JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE THROUGH THE
fetited it as a large body of water, and that it lies 'about one hundred
and twenty miles due Eaft from this place. It is well known to the
Knifteneaux, who are among the inhabitants^ of the plains on the banks
o f the Salkat6mwih(e®riyer; for formerly, when they ufed to Cometo
make war in this country, they came in their canoes to that lake, and
left them there; From thence there is a beaten path all the way to the
Fork, or Eaft branch of this river, which was their war-road.
January 10. Among the people who were now here, there were two Rocky Mountain
Indians, who declared, that the people to whom we had given that
denomination, are by no means entitled to it; and that their country has
ever been in the vicinity o f our prefent
of their affertion, that thefe people were entirely ignorant of thofe parts
which are adjacent to the mountain, as well as the navigation o f th©
liver-, that the Beaver Indians had greatly encroached. uponI them, and
would foOtt fere© them to retire to the foot o f thefe rnouhtaingd ‘ < ''Fheyf
flejjrefented themfelves as the only real natives o f that, country then
with me: and added, that the country, and tha t pari o f i die five* that
intervenes between this place and the mountains, bear much the fame
appearance as that around us ; that the former abounds with aiflmais^
but that the eobrfe o f the latter is interrupted, neir, and in ^thcNhbil®^
tains, by fucceflive rapids and confiderable falls. Thefe men alfo informed
me, that there is another great river towards the mid-day fun,
whofe current runs in that direction, and that the diftance from it is not
great acrofs the mountains.
The natives brought me plenty o f furs. The fmall quantity of
(now, at this time, was particularly favourable for hunting the beaver, as
from
140
January.
NORTH-WEST CONTINENT OF AMERICA- 141
from this circumftance, thofe animals could, with the greater facility, be
traced from their lodges to their lurking-places.
On the 12th the hunter arrived, having left his mother-in-law, who
was lately become ^jpidow -w^-three - fmall children, and in a&ual labour
of a fourth. Her. daughter related this circumftance to the women
here, without the lead appearance o f concern, though Ihe reprefented *
her as in a ftate of great danger, which probably might proceed from
her bejng abandoned in this unnatural manner.-« At die fame time without
a n y apparent p o n ^ of-her own barbarous negligence; if the
poor abandoned woman ftiould die, Ihe would moll probably lament hor
with great out«rik; »id, perhaps, cut off one or two joints of her fingers
a s ^ tokens of her ^ iif . The lndians, .indeed, confider the ftate o f a
womah in labour as among the moft trifling occurrences o f corporal
pain to which human nature is fubjott, and they may be, in ferae mea-
fur©; juftified in this apparent infenfibility from the circumftance^ of that
fituation among themfelves.- It is by no means uncommon in the hafty
removal of their camps from one pofition to another, for a woman to
be taken in labour, to;deliver herfeif in her way, without any affiftance
©r notice from heraflbmates injthe journey, and to oyertake them before
they complete the arrangements of their evening flat ion, with her newborn
babe on her back. M
I was this morning threatened with a very unplealant .event, which,
however, I was' fortunately enabled to control. Two young Indians
being engaged in one of their games, a difpute enfued, which rofe to
fuch an height, that they drew their knives, and if I had not happened
to