MacDonell, John. Description of Lake Athabasca and the Chipweans, ca. 1805 and Journal of a Voyage from Lachine to Fort River Qu'Appelle, 1793. An electronic transcription. MFTP #0005

female, she is not esteemed either by Father or Mother so much as the boy, who is generally allowed to act according to his fancy or caprice – he will frequently usurp in a tyrannical manner over his Sisters, altho' elder, and use them ill without being checked in the least by his Father; who on the contrary, grories to see his son treading in his own steps. When such conduct is permitted in childhood, it is no way surprising that it should increase at a maturer age. The women are obliged to do all the work at the tent, such as cutting wood for fire, poles to stretch the Tent, clear away the snow, prepare the victuals; and when all this is done, his Lordship sits down at his ease, while the Obedient wife takes off his Shoes and puts on dry comfortable ones for the night; bring him water to drink; and in fact do every thing in her power to make him easy: thus the life of those poor wretches compelled to drag a Sledge, weighing more than 150 lbs, through deep snows, thick woods, over Mountains and precipices; in the mean time many of them are so far advanced in a state of pregnancy, that they bring forth at these times unattended by any one, and what is more surprising, as soon as they are delivered, they wrap up the tender child in a piece of Carribou skin, or Blanket, and proceed forward

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