The new era., 1860-07-12
sluK RAPIDS. MIN, THURSDAY. JULY Il, 1860

hffe1 az" 'ui shiH, Out tnelr clothes be-
come 30 hlthy as to render il unpleas-
ant to come in contact with them, and
especially so to be shut up with them in
a siose room. when the odor arising
from their filthy garments and persons
beeomss almost intolerable. One ofthe
great trials Of the missionary among
them Is to admit them in this condition,
freely to his house, and to have them
sit for hours perhaps where his family
must be. and where they must attend to
t,eIT domestic duties. To the female
missionary of refined sensibilities, it il
trial of faith and love to come into so
close contact with them as she must to
become familiar with them and yet
without it she can do them little good.
Thirty years ago the Ojibwas subsist-
ed principally upon the native products
of their own country. Their traders
very seldom brought any, provisions into
their country to be used in the trade
They depended very little on agricul-
ture for subsistence. They had no do
mestic animals, no agricultural imple-
ments, and no fixed habitation. Some
families cultivated small patches ofcorn
and potatoes, here and there, where
they might find small piece of ground
devoid Of timber. Their only imple-
ments Of husbandry were the axe and
the hoe. With these, in some instan
ces, they made slight efforts to make
gardens, but generally with very indit-
ferent success They generally chose
some poor and sandy spot of ground,
because it did not require so much la
Dor to cultivate it. They planted their
gardens with very little skill and judg-
ment, generally using so much seed as
to prevent crop from maturing if there
was nothing else to prevent. The
ground was never properly prepared,
and could not be with such means az
they had at command
Their principal dependence was the
game, fish and wild rice which their
country afforded Tne country they
inhabit abounds in lakes and streams
Everywhere in these is found fish Of
various kinds, several of which are cell
ebrated for their excellence Lake Su-
perior particularly is noted for its white
fish and trout Leach Lake and several
others Of the larger of the interior lakes,
afford the finest specimens of the white
fish and other kinds. Some portions
of their country abound with the red
deer. The moose or elk is also occa-
sionally taken. The black bear, as
we'll as various other smaller animals,
are hunted for their meat and fur. At
some seasons of the year, ducks and
pigeons are found plentifully. and con-
stitute an important article of food with
the Indians.
The wild rice also grows extensively
in the muddy lakes and shallow streams
which abound in the Northwestern por-
tons of their country. This grows in
the water, and forms its heads above It.
Il natures about the month of August
The Indians harvest it by going about
among it in conoes, bending the heads
over the sides of the canoe, and beating
off the grain with a stick. The grain
falls upon a blanket spread in the bot
tom of the canoe, and is thus preserved
1t is afterwards dried over a fire; the
hull is taken off by beating or treading
with the feet, and the chaff winnowed
out. What is not wanted for present
use, is put into bags and slowed away
in some secret place, commonly in a
hole dug in the ground in some dry
place. 1t is a nutricious kind of food,
and hardly less pallatable than the white
rice. though it resembles it very little.
They employ various methods for
taking fish. The most common. how
ever, is the gilling net and the spear
In deep water the net il principally used.
They sometimes use the hook and bait
for catching the trout, and in the win
ter time take many with the spear. In
the winter they fish by cutting hole
through the ice and watching the fish in
,he water below.
The Waushare. Wis. Argus says:
J" Last week we chronicled the de-
cease Of Mrs. Case, Of this village,
"aged sixteen years, six months and
ten days" Mrs G.. SO early called
from life to death, was married abou
three years ago. and has left three Iitil,
children to mourn a mothers loss--s
tsad commentary on the error of suct
early marriages. Let parents bewnre