﻿1S48. KUTCIIIN AND ESKIMOS. 215 



mised, with hostile intentions, were fired upon by 

 the Kutchin, and three of them killed, upon which 

 they retreated. 



The Kutchin and Eskimos of the estuary of 

 the Mackenzie meet often for purposes of trade, 

 and make truces with each other, but they are 

 mutually suspicious, and their intercourse often 

 ends in bloodshed. The Kutchin have the advan- 

 tage of fire-arms, but the Eskimos are brave and 

 resolute, and come annually to Separation Point at 

 the head of the delta, for the purposes of barter. 

 Most of the Kutchin speak the Eskimo language, 

 and from them the latter people have become aware 

 of the existence of a post on the Peel. It is pro- 

 bable, therefore, that the Eskimos had a purpose of 

 opening a trade directly with the white people; but 

 this, being so obviously contrary to the interest of 

 the Kutchin, was likely to meet with all the op- 

 position they could ofi^er, and hence their firing on 

 the Eskimos without parley. The Kutchin give a 

 very bad character of their neighbours for treachery, 

 and throw on them the whole blame of their mutual 

 quarrels ; but the faults are certainly not confined 

 to one side ; and, doubtless, were an intercourse 

 once fairly established between the Eskimos and 

 the Company's posts, it miglit be kept up as 

 peaceably here as it is with the same people else- 

 where. 



p 4 



