LENNOX ISLAND AND MICMACS 205

rudeness not to invite a stranger to partake of food, and a grievous offence for him to refuse. I pity those poor polite missionaries. Women were inferiors—

“When Indian make bargain, squaw never speakum.”

Thomas Pichon described the Indians of Prince Edward Island in 1760. Although he was not always reliable, Pichon, in this description at least, would ‘ seem to have no reason to enlarge his narrative by extracts from his imagination.

The savages, though naturally very amorous, were accustomed to enter into this engagement in such a manner as to reconcile their pleasure to their interest. As soon as the parents had determined that a youth was of a proper age to marry they agreed the matter among themselves and said to him, “thou mayst go now and light thy pipe day and night in the cottage of thy intended father-in-law; thou wilt let the smoke go towards her who is designed to be thy spouse; and act} so that she shall take a pleasure in this fumigation, and desire thee to let her raise it herself. Shew thyself worthy of thy nation, do honour to thy sex and to thy youth, by providing that none belonging to the cottage thou are going to, shall want either for necessaries or conveniences. But particularly be sure to exert thy whole attention, in the service of her who is to be one day thy companion; let thy bows and arrows be employed in finding provisions for her with the necessary quantity of oil and furs. Four winters are allowed thee to make a trial of thy fidelity and resolution. ”

This speech being finished, the young man without making any answer, betook himself to the cottage appointed. His mistress, being apprized of his intentions, lent him a favourable ear, at first out of compliance; and then, if he proved agreeable to her, she signified her mind to him by asking for his pipe of which she made no other use of than by puffing the