Though it was now three o'clock in the afternoon, the canoe was ordered to be reloaded, and, as we were ready to embark, our new recruit was desired to prepare himself for his departure, which he would have declined; but as none of his friends would take his place, we may be said, after the delay of an hour, to have compelled him to embark. Previous to his departure a ceremony took place, of which I could not learn the meaning; he cut off a lock of his hair, and having divided it into three parts, he fastened one of them to the hair on the upper part of his wife's head, blowing on it three times with the utmost violence in his power, and uttering certain words. The other two he fastened with the same formalities on the heads of his two children.
During our short stay with these people, they amused us with dancing, which they accompanied with their voices; but neither their song or their dance possessed much variety. The men and women formed a promiscuous ring. The former have a bone dagger or piece of stick between the fingers of the right hand, which they keep extended above the head, in continual motion; the left they seldom raise so high, but work it backwards and forwards in an horizontal direction; while they leap about and throw themselves into various antic postures, to the measure of their music, always bringing their heels close to each other at every pause. The men occasionally howl in imitation of some animal, and he who continues this violent exercise for the longest period, appears to be considered as the best performer.
[ 21. THE CONSTITUTIONAL ACT OF 1791.]
Source.—Shortt and Doughty's Documents. (Cf. 16.)
II. ... whereas his Majesty has been pleased to signify by his message to both Houses of Parliament, his royal intention to divide his province of Quebec into two separate provinces, to be called The Province of Upper Canada and The Province of Lower Canada ... there shall be within each of the said provinces respectively a Legislative Council and an Assembly....
III. ... it shall and may be lawful for his Majesty ... to authorise and direct the Governor or Lieutenant-Governor ... to summon to the said Legislative Council ... a sufficient number of discreet and proper persons, being not fewer than seven to the Legislative Council for the province of Upper Canada, and not fewer than fifteen to the Legislative Council for the province of Lower Canada....
XIV. ... for the purpose of electing the members of such Assemblies respectively, it shall and may be lawful for his Majesty ... to authorise the Governor or Lieutenant-Governor ... to issue a proclamation dividing such province into districts or counties or circles, and towns or townships, and appointing the limits thereof, and declaring and appointing the number of representatives to be chosen by each of such districts....
XVII. ... the whole number of members to be chosen in the province of Upper Canada shall not be less than sixteen, ... in the province of Lower Canada shall not be less than fifty.