CHAP. xx. THE NASQUAPEE AND THE COMPASS. 347 



crowded round to see the wonderful instrument, and 

 repeated the same experiment with much curiosity. 

 Some time after my visitors had bade me good night, the 

 Indian who was so minutely observing the compass came 

 back with Louis, and wanted to know what I would 

 take for the compass, key, and magnet. I asked Louis 

 what he wanted them for. Louis replied that he did not 

 know, but he thought it was to show his friends. The 

 Nasquapee said he would give furs for them, but I closed 

 the conversation by saying that I could not part with my 

 compass or with the key. 



The Nasquapee came the next morning to see if I 

 would exchange the compass and magnet and key for furs, 

 and expressed great anxiety to become the possessor of 

 the three little mysteries. But I told him if he brought 

 me fifty martens I should not let him have them, as they 

 would be of no use to him whatever. I rather suspect 

 that the Nasquapee, who was only a very young Christian, 

 thought that he might make a good thing out of the 

 magnet, key, and compass, when he went back among 

 his friends in the far interior ; his manner was earnest 

 and decided, and no doubt he would have promised to 

 pay a good price for them. When I mentioned my 

 suspicion to Louis, he took the same view of the matter, 

 and said characteristically, ' that Nasquapee make the other 

 Nasquapees far away back think he is a great conjuror, 

 get many furs from them ; little compass point out where 

 caribou lie, make other Indian pay for telling ; that 

 Nasquapee no fool.' 



Early on Tuesday (the 16th) I went to the chapel to 

 witness an Indian marriage. The chapel was crowded 



