r 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 into 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 Rocky
Mountains, and to the northward as far as Mackenzie's River; but their
enemies being now as well armed as themselves the case is much altered.

They show great fortitude in the endurance of hunger and the other 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
suppli