NORTH-WEST CONTINENT OF AMERICA.

from this circumftance, thofe animals could, with the greater facility, be
traced from their lodges to their lurking-places,

On the 12th the hunter arrived, having left his mother-in-law, who
was lately become a widow with three {mall children, and in aétual la-
bour of a fourth. Her daughter related this circumftance to the women
here, without the leaft appearance of concern, though fhe reprefented
her as in a flate of great danger, which probably might proceed from
her being abandoned in this unnatural manner. At the fame time with-
out any apparent confcioufnels of her own barbarous negligence; if the

poor abandoned woman fhould die, fhe would moft probably lament her

with great outcries, and, perhaps, cut off one or two joints of her fingers:

as tokens of her grief. ‘The Indians, indeed, confider the ftate of a
woman in labour as among the moft trifling occurrences of corporal
pain to which human nature is fubject, and they maybe, in fome mea-

fure, juftified in this apparent infenfibility from the circumftances of that

fituation among themfelves. It is by no means uncommon in the hafty

removal of their camps from one pofition to another, for a woman to
be taken in labour, to deliver herfelf in her way, without any affiftance
or notice from her affociates in the journey, and to overtake them before
they complete the arrangements of their evening flation, with her new-

born babe on her back.

- Iwas this morning threatened with a very unpleafant event, which,
however, I was fortunately enabled to control. Two young Indians
being engaged in one of their games, a difpute enfued, which rofe to

{uch an height, that they drew their knives, and if Thad not happened
to

'