Original - North Central Michigan College Library

that important utensil, the kettle. The amazingnumbers of these animals prevent all fearof want, a fear which is incessantly present tothe Indians qf the North.On the fourth morning the Osinipoilles departed.The Great Road expressed himselfmuch satisfied with his reception, and he waswell deserving of a good one; for in no situationcould strangers have been treated more hospitablythan we were treated in his camp. Thebest of everything it contained was given us.The Osinipoilles at this period had hadno acquaintance with any foreign nationsufficient to affect their ancient and pristinehabits. Like the other Indians, they werecruel to their enemies, but as far as the experienceof myself and other Europeansauthorizes me to speak, they were a harmlesspeople, with a large share of simplicity ofmanners and plain dealing. They lived in fearof the Cristinaux, by whom they were not onlyfrequently imposed upon, but pillaged whenthe latter met their bands in smaller numbersthan their own.As to the Cristinaux, they are a shrewd raceof men, and can cheat, lie, and sometimessteal; yet even the Cristinaux are not so muchaddicted to stealing as is reported of theIndians of the South Sea; their stealing ispilfering; and they seldom pilfer anything butrum, a commodity which tempts them beyondthe power of resistance.302