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J" '•%. v/ ♦ ? ■'•"•'" ■•>'" /;. „y,. ,/^,rrrl l« l)( N S e JIM£Q^&> J 14 iv: DO wmmmm. .id .•,(j V. n.. 1 tinrn ■ ■^■Miifti BRITISH AMERICA. VOL. I. .■ *■. f*ll.^ or NIAGARA. OLIVEB & BOYD, EDINBURGH. / AN HISTORICAL AND DESCRIPTIVE ACCOUNT or BRITISH AMERICA; rOMPIIBHIINDI! of British America To face the yipneite. ViGNtTTE — Falls of Niagara. Native Indian Costumes, Poge 50 Tattooed Indian, 63 Infant in a Frame, Bfi Indian Warrior, 84 Map of Eastern Townships, To face page 2^A Map of Eastern Districts, To face page 291 Map of Central Districts, To face page 301 Map of Western Districts, To face page 312 ( f'\ HISTORICAL AND DESCRIPTIVE ACCOUNT OF BRITISH AMERICA. CHAPTKR I. Gvnernl View of British America, and particularly of Canada. Kxtent and Boundaries —General Aspect — I -imits of the present Work — Canada, its Boundaries ami {general Features — Lakes — Superior — Huron — St Clair — Erie— Niajjara Channel — Lake Ontario— islands and Rapids of the St Lawrence — The Ottawa — The St Lawrence from Montreal to Quelwc — Its lower Course — This Region remarkahle for its WatoHais — Nia^^ara — It.s Description — Supposed Chanj^es in its Position — Climate — How- it differs from that of Kurojx? — Effects on A^mculture — Boundary Question with the United States — Reference to the Kin^ of Holland — Its Issue. That portion of North America chiimcd hy Britain, and which is generally recoj,nii!5i'd by the civilized world as belonging to her, fonns a region of immense extent, embracing consideraldy more tlian a third part of thi; entire continent. On the nortii its boundary is the coast of the Arctic Ocean, westward as far as the 141st degree of longitude. The region beyond, by a treaty concluded in 1825, was assigned to Russia, though the survey of its shores, still very incomplete, has been VOL. I. A J r w I r i: I 18 GENERAL VIEW OF chiefly effected hy British navigators. The line of the northern shore runs nearly ahjng the TOtli parallel of latitude, though at different points it slightly deviates from it. All tlu^ large islands in the Arctic Sea helong also, l)y right of discovery, to England ; though their value, unconnected with the several fisheries, is hy no means considerable. The eastern limit, coinciding also with that of the continent, is formed by the Atlantic and its bays, from the Strait of the Fury and llecla, in about lat. 70° N., to the mouth of the St Croix, the southei-n boundary of New Brunswick, in lat. 45° 5' N. Along this coast, too, Britain has several large islands ; on the north. Cock- burn and Cumberland ; farther south, Newfoundland, with the exception of a small portion occupied by France ; and tbose of Cape Breton and Prince Edward in the Gulf of" St Lawrence. From the St Croix, the southern boundary extends in a long irregular line across the continent. After in- cluding New Brunswick and a large part of Canada, it strikes the St La\vrencc at St Regis, in long. 7*1° 45' W. about sixty miles above Montreal. From that point the river, with its grand chain of connected lakes, divides the British territory from the United vStates. Commencing again at the head of Superior, the frontier stretches to the north-western angle of the Lake of the Woods, in lat. 40° 20' N. ; and following this parallel it runs across the continent to the Rocky Mountains, beyond which considerable uncertainty prevails. By a con- vention signed at London in October 1818, all questions connected with this remote region were left open for ten years ; but that period was allowed to elapse without any decision being formed on the subject. The United States, Britain, and Russia, advance respectively cer- tain pretensions which do not well harmonize, but these our present object does not lead us to examine minutely. Farther north, however, the boundary of the provinces claimed by the court of St Petersburgh has been fixed in a direct line along the 141st degree of BRITISH AMERICA. 19 west lonffitudo, extending from Mount St Elias to the Arctic Occcan.* The British dominions in America .are understood to he situated Ijetween the parallels of 41° 47' and 7H° north latitude, and hetween 52° and 141° of west hmuitude. It may l)e ohserved, however, that the eastern and northern houndaries are hotli insular, and comprehi-nd vast tracts of ocean. If we assume limits on the mainland, we nuist take, on the cast. Cape Charles in Lahrador, in about long-. .55° .30' W. ; and on the north, Ca])e Clarence in Boothia, in about lat. 74° N. ; though indeed on the latter side no considerable mass of the continent extends be- yond 70°. Thus the whole area amounts to nearly 4,000,000 square miles. Of this vast space the greater j)ortion wears an aspect peculiarly dreary, ])eing buritd the greater part of the year in snow, and ])roducing nothing valuable except the skins and furs of the Avild animals that roam over its surface. Yet there seems rciison to think that, as cultivation advances and the means of intercourse are im])roved, very extensive tracts may be found fitted for all the productions of the tem- })erate zone. The tenure bv which Britain holds the larg:er share of these wild domains is of a peculiar and somewhat equi- vocal nature. Her claim, which is not admitted by the original owners, is allowed only by other powers equally destitute with herself of any natural right ; and yet, when we consider that though she (lis})osscsses a few naked savages, she plants numerous colonies consisting of a civilized and industrious ])opulation, there will ap- pear little reason to condenm her conduct. If ]>rovision be duly made for the subsistence and wellbeing of the natives, it will be acknowledged that the benefits of European occupation are so great as fully to compensate for any defect in the title. It is not, however, our intention t*) take a minute * Boucliette, British Dominions in North America (2 vols 4to, London, 1831), vol. i. pp. lU, 13-18. I* ■SSI 20 GENERAL VIEW OF \i i survey of those outer tracts, many of which are un- known to Britain lierself, and whose inhal)itants haA-^e never heard lier name. These have hecn the object of recent discoverv, the results of wliich have been satis- factorilv stated in a former volume of the Edinbura-h Ca- binet Library .'•''■ The present work will relate to the smaller, but more important part, which has been regu- larly reduced into pro vinces,an(l is gradually falling under cultivation ; com])rehending Canada Upper and Lower, Ts^ova Scotia, New Brunswick, Cape Breton, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland, with certain detached settlements on the shores of Labrador and Hudson's Bay. These colonies are naturally divided into two classes, distinct in their situation and character : 1. The in- land provinces, watered only by great lakes and rivers ; and, 2. The maritime ])rovinces, or such as extend along the shores of the Atlantic. Canada, Uj)])er and Lower, is as yet the only part of British America which belongs to the first class. Though forming, as it were, only one country, it is more exten- sive, more productive, and more populous than all the maritime provinces united ; and besides, it is the prin- cipal resort of emigrants from the mother-country. To its history and description we shall therefore devote the first ])ortion of this work. Canada is bounded on the north by a range of hills separating it from the territory of the Hudson's Bay Company ; on the east, by Liibrador, the Gulf of St Lawrence, and New Brunswick ; and on the south, by the United States. The western limit is very vague ; but usiige does not seem to extend it farther than Lake Superior. Canada may therefore be described as lying between the meridians of 57° 50' and 90° \V., and the parallels of 42° and 52° N. ; being about 1300 miles from east to west, and 700 from north to south. The area is estimated at 348,000 square miles.f * No IX. Historical View of the Progress of Discovery on the more Northern Coasts of America. t Bouchette, vol. i. pp. 03, 04, 173-102, BRITISH AMERICA. 21 Canada, in a general view, consists of a very extensive plain, situated ])etween two ranges of high hind ; one on the north, separating it from the Hudson's Bay ter- ritory, another on the south, dividing it from New Brunswick and the United States. The grounds which stretch ak)ng the ])ordei"s of the St Lawrence and the hikes are esteemed the most vahiahle portion of it. Neither of the ranges now mentioned aspires to an al- pine character; nor, if we except Mars Hill in the dis- puted territory, does any part of them appear to reach 2000 feet. But they extend over a vast surface, are very hroken and rugged, covered with dense forests, wliih^ torrents dash down their sides, filling the valleys with numerous lakes. Botli on the north, in the upper part of Quebec district, and on the south, in that of Gaspe, the hills press on the hanks of the river, givmg to it an air of much grandeur. Higher up they recede, and form on either side a gradually- widening and beautiful plain, susceptible of the most perfect culti- vation. In Upper Canada this level tract attains a very great breadth, and partly includes the basin of the noble stream of the Ottawa. On the west it aj)pears to ter- minate with Lake Huron ; for the northern coast of that fine sheet of water, as well as of Lake Superior, is flanked by the mountjiins, — a circumstance which ren- ders their shores rough and craggy. It is said that be- hind this rocky screen there is much valuable land still uncultivated.* But the characteristic feature of this region is its wa- ters, more particularly its immense lakes, which, in re- spect to depth and extent of surface, have no e-20H. Gourlay, Statistical Account of Upi^r Canada (2 vols. 8vo, London, 1822), vol. ii. p. .oa. > '.} 26 GENERAL VIEW OP ])oen constructed, inclu(lin|Tf ships of the largest size. There are seveml small islands at the eastern extremity, of wiiieh the priiicipiil is named Grand Isle. The lonir and whidin;,' hay of (^uinte, to tiie west of Kuij,'ston, encloses a very beautiful and fertile peninsula.* From the eastern extremity of Liike Ontario issues the stream which heai"s now, for the first time, tlie name of St Lawrence, though it has also been called Ir«)(|Uois and Catanujui. Its channel is here so spacious that it is calleoat- men indecly state the elements in which its grandeur aj)pe;irs to consist. Several objects that comjjose the chief beauty of other celebrated waterfals are altogether wanting. There are no cliffs reaching to an extraordinary height, crowned with trees, or broken into picturesque and varied fonns ; for, though one of the banks is wooded, the forest-scenery on the whole is not imposing. The accomjtaiiiments, in short, rank here as nothing. There is merely the display, on a scale elsewhere unrivalled, of the j)henomena ap- propriate to this class of objects. There is the spectacle of a falling sea, the eye filled almost to its utnnjst reach i)y the rushing of mighty waters. There is the awful ])lunge into the abyss beneath, and the reverberation thence in endless lines of foam, and in numberless whirl- ])Ools and eddies. There are clouds of spray that fill the wdiole atmosphere, amid which the most brilliant rain- bows, in rapid succession, glitter and disai)})ear. Above all, there is the stupendous sound, of the peculiar cha- racter of which all writers, with their utmost efforts, seem to have vainly attemj)tcd to convey an idea. Bou- chette describes it as "grand, commanding, and majestic, filling the vault of heaven when heard m its fulness," — as " a deep round roar, an alternation of muffled and open sounds," to which there is nothing exactly corre- Mi , t :^!! 30 GENERAL VIEW OP i i i 1 '', I Hpondinff. lie mentions the r('[)iirt niatle from a littK* distance hy u ^reat naval Itattle like that of the Nile ; l)Ut this few can have exi)erienceil. Captain Hall's simi- litude to the ceaseless, rumhlin^^, 4 feet. The iiritish one, however, heins; that in which the phenomenon is presented on the j^'reatest scale, sinijde and without accompaniment, is proj)erly M*' fall. The most ajiproved point of view is from the 'iahle Jtock, that reaches close to the waters, and forms part of the very led^e over which they descend. A darin? visiter may oven, by lyint* flat on his face, stretch out his hand, and ]dunu:e it into the des<'endint( surju^e ; and it is from this station that the nearest view of the cataract is obtained, and all its vastness is most distinctly perceived. An elevated spot behind affords a more extensive bnt less imposinjj^ sur- vi'V, which however cond)ines the surroundintj: scenery. Nearly half a mile })elow, at a small chasm in the cliff, a spiral staircase leads the traveller down towards the water, and a narrow sli))pery path, amid fraj^ments of rook, conducts him nj) to the foot of the fall, and even a little above. To look from beneath on this innnensity of rushing w.ators ])roduces a ])ecnliar sentiment of mingled grandeur and terror. Some travellers even venture into a singular hollow fonned beneath the rocky ledge, where they may see in front the descend- ing flood, and l)e wet only by its spray. Hennepin {jsserts that four coaches might be driven abreast through this awful chasm ; and several individuals have pene- trated this recess to the distance of more than a hundred and fifty feet. Goat Island, as already observed, divides the two falls, interposing between them its perpendicular facade, 984 feet in breadth. Its length, extending up the river, is nearly half a mile. It was unapproached by human I I I W 32 GENERAL VIEW OP Ml foot till Mr Porter, proprietor of extensive mills at Manchester on the American side, contrived, hy sinking strong caissons in the water, flowing perhaps eigliteen miles an hour, to rear a wooden bridge 1 000 feet long, and practicable for carriages. A road, now formed round the island, commands very fine views both of the fall and the rapids above. This spot is richly clothed with trees, among which thr light foam is often seen Hying. It is described as a little Elysium, amid the chaos of the sur- rounding elements. The waters projected down this awful steep continue for some space in a state of violent agitation ; yet a ferry has been established about half a mile below, across which the passenger is wafted over the heaving current without serious danger. The high level of the country extends seven or eight rniles lower, to Queenston and Lewiston, for which space the Niagara rolls through a rocky channel, ])etween high and steep banks, its breadth contracted to a quarter of a mile. Somewhat more than half-way down, high cliifs, encircling the current in a peculiar manner, cause it to wheel round with an impetuous violence, which would instantly destroy any object that should come within its action. This is called the Whirlpool. Below Queenston the ground sinks by a steep descent to the level of the Ontario basin. The river then emerges, and again rolls a smooth stream between level and cultivated banks.* This great fall has excited an additional interest from the remarkable change supposed to have taken place as to its position. It is believed that the impetuous waters, wearing away the rock over which they descend, are gradually removing the cataract higher nj) the river. By this process it is said to have receded from a point between Queenston and Lewiston, to which, as already observed, the high level of the country continues, and to have excavated the present deep and narrow channel * Bouchctte, vol. i J). 138-146. Howison, p. 108-121. Darby, p. 211-213. Stuart, Tliree Years in North America (2 vols 8vo, 2d edit. Edinburgh, 1833j, vol. ii. pp. 142, 143. d BRITISH AMERICA. 33 mills at y^ sinking eighteen long, and •ountl the fall and rith trees, ig. It is f the sur- contimie et a f errv OSS which it without J extends Lewiston, jr channel, 'acted to a ray down, r manner, violence, at should V^hirlpool. lescent to emerges, level and rest from vcn place mpetuous J descend, the river. a point IS already es, and to channel I. Darby, \ vols 8vo, more than seven miles in length. Upon this point geo- logists and travellers seem generally agreed, the only difference being as to the rate at whicli t!i^ change pro- ceeds. Mr Gourlay, long a resident, says the oldest inhabitants think that the Great Fall has receded " several paces.''^ Mr McGregor mentions an estimate which fixes this recession at eighteen feet during the thirty years previous to 1810 ; but he adds another more recent, which raises it to 150 feet in fifty years. Lastly, Captain Hall heard it reckoned, liy two persons long resident on the spot, at ir)0 feet in forty years. This measure, having been aarly decides the jxiint in favour of Britain. These, however, arc very vague grounds on which to determine a matter of fact ; and, besides, we do not very distinctly see their bearing in our favour. No doubt it would be advantiigcous and convenient for Britain to get the whole of this territory ; but we cannot expect that the Americans will see the reciprocal benefit of their losing the whole. They, on the contrary, maintain that their boundary is strictly and literally conformable to the tenns of the treaty. The rivers on one side of it undoubtedly flow into the St Lawrence, while on the other they reach the St John ; which last falls into the Bay of Fun .' 1 I Native Indian Costumes. personal decorations, taking care that every thing shall be in the most perfect order. Embellishment, however, is not much expended on actual clothing, which is sim- ple, and chiefly arranged with a view to convenience. Instead of shoes, they wear what are termed mocassins, consisting of one strip of soft leather wrapt round the foot, and fastened in front and behind. Europeans, walking over hard roads, soon knock these to pieces ; but the Indian, tripping over snow or grass, finds them a light and agreeable chaussure. Upwards to the middle of the thigh, a piece of leather or cloth, tightly fitted to the limb, serves instead of pantaloons, stockings, and boots ; it is sometimes sewed on so close as never to be taken off. To a string or girdle round the waist are fastened two aprons, one before and the other at the back, each somewhat more than a foot square ; and these are however. veniencc. CANADA AND ITS BORDERS. 51 connected by a piece of cloth like a truss, often used also as a capacious pocket. The use of breeches they have always repelled with contempt, as cumbrous and effemi- nate. As an article of female dress, they would con- sider them less objectionable ; but that the limbs of a warrior should be thus manacled, appears to them utterly preposterous. They were particularly scandalized at seeing an officer have them fastened over the shoulder by braces, and never after gave him any name but Tied- Breech. The garments now enumerated form the whole of their permanent dress. On occasions of ceremony, indeed, or when exposed to cold, they put over it a short shirt fas- tened at the neck and wrists, and above it a long loose robe closed or held together in front. For this purpose they now generally prefer an English blanket. All these articles were originally fabricated from the skins of wdd animals ; but at present, unless for the mocassins, and sometimes the leggings, European stuffs are preferred. Tlie dress of the female scarcely differs from that of the male, except that the apron reaches down to the knees ; and even this is said to have been adopted since their acquaintance with civilized nations. The early French writers relate an amusing anecdote to prove how little dress was considered as making a distinction ])etween the sexes. The Ursuline nuns, having educated a Huron girl, presented her, on her marriage to one of her country- men, with a complete and handsome suit of clothes in the Parisian style. They were much surprised some days after, to see the husband, who had ungenerously seized the whole of his bride's attire and arrayed himself in it, parading back and forward in front of the convent, and be- traying every symptom of the most extravagant exulta- tion. This was farther heightened, when he o])served the ladies crowding to the window to see him, and a univer- sal smile spread over their countenances.* i" s U 1 • Creuxius, Nova Francia (4to, Paris, 1664), pp. 03, 64' Adair^ p. 7. Weld, p. 380-383. 52 THE NATIVE INDIANS INIIABITINO Thc8e vestmep.ts, as already observed, arc simple, and adapted only for use. To gratify his passionate love of ornament, the Indian seeks chiefly to load liis person with certam glittering appendages. Before the arrival of Europeans, shells and feathers took the lead ; but, since that period, these commodities have been nearly supplanted by beads, rings, bracelets, and similar toys, wliich are inserted profusely into various parts of his ap- l)arel, particularly the little apron in front. The chiefs usually wear a breastplate ornamented with them ; and among all chisses it is an object of the greatest ambition to have the largest possible number suspended from the ear. That organ therefore is not bored, but slit to such an extent that a stick of wax may be passed through the aperture, which is then loaded with all the baubles that can be mustered ; and if the weight of these gra- dually draw down the yielding flap till it rest on the shoulder, and the ornaments themselves cover the breast, the Indian has reached his utmost height of finery. This, how^ever, is a precarious splendour ; the ear becomes more and more unfit to support the burden, when at length some accident, the branch of a tree, or even a twitch by a waggish comrade, lays at his feet all his de- ^'orations, with the portion of flesh to which they were attached. Weld saw very few who had preserved this organ entire through life. The adjustment of the hair, figain, is an object of especial study. As already ob- served, the greater part is generally eradicated, leaving only a tuft, varying in shape and place, according to taste and national custom, but usually encircling the crown. This lock is stuck fall of feathers, wings of birds, shells, and every kind of fantastic ornament. The women wear theirs long and flowing, and contrive to collect a consi- derable number of ornaments for it, as well as for their ears and dress.* But it is upon his skin that the American warrior chiefly lavishes his powers of embellishment. His taste * Creuxius, p. fil^ Charlevoix, vol. ii. pp. 119,120. Weld, pp. ;i01-383. Adair, pp. 17'. CANADA AND ITS BORDERS. 53 »o — Tattooed Indian. in doing so is very diftcrent from ours. " While tlic European," says Creuxius, " studies to keep his skin clean, and free from every extraneous substance, the Indian's aim is, that his, by the accumulation of oil, gi-ease, and paint, may shine like that of a roasted pig." Soot scraped from the bottoms of kettles, the juices of herbs liaving a green, yellow, and, above all, a ver- milion tint, rendered adhesive by combination with oil and grease, are lavishly employed to adorn his person, 01", according to our idea, to render it hideous. Black and red, alternating with each other m varied stripes, are the favourite tints. Some blacken the face, leaving in the middle a red circle, including the upper lip and tip of the nose ; others have a red spot on each ear, or one eye black and the other of a red colour. In war the black tint is profusely laid on, the others being only M I' —^\ '11 V«l . i'l J I \l ^ i ; 54 THE NATIVE INDIANS INHABITING employed to heighten its effect, and give to the coun- tenance a terrific expression. M. de Tracy, when go- vernor of Canada, was told hy his Indian allies, that, with his good-humoured face, he would never inspire the enemy with any degree of awe. They besought him to place hunself under their brush, when they would soon make him such, that his very aspect would strike terror. The breast, arms, and legs are the seat of more jKirmanent impressions, analogous to the tat- tooing of the South Sea Islanders. The colours are either elaborately rubbed in, or fixed by slight inci- sions with needles and sharp-pointed bones. His guar- dian spirit, and the animal that forms the symbol of his tribe, are the first objects delineated. After this every memorable exploit, and particularly the enemies whom he has slain and scalped, are diligently graven on some part of his figure ; so that the body of an aged warrior contains the history of his life.* The means of procuring subsistence must always form an important branch of national economy. Writers taking a superficial view of savage life, and seeing how scanty the articles of food are, wliile the demand is ne- cessarily urgent, have assumed that the efforts to attain them must absorb his whole mind, and scarcely leave room for any other thought. But, on the contrary, these are to him very subordinate objects. To perform a round of daily labour, even though ensuring the most ample provision for his wants, would be equally contrary to liis inclination and supposed dignity. He will not deign to follow any pursuit which does not, at the simie time, include enterprise, adventure, and excitement. Hunting, which the higher classes in the civilized parts of the world pursue for mere recreation, is almost the only occupation considered of sufficient importance to engage his attention. It is peculiarly endeared by its resemblance to war, being carried on with the same weapons, and nearly in the same manner. In his na- " Creiixius, p. 62. Charlevoix, vol. ii. p. 118. Weld, pp. 382, 383. Missions en la Nouvelle France, ans 1664, 16U5. CANADA AND ITS BORDERS. 55 tivc state, the arrow was the favourite and almost ex- clusive instrument for assailing distimt ohjects ; but now the gun has nearly su])er&ccled it. The great hunts are rendered more animating, as well as more effectual, from being carried on in largo jiarties, and even by whole tribes. The men are prepared for these by fasting, dream- ing, and other superstitious observances, similar to those which we shall find employed in anticipation of war. In such expeditions, too, contrivance and skill, as well as boldness and entei-prise, are largely employed. Some- times a circle is formed, when all the animals surrounded by it are pressed closer and closer, till they are collected in the centre, and fall under the accumulated weight of weapons. On other occasions they are driven to the margin of a lake or river, in which, if they attempt to seek refuge, canoes are ready to intercept them. Else- where a space is enclosed by stakes, only a narrow oi)ening being left, which, by clamour and shouts, the game are compelled to enter, and thereby secured. In imtumn and spring, when the ice is newly formed and slight, they are pushed upon it, and their legs breaking through, they are easily caught. In winter, when the snow begins to fall, traps are set, in which planks are so arranged, that the animal, in snatching at the bait, is crushed to death. Originally the deer, both for food and clothing, was the most valuable object of chase ; but since the trade with Europeans has given such a pro- minent importance to furs, the beaver has in some de- gree supplanted it. In attacking this animal, great care is taken to prevent his escape into the water, on which his habitation always borders ; and with this view va- rious kinds of nets and springes are employed. On some occasions the Indians place themselves upon the dike which encloses his amphibious village. They then make an opening in it, when the inmates, alarmed by seeing the water flowing out, hasten to this barrier, where they encounter their enemies, armed with all the instruments of destruction. At other times, when ice covers the surface of the pond, a hole is made, at which I* S.I 56 THE NATIVE INDIANS INIIADITINO I ■ the animal comes to respire ; he is then drawn out, ftnd secured. The bear is a formidable enemy, which must be assailed by the com])ined force of the hunters, who are ranged in two rows, armed with bows or nmskcts. One of them advances, and wounds him, and, on being furiously pursued, he retreats between the files, fol- lowed in the siune line by the animal, which is then overwhelmed by their united onset. In killing these quadrupeds, the natives seem to feel a sort of kindness and sympathy for their victim. On vanquisliing a beaver or a bear, tliey celebrate its praises in a song, recounting those good qualities which it will never more be able to display, yet consoling themselves with the useful pur- poses to which its flesh and its skin will be applied.* Of the animals usually tamed and rendered subservient to useful purposes, the Americans have only the dog, that faithful friend of man. Though his services in hunting are valuable, he is treated with no tenderness ; but is left to roam about the dwelling, very sparingly supplied with food and shelter. A missionary who resided in a Huron village represents his life as having been ren- dered miserable by these animals. At night they laid themselves on his person, for the benefit of the waraith ; and whenever his scanty meal waj set down, their snouts were always first in the dish. Dog's flesh is eaten, and has even a peculiar sanctity attaclied to it. On all solemn festivals it is the principal meat, the use of which on such occasions seems to import some high and mysterious meaning. But besides the cheering avocations of the chase, other means must be used to ensure the comfort and sub- sistence of the Indian's family ; all of which, however, are most ungenerously devolved upon the weaker sex. Women, according to Creuxius, serve them as domestics, as tailors, as peasants, and as oxen ; and Long does not • Chateaubriand^s Travels in America and Italy (2 vols 8vo, •London, 1828), vol. i. p. 269-279. Carver's Travels through the Interior Parts of North America (8vo, London, 1778), p. 287-290. Long, p. 96. CANADA AMD ITS BORDEUS. 57 conceive that any other purposes of their cxist^^nco arc ivco^^niscd, except those of bearing chlhlrtjn and per- form inf? hard work. Tliey till the jjrround, carry wood and water, huild huts, make wmoes, and fi«l» ; in wliieli latter processes, however, and in reaping the harvest, their lords deign to give occasional aid. So hal)ituat«ej>per, or indeed any s])ecies of condiment. A chief, admitted to the governor's table, seeing the general use of mustard, Wius led by curiosity to take a spoonful and put it into his mouth. On feeling its violent effects, he made incredible efforts to conceal them, and escape the ridicule of the company ; but severe sneezings, and the tears starting from his eyes, soon betrayed bun, and raised a general laugh. lie wjis then shown the manner in which it sliould be used ; but nothing could ever induce hhn to allow the " boiling yellow," as he termed it, to enter hia lips. The Indians are capable of extraordinary abstinence from food, in which they can persevere for successive days without comj)laint or a])parent suffering. They even take a pride in long fasts, by which they usually prepare themselves for any great undertaking. Yet when once set down to a feast, their gluttony is described as enormous, and the capacity of their stomachs almost incredible. They will go from feast to feast, doing ho- nour to each in succession. The chief giving the entertain- ment does not partake, but with his own hands distributes port;ions among the guests. On solemu occasions, it ia CANADA AND ITS nORDKRS. 59 ft rule tlmt every tiling' shall be euten ; nor does this ohli- j^ation seem to be felt us either burdensome or uiiplea- sunt. In their uative titate, they were not ae«|uuinte({ with any H|KH.'ieH of intoxieatintr liquors ; their love of anient spirits, attendril with so many ruinous effet't the village a confused and cluiotic appearance. Ligl.t and heat are admitted only by an apeilure at the top, through which also the smoke escapes, after filling all the upper part of the mansion. Little inconvenience is felt Irom this by the natives, who, within doors, nevt r think of any position except sitting or lying ; but to Europeans, who must occasionally stand or walk, the abode is thereby rendered almost intolerable ; and mat- ters become much worse when rain or snow makes it ne- cessary to close the roof. These structures a sometimes upwards of a hundred feet long ; but they ... then the residence of two or three separate families. Four of tlicm occasionally compose a quadrangle each open on the inside, and having a common fie in the centre. Formerly the Iroquois had houses somewhat superior, adorned even with some rude carving ; but these were burnt down by the French in successive expeditions, and have never been rebuilt in the same style. The *CharIevoix,voI.ii. p. 121-125. Adair, p. 409-412. Creuxiiis.p. 66. Missions en la Nouvelle France, ans 1657, I65b, pp. 106, 10/. 1 L ' il' vi ^ 1 60 THE NATIVE INDIANS INHABITING >l Canadians in this respect seem to he surpassed by the Choktaws, Chikasaws, and other tribes in the south, and even by the Saukies in the west, whose mansions Carver describes as constructed of well-hewn planks, neatly jointed, and each capable of containmg several families. In their expeditions, whether for war or hunting, which often lead them through desolate forests, several hundred miles from home, the Indians have the art of rearing, with great expedition, temporary abodes. On arriving at their evening station, a few poles, meeting at top in the form of a cone, are in half an hour covered with bark, and having spread a few pine-branches within by way of mattress, they sleep as soundly as on beds of down. Like the Esquimaux, they also understand how to convert snow into a material for building ; and find it in the depth of winter the warmest and most comfortable. A few twigs platted together secure the roof. Our own countrymen, in their several campaigns, have, in cases of necessity, used with advantage this species of bivouac. The furniture in these native huts is exceedingly sim- ple. The chief articles are two or three pots or kettles for boiling their food, with a few wooden plates and spoons. The former, in the absence of metal, with which the inhabitants were unacquainted, were made of coarse earthenware that resisted the fire ; and sometimes of a species of soft stone, which could be excavated with tlieir rude hatchets. Nay, in some cases, their kitchen utensils were of wood, and the water made to boil by throwing in heated stones. Since their acquaintance with Europeans, the superiority of iron vessels has been found so decided, that they are now universally pre- ferred. The great kettle or cauldron, employed only on high festivals associated with religion, hunting, or war, attracts even a kind of veneration ; and potent chiefs have assumed its name as their title of honour. Canoes, another fabric which the Indians construct very rudely, are yet adapted with considerable skill to CANADA AND ITS BORDERS. 61 their purpose. These arc iisucally framed of the ])ark of a single tree, strengthened at the eentre with ribs of tough wood. The ends are of bark only, but being curved upwards, are always above water, and thus remain perfectly tight. Our sailors can scarcely believe such nut-shells safe even on the smoothest waters, and see with surprise the natives i^ aiding them amid stormy waves, where their very lightness and buoyancy pre- serve them from sinking. They have another quality of great advantage in the devious pursuits of the own- ers ; being so extremely light, that they can be easily conveyed on the shoulder from one river or branch of a lake to anotlicr. One man, it is said, can carry on his back a canoe in wliich twelve persons may navigate with safety.* Having taken this minute survey of the physical con- dition of the Indians, we shall proceed to an examination of their social condition. The fundamentiil principle of their polity is the complete independence of every indivi- dual, his right to do whatever he pleases, be it good or bad, nay, even though criminal and destructive. When any one announces an- intention which is disagreeable to his neighbours, they dare not attempt to check him by reproach or coercion ; these would only rivet his deter- mination more strongly. Their only resource is to sooth liim, like a spoiled child, by kind words, and especially by gifts. If, notwithstanding, he proceeds to wound or murder any one, the public look on without concern, though revenge is eagerly sought by the kindred of the injured person. Not withstand mg this impunity, which, on our side of the Atlantic, would be followed by the most dreadful consequences, it is somewhat mortifying to the pride of European civilisation to learn, that there reij^ns a degree of traniiuillity greater than the strictest police can pre- serve with us. The Indians are divided mto a number of little nations or tribes, fiercely hostile to each other, • Charlevoix, vol. ii. p. 127-130. Weld, p. 'dnd.'MVh Creuxius, K^ Carver, pp. 40, 231-233. Adair, p. 413-42U. ■■ u t-} 62 THE NATIVE INDIANS INHABITING but whose memhers are bound among themselves by the strictest union. The honour and welfare of the clan sup- ply their ruling principle, and are cherished with an ar- dour not surpassed in the most brilliant eras of Greek and Roman patriotism. This national attachment forms a so- cial tie, linking the members to each other, and rendering exceedingly rare, not only deeds of violence, but even personal quarrels, and banishing entirely that coarse and abusive language which is so prevalent among the vulgar in more enlightened communities. This feeling, added to the sentiment of dignity and self-command considered suitable to the character of a warrior, renders their de- portment exceedingly pleasing. They are completely free from that false shame which is termed mauvaise honte. When seated at tiible with Europeans of the highest rank, they retain the most thorough self-posses- sion ; and at the same time, by carefully observing the proceedings of the other guests, they avoid all awkward- ness in their manners. Their generosity, too, in relieving each other's necessities scarcely knows any bounds, and only stops short of an absolute community of goods. No member of a tribe can be in the least danger of starving, if the rest have wherewith to supply him. Children rendered orphans ])y the casualties to whicli savage life is subject, are immediately taken in charge by the nearest relative, and supplied with every thing needful, as abundantly as if they were his own. Nothing gives them a more unfavourable opinion of the Frendi and English, than to see one portion revelling in abund- ance, while the other suffers the extremities of want ; but when they are told that, for want of these accom- modations, men are seized by their fellow-creatures and immured in dungeons, such a degree of barbarism appears to them almost incredible. Whole tribes, when obliged by the vicissitudes of war to seek refuge among their neighbours, are received with unbounded hospitiility ; habitations and lands are assigned to them, and they are treated by th( ir new friends in every respect as a part of themselves. It may, however, be 7 CANADA AND ITS BORDERS. m observed, that as such an accession of numbers aup^ente the military strength of the tribe, there may be a mix- ture of policy in this cordial reception."^ In consequence of this spirit of o\>lcy and internal union, the unbounded personal freedoi.^ which marks their social condition seldom breaks out into such crimes as would disturb the public peace. Its greatest evil, of which we shall see repeated instances, is, tliat indivi- duals actuated by revenge or a spirit of daring enter- prise, think themselves justified in surprising and mur- dering a hated adversary. From this cause every treaty l)etween the tribes is rendered precarious ; though, as each is aware of these lawless propensities, room is left for mutual explanation, so that particular outrages may not involve a general war. This circumstance leads us to notice, that the favourable aspect presented by the inte- rior of these communities can by no means warrant any conclusion as to the superiority of savage life when com- pared with that of civilised man. On tlie contrary, the most perfect form of government devised by the human being in the state of nature, has never been exempted from those feelings of relentless enmity and continual fear with which bordering nations regard each other. These, as will appear in the sequel, often impel them to the most direful crimes ; but at present we shall pro- ceed with our survey of their domestic usages. Some writers have denied that there exists among the Indians any thing that can properly be termed a matri- monial union. This, however, seems only a prejudice, in consequence of there not being any regular cere- mony, as with us. The man, it appears, after having made an arrangement with the parent of his bride, takes lier home, and they live in every respect as husband and wife. The mode of courtship among several of the tribes is singular. The wooer, attended often by several com- rades, repaii-s at midnight to his fair one's apartment, * Charlevoix, vol. ii. o. 30-32, 80, 87- Creuxiun, pp. 72, 73. Car- ver, pp. 248, 412. Adair, pp. 378, 412. Missions en la Nouvelle France, ans 1()57, lH5i', p. 128. ml fk . i» ' C4 THE NATIVE INDIANS INHABITING 5 I h, (1^ and three times twitches her nose. If she be inclined to listen to his suit, she rises ; otherwise he must depart. Though this visit be so very unseasonable, it is said to be rarely accompanied with any impropriety ; the mis- sionaries, however, did not think it right to sanction such freedoms in their converts. The preliminary step is, in this manner, taken with the lady, but the decision still rests with the father, to whom the suitor now applies. Long has given no unplcasing specimen of the address : ** Father, I love your daughter — will you give her to me, that the small roots of her heart may entangle with mine, so that the strongest wind that blows may never separate them 2" He ofters at the same time a handsome present, the acceptance of which is considered as sealmg the union. Considerable discrepancy prevails in the de- scriptions, and apparently in tho practice, as applied to different tribes ; yet, on the whole, great reserve and propriety seem to mark this intercourse. The young men of the Five Nations valued themselves highly for their correct conduct towards the other sex. Of nume- rous female captives who fell into their hands during a long series of wars, though some were possessed of great personal beauty, no one had to complain that her honour was exposed to the slightest danger. The girls themselves are not always quite so exemplary ; but their failures are viewed with indulgence, and form no obstacle to marriage. Once united by that tie, how- ever, a strict fidelity is expected and commonly observed. The husband, generally speaking, is not jealous, unless when mtoxicated ; but when his suspicions are really excited regarding the conduct of his partner, he is very indignant, beats her, bites off her nose, and dis- misses her in disgrace. There are occasional instances of a divorce being inflicted without any assigned rea- son ; but such arbitrary proceeding is by no means fre- quent. As the wife performs the whole labour, and furnishes a great part of the subsistence, she is usually considered too valuable a possession to be rashly parted with. In some cases these domestic dioidges become CANADA AND ITS BORDERS. 65 even an object of dispute and competition. A mission- ary mentions a woman, who, during the absence of her husband, formed a new connexion. Her first partner having returned, without being agitated by any delicate sensibilities, demanded her back. The question was referred to a chief, who could contrive no better scheme than that of i)lacing her at a certain distance from both, and decreeing that he who should first reach her should have her ; " thus," says he, " the wife fell to him who had the best legs." With regard to polygamy, the usual liberty is claimed, and by the chiefs in the west and the south it is indulged to a considerable extent ; but among the tribes on the lakes the practice is rare and limited. When it does occur, the man very com- monly marries his wife's sister, and • even her whole family, on the presumption, we may suppose, that the household will be thereby rendered more hannonious. The Indian is said never to betray the slightest symp- tom of tenderness towards his wife or children. If he meets them on his return from a distant expedition, he proceeds without taking the slightest notice, and seats himself in his cabin as if he had not been a day absent. Yet his exertions for their welfare, and the eagerness with which he avenges their wrongs, testify that this apparent apathy springs only from pride and a fancied sense of decorum. It is equally displayed with regard to his own most urgent wants. Though he may have been without food during several days, and enters a iieiglibour's house, nothing can make him stoop to iisk for a morsel.* The rearing (for it cannot be called the education) of the children is chiefly arranged so that it may cost the parents the least possible trouble in addition to the l.ibour of procuring their subsistence. The father is either engrossed by war and hunting, or resigned to "total indolence ; while the mother, oppressed by various toils. La Potheric, Bacqiieville de, Histoire de I'Amerique Septen- ~ ' , vol. ii pi 37(1, 410. M-iu. i vFiiiciii, jjtii.i^ut;viiit; tie, ni trionale (4 tomes 12mo. Paris 1674), vol. ii pp. 22.31. " Lonij, pp, y;i.l36. Carver, pp. 230.241, 367-r VOL. I. D ,, ^ 6G THE NATIVE INDIANS INHABITING [ i ' ■ Infant in a Frame. cannot devote much time to the cares of nurture. Tlie infant, therefore, heing fastened with pieces of skin to a board spread with soft moss, is laid on the ground or suspended to the branch of a tree, where it swings as in a cradle, — an expedient which is so carefully adopted as scarcely ever to be attended with accident. As soon as the creatures are able to crawl on hands and feet, they are allowed to move about every part of the house and vicinity, like a cat or dog. Their fa- vourite resort is the border of the river or lake to which an Indian village is usually adjacent, and where in summer they are seen all day long, sporting like fishes. As reason dawns, they enjoy in the most ample