med after the families than that the families have been named
after them.

SECOND COINCIDENCE.

A certain mysterious connection exists between a family and its kobong,
so that a member of the family will never kill an animal of the species
to which his kobong belongs, should he find it asleep; indeed he always
kills it reluctantly, and never without affording it a chance to escape.
This arises from the family belief that some one individual of the
species is their nearest friend, to kill whom would be a great crime, and
to be carefully avoided. Similarly a native who has a vegetable for his
kobong may not gather it under certain circumstances and at a particular
period of the year. The North American Indians have this same custom of
taking some animal as their sign. Thus it is stated in the Archaeologia
Americana:* "Each tribe has the name of some animal. Among the Hurons the
first tribe is that of the bear; the two others of the wolf and turtle.
The Iroquois nation has the same divisions, only the turtle family is
divided into two, the great and the little." And again, in speaking of
the Sioux tribes:** "Each of these derives its name from some animal,
part of an animal, or other substance which is considered as the peculiar
sacred object or medicine, as the Canadians call it, of each band
respectively." To this we may add the testimony of John Long, who
says,*** "one part of the religious superstition of the savages consists
in each of them having his totem, or favourite spirit, which he believes
watches over him. This totem they conceive assumes the shape of some
beast or other, and therefore they never kill, hunt, or eat the animal
whose form they think the totem bears."

(*Footnote. Volume 2 page 109 quoting from Charlevoix volume 3 page 266.)

(**Footnote. Ibid page 110 quoting from Major Long's Exp. volume 1
chapter 15.)

(***Footnote. Voyages and Travels page 86.)

Civilized nations, in their heraldic bearings, preserve traces of the
same custom.

BETROTHMENTS AND MARRIAGES.

Female children are always betrothed within a few days after their birth;
and from the moment they are betrothed the parents cease to have any
control over the future settlement of their child. Should the first
husband die before the girl has attained the years of puberty she then
belongs to his heir.

A girl lives with her husband at any age she pleases, no control whatever
is in this way placed upon her inclinations.

WIDOWS.