106 A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



The traders, when they travel, invariably keep some men on guard 

 to prevent surprise, whilst the others sleep ; and often practise the 

 stratagem of lighting a fire at sunset, which they leave burning, and 

 move on after dark to a more distant encampment — yet these pre- 

 cautions do not always baffle the depredators. Such is the descrip- 

 tion of men whom the traders of this river have constantly to guard 

 against. It must require a long residence among them, and much 

 experience of their manners, to overcome the painful apprehensions 

 their hostility and threats are calculated to excite. Through fear of 

 having their provision and supplies entirely cut off, the traders are 

 often obliged to overlook the grossest offences, even murder, though 

 the delinquents present themselves with unblushing effrontery almost 

 immediately after the fact, and perhaps boast of having committed 

 it. They do not, on detection, consider themselves under any 

 obligation to deliver up what they have stolen without receiving 

 an equivalent. 



The Stone Indians keep in amity with their neighbours the Crees 

 from motives of interest ; and the two tribes unite in determined 

 hostility against the nations dwelling to the westward, which are 

 generally called Slave Indians — a term of reproach applied by the 

 Crees to those tribes against whom they have waged successful wars. 

 The Slave Indians are said greatly to resemble the Stone Indians, 

 being equally desperate and daring in their acts of aggression and 

 dishonesty towards the traders. 



These parties go to war almost every summer, and sometimes mus- 

 ter three or four hundred horsemen on each side. Their leaders, in 

 approaching the foe, exercise all the caution of the most skilful 

 generals ; and whenever either party considers that it has gained the 

 best ground, or finds it can surprise the other, the attack is made. 

 They advance at once to close quarters, and the slaughter is conse- 

 quently great, though the battle may be short. The prisoners of 

 either sex are seldom spared, but slain on the spot with wanton 



