27 % TRAVELS THROUGH UPPER CANADA t 
they presented different trifles to me^ that it 
was not with an expectation of gaining more 
valuable presents in return that they gave them 
to me, but merely through friendship. It is 
notorious, that towards one another they are 
liberal in the extreme, and for ever ready to 
supply the deficiencies of their neighbours with 
any superfluities of their own. They have no 
* idea of amassing wealth for themselves indi¬ 
vidually: and they wonder that persons can 
be found in any society,, so destitute of every 
generous sentiment, as to enrich themselves at 
the expence of others, and to live in ease and 
affluence, regardless of the misery and wretch¬ 
edness of members of the same community to 
which they themselves belong. Their dresses 
domestic utensils, and weapons, are the only 
articles of property to which they lay an ex¬ 
clusive claim; every thing else is the common 
property of the tribe, in promoting the general 
welfare of which every individual feels himself 
deeply interested. The chiefs are actuated by 
the same laudable spirit, and instead of being 
the richest, are, in many instances, the poorest 
persons in the community; for whilst others 
have leisure to hunt, &c. it frequently hap¬ 
pens that the whole of their time is occupied 
in settling the public affairs of the nation. 
The generality of the Indian nations appeaF 
to have two sorts of chiefs; council chiefs, and 
