that of the Dakota
tribes, descent being in the male line. After the smallpox epidemic of
1838, only 400 thinly populated lodges out of 1,000 remained, relationship
was nearly annihilated, property lost, and but few, the very young and
very old, were left to mourn the loss. Remnants of bands had to be
collected and property acquired, and several years elapsed ere the young
people were old enough to marry.

The names of the wife's parents are never pronounced by the husband; to do
so would excite the ridicule of the whole camp. The husband and the
father-in-law never look on each other if they can avoid it, nor do they
enter the same lodge. In like manner the wife never addresses her
father-in-law.

A plurality of wives is required by a good hunter, since in the labors of
the chase women are of great service to their husbands. An Indian with one
wife can not amass property, as she is constantly occupied in household
labors, and has no time for preparing skins for trading. The first wife
and the last are generally the favorites, all others being regarded as
servants. The right of divorce lies altogether with the husband; if he has
children by his wife, he seldom puts her away. Should they separate, all
the larger children--those who require no further care--remain with the
father, the smaller ones departing with the mother. When the women have no
children they are divorced without scruple.

After one gets acquainted with Indians the very opposite of taciturnity
exists. The evenings are devoted to jests and amusing stories and the days
to gambling. The soldiers' lodge, when the soldiers are not in session, is
a very theater of amusement; all sorts of jokes are made and obscene
stories are told, scarcely a woman in the camp escaping the ribaldry; but
when business is in order decorum must prevail.

The personal property of these tribes consists chiefly of horses.
Possession of an article of small value is a right seldom disputed, if the
article has been honestly obtained; but the possession of horses being
almost the principal object in life of an Indian of the plains, the
retention of them is a matter of great uncertainty, if he has not the
large force necessary to defend them. Rights to property are based on the
method of acquirement, as (1) articles found; (2) those made by themselves
(the sole and undisputed property of the makers); (3) those stolen from
enemies, and (4) those given or bought. Nothing is given except