170 THE LABRADOR PENINSULA. CHAP. XT. 



is very rough, and the portages many and long, neverthe- 

 less this poor Tete de Boule squaw carried the body of 

 her son over them all, that he might He by the side of his 

 father. 



The Montagnais and Nasquapees bury their dead like the 

 Swampy Crees, who dig with their wooden snow-shovels a 

 hole about three feet deep, which is sometimes lined with 

 pieces of wood. The body is placed on its side, as if 

 sleeping, but sometimes it is put in a sitting posture. 

 They wrap it in skins, or a blanket if they have one, with 

 the gun, axe, fire-steel, flint, tinder, and kettle placed by 

 its side. Sometimes the Indian's dogs are hung up at the 

 head of the grave. They always place the body east 

 and west the head towards the west, the land of the 

 happy hunting-grounds. A medicine man stands before 

 the grave and harangues the soul of the dead, giving it 

 advice how to act in the other world whither it has 

 gone. Then the grave is filled up, and a little birch- 

 bark hut built over it. Through the little window 

 which is left the relations thrust in bits of tobacco, deer 

 meat, and other trifles. When a woman is buried, her 

 paddles are placed in the little lodge over the grave, 

 as well as her wooden dishes. When a child is buried, 

 all its little play-things are carefully collected and laid 

 in a little lodge over it, and sometimes tiny snow-shoes 

 are hung before it. 



'Who remembers Pope's allusion to the custom of 

 Indians killing and burying the dog along with his 

 master ? ' 



' I don't,' said one, ' I don't,' said another, and ' I 

 don't,' said a third. 



