BOURGEOIS - Toronto Public Library

350
CHARLES MACKENZIE
and Hey-l'e-ro-ka were wicked men; they murdered numbrrs
of their own relations and were, in consequence, obliged to fly
for safety to the distan t recesses of the Rocky Mountains, where,
falling in 'with the Flat Heads, they provided themselves with
wives. The offsprings of that connexion became a new tribe,
speaking a new dialect which, being a mIxture of the two othersis
understood by the three tribes. Les G/'os Ventres call them,
selves " E-na.sa" and the Corbeaux "Kech-chy-sa" and" Hey-re-
1'0 ka," while tho Corbeaux call the Gras VenIres" E-lIa-ta" and.
themselves" Keigh-chy-ta," " Hen-ne-no- ta." Most of the words
in both languages begin the same, bu tend differen tly as follows:
GROS VENTRE.
Al'rach Bugju nrrach Baga.
Elange Bugje urrach Baga.
Ma-pook-cha urrach Baga.
Aitche shibbisha urrach Baga.
CORBEAU.
Annach Bogu minnach Baga.
Etange Bugich minnach Baga_
Ma-pook-ta Minnach Baga.
Aitche j ibbla minnach Baga.
The COl'beaux tribes cannot pronounce the letter" V ", but the
Gras Ventres speak Corbeau fluently.
All these tribes dress in the same manner; the men have long
hair which trail to the ground, but to make it appear long they
add horse hair by a cement of gum. They comb only the forehead
and, for combs, they substitute porcupine tails. The
women are careless about their hair which scarcely reaches the
shoulders; to make it look fioe they sometimes throw a little
water over it.
The Cm'beaux do not cut off joints of their fingers, nor slash
their own flesh as the Gras Ventl'es do, but they are much addicted
to an abominable crime, the crime of sodomy (q.
(1) Details unfit for publication.