The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1888-09-22
CANADIAN INDIANS,
Their Home Life Described by an Observ-
ing American Traveller.

Inelr Home Life Described by an Observ-
ing American Traveller.
The inmates of this Indian home
were the strangest part of the scene.
The tidy women were squatting on the
floor, sSme cross-legged like Turks,
others sitting on one foot as cushion,
or on their toes turned inward under
them, or on their knees and heels.
They were quite erect, yet easy, in
these attitudes, as comfortable as we
are upon luxurious furniture.
One of them changed her dress by
detachments at my elbow. The men
were waiting for dinner; one slept
curled up in heap near the wall;
another sat fiat on the floor by his
wife; and the other two lay stretched
across the opposite end of the lodge.
The children showed a remarkable
capacity for slowing themselves away
in grotesque shapes in hooks and cor
ners, whence they stared at me with
black, bead-like eyes as eXpressionless
as those Of animals. Meanwhile the
people kept up general conversation
in their own tongue; their voices were
low, even in laughter, and expressive
of kind and considerate nature. You
notice a good deal of abruptness in
their talk, but this is due to their Ian.
guage, in which you hear many mar
ticulate grunts, short. brusque infiec
tions, and long. disjointed, unmelodi-
Gus words. But when they talk French,
which the most of them understand,
their speech is quite agreeable. !
tried in many ways to engage the
squaws in conversation in this tongue,
but they turned to me a deaf ear, or
else their husbands. 1t seems that the
missionaries advise the tribe to have
but little intercourse with whites; they
will often pretend not to understand
you, or will grant your request without
replying to your speech.
The dinner meanwhile had been pre-
pared by one of the squaws. She set
out a number of plates on the floor,
and Louis invited me to eat of their
stewed ducks. | accordingly settled
from the chest where | sat to the floor.
Only the men came to the meal; for it
is a custom among them to serve the
men first; the women, having less eX-
posure and travel to endure in winter,
consider their needs as secondary; they
will absolutely fast when provisions
are scarce. And yet, Notwithstanding
!, MI in Of
starvation the men always succumb
first. We helped ourselves from the
kettle; ana when we had finished, two
of the men rolled up into heaps and
went to sleep. The women, children
and dogs then gathered about the
dishes. Each one had an attendant
dog at her elbow, ready for any emer-
gelcy. The meal was social and
pleasant, with good-natured talking,
and manners quite deferential. But the
dogs were an aggressive element. They
were eager and INSCRIPTIONS; if q
hand remained too long away from the
plate a dog captured the contents.
Now and then a yelp, or a crescendo OF
ire on the word "ahnis," broke the
the calmness of the conversation. The
dog of the prettiest maiden kept adj
vancing his nose toward her plate, and
she kept pounding his head with her
spoon till he concluded to retreat
Another cur sat very quietly for some
time beside child; but at last he rose
in open rebellion. | rushed to the
plate. The child screamed, spoons
fourished in the air, and screams re-
sounded; and finally the dog settled
back on his launches with revenge
full snarl. When the women had finished
their meal they sat still and let the
dogs struggle over their laps, and take
possession of the entire culinary de-
partment. After setting things tc
rights the women resumed their sewing
on the floor, and left them chatting
away the afternoon, more happily than
many of our care worn house-keepers
in their palaces of taste and educated
discontent.-C. II. FarRhanl, IN Har-
91p1'S Mu10zj11e