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MORICE] FUR TRADER IN ANTHROPOLOGY 65

the Rocky mountains, except, later on, in one case or two, at the
instigation of whites hailing from the territory of the Cree. Old
*Kwah, who is represented as mentioning that barbarous custom
would have been very much astonished if he had been told that
it was in vogue anywhere in the world.

Indeed, I cannot help feeling that those references to scalping
in Harmon’s little volume are not his. He must have known better.
They are surely to be attributed to his censor and editor, who
probably thought he was improving on the too plain style of the
fur trader, by these hints at what is almost a classical way of
rendering the idea of victory when it is a question of the Plains
Indians.

An authority unreliable on such an important point of native
sociology as that attributed to a people living at his door could
certainly err in the matter of cremation with regard to nomads
roaming in a distant country.

“T never knew a Carrier to be grateful for a favor bestowed
upon him,” the same authority asserts further on. All I can say
is that, after a residence in that tribe covering more than twice
the period of time he passed in its midst, in the pursuance of an
avocation which brought me in contact with five times more
Carriers than he ever dealt with, I never saw one who was entirely
devoid of the sense of gratitude. But it must be understood that
the Indian being a grown-up child, manifests it as a child and
therefore not so long as is usual with our adults.

And then we should not lose sight of the fact that, very acute
under the appearances of the greatest simplicity, he fully realizes
that the fur traders live at his expense and without any great
labor. For that reason, he considers them as being in reality his
debtors. Hence, in his estimation, any favor emanating from
them is more part payment of an obligation than gratuitous
benefaction.

Harmon also states'® that

the Carriers are almost entirely ignorant of medicine, not having any knowl-
edge of the virtue which is found in roots and herbs when administered to
the sick.

16 Journal, 262.