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104

The hour of our visit had just followed that of their
dinner. A superabundant pile of well polished bones
afforded evident testimony that the produce of the
chase during the preceding day had most amply
furnished the large kettle on the present occasion.
Muskrats, wild-ducks and the bones of a large
pike bespoke the ingredients and richness of the
soup or stew which had just been discussed; and
if we might judge from the remnants and composition
of the feast their gluttony must have been
enormous, and the capacity of their stomachs almost
incredible.

The squaws Indigeonus women were reclining on the verdant
carpet of the Wigwam in a listless drowsiness evidently
arising from the over indulgence of a ravenous
appetite, and occupied themselves regarding in
silent pleasure the gambols of the children, the
plumpness of whose dark ruddy cheeks proclaimed
them to be healthy; whilst their half naked
bodies shewed a firmness of flesh and rotundity
of circumference that left no mistake as to the
quantity they had just enjoyed

I observed one of the children a girl of five
or six years of age had light hair and altogether so
totally differed in face and feature from the rest, that
my curiosity became excited, as to how this child could
have come amongst them; and I was led to put the
question "My Son, how comes this little squaw here?
She is not poor Indian Indigenous mans squaw? You tell me you know ugh?"

Me tell my Father why fore him come ugh?