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Show 4.20 Lewi3 and Clarke's Expedition tluring om· stay with them, any reason to suspect that the display of all our new and valuable wealth, has tempted them into a single act of dishonesty. Whi1e they have geno 1 rally shared with us the little they possess, they have al. ways abstained from begging any thing from us. With their liveliness of temper, they arc fond of gaudy dresses, and of all sorts of amusements, particularly to games of hazard; and like most Indians fond of boasting of t11eir own warlike exploits, whether real or fictitious. In their conduct towards ourselves, they were kind and obliging, and though on one occasion they seemed willing to neglect us, yet we scarcely knew how to blame the treatment by which we suffered, when we recollected how few civilized chiefs would have hazarded the comforts 01• the subsistence of their t>eople for the sake of a few strangers. 'rllis manliness of char~actcr may cause or it may be formed by the nature of their government, which is perfectly free from any restraint. Each individual is his own master, and the only control to which his conduct is subjected, is the advice of a chief supported by his influence over the opinions or the rest of the tribe. The chief himself is in fact no more than the most confidential person among the wat·riors, a rank neither distinguished by any external honor, nor invested by any ceremony, but gradually act}uit·ed fl'om the good wishes of his companions and by SUJ>crior merit. Such an officer has therefore strictly no power; he may recommend or advise Ol' influence, but his commands have no effect on those who incline to disobey. and who may at any time withdraw from their voluntary all~giance. His shadowy authority which cannot survive the confidence which supports it, often decays with the personal vigour of the chief~ or is transferred to some more fortunate or favourite hero. , In ihe~r domestic economy, the man is equally sovereign. rhe man IS the sole proprietOl' of his Wives and daugbtet•s, and can b~Lrter them away, or dispose of them in any man-ner he may think proper. The ehildren are -seldom correct· Up the JJ1issoU1·i. eel • the boys, particularly, soon become theil· own masters; th~y are never whipped, for they say that it break~ thei~ s~irit, and that after being tlogged they never recover thCJr In .. dependence of mind, even when 1hey grow to manhood. A plurality of wives is very common; but these are not generally sisters, as among the Minnetarccs and 1\'Iandans, but are purchased of different fathers. The in rant daughters arc often betrothed by the father to men who an grown, either for themselves or for their sons, for whom they are desirous of providing wives. The compensation to the father is usually made in horses or mules; and the girl remains with her parents till the age of puberty, which is thirteen or fourteen. when she is sm·rendcred to her hu band. At the same time the father often makes a present to the husband equal to what he had formerly received as the price of his daughter, though this return is optional 'vith her parent. Sacajawea had been contracted in this way before she was taken prisoner, and when we brought her back, her betrothed was still living. Although he was double the age of Sacajawea, and had two othe1' wives, he claimed her, but on finding that she had a child by her new husband, Chaboneau, he relinquished his p1·etensious and said he did not want her. The chastity of the women does not appear to be held in much estimation. The husband will for a triiling present lend his wife for a night to a stranger, and the loan may be protracted by increasing the value of the present. Yet strange as it may seem, notwithstanding this facility, any connexion of this kind not authorized by the husband, is considcr·ed highly offensive and quite as disgraceful to bis character as the same licentiousness in civilized societies. 'rhe Shoshonees are not so importunate in volunteering the services of their wives as we found the Sioux were; aml indeed we observed among them some women who appeared to be held in more respect than those of any nation wo had seen. But the mass of the females arc condemned, |
