172 THE LABKADOK PENINSULA. CHAP. xi. 



When the Montagnais were first visited by the Jesuits 

 in 1631, if any member of a family died in a lodge, the 

 body was not taken out of the door, but an opening was 

 made in the back close to where the dead body was 

 lying, and through this opening the body was drawn. 

 The door was considered to be for the living, not for the 

 dead. In winter, when the ground was frozen hard, the 

 corpse was placed on a stage ten or twelve feet from the 

 ground, there to remain until the ground was thawed in the 

 spring, when it was buried in their places of sepulture. 

 At the death of any member of the family, the relations 

 struck the sides of the lodge, uttering loud cries of ' Oue ! 

 one ! oue ! ' in order, as they believed, to draw the spirit of 

 the departed out of their dwellings. 



All the property of the deceased was buried with the 

 body, and his or her name was never mentioned again in 

 ordinary conversation, or when they were spoken of it 

 was by another name. If the deceased was a man, his 

 bows, arrows, and spear and shield were placed above 

 his grave, and a dog was buried with him ; if a woman, 

 her moccasins and snow-shoes. The body was bent 

 double, the head being placed between the knees.* 



It continued to rain at intervals during the afternoon, 

 but we pushed on regardless of the wet. Silver waterfalls 

 were seen tumbling down the sides of the stupendous 

 rocks on the Sixth or Ka-jib-wa-le-ka-pas Lake. The 

 peaks of the mountains were veiled in mist, all was 

 gloomy, silent and grand. As we approached the shore, I 

 felt a gentle touch on my shoulder ; it was Pierre, my steers- 

 man. I looked round, and observed him pointing with his 



* Relations cles Jesuites, 1031. 



