242 THE NORTH-WEST PASSAGE BY LAND. 



They live by hunting the bighorns, mountain goats, 

 and marmots; and numbers who go out every year never 

 return. Like the chamois hunters of the Alps, some 

 are found dashed to pieces at the foot of the almost 

 inaccessible heights to which they follow their game ; 

 of others no trace is found. The Shushwaps of 

 Jasper House formerly numbered about thirty fami- 

 lies, but are now reduced to as many individuals. 

 Removed by immense distances from all other In- 

 dians, they are peaceable and honest, ignorant of 

 wickedness and war. Whether they have any religion 

 or not, we could not ascertain ; but they enclose the 

 graves of their dead with scrupulous care, by light 

 palings of wood, cut with considerable neatness, 

 with their only tools — a small axe and knife. They 

 possess neither horses nor dogs, carrying all their 

 property on their backs when moving from place 

 to place ; and when remaining in one spot for any 

 length of time, they erect rude slants of bark or 

 matting for shelter, for they have neither tents nor 

 houses. As game decreases the race will, doubtless, 

 gradually die out still more rapidly, and they are 

 already flist disappearing from this cause, and the 

 accidents of the chase. 



The half-breeds Avho had arrived at our camp were 

 all short of provisions, and eagerly offered moose- skins 

 and various articles in exchange for small quantities 

 of ]3enimican and flour. We w^ere very anxious to 

 husband our supplies, but could not see them want, 

 or refrain from asking them to share our meals. 



On the 3rd of July Mr. Macaulay arrived, and set 



