Mr W. E. Cormack's Journey in search of 



tained during the two centuries and a-half in which Newfound- 

 land has been in the possession of Europeans. But it is to be la- 

 mented that now, when we have taken up the cause of a barba- 

 rously treated people, so few should remain to reap the benefit of 

 our plans for their civilization. The institution and its supporters 

 will agree with me, that, after the unfortunate circumstances at- 

 tending past encounters between the Europeans and the Red In- 

 dians, it is best now to employ Indians belonging to the other 

 tribes to be the medium of beginning the intercourse we have 

 in view ; and, indeed, I have already chosen three of the most 

 intelligent men from among the others met with in Newfound- 

 land, to follow up my search. 



In conclusion, I congratulate the institution on the acquisi- 

 tion of several ingenious articles, the manufacture of the Bcbo- 

 ihicJcs, some of which we had the good fortune to discover on 

 our recent excursion ; — models of their canoes, bows and arrows, 

 spears of different kinds, &c. and also a complete dress worn by 

 that people. Their mode of kindling fire is not only original, 

 but, as far as we at present know, is peculiar to the tribe. These 

 articles, together with a short vocabulary of their language, consist- 

 ing of JiOO to 300 words, which I have been enabled to collect, 

 prove the Boeothicks to be a distinct tribe from any hitherto dis- 

 covered in North America. One remarkable characteristic of their 

 language, and in which it resembles those of Europe more than 

 any other Indian languages do, with which we have had an op- 

 portunity of comparing it, — is its abounding in diphthongs. In 

 my detailed report, I would propose to have plates of these ar- 

 ticles, and also of the like articles used by other tribes of In- 

 dians, that a comparative idea may be formed of them ; and, 

 when the Indian female Shawnawdithit arrives in St John's, I 

 would recommend that a correct likeness of her be taken, and 

 be preserved in the records of the institution. One of the spe- 

 cimens of mineralogy which we found in our excursion, was a 

 block of what is called Labrador Felspar, nearly 4i feet in 

 length, by about three feet in breadth and thickness. This is the 

 largest piece of that beautiful rock yet discovered any where. 

 Our subsistence in the interior was entirely animal food, deer 

 and beavers, which we shot. 



" Resolvedy-^TYidit the measures recommended in the presi- 



