fmokes Beneath an hill, on the North fhore, and on our approach' we
perceived the natives; climbing the ajcent to gain the woods. The
Indians, however, in the two final! canoes whieh! were ahead'6£? us,
having allured them o f our friendly intentions, they leeturned to their
fires, and we'difembarked. Several offeemwere clad -in hare-lkins,
but in- every other, circumftance they refembledthofe whom we had
already fee». We were, however, informed that they were of a different
tribe, called the Hare Indians, as hares and fiih are'feeir principal lup-
port, from the' fearcity of rein-deer and beaver, which are the only
animals o f the larger kind that frequent this part of the eouhtry.
They were twenty-five in number; and among them was a woman who
was afftifled with an abeefe in the beMy,' and- reduced,; in leonfequened^
to a mere flceleton ; at die fame time fevered old women were finging
and howling around her; but whether thefe noifes were to operate as a
charm for her cure, or merely to amufe and condole her; I dd not pre-f
tend to determine. A fmall quantity of our ufual prefents were
received by them with the grcateft fatisfaftion.
Here we made an exchange o f our gakJe, who h ad become fc troubles
feme that we were obliged to watch him nightansd day, except when
he was upon the water. The man, however, who had agreed to go in
his place foon repented of his engagement, and endeavoured to peffuade
us that feme of his relations further down the river, would readily ac-<
company us, and were much better acquainted with the river; than Mm.
felf. But, as he had informed as ten minutes before that Wd fhould fee
no more of his tribe, we paid very little’ attention tb his reanonfttahoes;
and compelled him to embark.
In
In about three feyurs a man qvertook us in a fmall canoe, and we
fufpefled that', fiis objefl ;|ras |gj| fayilit.ate, in feme way or other, the
efcape of our condu&or. About twelve we alfo obfervej an Indian
walking along the Norfh-Eaft 'flibre, 'Vhett the fmall canoes paddled
towards «him. We accordingly ffolloyed, and found tjiree men, three
women, and two children, «.whq^had been,on/an hunting «^edition.
They b ad/feme flefii of the rein-dedry whfeh they offered, tons, but it
Was. fe.-rotten, as well as. ofenfiye to theffuvdl; feat .^e ^xpufed our-
felvefr from .accepting ;it. They had. alfe feieir• wohderfffl' fforjes of'
dah^r and tekor, as well as their; eountiymen, wbbte we had' already
fgcn.;. and we were now informed, feat behind fee bppofite ifland there
was a Manitoebr fpirit, in fee r i^M h ich fwallowed evefy petfoo feat
approachedife vAiit^tM'hav»-employfd'haff a day to have Indulged
'fe examine tfesrphajfidntenon, We did »ofi
deviate fiepta bur cop»fe,feut left thefe people,wife; feeuufeal prefects,
and pro^eededon mifffoy&ge.i Our coiirfe and diflai^e feisuday ,were
Weft twenty-eight mltes^WcltNortWeft'.'tw^ty?fef^i*nfles, W -
SoufetWeftfixunifesl Weft by Nofthfeve^mdes, Sou%Weft- fotfr
and eik^nped'dt'te^hiMefeck, A fog prevailed-fee greater part,of ,
fee day, with frequent {bowers of fmall rain.
CHAP.