tent, ten miles to the southward, but we found only the frame,
or tent-poles, standing, when we reached the spot. The men, by
digging where the fire-place had been, ascertained that the Indians
had quitted it the day before; and as their marches are short,
when encumbered with the women and baggage, we sought out
their track, and followed it. At an abrupt angle of it, which
was obscured by trees, the men suddenly disappeared; and, hastening
forward to discover the cause, I perceived them both still rolling
at the foot of a steep cliff, over which they had been dragged, while
endeavouring to stop the descent of their sledges. The dogs were
gazing silently, with the wreck of their harness about them, and the
sledges deeply buried in the snow. The effects of this accident
did not detain us long, and we proceeded afterwards with greater
caution.
The air was warm at noon, and the solitary but sweet notes of the
jay, the earliest spring bird, were heard in every wood. Late in the
evening we descried the ravens wheeling in circles round a small
grove of poplars, and, according to our expectations, found the
Indians encamped there.
The men were absent hunting, and returned unsuccessful. They
had been several days without provisions, and thinking that I could
depend upon the continuance of their exertions, I gave them a little
rum; the next day they set out, and at midnight they swept by us
with their dogs in close pursuit.
In the morning we found that a moose had eaten the bark of a tree
near our fire. The hunters, however, again failed ; and they attributed
the extreme difficulty of approaching the chase, to the calmness
of the weather, which enabled it to hear them at a great
distance.
They concluded, as usual, when labouring under any affliction,
that they were tormented by the evil spirit; and assembled to beat
a large tambourine, and sing an address to the Manito, or deity,
praying for relief, according to the explanation which I received;
but their prayer consisted only of three words, constantly repeated.
One of the hunters yet remained abroad; and as the wind rose at
noon, we had hopes that he was successful. In the evening he
made his appearance, and announcing that he had killed a large
moose, immediately secured the reward which had been promised.
The tidings were received with apparent indifference, by people
whose lives are alternate changes from the extremity of want to
abundance. But as their countenances seldom betray their emotions,
it cannot be determined whether their apathy is real or
affected. However, the women prepared their sledges and dogs,
with the design of dismembering, and bringing home, the carcass :
a proceeding to which, in their necessitous condition, I could have
had neither reasonable nor available objections, without giving them
a substitute. By much solicitation I obtained an audience, and
offered them our own provisions, on condition of their suspending
the work of destruction till the next day. They agreed to the proposition,
and we set out with some Indians for the place where the
animal was lying. The night advancing, we were separated by a
snow-storm, and not being skilful enough to follow tracks which
were so speedily filled up, I was bewildered for several hours in the
woods, when I met with an Indian, who led me back at such a pace
that I was always in the rear, to his infinite diversion. The Indians
are vain of their local knowledge, which is certainly very wonderful.
Our companions had taken out the entrails and young of the moose,
which they buried in the snow.
The Indians then returned to the tents, and one of my men accompanied
them ; he was the person charged with the management
of the trade at the hunting tent; and he observed, that the opportunity
of making a bargain with the Indians, while they were
drinking, was too advantageous to be lost.
It remained for us to prevent the wolves from mangling the