﻿212 HARE INDIANS JuLT, 



only as a provincial dialect. They are, like the 

 rest of the nation, a timid race, and live in con- 

 tinual dread of the Eskimos, whom they suppose 

 not only to be very warlike and ferocious, but also 

 endowed with great conjuring powers, by which 

 they can compass the death of an enemy at a 

 distance. The possession of fire-arms does not em- 

 bolden the Tinne to risk an open encounter with 

 the Eskimo bowmen ; and unless when they are as- 

 sembled in large numbers, as we found them at the 

 Ramparts, they seldom pitch a tent on the banks 

 of the river, but skulk under the branches of a 

 tree, cut down so as to appear to have fallen natu- 

 rally from the brow of the cliff; and they do not 

 venture to make a smoke, or rear any object that 

 can be seen from a distance. On the first ap- 

 pearance of a canoe or boat, they hide themselves, 

 with their wives and children, in the woods, until 

 they have reconnoitred, and ascertained the cha- 

 racter of the object of their fears. More than 

 once in our descent of the river, when we had 

 landed to cook breakfast or supper, and were not 

 at all aware of the vicinity of natives, a family 

 would crawl from their hiding-places, and come to 

 our fire. They always pleaded want of food ; and 

 as their wretched appearance spoke strongly of 

 their necessities, they invariably shared our meals ; 

 but not unfrequently they sold us a fish or two 



