Of these a few have several wives but the majority only one; and as some are unmarried we shall not err greatly in considering the number of married women as only slightly exceeding that of the hunters.

The women marry very young, have a custom of suckling their children for several years, and are besides exposed constantly to fatigue and often to famine; hence they are not prolific, bearing upon an average not more than four children, of whom two may attain the age of puberty.

Upon these data the amount of each family may be stated at five, and the whole Indian population in the district at five hundred.
This is but a small population for such an extent of country, yet their mode of life occasionally subjects them to great privations.

The winter of our residence at Cumberland House proved extremely severe to the Indians.

The whooping-cough made its appearance amongst them in the autumn, and was followed by the measles which, in the course of the winter, spread through the tribe.