th e interior of North America, on the various branches of;the
Missouri. In some of the above-me&tioned circumstances
this account differs from that of Dr. Rush;
“ In the young s ^ aw ,” saysftbe editor of thisvWoi% we
were informed th a t the j catamenia, and consequent capability
of child-bearing, take place about the twelfth or thirteenth
year, and the capacity to bear children seems to cease about
the fortieth year; but as superstitious notions prevent these
Indians from taking any note of their ages, these periods are
stated with some hesitation.” The tsame writer adds, that
u child-birth is remarkably easy among these women. Sterility
is rare. The usual number of iehildren mayrbe stated at
from four to six in a family, but in some f^milfes there are
ten or twelve.” I t is added* that children arewofren *Mcksled
till they are thrcwyears of age.* Perhaps thisjfeet,' ; together
with the oth er' circumstances of savage life, may fully e x plain
the small number of children frequently, but, not com
stantly observed in the families of these tribes, i
The different ages a t which puberty takes place; among*
the American races mentioned in these two accounts,: on the
accuracy of which we have Treason to rely, may be ascribed
to the difference of climate. .
We are assured by M. de Humboldt, that the women of
the Chaymas, in South America, are often marriledbat-.the
age of twelve. This celebrated w riter.fimclmeddQiattribpte
the precocity of the Chayma women, not to climate, b u t to
a peculiarity of the race.*f That he is not correet in this
opinion, may perhaps be shown by comparing the facts related
by him with- the observations above., cited from Dr.
Rush and Mr. James.
Some additional observations to the same effect may be
collected from the work of Professor Keating, of the University
of-Pennsylvania, containing a series of excellent and interesting
memoirs o n ' several of the native races of the
• Account of an expedition from Pittsburgh to the Rocky Mountains. By
Edwin James, Botanist, &c. to the expedition. Vol. i. p. 214, of the London
edition. In the same place the reader will find a copious and accurate account of
the physical peculiarities of these races.
Personal Narrative, vol.iiUp. 232.
American j continent. From this work I shall cite some remarks
which bear upon the subject now under consideration.
In an account of tfre iphyisieal character of the Potowatomi
tribe, belonging to the; great • Algonquin *T?ac©> and residing
near lake Michigan,, we are informed, on- the testimony of
Metea,. a Potowatomi chief, th a t the period of gestation in
th e women of that tribe varies from eight to. nine months,
iSndlis seldom attended with sickness ror {nausea; The fcatamenia
commonly, commence £iati the age of fourteen, and continue
until fifty, afrdrip- sdtne^ea^eiv, until thenvisixtieth year.
This la#iis probably only in cases pf diseasevid «Meteaadded|
“ ;That* it^s^not uncommon to see'.a” woman with ;gruy'hairs*
whose. jeatameijia have;* not ceased, tJrrlgnlarities are not
uncommon* :as w.ell «ae; obstructions : but on.theseisubjfects it
seemSdha-t the informant pf the,author spoke with reserve;^
The same write?! has* the .following remarks on the Daeotas,
or Sioux,-another American 'race, distinct from the Potowa-
tomi and,*other. Algonquin nations,. •
jjj Sterility .among. women is why. ,no; paeans ;uncommon,
neither it disreputables 5 It frequently happens that a woman,
reputed barren, will bear children if she change her hus-
bandanThe catamenia commence: later, amongjthe Daeotas
than among.’.the Potowatomis, for with Jthe former theydseh
dom ■.cornea ©n 'before the age of fifteen or. sixteen* while in
the' latter they appear at fourteen 5 this difference is easily
accounted* for, by the more severe climate which the Daeotas
inhabit, and by their greater-exposure! to privations of every
kind.” f l Women are frequently liable, during, pregnancy,
to lethargy and sick stomach; and we are informed that the
Dacota women have their faces,;covered*;?with spots, in the
same manner as .white women. Being hardened to exercise,
they'attend to their usual occupations, even in the last stages
of gestation.”
• Many other particulars are added to the preceding, which
are not less important in respect to the physical- history of
the American races. For these I must refer my readers to
the original work.*
* Narrative 0? an Expedition to the Source ox St. Peter's River, &c. By. W.
fl. Keating, A- M. yol. i. chapters 3 and 8.