204 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE THROUGH THE
« were now navigating; and that therewere Onlythree fmalllakes/and as
—*— J many carrying-places, leadings to a final! river, \^biek difehai'gW itfelf ittt0
the great river, but that the latter did net empty itfelf into the Tea.- The
inhabitants, he faid, built houfes, lived on i(lands, and were a numerous
and warlike people. I defired him to defcribe the road to the other
river, by delineating it with a piece of coal, on a drip of bark, which
he accompliftted to my fatisfeOlion.; The opinion that the river did not
difcharge itfelf: into the fea, I very confidently imputed to his ignorance
of the country; j :
My hopes were "now renewed, and an objeft prefented itfelf which
awakened my utmoft impatience. To facilitate, its attainment, one of
the Indians was induced, by prefents, to accompany me as a guide to
the firft inhabitants, which we might expeft to meet on the fmall lakes
in our. way. I accordingly refolved to depart with all expedition, and
while my people were making every neeeffary preparation, ! employed
myfelf in writing the following defeription o f the natives a'round me :
They are low in ftature, not exceeding five feet fix or feven inches ; and
they are of that meagre appearance which might be expeOted in a people
whofe life is one fucceffion of difficulties, in procuring fubfi (fence. Their
' faces are round, with high cheek bones ; and their eyes, which are fmall,
are o f a dark brown colour ; the cartilage of their nofe is perforated, but
without any ornaments fufpended from it; their hair is of a dingy black,
hanging loofe and in diforder over their (houlders, but irregularly cut in
the front, fe as not to obftruft the fight ; their beards are eradicated,
with the exception of a few draggling hairs, and their complexion is a
fwarthy yellow.
Their
NORTH-WEST CONTINÊNT OF AMERICA.
1 Their drefs confifts of fobes imadë of the (kins of the beaver, the ground * 793-
fitL a,,,, ‘ , , . I iV; 1 ' JÖtohog,
arid the feirt^deei, dreffiddmthehdir, arid of the moôfé-<lkiO Without 1— — J
it. All of them are Orriamertted with a fringe, While ferine óf them have
tàffels hanging down the fearnS ;■ thdfe o f the ground hog are decofated
on the fur fide with the tails* Of the animal, which they do riot feparâte
from them. Their garments they tie ovër'the flïbulders, and fatten
them round 'the middie with ahel't o f green (Kirij whMlis as ftiff as
horn.j Their leggmS are long, arid* if they were topped wife a waiftband,
might be called trowfers ; they, as Well as their (hoes/aremade of
dreflëd moofe, èlk; or rein-deer fkiri;' The organs of generation1 they
leave uncovered.:
The women diff^ lifflé in their ^ ^ri^ feötó tHë' ^èftJ dkcept in the
addition o f an apron, which is fattened rotindthewaiftj arid hartgS down
to the knees. They are in' general óf â irtoie lufty make than the Other
fex, and taller in proportion, but infinitely their inferiors in cleanlinefs.
A black artificial ftripe erodes the face beneath the eye/from ear to ear,
which I firft took for fcabs, from the accumulation of dift on it. Their
hair, whihh is longerthari that ofthetnen, is divided front the forehead
to the crown, and drawnfeadk in fongpltrts behind the eats. They hâve
alfo a few white beads, whifcft they gèt where' they procure their rroh ;
they are from a line to an inch in length, and aré'Worn in thdir ears,
but are not of Etirbpeàn manufacture. Tnéfe, with" biaéèMS*'inade
o f horn! and'bonei dómpöfè all the oiriÉnèhbs’WKicf^ Öeóöratte' tneff per*
Tons. Nëóklatrès' of the gfifl^ Or whfeh behPs’Sk^s, ate Wörh ekclu*
lively by the men.
Their