The occupation of the men is hunting or war, that of the women is to remain in the vil- lage and to make there out of bark baskets, bags, boxes, dishes, plates, etc. They sew the bark with roots and make of them various uten- sils very appropriately wrought, the canoes are likewise made solely of bark, but the largest can scarcely hold more than six or seven persons. It is with these canoes made of a bark which has hardly the thickness of a crown, that they cross the arms of the sea, and that they navi- gate the most dangerous rivers and lakes of four or five hundred leagues around. I have thus made many voyages without having run any risk. I did like them, and after having drawn up the canoe we carried it to the extremity of this ice.
Nothing equals the affection which the savages have for their children.
The mothers carry them on their back in a manner convenient for the chil- dren and for them. Hardly do the children begin to walk when they are trained to draw the bow. They become so adroit in this, that at the age of ten or twelve years they do not fail to kill the bird that they shoot at. I have been surprised at it, and I should have hardly believed it if I had not been witness of it. After having filled their pot with meat they make it boil, at the most, three-quarters of an hour, after which they take it from the fire, serve it in bark porringers and divide it with all those who are in the cabin.