such cases it is not uncommon for the offended party to walk with
great gravity up to the other, and deliberately seizing his gun, or
some other article of value, to break it before his face. The adulterer
looks on in silence, afraid to make any attempt to save his
property. In this respect, indeed the Indian character seems to
differ from the European, that an Indian, instead of letting his
anger increase with that of his antagonist, assumes the utmost coolness,
lest he should push him to extremities.
Although adultery is sometimes punished amongst the Crees in the
manner above described, yet it is no crime, provided the husband
receives a valuable consideration for his wife’s prostitution. Neither
is chastity considered as a virtue in a female before marriage, that is,
before she becomes the exclusive property of one hunter.
The Cree women are not in general treated harshly by their husbands,
and possess considerable influence over them. They often
eat, and even get drunk, in consort with the men; a considerable
portion of the labour, however, falls to the lot of the wife. She
makes the hut, cooks, dresses the skins, and for the most part, carries
the heaviest load: but, when she is unable to perform her task, the
husband does not consider it beneath his dignity to assist her. In
illustration of this remark, I may quote the case of an Indian who
visited the fort in winter. This poor man’s wife had lost her feet by the
frost, and he was compelled, not only to hunt, and do all the menial
offices himself, but in winter to drag his wife with their stock of
furniture from one encampment to another. In the performance of
this duty, as he could not keep pace with the rest of the tribe in
their movements, he more than once nearly perished of hunger.
These Indians, however, capable as they are of behaving thus
kindly, affect in their discourse to despise the softer sex, and on
solemn occasions, will not suffer them to eat before them, or even
come in their presence. In this they are countenanced by the white
residents, most of whom have Indian or half-breed wives, but seem
afraid of treating them with the tenderness or attention due to every
female, lest they should themselves be despised by the Indians. At
least, this is the only reason they assign for their neglect of those
whom they make partners of their beds and mothers of their
children.
Both sexes are fond of, and excessively indulgent to, their children.
The father never punishes them, and if the mother, more hasty in
her temper, sometimes bestows a blow or two on a troublesome child,
her heart is instantly softened by the roar which follows, and she
mingles her tears with those that streak the smoky face of her darling.
It may be fairly said, then, that restraint or punishment forms no
part of the education of an Indian child, nor are they early trained
to that command over their temper which they exhibit in after
years.
The discourse of the parents is never restrained by the presence of
their children, every transaction between the sexes being openly
talked of before them.
The Crees having early obtained arms from the European traders,
were enabled to make harassing inroads on the lands of their neighbours,
and are known to have made war excursions as far to the
westward as the Bocky Mountains, and to the northward as far as
M‘Kenzie’s River; but their enemies being now as well armed as
themselves, the case is much altered.
They shew great fortitude in the endurance of hunger,and the othei
evils incident to a hunter’s life; but any unusual accident dispirits
them at once, and they seldom venture to meet their enemies in
open warfare, or to attack them even by surprise, unless with the
advantage of superiority of numbers. Perhaps they are much deteriorated
in this respect by their intercourse with Europeans. Their
existence at present hangs upon the supplies of ammunition and
clothing they receive from the traders, and they deeply feel their
dependant situation. But their character has been still more debased