fufpended 
ornament ; a kind of robe is thrown occafionally over the 
•whole of the drefs, and ferves both night and day. Thefe 
articles, with the addition of fhoes and mittens, conltitute 
the variety of their apparel. The materials vary accord¬ 
ing to the feafon ; and confift of drefl'ed moofe-fkin, bea¬ 
ver prepared with the fur, or European woollens. The 
leather is neatly painted, and fancifully wrought in fome 
parts with porcupine quills, and moofe-deer hair; the 
fhirts and leggins are alio adorned with fringe and taflels; 
nor are the fhoes and mittens without fomewhat of appro¬ 
priate decoration, and worked with a Confiderable degree 
of'(kill and tafte. Their head-drefies are compofed of the 
feathers of the fwan, the eagle, and other birds. The 
teeth, horns, and claws, of different animals are alfo the 
occafional ornaments of the head and neck. Their hair 
is always befmeared with greafe. The making of every 
■article of drefs is a female occupation ; and they pay par¬ 
ticular attention to the appearance of the men, whilft they 
neglect no decoration of theirown perfons ; and their faces 
are painted with more care than thofe of the women. 
The female drefs is formed of the fame materials with 
thofe of the men, but they are differently made and ar¬ 
ranged. Their fhoes are commonly plain, and their leg¬ 
gins gathered below the knee. The coat, or body-cover¬ 
ing, falls down to the middle of the leg, and is faftened 
•over the fhoulders with cords, a flap or cape turning down 
about eight inches, both before and behind, and agreeably 
ornamented with quill-work and fringe ; the bottom is alfo 
fringed, and fancifully painted as high as the knee. Be¬ 
ing loofe, it is inclofed round the waift with a ftiff belt, 
decorated with taflels, and faftened behind. The arms are 
covered to the wrift, with detached fleeves, fewed as far as 
the bend of the arm, from thence they are drawn up to 
the neck, and the corners of them fall down behind, as 
low as the waift. The cap, when a cap is ufed, confifts 
of a quantity of leather or cloth; fewed at one end, by 
•which means it is kept on the head, and, hanging down 
the back, is faftened to the belt as well as under the chin. 
The upper garment is a robe like that of the men. Their 
hair is divided on the crown, and tied behind, or fome¬ 
times faftened in large knots over the ears. They prefer 
European articles to theirown commodities. Their orna¬ 
ments, like thofe of favages in general, confifts of brace¬ 
lets, rings, and fnnilar baubles. Some of the woman tat¬ 
too three perpendicular lines, which are fometimes dou¬ 
ble : one from the centre of the chin to that of the un¬ 
der lip, and one parallel on either fide to the corner of the 
mouth. 
Thefe women are the moft comely of any feen by Mr. 
Mackenzie on the American continent: they are well pro¬ 
portioned, and the regularity of their features would be 
acknowledged by the more civilized people of Europe; 
Vo,l. XL No. 799. 
829 
and their complexion is lefs darkly tinged than that of 
thofe favages who have lefs cleanly habits. Thefe people 
are in general lubjedt to few diforders. The lues venerea, 
however, is common, and is cured by the ufe of fimples, 
with the virtue of which they are well acquainted. They 
are alio fubiedt to fluxes and pains in the breall. They are 
naturally mild and affable, as well as juft in their dealings; 
they are generous and hofpitable, and extremely good-na¬ 
tured when not inflamed by fpirituous liquors; indulgent 
to their children to excefs ; the father takes pains in qua¬ 
lifying them for the operations of war and hunting, and 
the mother is equally attentive to the inftrudtion of the 
daughters. Illegitimacy is only attached to thofe children 
who are born before their mothers have cohabited with 
any man by the title of hulband. Chaftity does not feem 
to be a virtue among them, nor is fidelity thought to be 
eflential to the happinefs of a wedded life. Sometimes, 
however, the infidelity of a wife is punilhed with the lofs 
of her hair, nofe, and perhaps life. A temporary inter¬ 
change of wives is not uncommon : and the offer of their 
perfons is conlidered as a neceflary part of the hofpitality 
due toftrangers. When a man lofes his wife, it is confi- 
dered as a duty to marry her After, if fhe has one ; or he may 
have both, if he pleafes, at the lame time. Notwithftanding 
the amiable traits of their charadler, they are not free from 
vices, even of the moft atrocious kind : they are addidt- 
ed to inceft and beftiality. When a young man marries, 
he lives with the father and mother of his wife, and is 
conlidered as a ftranger, till after the birth of his firft 
child ; he then attaches himfelf more to them than to his 
own parents; and his wife gives him no other denomina¬ 
tion than that of the father of her child. 
The profeflxon of the men is war and hunting: they alfo 
fpear fill), but the management of the nets is committed 
to the women. The females are fubordinate, like thofe 
of favages in other tribes ; but their labour is alleviated 
by the contiguity of lakes and rivers, where they employ 
canoes. In winter, when the waters are frozen, they tra¬ 
vel with fledges drawn by dogs. They are fubjedl, how¬ 
ever, to every kind of domeftic drudgery: they drefs the 
leather, make the clothes and Ihoes, weave the nets, col¬ 
lect wood, eredt the huts, fetch water, and perform every 
culinary fervice ; fo that their life is an uninterrupted fuc- 
cellion of toil and pain. Under the impulfe of this feel¬ 
ing, they fometimes deftroy their female children. By the 
ule of fimples they alfo procure abortion ; and this they 
do without any material injury to their own health. 
Their funeral rites commence with fmoking, and ter¬ 
minate with a feaft : the body is drefied in the bell habi¬ 
liments pofleifed by the deceafed, or his relations, and is 
then depofited in a grave, lined with branches : fome do¬ 
meftic utenfils are placed in it, and a canopy erected over 
it. During the ceremony, they make great lamentations ; 
and, when the deceafed perfon is very much regretted, the 
near relations cut off their hair, pierce the flelhy part of 
their arms and thighs with arrows, knives, &c. and black¬ 
en their faces with charcoal. If they have diltinguilhed 
themfelves in war, they are fometimes laid on a kind of 
fcaffolding ; and it is laid, that women, as in the Eaft, have 
lacrificed themfelves to the manes of their hulbands. The 
whole property of the deceafed perfon is deftroyed, and 
the relations take in exchange for the wearing-apparel any 
rags that will cover their nakednefs. The feaft which is 
given on this occafion, and which in fome cafes is repeat¬ 
ed annually, is accompanied with eulogiums on the de¬ 
ceafed ; and on the tomb are carved or painted the fym- 
bols of his tribe, which are taken from the different ani¬ 
mals of the country. 
Thefe people have frequent feafts; and at ftated periods, 
as in fpring and autumn, they praclife long and folemn ce¬ 
remonies. Dogs, and particularly thofe that are fat and 
milk-white, are offered as facrifices. They alfo make large 
offerings of their property, of whatever kind it be. Thefe 
ceremonies are performed on the bank of a river or lake ; 
and, if any ftranger, who is in want of any thing that is 
xo B difplayed 
