They often eat and even get drunk in consort with the men; a considerable portion of the labour however falls to the lot of the wife.

She makes the hut, cooks, dresses the skins, and for the most part carries the heaviest load: but when she is unable to perform her task the husband does not consider it beneath his dignity to assist her.

In illustration of this remark I may quote the case of an Indian who visited the fort in winter.

This poor man's wife had lost her feet by the frost and he was compelled not only to hunt and do all the menial offices himself but in winter to drag his wife with their stock of furniture from one encampment to another.

In the performance of this duty as he could not keep pace with the rest of the tribe in their movements he more than once nearly perished of hunger.
These Indians however, capable as they are of behaving thus kindly, affect in their discourse to despise the softer sex and on solemn occasions will not suffer them to eat before them or even come into their presence.