eir whole costume, however, like that of the men, is almost always hid
from sight by a thick blanket, without which the Indian seldom ventures
abroad. The women usually make the top of the blanket answer the
purpose of a head-dress; but when they wish to appear very much to
advantage, they put on a cap. It is a square piece of blue cloth,
profusely decorated with different-coloured beads, and merely sewed up
at the top. They wear their hair in long straggling locks, which have
not the slightest tendency to curl, and occasionally in queues or
pigtails behind; but in this respect, as in every other, they are very
careless of their personal appearance.

These primitive children of the forest live in tents of deerskin or
bark; and sometimes, where skins are scarce, of branches of trees. They
are conically shaped, and are constructed thus:--The Indian with his
family (probably two wives and three or four children) arrives in his
bark canoe at a pretty level spot, sheltered from the north wind, and
conveniently situated on the banks of a small stream, where the fish are
plentiful, and pine branches (or brush), for the floor of the tent,
abundant. Here he runs his canoe ashore, and carries his goods and
chattels up the bank. His first business is to cut a number of long
poles, and tie three of them at the top, spreading them out in the form
of a tripod. He then piles all the other poles round these, at half a
foot distance from each other, and thus encloses a circle of between
fifteen and twenty feet in diameter. Over the poles (if he is a good
hunter, and has plenty of deer-skins) he spreads the skin tent, leaving
an opening at the top for the egress of the smoke. If the tent be a
birch-bark one, he has it in separate rolls, which are spread over the
poles till the whole is covered. A small opening is left facing the
river or lake, which serves for a doorway; and this is covered with an
old blanket, a piece of deer-skin, or, in some instances, by bison-skin
or buffalo robe. The floor is covered with a layer of small pine
branches, which serve for carpet and mattress; and in the centre is
placed the wood fire, which, when blazing brightly, gives a warmth and
comfort to the slight habitation that could scarcely be believed. Here
the Indian spends a few days or weeks, according to the amount of game
in the vicinity, and then removes to some other place, carrying with him
the covering of the tent, but leaving the poles