infprjn#tion that I flipuld,' ;thfiî%iv Tb%, ho'wgser*
was in danger of being altogether, frnftt^tgdj by a mi£ynderjGb.nding, that
had taken place. hety/een,,the nati,v,.qs and my yp|rogifed^n'?T
already arrived, there. ,Before the^la^tpl^Qpld, chferobark^ th,e fonder
feized the cano(evand dragged.it op fhore, and in this.a£l ,pf(violence,the
boat was broken» from the weight of. the përfopç. in itr>. This ;infpl|, was.
pn the point ,o£ being ferioufly revenged, when I arriyeçhjtp prevent the
confeqnepces of fuch a di{pofition,; The variation p|i the compafs was.
about twenty-nine de^ees ?ta.the, I^a{L «
Ayfpurin tbe.pftenippn L pniered my mtqrp^eter .to harangue tlje
natives. aflembled inçoupcil ; but hisiopg (^c,Qur|e; ohtajned little/atif-
faHdry intelligence from thpm. Their apcopnt .of,the rivetcto^hf ^ 6 ^
ward,, was fimilar tothat /v^hieh .we had already received; anj^.giç^
defcription, qf the iqhal) jtai|ts„;pfthat COuntry, ftil I more tahfard and
ridiculous. They reprcfented diem as. beppg pf a gigantic fla ire , and
adorned with wings*; which, however, they never employedJn. flying.
That they fed on large birds5iyyhich they killed,, with the greateft eafe,
though, common men wouldbe pertain .viHiips of their, voracity if.thoy.
ventured to approach them,. They alfo defcribed tfle. people, that inha-,
bite<| the mouth of the riyer as qf killing
with their eyes, and devouring a large heaver at a finglp meal. They
added that canoes of very large dimenÇons vilited that place. They
did not, however, relate thefe ftrange pjrcp mfimtces frapt g$n
knowledge, but on the reports o f other tribe?, as they themfelvçs. never
ventured to proceed beyond the firft mountains, where they, went in
fearch of the fmall white buffaloes, as the inhabitants of the other fide
endeavour
NORTH-WEST CONTINENT OF AMERICA. 8 7
endeavour'd'© kill {fibril wHen'ev^tbey'meet®^ Thc^ lifeewife mentioned
{hat the^ft^fcSs df^fKbfe'Hrearfls which'ard ttibuta'ryda -both the great
riv^rS,'hie ftp'afSt'Pd by the^ii^uh-feifes.’ It appeared to us/*nowever, that
thef#j?edple krie^m'cfrcf'about the country'fhanithey chofe^'6 cottrmu-
niCat^br at-l'fea'ft re&ched'rifel? as'the ihiiApreteiy who had longfHeeri tired
o f the ‘voyage,' mighf codceal'fuch’a part df'thefr-'communications as/ iri
in ‘his^opiriioA,’ me td! follow hew ! roft ' ex tend my
eicdhfidMs/ No fboner1 was the conferehh^eonhlWded/;fhandhey began
to dance, whichis their favourite, arid; except jumping, their only airiufe-
nseutf. In this paftime old and young; male’and feinale/dontmued their
exertions, till' their ftrength was exhibited. 'This exercife was accompanied
by loud imitations''of the various -hoHbs produced By thdreih-
deerj the'bekidahd the'wolf.-
JIB
“When they had finilhed thëir*"hhtîcâ/I defifgtHhe Englifh chief to
ffehew'the foihrief fubjte&sV'which'he did.without fudcefs'. SB therefore
aflütried ari angry air, ’expreffed my fufpicidris that they t^ithheld their
infdrhaatiohl arid cohclüded with a menace, that if they did not1 givh' me
all thi Mtlsfa'ftion in their power,T would fdr'cdJdrie of theni alohg"witli
rile to-MaWPW; to point out the rôad to the ^dtheiAfyéri' IfOn this dëelà-'
AaÔon, they àll, at one ând the famé moment, bèca'me fick/and anfwered
iii^i’VeVy faint'tohe, that thèy knfew no rricSre than they had" already cdrii-
münieated, and that they fhould die if F took any Of them away. They
begamtbperfhade my iriiëfpfëtër tëTëiriaJih Aith thëm/âiSflëÿdoVèd him
as well as they did themfëlves, and that hê"!wôuld be killed if he cori-
linued with m‘e. '• Ndf did this prOpofition; "aided as it was by the folici-
tatioh of his-W0rnen, faii of prbdtlcihg'a*éorifidërablë effeét upon him,
though he endeavoured to conceal it from me.
I now